Getting Ready for Grape Season

[Kraffty]

Someone, maybe JohnD, suggested a few years ago to have everyone who helped at crush time sign on a lug panel and gift it to them later. Think I can do something artistic that way. Also going to use some of the end panels as skirting on my outdoor kitchen area I'm planning for this year.

 

[Ajmassa]

Someone, maybe JohnD, suggested a few years ago to have everyone who helped at crush time sign on a lug panel and gift it to them later. Think I can do something artistic that way. Also going to use some of the end panels as skirting on my outdoor kitchen area I'm planning for this year.

Digging those plans. Ive also been toying with ideas.

Gonna do a small little decorative bottle holder. Holding Maybe 12bottles.

And also similar to your kitchen skirt boards i want to use on my basement steps going into the wine room. Currently it’s an open set of 7 steps. Treads are two 2x6’s. Hinged at the top for sump pump access underneath steps. Plan to fill in the risers and line with the lug panels

 

[BarrelMonkey]

Well... I'm officially excited. These beautiful premium Anderson Valley pinot noir grapes are coming in tonight, and tomorrow 1/2 ton of them will be mine
This will be my first solo winemaking effort (though I also have 3 gal of elderberry currently fermenting)

 

[Ajmassa]

Well... I'm officially excited. These beautiful premium Anderson Valley pinot noir grapes are coming in tonight, and tomorrow 1/2 ton of them will be mine
This will be my first solo winemaking effort (though I also have 3 gal of elderberry currently fermenting)

View attachment 78738

First time riding solo and your going for a half ton?! Hot damn! Good for you.
I can relate to that shift too. Working as a helper for years is not even comparable to being the shotcaller. So much different. That wine becomes your baby!

When shifting into grapes solo I had an identical approach . Tested the waters with a small 3 gal in the spring right into a 30gal in the fall. But 100gal? That’s the big leagues! Excited for you.
That’s such a great pic of the grapes on that old vine btw. Good luck.

(And remember—-everyone loves a high vol. crush so make sure to take lots of pics!)

 

[crushday]

First time riding solo and your going for a half ton?! Hot damn! Good for you.

Aj, you make me giggle…

 

[GreenEnvy22]

I picked our Muscat today, got 130 lbs, and ended up with about 30L/8gallons pressed. 1.080 SG, pretty much exactly what I wanted.
Thats the only wine I plan on doing this year. Hopefully can avoid getting talked into another one I still have many dozens of gallons to bottle from the last couple of years.

 

[Ajmassa]

.
Thats the only wine I plan on doing this year. Hopefully can avoid getting talked into another one I still have many dozens of gallons to bottle from the last couple of years.

Sounds to me like your trying to convince yourself of something you really deep down don’t agree with.

Because after all, muscat blends absolutely brilliantly with zin and Alicante. Keep 6. Sacrifice 2 for a blend I promise you’ll be making again next year.

 

[GreenEnvy22]

I may have to try that.
Usually around this time a couple Aunts and Uncle's ask me to make wine for them. They provide all the grapes (they are commercial growers), and I keep 1/3 as my "fee". But I'm just too busy now.

 

[winemaker81]

I can relate to that shift too. Working as a helper for years is not even comparable to being the shotcaller. So much different.

Very true. When my son made his first wine, after years of helping me, he made a few trivial mistakes that surprised me. Details that the lead winemaker may believe are obvious ... are not.

It just occurred to me that a checklist for beginners is a good idea, like the WE kit instructions.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

Working as a helper for years is not even comparable to being the shotcaller. So much different. That wine becomes your baby!

Yes, already realizing this! Trucking and destemming went according to plan. But the wine numbers... need attention. Brix 27.5 (we had a hot spell over the weekend), pH 3.6, TA 0.68. I'm definitely adding back acidulated water, just don't want to overdo it...

 

[CDrew]

Yes, already realizing this! Trucking and destemming went according to plan. But the wine numbers... need attention. Brix 27.5 (we had a hot spell over the weekend), pH 3.6, TA 0.68. I'm definitely adding back acidulated water, just don't want to overdo it...

That's a high Brix! Ferm calc can get you back to 25 or so. You're other numbers look ideal.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

That's a high Brix! Ferm calc can get you back to 25 or so. You're other numbers look ideal.

Weird ripening this year. When brix was in a reasonable range, pH was still very low - ironically I now think a slight acid bump might be in order since pH will likely increase with fermentation/ML?

 

[mainshipfred]

Weird ripening this year. When brix was in a reasonable range, pH was still very low - ironically I now think a slight acid bump might be in order since pH will likely increase with fermentation/ML?

3.6 is borderline for me for adding acid. Typically I would probably do a post ferment bench trail before making the decision.

 

[Donz]

I wouldn't go dumping acid in with anything in the 3.6/3.7 range.

 

[distancerunner]

3.6 is borderline for me for adding acid. Typically I would probably do a post ferment bench trail before making the decision.

Sort of off topic:

If the post fermentation pH is ~3.6 and you do not want to add acid, would you skip cold stabilization?

 

[mainshipfred]

Sort of off topic:

If the post fermentation pH is ~3.6 and you do not want to add acid, would you skip cold stabilization?

Not exactly sure what your though process is but I wouldn't think it would make any difference.

 

[winemaker81]

would you skip cold stabilization?

Unless you want to reduce acid, what is the value of cold stabilization?

 

[Ajmassa]

Unless you want to reduce acid, what is the value of cold stabilization?

The whole ‘Stabilization’ part!—> Dropping out the cold tartrates (wine diamonds) so it doesn’t happen while in the bottle.
For me the acid change was negligible unless combined with antacid chems. So the change in levels is incidental when stabilizing for fallout. CS seems to be routine for white & rosé for the dropout (served cold).
But also used as a technique to remove acid for any wine (w/ or w/o chems)

But @distancerunner’s question falls into that weird ph thing that defies logic for acid removal.
CS w/ Ph under 3.65—-removing acid thru cold stabilization actually lowers ph.
CS w/ Ph over 3.65—goes back to making sense and increases as acid falls out.

There’s no doubt some in-depth well written articles out there regarding the benefits of cold stabilizing.

 

[winemaker81]

The whole ‘Stabilization’ part!—> Dropping out the cold tartrates (wine diamonds) so it doesn’t happen while in the bottle.

If the acid level is low, tartrates are unlikely to drop in the bottle, especially for reds that are not chilled and whites that are chilled only for a day or 2 before serving.

My experience with cold stabilization is with NY Finger Lakes whites, which are typically very high in acid. Cold stabilization made a large difference in acid levels and dramatically improved the wines from being very sharp into merely snippy.

 

[distancerunner]

Not exactly sure what your though process is but I wouldn't think it would make any difference.

The whole ‘Stabilization’ part!—> Dropping out the cold tartrates (wine diamonds) so it doesn’t happen while in the bottle.
For me the acid change was negligible unless combined with antacid chems. So the change in levels is incidental when stabilizing for fallout. CS seems to be routine for white & rosé for the dropout (served cold).
But also used as a technique to remove acid for any wine (w/ or w/o chems)

But @distancerunner’s question falls into that weird ph thing that defies logic for acid removal.
CS w/ Ph under 3.65—-removing acid thru cold stabilization actually lowers ph.
CS w/ Ph over 3.65—goes back to making sense and increases as acid falls out.

There’s no doubt some in-depth well written articles out there regarding the benefits of cold stabilizing.

Exactly what I was thinking. If you have an accurate measurement, then there is an opportunity to change the pH. Whether or not that is desirable, I'm guessing, will be at least partially dependent on TA.

Tasting helps, too.