WineXpert Selection Amarone w/Skins Extended Maceration

[jgmann67]

So, I have my 7 gallon Fermonster and will receive my kit in the next day or two.

Planning to experiment with an extended maceration on this one. Will do a total of six weeks on the skins, then rack and dose with Kmeta. Modifications otherwise will be fairly limited:

* skipping the sorbate.
* will drop both packets of RC212 yeast into the primary.
* going to leave the skins loose, along with a healthy cup of raisins and some tannin FT Rouge.

This kit comes with a good amount of oak. Powder for the primary (Hungarian medium, I believe) and cubes for aging. Any thoughts on dropping all the oak all at once? I'm thinking not.

I made this kit a couple years ago and still have a decent cache of it left. It will be interesting to compare them.

As always, any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[Boatboy24]

Following...

 

[jumby]

This kit doesn't come with cubes. I toss a French Oak Medium Plus Toast oak spiral into mine while bulk aging. I always add a cup of raisins to the fermenter too.

 

[jgmann67]

This kit doesn't come with cubes. I toss a French Oak Medium Plus Toast oak spiral into mine while bulk aging. I also always added a cup of raisins to the fermenter.

Hmmm. I thought it did. Though I may have just dropped my own instead. No matter - I will be doing a post-ferment blend of French and Hungarian medium (+) oak cubes for the first three months after I rack into a clean carboy.

 

[jumby]

Hmmm. I thought it did. Though I may have just dropped my own instead. No matter - I will be doing a post-ferment blend of French and Hungarian medium (+) oak cubes for the first three months after I rack into a clean carboy.

You would think it would come with cubes, but it doesn't. I'm fermenting one now. This is one of my favorite kits by far. It's been in my rotation for years.

 

[jgmann67]

It’s here!!! Gotta love LP and their ability to deliver almost overnight.

 

[jgmann67]

Ok, either I forgot or my first Amarone didn't have them... sugar for chapitalization. This one comes with two packets to make simple syrup and boost the wine at an SG around 1.02.

I'm going to pour the juice, water, bentonite, skins.... and wait until later tonight to measure my OG. Then I'll drop the yeast. Two packets of RC212.

 

[jgmann67]

Kicked off this morning with juice, skins, 6 oz of raisins, 60g of Hungarian medium + sawdust, and 9g of Tannin FT Rouge. Letting it soak throughout the rest of the day.

OG is about 1.092. We’ll see what happens with gravity around 9:00 tonight when I drop 2 packets of RC212.

Update: at 8:15 we dropped yeast. SG 1.094.

 

[jgmann67]

The room is a cool 65*. But the yeast is quickly multiplying and building up steam towards an active ferment. The wine smells perfect.

With my daughter raiding my cellar for gifts for her friends last night, I’m down to my last half case of SE Amarone (I named this one The Rain Song).

 

[ceeaton]

With my daughter raiding my cellar for gifts for her friends last night, I’m down to my last half case of SE Amarone (I named this one The Rain Song).

Is that because tears are welling up in your eyes as you watch your daughter leave your wine room with hand fulls of your wine crafted with your sweat and tears?

At least when she gets married it is up to her husband to supply her wine needs.

 

[jumby]

The room is a cool 65*. But the yeast is quickly multiplying and building up steam towards an active ferment. The wine smells perfect.

With my daughter raiding my cellar for gifts for her friends last night, I’m down to my last half case of SE Amarone (I named this one The Rain Song).

I feel your pain! My wine cellar takes a hit every holiday season. Fortunately for me I have about 5 cases of Amarone in reserve and an additional 750 bottles of various kinds aging. [emoji4] [emoji4]

 

[jgmann67]

I feel your pain! My wine cellar takes a hit every holiday season. Fortunately for me I have about 5 cases of Amarone in reserve and an additional 750 bottles of various kinds aging. [emoji4] [emoji4]

She wanted two cases, but came away with one.

I should really start making these two at a time. 5 cases of Amarone sounds about right.

 

[cmason1957]

She wanted two cases, but came away with one.

I should really start making these two at a time. 5 cases of Amarone sounds about right.

That's what I did this last time. The two of them are just about ready to bottle, then hide away for at least a year, maybe two.

 

[jgmann67]

We’re in an active ferment today. Skins are being pushed up out of the wine 4-5”. Fascinating to look at in a fermonster.

Smells great. I notice a single fruit fly buzzing around trying to figure out how to get into the vessel (ain’t gonna happen fruit fly... the lid is screwed on and there’s a paper towel between the fermonster and lid allowing it to breathe in and out).

I killed that fruit fly, btw.

 

[ceeaton]

We’re in an active ferment today. Skins are being pushed up out of the wine 4-5”. Fascinating to look at in a fermonster.

Smells great. I notice a single fruit fly buzzing around trying to figure out how to get into the vessel (ain’t gonna happen fruit fly... the lid is screwed on and there’s a paper towel between the fermonster and lid allowing it to breathe in and out).

I killed that fruit fly, btw.

You need a tropical fish tank. Natural draw for the flies and the fish enjoy the opportunity to feast on some live food.

 

[jgmann67]

The temps are up to about 72* as we fumble into a full-tilt-boogie ferment. That stinky smell I remember from last time is there. I keep it stirred 3 times a day to keep the skins wet. The smell should fade in a couple days.

I figure in a few days, we'll be down into 1.02 range and I can add the simple syrup. Then, once it gets down close to zero, I'll get it off the work table and onto a shelf where it will sit for another 6-8 weeks.

 

[ceeaton]

The temps are up to about 72* as we fumble into a full-tilt-boogie ferment. That stinky smell I remember from last time is there. I keep it stirred 3 times a day to keep the skins wet. The smell should fade in a couple days.

I figure in a few days, we'll be down into 1.02 range and I can add the simple syrup. Then, once it gets down close to zero, I'll get it off the work table and onto a shelf where it will sit for another 6-8 weeks.

Watch your temps the next couple of seven days, I think our highs are today, it doesn't get above freezing until next Thursday if you can trust the forecast (accuweather, not wunderground) with lows close to the single digits a majority of the mornings until then.

 

[jgmann67]

Watch your temps the next couple of seven days, I think our highs are today, it doesn't get above freezing until next Thursday if you can trust the forecast (accuweather, not wunderground) with lows close to the single digits a majority of the mornings until then.

With doors open, the work room stays about 65* over the winter. Closed, it drops down into the mid 50’s.

 

[jgmann67]

Tonight’s SG is 1.02. So, it’s time to chapitalize. The boost got me up to around 1.03. If we ferment to zero, we’re looking at an ABV north of 15%.

 

[ceeaton]

Tonight’s SG is 1.02. So, it’s time to chapitalize. The boost got me up to around 1.03. If we ferment to zero, we’re looking at an ABV north of 15%.

Watch how far "north" you get of 15%, well fed RC 212 has a top end just above 16%.

With doors open, the work room stays about 65* over the winter. Closed, it drops down into the mid 50’s.

Yea, I know, I'm at 56.5*F right now in the basement, and falling. No doors to open or close to help it rise or fall. Guess I could turn on this fancy EdenPURE heater sitting beside me, but I pay the electric bill and don't want to pay much more. I see a handy extra set of sweat pants within reach, that should do the trick.