I was debating the El Dorado Pinot. Please let me know how it turns out
My plan for 2017 wine from California grapes
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I was debating the El Dorado Pinot. Please let me know how it turns out
This morning, I gave the musts a good stir. With plenty of juice in the fermenters, I decided to check my gravity.
The Cab and PV both came in at 1.100 @ 64*. With a potential ABV of about 14%, I'm right where I want to be.
The Merlot is another story. It came in at 1.124 @64*. Potential ABV here is north of 17%. Looks like I need to brush up on acidulated (not sure how to spell that) water addition to drop me down to a sub-rocket fuel level.
@Jim - I'm guessing that's consistent with what you got, too.
The Cab and PV both came in at 1.100 @ 64*. With a potential ABV of about 14%, I'm right where I want to be.
The Merlot is another story. It came in at 1.124 @64*. Potential ABV here is north of 17%. Looks like I need to brush up on acidulated (not sure how to spell that) water addition to drop me down to a sub-rocket fuel level.
@Jim - I'm guessing that's consistent with what you got, too.
So did the Lallzyme make that Merlot nice and juicy by this morning?
Easier to work, but not there quite yet.
If I'm doing my math correctly, I'll need to add about a gallon of water to the must to bring it down to about 24 Brix/1.100 OG.
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Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Go slow. I calculated approximately 1 gallon as well. It was too much. Could be that I didn't stir it in well enough though. Add half, stir a couple times over an hour or two, then remeasure.
Good call. Did you add tartaric acid or let it ride?
I added 2 liters of spring water and will wait an hour to do anything more.
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Checked and the OG is down to 1.110 range. I added another liter of water and will let it sit till later this afternoon. From there, I’ll look at the OG and pH for all three before kicking off with yeast, nutrient and opti.
After a stir, temps are at 63*.
After a stir, temps are at 63*.
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Couple of questions on Cali juice.
1. The juice started fermenting with the wild yeasts so I don't know what the starting SG is or was. I have a Zin and White Zin at 1.078 and a Barbera at 1.081. Should I make sugar adjustments?
2. The White Zin Ph is 2.85 TA 6.10. Is 2.85 too low. Not sure how much I want to lower the TA
3. The Zin is Ph 3.14 TA 7.5 and the Barbera is Ph 2.97 TA 6.5. I don't hate these but any thoughts?
The Zin also has a lug of grapes. I'm going to split the Zin and innoculate with 2 different yeast strands and combine after Primary and before MLF.
1. The juice started fermenting with the wild yeasts so I don't know what the starting SG is or was. I have a Zin and White Zin at 1.078 and a Barbera at 1.081. Should I make sugar adjustments?
2. The White Zin Ph is 2.85 TA 6.10. Is 2.85 too low. Not sure how much I want to lower the TA
3. The Zin is Ph 3.14 TA 7.5 and the Barbera is Ph 2.97 TA 6.5. I don't hate these but any thoughts?
The Zin also has a lug of grapes. I'm going to split the Zin and innoculate with 2 different yeast strands and combine after Primary and before MLF.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
23g tartaric per gallon of water.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Your TA's are in range. pH reading can be thrown by CO2, IIRC. I wouldn't adjust. Get good starters going with your yeast and let it ride.
Survey says... pH
Lanza Cab Sauv - 3.4
LMP Petit Verdot - 3.7
Lanza Merlot - 3.6
I’m not going to monkey around at this point. These numbers make me happy. Plus, I think the Cab is kicking off fermentation without me.
Each must got FT Rouge, Opti Red, and rehydrated yeast (BM4x4) with GoFerm.
We’re off to the races.
Punching 2x a day, will add Fermaid K at 1.06 SG.
Lanza Cab Sauv - 3.4
LMP Petit Verdot - 3.7
Lanza Merlot - 3.6
I’m not going to monkey around at this point. These numbers make me happy. Plus, I think the Cab is kicking off fermentation without me.
Each must got FT Rouge, Opti Red, and rehydrated yeast (BM4x4) with GoFerm.
We’re off to the races.
Punching 2x a day, will add Fermaid K at 1.06 SG.
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[Get good starters going with your yeast and let it ride.[/QUOTE]
I figured as much with the CO2. I did make an attempt to rid some of it by shaking the sample before testing. Just pitched the yeast. Made a rookie mistake though. When I added the yeast nutrient I added it too fast and had a vulcano. Bet I lost over a bottle. Thank goodness my shop floor is concrete. I've never done more then one batch at a time. This time I did 3 and still keeping my fingers crossed for the Norton and Tannat.
I figured as much with the CO2. I did make an attempt to rid some of it by shaking the sample before testing. Just pitched the yeast. Made a rookie mistake though. When I added the yeast nutrient I added it too fast and had a vulcano. Bet I lost over a bottle. Thank goodness my shop floor is concrete. I've never done more then one batch at a time. This time I did 3 and still keeping my fingers crossed for the Norton and Tannat.
Well, at least you got that mistake out of the way. I am willing to bet you won't make the same mistake again!
My concern with the Cab appears to be well founded. The wine is already making a great cap and is a few degrees warmer than the other two. I just hope the BM4x4 overtakes whatever wild yeast was in there.
The other two aren't forming a cap yet... only been half a day since I pitched. Getting the starts of a ferment though - developing co2. Cap will start forming by tomorrow, I'll bet.
Everything smells good.
The other two aren't forming a cap yet... only been half a day since I pitched. Getting the starts of a ferment though - developing co2. Cap will start forming by tomorrow, I'll bet.
Everything smells good.
I mentioned earlier my juice buckets already started fermenting when I picked them up. The SG was 1.080 at this point. I added 1 lug of Zin grapes to the Zin juice and split the batch equally. In one I used Vintner's Harvest R56 and the other Lalvin RC 212. The Barbera I added skins I saved from Sarah I made in the spring and used the same Vintner's Harvest yeast. I pitched the yeast on Sunday around 3:00. This morning they are all +/-.997. The juice temp yesterday was 88*F. This is a really fast ferment. I also used 1 tsp of LD Carlson yeast nutrient per gallon. Did the initial wild yeast help expedite the process?
Certainly it did. Normally, when we get our must going, we pitch yeast and wait a day or two for lag phase to complete and our fermentation to get going. Your wine was already through that part of the process and was fermenting. Your cultured yeast probably took over the balance of the ferment once it had produced enough cells. Good nutrient protocol keeps things moving well. Additionally, the higher temps speed the process along greatly.
My grapes this year were crushed Friday, yeast pitched Saturday, first cap on Sunday, and here I am on Tuesday planning to press already.
Thanks John, it just really surprised me.
Just got home from nyc. My oldest daughter has been punching down the wine in my absence. All three are chugging along nicely.
The Cab is at 1.05 SG so I dropped the scheduled Nutrient. The other two are around 1.08-ish, so they can ride another day till I add anything there.
They smell good, look good and things are moving along.
The Cab is at 1.05 SG so I dropped the scheduled Nutrient. The other two are around 1.08-ish, so they can ride another day till I add anything there.
They smell good, look good and things are moving along.
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Stopped my White Zin at 1.005 which will give me 1.3% residual sugar. I'm making this one for my wife and she likes it a little sweet.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
How did you stop it? Not recommended for the home winemaker. Are you adding sorbate and sulfite now?
