WineXpert Making First Red Wine

[grapeman]

Hey Waldo, is that farm raised possum or fresh killed road pizza?

Sorry....I think I'll pass on those meals.
My Dad was from South Carolina and I hated when we would have collard greens, okra, fatback,black eyed peas etc. It may have just been not being prepared well by my mom who was from the north. They all tasted slimy to me.

 

[PolishWineP]

Come on down to Arkansas and feast on some roast possum belly sauteed in goats milk with some turnip greens, cornbread and Muscadine wine. Then sit out on the porch and sip a glass of Blackberry port with that big ole bowl of Apple Cobbler

Will there be banjos playing out in the woods?

 

[tfries]

You two need to come to Oregon, Salem, where I live or go 6 hours away
to WallaWalla. I have been to Napa and I think I love Oregon and
WallaWalla more. Instead of bring home 6 cases in Napa you could
have gotten 15 cases WallaWalla. It's a small town, but great
places to eat, great hotels, and the best wine. They have 25
winerys with 3 miles. Cabs are cheap also.

Mharris, we are not too far away. We live in Cheshire, which is
between Eugene and Corvallis. We started two kits at Christmas
time, one was an Amarone and the other a Chardonnay. Bottling day
for the Amarone is next weekend. Right now we have two kits
waiting to be started. The Yamhill Pinot Noir and an Old Vine
Zinfandel. Welcome to what is going to be an addicting hobby.



Tom

 

[Waldo]

Come on down to Arkansas and feast on some roast possum belly sauteed in goats milk with some turnip greens, cornbread and Muscadine wine. Then sit out on the porch and sip a glass of Blackberry port with that big ole bowl of Apple Cobbler

Will there be banjos playing out in the woods?

Why shucks PWP .how'd you know we wuz bnjo players

 

[Mharris335]

Tom...thank you for your kind words. I am so addictied right now
and I don't even have the first batch in the bottles yet. I have
two more kits on the way and am thinking about getting one more this
week.

 

[Mharris335]

I am going to do my 1st racking today. What will the alcohol be with a 1.085 start.

 

[wolfman]

What is the current SG? I believe you need to know this before you calculate. The equation is

starting SG - Ending SG * 131.

 

[wolfman]

Harris I just started the stabalizing and clearing on Sunday. SG
was about .992 for a Cellar Classic zin. I sure hope it improves
with time though

 

[Mharris335]

My SG start was 1.086 and now its at .996 or some where close to
that. My numbers are kind of hard to read the exact number.

 

[Waldo]

You should be at about 11.7% with those readings

 

[Mharris335]

Thank you Waldo. I guess I don't have to be to worried about this one being to hot.

 

[Mharris335]

Just degassed my wine kit. That was fun! DO I need to do it again? The directions said I could bottle in 14 days, but there was alot of co2 still comming up when I stoped. It said to stir for 2 min, but I have the drill thing and I did it for more like 10 min and it was still comming up.

 

[wolfman]

When I degassed I stirred it initially for 5 minutes, waited 15 then
stirred another 5 minutes. I don't know if that was enough or
not. I have no action in the airlock so I guess I'm okay.



My kit says to bottle on day 42 but I'm waiting a few more
months. I'm still waitning for my oak chips to come to add to the
carboy. I will most likely leave them in for a few months then
bottle.



I just ordered the WE Aust. Chard. so I will be starting this kit
soon. Once I bottle my first kit I want to start either the
Crushendo syrah or the lodi Cab. I hear both are very good.

 

[Wade E]

I would degass again right before bottling.

 

[Mharris335]

Thank you both....I will degass again then.

 

[Mharris335]

Should I leave the wine in the Carboy with some oak for a few months or
should I just bottle. I know it's a cheap wine kit, but was
wanting to make it the best it could be.

 

[wolfman]

If you want more oak then age for a few months in the carboy with the chips.



I'm going to age my zin for several months with oak then remove and
bottle. I have been told there is no difference in aging in
carboy vs bottles, although in bottles its easier to
sample. When I bottle I'm going to fill several 375ml
bottles that I will use to taste as the wine ages. This way I
won't have to waste so much wine before its truly ready to drink.




I have also been told to taste often while aging with oak to make
certain that I don't over do it. I'm thinking once a week.
Not sure how I'm going to do this yet but I will figure it out.

 

[Wade E]

Wine will age faster in a bottle vs. carboy but will not develop as long of a tannin chain which gives the wine a better complexity. Aging in bittles will also incease the chance for each bottle to be different from the next. Bulk aging is the main key to wine making.

 

[Waldo]

If you want more oak then age for a few months in the carboy with the chips.

I'm going to age my zin for several months with oak then remove and bottle. I have been told there is no difference in aging in carboy vs bottles, although in bottles its easier to sample. When I bottle I'm going to fill several 375ml bottles that I will use to taste as the wine ages. This way I won't have to waste so much wine before its truly ready to drink.

I have also been told to taste often while aging with oak to make certain that I don't over do it. I'm thinking once a week. Not sure how I'm going to do this yet but I will figure it out.

Do you have a wine thief wolfman. If not, you can use a turkey baster and draw out a small sample periodically to do your taste testing. You don't need much, a couple of teaspoons full will suffice and will not be enough to endanger your wine.

 

[Wade E]

Make sure it is a turkey baster that is only used for that purpose!