My plan for 2017 wine from California grapes

[jgmann67]

Quick question: the Cab and PV are fermenting very similar to my PS last season. But the Merlot is a little different.

When I punch it down, the co2 is frothy to the point of being creamy looking. It smells fine and chugging along otherwise. Is this anything to be concerned about?

 

[Boatboy24]

What yeast on the Merlot? Not likely anything of concern.

 

[jgmann67]

What yeast on the Merlot? Not likely anything of concern.

I used BM4x4 for all three.

 

[cmason1957]

Merlot is just a different beast, sometimes. I have heard of times when for no apparent reason if just acts odd.

 

[jgmann67]

Merlot is just a different beast, sometimes. I have heard of times when for no apparent reason if just acts odd.

This morning's punch, it looked more normal. The BM4X4 really causes a good bit of fizz. I'll hit it again before I leave for work.

The basement is full of the smells of winemaking. No signs of fruit flies.

 

[JohnT]

This morning's punch, it looked more normal. The BM4X4 really causes a good bit of fizz. I'll hit it again before I leave for work.

The basement is full of the smells of winemaking. No signs of fruit flies.

Have you been taking temperature readings?

Ahhh The smell of fermentation. I love it but the wife not so much..

Fruit flies are a real PITA! Keep an eye out, they might still show up.

 

[mainshipfred]

How did you stop it? Not recommended for the home winemaker. Are you adding sorbate and sulfite now?

I racked it, added half the sorbate and then put it in my chest freezer at 40* where I'll keep it for about a week and see how much sediment drops. If it's sufficient I'll filter it, add the rest of the sorbate and sulfite it. I'm not really worried about the color since it's a little darker then I would like.

 

[jgmann67]

Have you been taking temperature readings?

Ahhh The smell of fermentation. I love it but the wife not so much..

Fruit flies are a real PITA! Keep an eye out, they might still show up.

Yes. Temps are perfect - 76-77* F.

My wife isn't a huge fan of the smell either. It's fine at first. But, her office is in the basement too. So, it gets a little too much for her after a while.

I fed the PV and the Merlot this morning. All three look healthy and happy.

I always keep a fresh fly strip up in the wine room. And, this morning I placed an apple cider vinegar trap (glass with vinegar at the bottom, funnel over top) on the shelf near the wines (just in case). Hope that keeps me fly-free.

 

[Boatboy24]

I always keep a fresh fly strip up in the wine room. And, this morning I placed an apple cider vinegar trap (glass with vinegar at the bottom, funnel over top) on the shelf near the wines (just in case). Hope that keeps me fly-free.

We only have the unpasteurized vinegar with the 'mother', so I'm always scared to put vinegar in the trap. I use red wine.

 

[Johnd]

I use BM 4x4 on the vast majority of my ferments, and find it to be quite frothy for the first day or two of vigorous fermentation. It leaves a light layer of foam on top of the skins after punching down. After that, it settles down, just fizzing at puchdown, but without any lasting foam or bubbles.

 

[ceeaton]

My wife isn't a huge fan of the smell either. It's fine at first. But, her office is in the basement too. So, it gets a little too much for her after a while.

Hmmm. I'm thinking of a new "wife repellent" type product. Ode 'de ferment.

I only did a few juice buckets and the fruit flies are still hanging around in my basement (I catch them and feed them to the neon tetras, they love 'em). We really need a nice frost, been too warm and the buggers are everywhere (I have to cover my red wine glass when I'm grilling or I get some extra protein every time I take a sip).

 

[jgmann67]

So here's something I missed... I used BM4X4 in my ferment. The Cab is 9% ABV this evening. The other two are at about 6% ABV. Found out this evening that this yeast is about the worst for MLF and I'm a little late to the game to do a co-inoculation.

I was planning to us VP-41.

What do I do?

 

[cmason1957]

I responded on another thread, but will also here. Don't fret, I think you will be fine. I have used BM4x4 and MLB after fermentation at least twice. Went fine for me.

 

[jgmann67]

I responded on another thread, but will also here. Don't fret, I think you will be fine. I have used BM4x4 and MLB after fermentation at least twice. Went fine for me.

Thanks! Having a little panic moment. I picked the VP-41 because it's so hearty. I probably would have co-inoculated with a different MLB or used a different yeast if I knew better. Live and learn.

 

[balatonwine]

Ahhh The smell of fermentation. I love it but the wife not so much..

One woman I once knew said she wanted to bottle that aroma into a perfume she loved it so much

I did not marry her.

Long story why not. Don't ask.

My now wife also likes the aroma of fermentation. Just not quite at that "perfume" quality level. None the less, with all things considered, including compensating benefits, I am still delighted with my current choice.

 

[mainshipfred]

Just racked and pressed my Zin bucket and one lug of Old Vine Zin grapes. I netted over 9 gallons of wine. I would have never thought 1 lug would yield ove 3 gallons.

 

[JohnT]

One woman I once knew said she wanted to bottle that aroma into a perfume she loved it so much

I did not marry her.

Long story why not. Don't ask.

My now wife also likes the aroma of fermentation. Just not quite at that "perfume" quality level. None the less, with all things considered, including compensating benefits, I am still delighted with my current choice.

That's OK, I bet she makes a GREAT chicken paprikash!

 

[balatonwine]

That's OK, I bet she makes a GREAT chicken paprikash!

Yep. And my wife once won a Pörkölt cooking competition.

 

[JohnT]

Yep. And my wife once won a Pörkölt cooking competition.

AWESOME! I almost feel sorry for Hon-Hungarians not having tasted a good Pörkölt.

My grandmother was an amazing cook! She could make a four-star meal out of nothing but boiled water...

Pörkölt was one of her best dishes in my opinion. The subject of which was her best dish has been the start of many friendly family arguments.

To go along with the Pörkölt, she used to dress cold, blanched lettuce in a sour cream/vinegar dressing. That salad, with home made bread and Pörkölt, completed the best meal I ever ate.

Unfortunately, Grandma (or "Nagi Mama" as we called her) hated to share recipes and has passed on several years ago. I can definitely make her salad and my Pörkölt, it is good, but doesn't seem to be nearly as good as Nagi Mama's.

Care to share your wife's recipe?

 

[balatonwine]

Care to share your wife's recipe?

I would. If I knew it. My wife has no recipe box. Everything in her head. Between you and me (so, please, everyone else on the planet reading this, look away especially if you are easily triggered by gender comments), I think it would be easier to get the keys to Fort Knox than getting a Pörkölt recipe from a Hungarian woman, where her domestic pride comes from the accolades she gets from the men at her table for her cooking. She is not going to share that.

The best I can do if offer a recipe of sorts from a good friend of mine, a folk historian and great cook, at one of my blogs:

Texas Chili and Hungarian Pörkölt a cultural parallel with capsicum