Petite Syrah notes, for history purposes:
3 California boxes of Petite Syrah purchased at Maltose for $42 each:
-PH=3.6x according to Maltose.
Sept 19, 2015 1.100 Brix=29.5. Put crushed grapes into 20gl brute with about 1tsp of k-meta.
Added 8gr of Opti-red and a couple ounces of oak dust. Added around 1 ½ gallon of acidulated water to bring brix down. PH showed in the 3.8x and by mistake, I added a bit of acid blend instead of tartaric acid. PH was in the 3.6x
Sept 19 at night used go-ferm and hydrated 8gr of BM45 yeast and then pitched
Sept 26, 2015
1.000 racked, pressed and let it sit in bucket for a few hours until later in the night. PH=3.86, TA ~0.8x
Racked into 10gal brute. Added 5gr of Acti-ML to Wyeast 4007 MLB, then pitched bacteria.
Mixed well and then racked into 6gal Italian carboy plus 1.5L bottle.
Oct 28 added 1 oak spiral medium toast
Dec 1 MLF still shows half way, placed carboy on main level with warmer temp.
Dec 20 racked, added about 3 ¼ tsp k-meta and racked into oak barrel. PH=3.92
Feb 20 PH=3.86, TA=.8
Mar 09, 2016 PH=3.86; racked into 6gal carboy and topped with cab/merlot from juice bucket wine made in 2014. PH came down to 3.79
May 29, 2016 racked into bucket and back to 6gal carboy, added about ¼ tsp k-meta
NOTE: spent barrel time from Dec 20, 2015 to Mar 09, 2016.
Nov 16 racked, added ¼ tsp k-meta, pH ~3.55, tasting much better and less harsh than previously
Nov 28 calibrated meter and PH shows ~3.92
Jan 23, 2017 using new PH meter, PH ~3.90
Mar 20 racked, added ¼ tsp k-meta and topped off with some cab merlot blend
Mar 21 racked into barrel
Apr 31 took 3L out of barrel to make a port wine with brandy. Refilled with 2nd run wine
Jun 25 racked out of barrel into 6gal carboy and topped off with 2nd run wine. Added ¼ tsp k-meta. Tastes very good, need to bottle soon.
Aug 23 racked and added almost ¼ k-meta and then bottled. PH showed ~3.76