Other FWK - very fast ferment

[winemaker81]

It was 1.02 and I followed your recommendation last night. It had actually dropped down to, coincidentally, 1.002 by then so the good news is that it kept fermenting, just slower. Now in one bucket - thanks!

Great!

I suggest you post SG with 3 significant digits to the right of the decimal, as it eliminates confusion.

My kits all fermented fast, but I didn't have an overflow condition on the Barbera, Chardonnay, or my son's Riesling. The Rhone (my blend) and Super Tuscan were triple batches fermented in 32 gallon Brutes, so I had a wide margin there, although 18 gallons of must filled the Brutes more than I expected.

I'm definitely considering a 10-12 gallon Brute for small batches -- it's normally overkill for a kit, but I've had a few batches where the foam was close to the top of a 7.9 gallon fermenter.

 

[oppyland]

My Petit Syrah is fermenting away nicely this evening. I pitched the yeast on Sunday afternoon, and there was a slight indication of activity yesterday (a few bubbles and slight aroma). It definitely kicked in overnight, with plenty of bubbles and some foam this morning. SG went up a bit to 1.110 (started at 1.102), I'm sure due to sugar from the skin packs. As I said, it's quite cool in my basmement - the must was around 61* yesterday, and increased about 1.5* as of this evening. Since it's looking vigorous, I'm going to hold off with the second nutrient pack until tomorrow morning.

 

[winemaker81]

SG went up a bit to 1.110 (started at 1.102),

In each case, my kits increased in SG from reconstitution time to inoculation time. My son's Riesling dropped a couple of points.

Although the skin packs may contribute sugar, I suspect the thickness of the concentrate is enough that even with very good stirring, the must continues to homogenize over night.

 

[oppyland]

Okay, still fizzing away as of this morning. The bucket overflowed a bit overnight - will definitely use a larger vessel for fermentation next time. SG is down a bit to 1.092 (ish - hard to read with all those bubbles). Must temp is up to 66*.

 

[winemaker81]

SG is down a bit to 1.092 (ish - hard to read with all those bubbles).

Don't worry about an exact reading -- the OG and FG matter. Think of everything in between as a barometer which informs you about how far along your wine is.

 

[oppyland]

SG is at 1.060 this morning (start of day 5). The bucket overflowed again last night, but the activity this morning, while vigourous, seems to have peaked. I added the second nutrient pack. Must temp was 68.5. Looks like I'm getting a "normal" fermentation on this batch.

 

[winemaker81]

Looks like I'm getting a "normal" fermentation on this batch.

Did you simply pitch the yeast, as opposed to making a starter?

 

[oppyland]

Did you simply pitch the yeast, as opposed to making a starter?

I made starter per the instructions (which is definitely not normal for me ).

EDIT: I wonder if it's going more slowly due to lower ambient temperature? Perhaps a few degrees cooler makes a big difference.

 

[winemaker81]

I wonder if it's going more slowly due to lower ambient temperature? Perhaps a few degrees cooler makes a big difference.

My Super Tuscan was lower 60's F, and the ferment was fairly fast.

 

[oppyland]

My Super Tuscan was lower 60's F, and the ferment was fairly fast.

Well, I guess that's not it then. I have noticed a far more vigorous ferment with this kit than others, but that - at least so far - hasn't translated to significantly faster completion. It'll definitely be interesting to see how the additional nutrient affects it.

 

[JBP]

Just starting a FWK Super Tuscan which arrived as a gift from hubby. Currently in 7.9g with 1 gal must removed for space during the rapid fermentation and planning on racking to BMB around 1.010. At that point, I run into holiday travel issues. I can rack at day 14 to a carboy or do an extended maceration in BMB, which will likely be 5 weeks. I like the thought of extra time on the skins etc. Thoughts from the group on a 5 week EM in BMB? Any concerns?

 

[Matteo_Lahm]

Other winemakers have reported doing this and had good results. As long as the primary fermentation bucket remains closed and undisturbed, it will be fine.

Just starting a FWK Super Tuscan which arrived as a gift from hubby. Currently in 7.9g with 1 gal must removed for space during the rapid fermentation and planning on racking to BMB around 1.010. At that point, I run into holiday travel issues. I can rack at day 14 to a carboy or do an extended maceration in BMB, which will likely be 5 weeks. I like the thought of extra time on the skins etc. Thoughts from the group on a 5 week EM in BMB? Any concerns?

 

[oppyland]

My Petit Sirah kit hit 1.010 this morning, pretty much on-schedule 7 days from pitching the yeast. The bucket is now under airlock, and I had planned to follow the instructions and transfer to a carboy in about a week. But now, I'm not so sure if I should follow such a rigid schedule. Is there a benefit to leaving it for an extened maceration? What are the risks?

 

[winemaker81]

Is there a benefit to leaving it for an extened maceration? What are the risks?

This article provides a short description of benefits. There are more detailed articles on the site, including interviews with winemakers and their opinions on EM, but those articles are member only. There are also recent threads on this forum -- search for "extended maceration".

https://winemakermag.com/article/new-skills-master-maceration
The risk is that your wine will oxidize or become infected. However, if you follow the instructions (seal container when SG between 1.020 and 1.010), it should be safe, as the remaining fermentation ensures the container is filled with CO2. A lot of folks post positive results, so it's another technique to consider.

I researched EM and have little interest in it, but that's me. I've used an extraction enzyme the past 2 years and am pleased with the results.

 

[oppyland]

Thanks for the info! After further reflection, I told myself I'd actually follow the kit instructions at least once in my life, so I think I'm going to (mostly) follow the directions this time around.

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

Thanks for the info! After further reflection, I told myself I'd actually follow the kit instructions at least once in my life, so I think I'm going to (mostly) follow the directions this time around.

I EM all my red kits that contain skins 4-8 weeks and have never had a problem. Tim Vandergrift has some great YouTube videos out there on the subject also.

 

[Old Corker]

I can rack at day 14 to a carboy or do an extended maceration in BMB, which will likely be 5 weeks.

I have some Bordeaux with double skins packs in BMBs now and plan about the same time for EM. I have had issues with the BMBs holding their seal so this time I used shrink wrap and is seems to be holding. Two weeks in and the air locks still show positive pressure.

 

[JBP]

I have some Bordeaux with double skins packs in BMBs now and plan about the same time for EM. I have had issues with the BMBs holding their seal so this time I used shrink wrap and is seems to be holding. Two weeks in and the air locks still show positive pressure.

Same experience - wondering if BMB is better than sealed/airlocked primary fermentation pail or neutral? Of course, probably can't really answer that question. Whichever one keeps O2 out...

 

[Old Corker]

wondering if BMB is better than sealed/airlocked primary fermentation pail or neutral?

I did a double batch in a 20 gal. Brute trash can so leaving it in there wasn’t an option. I have two glass BMBs and sealed the plastic top with 6” shrink wrap. Mine came with a harness that has this additional strap to hold the lid down

 

[Old Corker]

@JBP, So to actually answer you question, I’ve done both. Snap the lid on a 7.9 gal fermentation bucket and leave it. Didn’t really trust it for more than a couple of weeks max. I got the BMB hoping for a better seal and had some initial frustration. I have evolved to the method shown in the picture and feel pretty good about it now. The tall neck on the glass BMB is well suited to using the shrink wrap which leaves no adhesive residue. The added strap may be overkill but I had a lid that kept creeping up without it.