How long can I leave grape juice/wine after primary is complete ?

[ericsp]

I know the specific gravity (SG) determines when primary fermentation is complete. I crushed the grapes on September 15th. If fermentation goes past this Sunday, I won’t be able to press until the following week due to work.

I understand that there’s a small window, but what’s the normal timeframe for pressing after fermentation? Currently, I have Sangiovese in the primary stage.

The soonest I could press would be on the following Friday, which would be the 27th.

 

[sour_grapes]

Obviously, this is only a guess. I would hazard a guess that you could safely press this weekend. A week or so in primary fermentation is typical. And there it's not a sin to press at, say, 1.020 SG. The wine might turn out a little lighter in color than you would prefer, but it could all be for the best, too.

 

[ericsp]

Obviously, this is only a guess. I would hazard a guess that you could safely press this weekend. A week or so in primary fermentation is typical. And there it's not a sin to press at, say, 1.020 SG. The wine might turn out a little lighter in color than you would prefer, but it could all be for the best, too.

I never thought of pressing sooner and letting it continue to ferment in the secondary’s .

That’s something I should consider .

 

[ericsp]

I guess this wouldn’t have been an issue if I had a fermentation vessel with a top that could be sealed.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Leaving? Actively managing vs Ignoring for a week?
there is some risk of mold growth on the floating skins if they are not periodically moistened. You won’t be the first person who makes wine who has had an extra week in the process. If work meant that I couldn’t manage every evening I would try next best procedures as taping 8 mil poly sheeting over the primary to contain CO2 and lower the risk from mold.

 

[VinesnBines]

This is an old thread but I thought I would give a 2023 update on submerged cap fermentation. Everything I did with submerged cap in 2022 turned out fine, quite good actually.

This season, I just completed 10 submerged cap fermentations. All were successful. I wasn't able to pick, crush, ferment and press within a week so I had no alternative.

Here is my process. I used either 5/6 gallon buckets or 32 gallon Brute trash cans. For everything, I take a new trash bag and cover the must as if I was putting the bag inside out in the bucket or trash can. The inside of the bag is on the cap. Then I put something to hold the cap down. For a bucket a large dinner plate usually works. A large pizza pan can work for a smaller 20 gallon Brute. For my 32 gallon Brutes I made some large circles from corrugated plastic grape bins. Picture below. Then I add some weight to hold the circle down and get the cap slightly submerged. Not too much weight, just enough to keep the cap moist. Then I snap on the lid to the bucket or Brute. When I return, a week or more later, the cap is still moist and the fermentation is nearly complete. I will punch down again until I'm ready to press. The only issue might be that my ferments haven't gone completely dry while submerged. Considering my alternatives, this is not a crisis.

Edit: I wait until I have a cap forming before I submerge the cap. I've not tried pitching the yeast and immediately submerging the cap. I may try that with a small batch. I'm not sure how well that will work.

First picture shows the circles I made. Second is the circle on the top of the plastic covering the cap. Third is how I weighed down the circle.

I’m in my third season of submerged cap fermentation. I used the above method last week and left six batches for eight days without any issues. Il’ll do the same this coming week and the rest of the season. I don’t have tight lids on all my fermenters so the plastic works well.

 

[ericsp]

Leaving? Actively managing vs Ignoring for a week?
there is some risk of mold growth on the floating skins if they are not periodically moistened. You won’t be the first person who makes wine who has had an extra week in the process. If work meant that I couldn’t manage every evening I would try next best procedures as taping 8 mil poly sheeting over the primary to contain CO2 and lower the risk from mold.

I won’t be leaving . I’ll just be getting home from work which would leave me with no time to press.

 

[Ohio Bob]

I would gently punch the cap down, but not vigorously stir, such that CO2 is being released.

If it was me I would enjoy the experience of pressing and take a day off. Easy for me to say.

 

[winemaker81]

A lot of folks do Extended Maceration (EM) so extra time in a sealed fermenter won't hurt.

Try this to "seal" the fermenter: Use plastic wrap over the top of the fermenter. Overlap strips and do your best to to seal the joins. This is not going to be a perfect seal, but for a short duration (week or two) it doesn't need to be. Excess air will be pushed out through the weakest spots in the plastic.

The wine will emit CO2 and fill the space -- within a day or so the air in the fermenter will be primarily CO2. Since natural degassing takes at least weeks, your wine should be fine.

IIRC, @Cynewulf has done non-covered EM. He may be able to offer tips.

 

[ericsp]

A lot of folks do Extended Maceration (EM) so extra time in a sealed fermenter won't hurt.

Try this to "seal" the fermenter: Use plastic wrap over the top of the fermenter. Overlap strips and do your best to to seal the joins. This is not going to be a perfect seal, but for a short duration (week or two) it doesn't need to be. Excess air will be pushed out through the weakest spots in the plastic.

The wine will emit CO2 and fill the space -- within a day or so the air in the fermenter will be primarily CO2. Since natural degassing takes at least weeks, your wine should be fine.

IIRC, @Cynewulf has done non-covered EM. He may be able to offer tips.

In the future I’ll be more prepared for this. I see a lot of people use the Speidel Fermenters which look great but how are people getting the grapes out to be pressed ? The opening is way too small .

 

[BarrelMonkey]

The plastic wrap is a good idea - if you really want extra insurance you might buy some dry ice and hang a little bag in the top of the fermenter. Example here...

 

[ericsp]

The plastic wrap is a good idea - if you really want extra insurance you might buy some dry ice and hang a little bag in the top of the fermenter. Example here...

Yeah, I’m going use the plastic wrap . Also incorporate some other suggestions that were mentioned.

All of the suggestions were great.