WineXpert Eclipse Forza

[sour_grapes]

I had a horrible time racking out of the primary bucket, all those little splinters of oak (wish they'd sent sawdust) stopped up my sediment tip. I must have stopped and cleaned it 10 times to get through the racking. Real pain in the butt.

I think I'm going to hang on to the oak that came with the kit and put a Wine Stix stick or a spiral in there after clearing, but really haven't decided. Any suggestions for oaking??????

I put the oak for my primary (either dust or splinters) into the mesh bag that the grape pack goes into.

 

[Johnd]

Paul, such a simple solution, I will follow your advice in the future, thanks!!!!!

 

[sour_grapes]

Paul, such a simple solution, I will follow your advice in the future, thanks!!!!!

I learned it here!!

 

[ceeaton]

Okay, just read through jgmann's Stags Leap Merlot thread and it made me thirsty for some more red wine. Finally got a new wine thief (broke my old one years ago) because I'm afraid I'll ruin the bottom edges of these better bottles (and clones) if I keep tipping them over for a sample on a hard surface (basement rug - no harm, no foul).

Took a sample of the Forza kit, and with my limited wine vocabulary, this is what I smelled/tasted. Nose: really dark fruit, maybe even lightly smoked fruit, but a sweetness in the aroma I can only attribute to raisins (maybe some in that "grape" skin pack). Lot's of alcohol in the nose. Taste was as dry as the Sahara, maybe drier. Had a glass of Diablo Rojo that has a very small sweetening pack earlier, way drier than that. Once again dark fruit and maybe some cherries coming through, some sourness from either the yeast or the FT Rouge I added when started. Only five days into the pre-clearing stage, so not expecting much, yet.

Sorry it isn't more informative, gotta learn the lexicon of wine tasting descriptors. Maybe by this time next year when I open my first 375ml sample I'll be better at it.

 

[Johnd]

Forza's been hovering right at .999 for the last several days since I racked it, bubbler activity getting pretty low. Temps have been steady at 76. Been doing some light stirring to suspend the yeast and give it a little oxygen.

Suspecting that the 212 is near its alcohol tolerance and might not dry it up all of the way, last night I added a cup or two of yeast slurry from the primary of a Nebbiolo I was transferring to secondary. Nebbiolo was rolling along really fast with 1118, same yeast that came with the Forza (along with the 212). Hoping to see some increase in bubbler activity and SG readings this evening.

 

[Kiwisholland]

I ordered another Forza kit from LP, the price is so good. Started my first kit today. Added extra oak chips and pitched go-fermed BM4x4. Looks to be starting already. I'll use the RC212 on the other kit

 

[ceeaton]

Two of them, very cool! I'll be curious in a year or so what you perceive to be the flavor differences between the two with different yeasts.

 

[Kiwisholland]

That's what I'm hoping, CE.

BM description on Scott labs for BM45:
In Italian red varietals, Lalvin BM45TM has sensory descriptors that include fruit jam, rose and cherry li*queurs, sweet spice, licorice, cedar and earthy elements.

Hoping 4x4 will have a good amount of this with more alcohol tolerance.

Did yours go dry on 212 with no issues CE? I saw you used a nutrient boost

 

[Kiwisholland]

Did it start back up John?

 

[ceeaton]

Did yours go dry on 212 with no issues CE? I saw you used a nutrient boost

Still hanging at 0.993 @ 70*F (.994 adj for temp), so not totally dry, but dry enough in my book. Used FermCalc and ABV should be somewhere around 15% or higher, depending on how much more SG came out of the skin pack after I took initial SG reading.

I had rehydrated the yeast with Go Ferm and split my Fermaid O additions. I put 5g in when airlock activity first started and 4g in about 1/2 through. Had no nasty aromas, though the aroma of it fermenting was all through the house, it was a really strong and fast ferment. The rate of reduction of the must sugars really surprised me.

