Rattlesnake Hills Malbec

[Boatboy24]

That looks fantastic already.

Looks like you added oak cubes? My opinion/preference only, but I usually go with chips for fermenting. They give up their goodies in a week or so, whereas the cubes take 6-8 weeks.

 

[stickman]

Looks good, like blood. Just keep your nose in there, there's a biological war going on in that must, shouldn't have any problems, but be prepared to act if anything gets funky.

 

[crushday]

Just keep your nose in there, there's a biological war going on in that must, shouldn't have any problems, but be prepared to act if anything gets funky.

@stickman As you know, my only experience with frozen must was the recent Tempranillo I made. I remember the must smelling a lot like vegetation at the beginning - almost like the smell of peeling young bark off of a sapling when I was a kid. This Malbec has the same aroma.

I’m likely pitching the yeast tonight just before I retire for the night.

 

[stickman]

@crushday Sounds like you're in good shape to me.

 

[crushday]

I checked the temp this morning. It's up to 70 degrees. I pitched the yeast last night at 64.

At the risk of looking and sounding fickle, I ended up using UVAFERM BDX. A couple reasons for this: I have plenty of wines made with Avante and D254, none made with BDX. The BDX comes recommended and supplied by Mike Crews, owner and operator of Wine Grapes Direct. Who, by the way, is a Certified Sommelier/Cicerone©. I can trust that...

Of course, I won't really know the brilliance or folly of this decision for a couple of years...

 

[crushday]

Update: 1:45pm local time. I have a full cap that I just bludgeoned. I'm expecting it to reappear dozens of times over the next couple of weeks but I'm committed to keeping it at bay and strike it down when time affords and opportunity presents, and necessitates. Although tiring at times, the effort will be worth it in the end.

 

[sour_grapes]

Although tiring at times, the effort will be worth it in the end.

Oh, the struggles we go through for our favorite sport! I am sure it will be a nice, inky batch.

 

[Boatboy24]

2-3 times a day is plenty for punching that cap down.

 

[CDrew]

Punch down as much as you like right now while it's rocking. I have done as many as 5 times per day, even getting up at 2am to punch it down. As the fermentation moderates, then decrease the number of punch downs. There is nothing good about the grape skins up in the air. And if yours took off that fast you'll be done in just days. Good luck and post updates!

 

[crushday]

Really nice cap this morning and a surprising amount of condensation on the bottom side of the fermenting pot lid. I added the CH16 during the punch down.

For you who have used CH16, the package says that it’s enough for a 66 gallon batch. When I made my Tempranillo, I didn’t add the whole amount and tried to save the unused portion. Perhaps it’s how I stored it but a couple months later it wasn’t white any longer but brown and looked to have melted some.

For this batch, I added the whole contents of the package - more than double what it calls for. Is there a storage solution? Or, do I just factor 25 bucks into the project? And, I should learn how to test if the MLF is done. I’ve seen several test images on this site and haven’t wanted to learn this yet. Now is the time, I think.

 

[Boatboy24]

Really nice cap this morning and a surprising amount of condensation on the bottom side of the fermenting pot lid. I added the CH16 during the punch down.

For you that have used CH16, the package says that it’s enough for a 66 gallon batch. When I made my Tempranillo, I didn’t add the whole amount and tried to save the unused portion. Perhaps it’s how I stored it but a couple months later it wasn’t white any longer but brown and looked to have melted some.

For this batch, I added the whole contents of the package - more than double what it calls for. Is there a storage solution? Or, do I just factor 25 bucks into the project? And, I should learn how to test if the MLF is done. I’ve seen several test images on this sight and haven’t wanted to learn this yet. Now is the time, I think.

Definitely get a chromatography kit. They are surprisingly easy to use.

I'm usually doing anywhere from 12 to 30 gallons at once and just use a whole package. I think some have had success vac sealing and refrigerating or freezing leftovers, but I haven't tried it.

