Other MV Cab Franc

[Bmd2k1]

Just started a MV Cab Franc - juice smells amazing! (It's a 10L kit) OG 1.106 -- so looking at about 15% once done. Using the provided EC1118 - and the med toast oak chips in primary. Will bulk age for 6months on 1med toast American oak spiral.

Any other Cab Franc fans out there?

Cheers!

 

[Old Corker]

I love me some Cab Franc. Just don't see it available too often.

 

[crushday]

I really enjoy Cab Franc too. Quick question on the picture you attached in your OP. Did you add enough water to your kit concentrate? Most kits are 6 gallons (23L). Your fermentor is a 30L or 7.9 gallons. Since your must volume is only slightly over half of the fermentor volume, it begs the question. Are you attempting to add less water thereby getting more viscosity in your finished wine?

 

[Bmd2k1]

I really enjoy Cab Franc too. Quick question on the picture you attached in your OP. Did you add enough water to your kit concentrate? Most kits are 6 gallons (23L). Your fermentor is a 30L or 7.9 gallons. Since your must volume is only slightly over half of the fermentor volume, it begs the question. Are you attempting to add less water thereby getting more viscosity in your finished wine?

Yep....it was at the 6gal mark. These Speidel 30L actually hold over 9gals! Here's a pic...where I've labelled the gal marks.

 

[Brian55]

Yep....it was at the 6gal mark. These Speidel 30L actually hold over 9gals! Here's a pic...where I've labelled the gal marks.

Interesting. I have three of them, and all are identical with 23L being at the bottom of the ring, just above where your juice is at in your picture.

 

[Bmd2k1]

Interesting. I have three of them, and all are identical with 23L being at the bottom of the ring, just above where your juice is at in your picture.

I use my 30L's to ferment & my 20L's to bulk age ✌

 

[Gilmango]

Interesting. I have three of them, and all are identical with 23L being at the bottom of the ring, just above where your juice is at in your picture.

Same here, I feel like 6 gallons/23 Liters is about midway between 6g and 7g in the photo posted, the bottom of the second (higher) of the two "rings" which bulge out. I measured pretty darn carefully when I first got my Speidel, and also read the same thing about the bottom of that ring being the 6 g mark. Here's a photo:

 

[Brian55]

Same here, I feel like 6 gallons/23 Liters is about midway between 6g and 7g in the photo posted, the bottom of the second (higher) of the two "rings" which bulge out. I measured pretty darn carefully when I first got my Speidel, and also read the same thing about the bottom of that ring being the 6 g mark. Here's a photo: View attachment 80934

All three of mine are the same as yours. @Bmd2k1 you might want to re-check your marks. At least if it's off you've been shorting the water rather than watering down your wine.

 

[Rembee]

I also have the 30L Speidel and it does hold just over 9 gallons. I measured the amount twice before I marked it.

 

[Khristyjeff]

Those match my marks exactly!

I also have the 30L Speidel and it does hold just over 9 gallons. I measured the amount twice before I marked it.

 

[Brian55]

Had to clean and re-fill my bottle (label remover) soaking bucket so it was a great opportunity to not waste 23L of water finding the 23L mark on a Speidel. If we assume my 2000ml beaker is fairly accurate, 11.5 fills brought my Speidel to the bottom of the ring, just above the label. The RJS RQ French Rose in the 6gal carboy just came out of primary and is in a carboy that I had labeled as "larger." I label all my carboys as small, medium, or large as they tend to vary by a noticeable amount. The kit was 18L of juice that I had to add exactly 5L of water to bring it to the same mark on the Speidel. Hundreds of 18L kits have produced the same results.
I'm not trying to tell anyone else they're wrong, just to double check your marks for accuracy. Maybe Speidel had a run where their tolerances were off or just plain different. But my original is years older than the next two and all three measure the exact same 23L mark:

 

[Bmd2k1]

Had to clean and re-fill my bottle (label remover) soaking bucket so it was a great opportunity to not waste 23L of water finding the 23L mark on a Speidel. If we assume my 2000ml beaker is fairly accurate, 11.5 fills brought my Speidel to the bottom of the ring, just above the label. The RJS RQ French Rose in the 6gal carboy just came out of primary and is in a carboy that I had labeled as "larger." I label all my carboys as small, medium, or large as they tend to vary by a noticeable amount. The kit was 18L of juice that I had to add exactly 5L of water to bring it to the same mark on the Speidel. Hundreds of 18L kits have produced the same results.
I'm not trying to tell anyone else they're wrong, just to double check your marks for accuracy. Maybe Speidel had a run where their tolerances were off or just plain different. But my original is years older than the next two and all three measure the exact same 23L mark:
View attachment 80959View attachment 80960View attachment 80961

Yep and thanks! That 30L with the big black sticker was bought used and mis-marked :-/ -- and has since been fixed!

The other newer 30L I did from scratch and is marked correctly


Been thinking about popping for the metal spigots....how do you like those??


Cheers!

 

[Brian55]

Yep and thanks! That 30L with the big black sticker was bought used and mis-marked :-/ -- and has since been fixed!

The other newer 30L I did from scratch and is marked correctly


Been thinking about popping for the metal spigots....how do you like those??


Cheers!

The metal spigots are a nice upgrade, especially if you use your Speidel for bottling.

 

[Bmd2k1]

Bottled my Cab Franc 2day... Bit over 6months bulk aging... Now got 2months in the bottle b4 1st cork popped. Sample was very tasty!

Cheers!

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

Love me some Cab Franc!! I have 3 gallons from a frozen must that just finished MLF and is now in bulk aging, cant wait

 

[tullamore]

cab franc -Big Papa - love it on its own
i get grapes from Niagara on the Lake in the Ontario(Canada)
-same climate as Loire Valley in France
where did ur grapes/must come from???

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

I got mine from WineGrapesDirect.com (2021 Rattlesnake Hills WA state )

 

[idahorevbob]

The OP begs a question: The instructions are pretty clear that the kit is designed to start with exactly 6 gallons for very scientificy reasons (that I don't pretend to fully understand). However, given the discussion about the actual volumes of fermentors, wouldn't it be more accurate to aim for a specific beginning OG? I'm new to this wine making thing and still trying to wrap my skull around some of the details.

 

[winemaker81]

The OP begs a question: The instructions are pretty clear that the kit is designed to start with exactly 6 gallons for very scientificy reasons (that I don't pretend to fully understand). However, given the discussion about the actual volumes of fermentors, wouldn't it be more accurate to aim for a specific beginning OG? I'm new to this wine making thing and still trying to wrap my skull around some of the details.

That's a good question and the answer is balance. A well constructed kit is an engineering marvel -- all the components (sugar, acid, etc.) fit together so that it will ferment well, and the final result will be pleasing. When doing something as simple as shorting the water to increase SG, all other components are thrown out of balance. Specifically the total amount of acid as not changed, but the overall volume has -- the difference is like adding 1 tsp sugar to 8 oz coffee or 12 oz. Same amount of sugar, but the 8 oz tastes sweeter.

Cheap kits are not as well balanced, but then neither are fresh grapes. This is where winemaking starts to resemble a chemistry experiment. Sugar can be added to increase SG, or acidulated water can be added to reduce SG while not diluting the acid level. It's a balancing act.