 

[Johnd]

Kiwisholland, it seems to have helped, still some slight activity in the bubbler, one a minute or so. SG down to .996, I'm in no hurry, so I'll give it some more time before moving on. I'm fairly confident that it will be dry enough to move on without much concern.

 

[Kiwisholland]

Pitched Go-Fermed BM4X4 on the afternoon off 8/8. Around 23-24 Brix, but the grape pack wasn't fully integrated.

Squeezed grape pack and pitched Fermaid O Sunday morning. Temps around 80 in the center of the must. Basement at 66 degrees. Monday afternoon, Brix down to 8.5 (adjusted)! Wow it's smoking along. Maybe too warm? I pitched the other addition of Fermaid... Slowing today but that move down fast.

Was it too late for the other Fermaid addition?

 

[Johnd]

Forza finally bottomed out at .995 for the last several days, no activity at all. Went ahead and racked, degassed, kms and both chitosans. No sorbate (my new lesson from the forum). It was really gassy, after drill degassing, pumped on my brake bleeder forever, but got it done. I went ahead and added the 30g of oak, I'll leave it behind when I rack again and add a French medium plus wine stix during bulk. Had a pretty good size glass of it, and liked what I tasted. Not as big as I was expecting, but enough body to handle the ABV. Not very tannic so I'll have some work to do. Fruit forward, it was smooth and balanced. I'm very optimistic.

 

[Kiwisholland]

What temp was your ferment at John?

 

[Johnd]

I'm in South Louisiana, down here temps in July and August are generally in the mid to upper 90's, and this is one of the hottest years on record. That being said, I keep my A/C set on 76 degrees. The temps of the ferment climbed from 76 at the start, to a max of 81 during the most active fermentation, and then back down to 76 as fermentation began to tail off.

 

[ceeaton]

Sounds like you have to deal with high temps in the summer like we have to deal with low temps in January up here. Be curious how the higher temps you fermented at affected the flavor. Maybe my wife and I have to visit your parts next spring so we can exchange a bottle or two....wishful thinking on my part! Gotta get four to fly the coup first.

 

[Kiwisholland]

Never used BM4x4 before, or Go-Ferm/Fermaided a kit. The fermentation was very fast. I pitched Saturday afternoon, and I observed -.5 to -1 Brix this afternoon. Racked to secondary. Still bubbling slowly. This is my first kit in the summer, but my basement varies between 66-69f. 80-85f in the center of the fermentation. I skipped bentonite for the first time as well. Going to skip all additives, see how the taste differs

 

[Johnd]

Yeah, high temps here are a pain. By the time July rolls around, I'm done, but it goes on through September. I'm suffering through til October when things finally start to cool down. I'm a hunter and love the cold, sitting in a duck blind or a deer stand. Anyway, I digress. If indeed you do make it down to the New Orleans area, I'd happily swap some bottles, I'd love to taste what other folks are making, don't know anyone else around here who's doing it. Let me know if it pans out..........

 

[ceeaton]

Okay, 19 days. The more time the better. Racked and added Kmeta, degassed and added clarifiers (2 pkgs Chitosan). When degassing got a mini volcano. Usually remove a few liters but directions didn't call for it. SG 0.993 @ 72*F.

Will let stand for 10 days or so, then rack and add 30g French oak cubes. I really like the flavor of my small sample. Good body and my wife commented about the alcohol in the nose. (@jgmann - think I'll have a 375 ml sample by Thanksgiving, that although young, will give you an idea how the kit will turn out if you buy one. Those 375ml bottles are gonna come in real handy).

 

[jgmann67]

(@jgmann - think I'll have a 375 ml sample by Thanksgiving, that although young, will give you an idea how the kit will turn out if you buy one. Those 375ml bottles are gonna come in real handy).

I'm planning on doing 6 bottles of the Merlot in 375's and the remaining bottles in 750ml (maybe a 1.5 just for fun). It's going to be a nice thanksgiving, I think.