 

[Johnd]

Really nice cap this morning and a surprising amount of condensation on the bottom side of the fermenting pot lid. I added the CH16 during the punch down.

For you that have used CH16, the package says that it’s enough for a 66 gallon batch. When I made my Tempranillo, I didn’t add the whole amount and tried to save the unused portion. Perhaps it’s how I stored it but a couple months later it wasn’t white any longer but brown and looked to have melted some.

For this batch, I added the whole contents of the package - more than double what it calls for. Is there a storage solution? Or, do I just factor 25 bucks into the project? And, I should learn how to test if the MLF is done. I’ve seen several test images on this sight and haven’t wanted to learn this yet. Now is the time, I think.

Personally, I've not ever tried to save / store any, preferring instead to try to coordinate my quantities and timing such that good use is made of the 66 gallon capabilities. That said, I have added it to as little as three carboys in the past, using all of the package, and just bit the bullet. IIRC, some here have divided the contents of a package into two parts before opening and heat sealed the package into two halves, and used only one half, storing the other half in the freezer for another use, don't recall how that turned out.

Chromotography is really easy, get the stuff and do it, you'll pick it up really easily.

 

[cmason1957]

Chemistry curmudgeon here (or maybe that's Chromotography Curmedgeon). I use the single use malic acid test strips. One drop on the test paper, wait the appropriate amount of time, something like 5 minutes, compare the color to the color on the test strip box. And since I really just care is it complete, just worry does it match the lightest color. They are a little bit (maybe a lot) more expensive than the chromotography kit, but have the benefit that you can read a real number, as in it is between 100 and 50 ppm. With chromotography you do not get that, just is the spot gone. If you are doing one or two, maybe even three or four carboys at a time, it is the way I roll.

 

[mainshipfred]

Chemistry curmudgeon here (or maybe that's Chromotography Curmedgeon). I use the single use malic acid test strips. One drop on the test paper, wait the appropriate amount of time, something like 5 minutes, compare the color to the color on the test strip box. And since I really just care is it complete, just worry does it match the lightest color. They are a little bit (maybe a lot) more expensive than the chromotography kit, but have the benefit that you can read a real number, as in it is between 100 and 50 ppm. With chromotography you do not get that, just is the spot gone. If you are doing one or two, maybe even three or four carboys at a time, it is the way I roll.

I just got the SC-50 Malic tester. When I do the spring wines I'd like to see the reading from a finished chromatography. Maybe ever a mid point comparison.

 

[CDrew]

Regarding storage-I used the vacuum sealer between varietals this year and it worked fine. The amount worked out just right as I had about 20 gallons of 1 must and 30 gallons of the other. So I just divided in half with about a week in between. But you need to work fast. Take what you want then reseal, and then back in the freezer before it thaws out.

For my late season tempranillo, I started out with almost 60 gallons of must, and just used the entire packet.

Good to hear things are going so well.

 

[mainshipfred]

This spring I'll probably have 20-25 gallons so I'll just use the entire package. In the fall since all the grapes don't come in or finish at the same time I wait until I have close to the 60 gallons and re hydrate the entire package. Then based on the volume of the carboy I'll put in the appropriate ml of the solution. I believe this was recommended by @Johnd at one point. BTW, I still do post AF MLF.

 

[crushday]

Working home from today allowed me to punch down every 2 hours. I could have punched more often, however. The cap began organizing almost immediately. Starting to smell like wine. Yum...

 

[stickman]

You did use enzymes, so you may want to back off on the punch downs if the skins start to turn to pulp. Remember, pictures or it didn't happen.

 

[crushday]

@stickman I did use enzymes. Still a good cap this morning. I’m getting excited about this wine. Mrs. B and I were lamenting that we wouldn’t really get to enjoy it until late 2022!

 

[crushday]

Update: must 85 degrees and still a nice cap. Only punched down 3 times yesterday. Color looking great as you can see on my cap puncher, eh potato masher...