Really new!!

[uavwmn]

Mike, this is the one (chard) that I used the battonage process on. My gosh, it turned out sooo good.

Kathie

 

[uavwmn]

I have been bulk aging my wines for 2 - 3 months. Do I need to add that 1/4 t of meta before bottling? I have been, but if I don't need to I won't.

 

[tonyt]

Thats a great Chardonnay. Pick it up now while it is on sale.

Do you prefer the MMR over the CCS Yakima with acacia? The MMR is out of stock. I believe you've done both.

 

[ibglowin]

The CC Showcase is only 6 months old now and I have opened both splits. It taste like a "naked chardonnay" as some wineries are making these days. I think I prefer the oaky chardonnay myself but my SWMBO doesn't like the oaky chards so she will like this one much better I suspect in the long run.

So yes, I liked the MM Aussie Chard over this one. I would order and just wait a week or two for George to get more in. You will still get the sale price and he doesn't charge your card until he has the product and is in shipping mode.

I suppose one could always replace the acacia beans with a light toast hungarian or french oak bean as well.

Kathie: Next time I will try the battonage process on this kit when I am ready to reorder!

 

[robie]

Mike, this is the one (chard) that I used the battonage process on. My gosh, it turned out sooo good.

Kathie

Hi Kathie,

I just received the MM R Australian Chardonnay from George. My plan is to barrel ferment this guy and use surlee/bantonage. I have a brand new barrel that has not been broken in, yet.

Last night I was reading Tim V's article about surlee from the last Dec/Jan issue of wine making magazine. I should have re-read it before I ordered the kit, but didn't. Anyway, in it he said that big, in-your-face chards, like Australian chards do not do as well with surlee/bantonage, because they have so much more fruit and not lite at all. Of course I was reading while setting in front of my new Aust. Chard kit, seemingly the wrong kit.

I was disappointed when I read that article, but now your post gives me renewed hope for this kit and this process. Since it is a kit and not really from an Australian grape, it now sounds like it should be OK for the surlee/bantonage process. (Sticker on the box says grapes originated in USA and kit was assembled in Canada, so it must be "Australian style" only.)

How long did you do bantonage? Right now I plan on doing it about 3 months.

How often did you stir? I plan on stirring twice a week for the first month, then once a week thereafter.

After secondary was finished, when did you add the kit's Kmeta packet? The article was not very clear about when; I think he added his at about the six month mark??? I figure I will add mine after about 2 months in the secondary carboy.

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, I plan on starting a new thread, concerning barrel fermenting/surlee/bantonage with a white. Hopefully it will be a decent reference for others.

 

[SuperDave1969]

Now don't I feel like the fool!

I went and placed an order on an out of stock wine! However, I called George this afternoon, and I'm now doing the Yakima Chard from Cellar Craft. I've read on here where quite a few people seem to enjoy it. Kathie, I will try to keep posting as often as I can while I do this. But I'm trying hard with the patience thing. I work in television where it's a "hurry up and wait" business, so you'd think I'd have it mastered by now.
David

 

[tonyt]

Thats a great Chardonnay. Pick it up now while it is on sale.

Okay, I just pulled the trigger on it with George. Be back in stock in about ten days. That's the second MM Renaissance I've gotten on sale from him. I know I'll kick myself for not getting the Montepulciano . . . but you gotta prioritize.

 

[ibglowin]

Xmas will be here soon Tony!

 

[SuperDave1969]

I just started the Yakima Chardonnay. After about 8 hours, it had a nice little foamy cap. Now, at approx. 24 hours, the cap has gone, but it is fizzing along just fine. I started a new topic on this under the Cellar Craft heading.
Also I am recording my efforts this time around. Either because I just like gadgets, or simply due to my inability to sometimes read my own handwriting and I need to know what I've done.

Feel free to see for yourself @ [ame="http://youtu.be/mFvQ_ANEDyw"]http://youtu.be/mFvQ_ANEDyw[/ame].
-David

 

[Bartman]

Also I am recording my efforts this time around. Either because I just like gadgets, or simply due to my inability to sometimes read my own handwriting and I need to know what I've done.

Feel free to see for yourself @ http://youtu.be/mFvQ_ANEDyw.
-David

David,

After you have made 10 or 12 or 20 kits, your video of this 2nd kit will probably seem like a time capsule. In the video, you do everything "by the book", which is fine, especially when you don't know exactly why you are doing certain steps; after some experience and experiments, I predict you will start using a few 'shortcuts' and tweaks like some of the forum-dwellers do.
For example, if you drop the hydrometer into the bucket, you don't have to spend time sanitizing the wine thief - my wine thief hardly ever sees the light of day anymore.

Another: I rarely use bentonite (or other clarifying agents) anymore, except with some white wine kits, and the time needed to stir stuff in seems to be a fail-safe by the manufacturers that something doesn't get forgotten or left out. An active fermentation produces hours of steady churning, much more than your tired arm could do, so my theory is that reminding you to stir for two minutes helps ensure you don't skip the "add ____" step.

 

[Runningwolf]

Bart while I agree with most of what you're saying I disagree with the stirring part. I feel its very important to mix up any of the yeast that has fallen into the sediment and also stirring the sediment in some kits to assist with the clarifier included in the kit. Also stirring is needed as part of the degassing process.
Yes I agree we all start taking short cuts we don't even think about like your example of the hydrometer.

 

[SuperDave1969]

I know it's still all quite new to me for sure. I use the wine thief mainly so I get a "straight on" look at the hydrometer and I'm not looking down on it from an angle. But you're probably right and I'm over thinking it.
-David

 

[ibglowin]

You definitely get a better read from the wine thief. I used to check more often, after awhile you get to the point that you can almost guess the SG by the temp in the primary and the activity of the yeast.

Nowadays I check just before yeast pitch, then ~day 6 or 7 just before I move to secondary then usually not again until just before fining and stabilizing to get the end point for an accurate ABV calculation.

 

[xanxer82]

A bit late but welcome and remember that winemaking is for procrastinators. Relax between the batches. Don't rush them. Just make sure the airlock is full and you're golden.