Other Maceration

[wineview]

When primary is finished, I am planning on snapping the lid tight on my bucket with an airlock leaving the grape skins in for a few weeks. My basement is a bit cool (68 F). Should I keep the heat belt on the bucket to keep the temperature at 75-76* or doesn’t it matter if it drops.

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

No, 68 is perfect to let it EM at. The yeast is dead so cooler temps are perfectly fine.

 

[wineview]

No, 68 is perfect to let it EM at. The yeast is dead so cooler temps are perfectly fine.

Snapped it shut today at .994. Still have some action in the airlock.

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

Snapped it shut today at .994. Still have some action in the airlock.

In the future, I would close it up at around 1.01-1.02 to ensure CO2 builds up and pushes out all the O2. But it will be fine as they still degas a bit even after they are "dry"

 

[wineview]

In the future, I would close it up at around 1.01-1.02 to ensure CO2 builds up and pushes out all the O2. But it will be fine as they still degas a bit even after they are "dry"

Initially I closed the lid at 1.000 but the activity in the airlock was ferocious. I decided to wait one more day and closed it today. Airlock activity died down quite a bit at .994.