I've Graduated!

[bkisel]

I've graduated - first time juice bucket from a winery... Was up to Seneca Lake, NY to meet with friends and visit a few wineries. Brought my fermentation bucket with me and on the way home stopped @ Fulkerson Winery and bought myself 6 gallons of Niagara juice. Paid only $5.00/gal and $0.75 for a packet of Red Star Cote des Blancs yeast. $30.75 OUT THE DOOR! The frugal in me just loves it!

Got home and measured a temp of 50F for the must. Got a heat belt on so hope to be able to pitch the yeast tomorrow- after getting SG reading and maybe adding some sugar.

Question comes to mind about whether or not yeast can be safely pitched into/onto a cold must, will the yeast kick in normally when the must rises to temperature or will it be killed/damaged by hydrating in cold must?

I'm so excited about making this wine! It's like when I first had *** 2 weeks ago.

 

[vernsgal]

I would hold off on adding yeast until your must warms up.

And congrats! lol

 

[ceeaton]

... measured a temp of 50F for the must..

Question comes to mind about whether or not yeast can be safely pitched into/onto a cold must, will the yeast kick in normally when the must rises to temperature or will it be killed/damaged by hydrating in cold must?

I think if your yeast is at 50*F (or within 10*F) you'll be fine. I checked MoreWinemaking's site and it said that the yeast you are using can work down to 50*F. Issue would be if it was being kept at room temperature, say 75*F and you threw it into a 50*F juice bucket, it might shock the yeast.

I would add, if you do pitch it tonight make sure you stir it well once it comes up to temperature, as most yeast if it gets too cool will just drop to the bottom of the fermenter.

 

[bkisel]

Thanks for the info...

Must is now @ 59F. I'll wait another hour and make a decision on whether to pitch tonight or not. Winery said they add just a bit of sulfate (k-meta?) to keep the wild yeast from kicking in as the must warms up on its trip home. Was told though that - once you're up to room temp pitch the yeast.

 

[ceeaton]

Thanks for the info...

Must is now @ 59F. I'll wait another hour and make a decision on whether to pitch tonight or not. Winery said they add just a bit of sulfate (k-meta?) to keep the wild yeast from kicking in as the must warms up on its trip home. Was told though that - once you're up to room temp pitch the yeast.

I think you'll be fine either way (pitching tonight or waiting until morning). If you wait until morning I'd remove your brew belt and let it come up to temperature slowly overnight.

You could also stick your nose in there and see if you can detect the sulfites they added. If you don't smell them I'd feel fine pitching the yeast. If you do, you could aerate the yeast and that should take care of the sulfites (also waiting until morning will take care of that without aerating).

 

[bkisel]

I think you'll be fine either way (pitching tonight or waiting until morning). If you wait until morning I'd remove your brew belt and let it come up to temperature slowly overnight.

You could also stick your nose in there and see if you can detect the sulfites they added. If you don't smell them I'd feel fine pitching the yeast. If you do, you could aerate the yeast and that should take care of the sulfites (also waiting until morning will take care of that without aerating).

Thanks... Removed brew belt with must now at 60F and house temp @ ~71F. Will probably wake a few times during the night and do a quick check on the must. Everything should be set to bentinite, raise the SG, add some nutrient and pitch the yeast. Normal wake up for me is 5-5:30 AM; figure I should be good to go @ that time.

 

[Boatboy24]

If the must is still cool, get a starter going. Once that's going, add a tablespoon or two of the must to the starter every few minutes to slowly acclimate the yeast to the cooler temp.

Congrats on your first bucket!

 

[bkisel]

Awoke a little past mid-night and had to check on the must. Long and short of it is that I heated some juice and dissolved the bentonit and added back into must, added ~4lbs of sugar to bring the SG up to 1.085, added some nutrient and pitched the yeast. Must temp @ 67F. Back to bed.

 

[garymc]

I just sprinkle the yeast on top and it gets the oxygen it needs to multiply and the top is the warmest part of the bucket. By the time I create a starter solution, get the temp right, acclimate it to the must, etc., the sprinkled yeast has started working. If you are doubtful, sprinkle half the packet and make a starter solution with the other half.

 

[bkisel]

I just sprinkle the yeast on top and it gets the oxygen it needs to multiply and the top is the warmest part of the bucket. By the time I create a starter solution, get the temp right, acclimate it to the must, etc., the sprinkled yeast has started working. If you are doubtful, sprinkle half the packet and make a starter solution with the other half.

I'm also a sprinkler though have done the starter method a few times. I've not noticed any downside to sprinkling.

 

[Stressbaby]

Coincidentally, after making wine "from scratch" for the past 4-5 years, yesterday I also ordered my first juice buckets.

I got 6g each of pinot grigio and syrah. I'll have to drive the 1.5 hours back to St. Louis on short notice when they arrive from CA. It will also be my first MLF. Taking the plunge...

 

[bkisel]

Coincidentally, after making wine "from scratch" for the past 4-5 years, yesterday I also ordered my first juice buckets.

I got 6g each of pinot grigio and syrah. I'll have to drive the 1.5 hours back to St. Louis on short notice when they arrive from CA. It will also be my first MLF. Taking the plunge...

Good luck with your juice buckets! Are you going to do MLF on both or is MLF only done with reds?

Varis (aka geek) showed me some MLF stuff he was doing, on one of my visits to his home. i remember it being interesting but a bit difficult for me to understand.

 

[Stressbaby]

Good luck with your juice buckets! Are you going to do MLF on both or is MLF only done with reds?

Varis (aka geek) showed me some MLF stuff he was doing, on one of my visits to his home. i remember it being interesting but a bit difficult for me to understand.

I'll just MLF the red. They didn't have any chromatography kits though so I'll need to get one online.

 

[drainsurgeon]

bkisel, all these posts and you haven't told us what the juice tastes like???? Welll???

 

[bkisel]

bkisel, all these posts and you haven't told us what the juice tastes like???? Welll???

I didn't taste the juice but I have tasted wine made from the same juice gotten from the same vineyard. A friend of mine is a binge wine maker and has been getting his juices from Fulkerson Winery for the past 10 years. He labels his brew made from this juice Nitro Niagara; my wife loves it.

 

[bkisel]

Juice is cookin! I was a bit worried that something was wrong because at over 20 hours after having pitched the yeast a noticed zero activity. When I use EC-1118 I'll generally see activity in about 12 hours, certainly before 20.

Another interesting thing with this juice and yeast combination is that a don't see any froth or foam or flotsam or jetsam. Just the thousands of tiny little gas bubbles making their way to the surface.