Scheduling Wine Making with Rotation Schedule

[Huey]

Work has me traveling for two weeks and then home for two weeks.

I've made a couple wine kits but I'm looking to make the step to grapes since I'm in Washington and have reasonable access to wonderful winecountry in the Yakima valley. I could use some help trying to figure out how to schedule the initial stages of the process with my schedule.

I've been in contact with a few different vineyards and I'm going to be flexible as to which varietals I go with (hoping for Syrah and Riesling) since I'll have two windows in which to pick up my grapes. My current thought is that it would be best to be able to pick up grapes at the beginning of my two weeks home. This would give me about a week for the primary fermentation on skins, press, a few days to settle out gross lees, and then I can rack to a carboy and start malolactic fermentation before heading to work for two weeks (or let it just finish fermenting to dry in the secondary and malo when I get home).

Do you think there is a schedule that would work for picking up the grapes with a week or less before heading to work for two weeks? I could have someone punch down the cap twice a day if I left in the primary the whole time. Would two and a half weeks in the primary with all the skins and seeds be too long? Would it be better in that situation to rack off of the skins early and let it finish in carboys?

Two windows I'm looking at will be starting September 22nd and October 20th. Hopefully all of the timing will work out!

 

[Boatboy24]

I would not want to leave a primary fermentation under someone else's care at all. But that's just me. That being said, if the schedule doesn't work out exactly right, you can always pick up the grapes, crush, and freeze them until you return (assuming you have freezer capacity).

 

[djrockinsteve]

Jim I was going to say the same. Your must needs stirred daily and may finish early or not. Leaving it unattended of in in the care of a less knowledgable person could by bad.

Press and freeze. Thaw later. You can separate skins and juice if you like or not. Up to you.

 

[Huey]

Yeah, I can get it punched down / stirred daily but it wouldn't get pressed and racked when the ferment is done until I get home. It sounds like that would be a bad way to go. I think I can get my hands on some empty round 1 gallon ice cream buckets and I have some freezer space but probably not 8 gallons worth.

Any recommendations for freezer containers?

Will two weeks (really 13 days) give enough time to take the frozen crushed grapes to a point where they can be left for two weeks? I can have them brought out of the freezer a day ahead of time to begin the thawing process.

 

[Boatboy24]

I'd get them brought out a day before you return. Maybe two, depending on the size of the containers. For one gallon, a day is probably plenty. You could dose with KMeta when you get home, and pitch yeast a day later. You'll have 12-13 days to get through primary and press.