WineXpert Selection Amarone w/Skins Extended Maceration

[ceeaton]

Should I try to track down some CO2 to insure against oxidation?

If you think that will really help and can't track down a source of CO2, I can bring my 5 lb bottle I use for my kegged beer over when I come get a sample of your wines for the 'Chromos. I'll just have to adjust the pressure on the regulator down a bit or we'll blow all the wine out of the Fermonster onto your floor.

Unless it is tightly sealed there will be some sort of air exchange before putting the fermentation lock back in, so I don't know how effective it will be in reality.

 

[Johnd]

The wine is a cool 64* and the release of CO2 has slowed substantially. The wine is beginning to darken as sediment falls to the bottom of the Fermonster.

My target date for racking to a clean carboy for this one is February 2rd, or possibly the 9th. That will take me out 6 or 7 weeks from the start of fermentation. I don't plan on opening the lid on this at all for the entire time (I can sniff the wine through the airlock for any bad odors, I guess).

Suggestions? Should I try to track down some CO2 to insure against oxidation?

Why not just pull about 50 ml out of the vessel with a thief, add 1/4 tsp of sulfite to it, mix, and dump back into the vessel. Give the vessel a good shaking to release some CO2 into your headspace, and call it done til February................

 

[jgmann67]

Why not just pull about 50 ml out of the vessel with a thief, add 1/4 tsp of sulfite to it, mix, and dump back into the vessel. Give the vessel a good shaking to release some CO2 into your headspace, and call it done til February................

This is an alternative I was considering. After reading through the original thread re: the Lodi Cab extended maceration project and Vandergrift's blog on the subject, it didn't seem as though they dosed with kmeta before finishing their EM. But, I'm thinking that it's kinda like chicken soup... It couldn't hurt.

 

[jgmann67]

If you think that will really help and can't track down a source of CO2, I can bring my 5 lb bottle I use for my kegged beer over when I come get a sample of your wines for the 'Chromos. I'll just have to adjust the pressure on the regulator down a bit or we'll blow all the wine out of the Fermonster onto your floor.

Unless it is tightly sealed there will be some sort of air exchange before putting the fermentation lock back in, so I don't know how effective it will be in reality.

Nah, I'll probably dose it with KMeta like John suggests and call it a deal.

 

[jgmann67]

Dosed, closed it up and gave it a good swirl. Nothing left to do but wait...

Getting the Master Vintner Cheri Merlot in a week or so. Depending on how this tastes in February, I'm going to put that through an EM, too.

 

[jgmann67]

Most of the skins have fallen to the bottom. Just a few straggler skins and raisins at the top. I’m going to stop giving it a daily swirl and just let it sit undisturbed.

There is a lot of junk at the bottom. Thick with dead yeast and sunken skins.

 

[geek]

Did you say you added some kmeta?

 

[jgmann67]

Did you say you added some kmeta?

Yes. Mixed 1/4 tsp in 50-75 ml of wine, then poured back and agitated the wine.

 

[FTC Wines]

Our W E Amarone is just 5 days old and hit 1.015, so slightly late I added the Chapilization pack. All looks good, fermenting at 71.5 * Smells awesome. Hope I can slow it down a little. Roy

 

[jgmann67]

Our W E Amarone is just 5 days old and hit 1.015, so slightly late I added the Chapilization pack. All looks good, fermenting at 71.5 * Smells awesome. Hope I can slow it down a little. Roy

If you’re not doing an EM, it sounds like you could do another 5-7 days on the skins without worry.

 

[FTC Wines]

Our W E Amarone is just 5 days old and hit 1.015, so slightly late I added the Chapilization pack. All looks good, fermenting at 71.5 * Smells awesome. Hope I can slow it down a little. Roy

N

 

[FTC Wines]

Jim, we are hoping to go at least another 7 days. The winery is holding 69* with the cooler Fl weather. Just turned it down to 67* it's strange when the weather is cooler outside the AC runs less & inside temps rise even with stat at same setting. Roy

 

[jgmann67]

Jim, we are hoping to go at least another 7 days. The winery is holding 69* with the cooler Fl weather. Just turned it down to 67* it's strange when the weather is cooler outside the AC runs less & inside temps rise even with stat at same setting. Roy

Is your fermenter lid snapped tight and airlocked? I might do that tomorrow or the next (whenever you hit 1.010 or less) and try to keep a good layer of CO2 on it.

 

[jgmann67]

Three weeks into the EM and I confess... I'm a little nervous about keeping my wine in there. The "what ifs" and "parade of horribles" are occupying my headspace.

 

[Boatboy24]

Three weeks into the EM and I confess... I'm a little nervous about keeping my wine in there. The "what ifs" and "parade of horribles" are occupying my headspace.

Just go back and review Tim's videos. What's the worst that can happen? You're out $100 or so.

 

[ceeaton]

Three weeks into the EM and I confess... I'm a little nervous about keeping my wine in there. The "what ifs" and "parade of horribles" are occupying my headspace.

I agree with Boatboy Jim. Think of all the posts on this site where someone "forgot" to tend to a carboy and the airlock went dry, or a bung fell off because of a temperature increase. I don't hear of too many "I had to dump the batch", plus you have yours under airlock and you added some kmeta already. What could possibly go wrong?

So relax and open up a bottle of wine when you get home after a long week at the Capitol and just think how good your current batch will be in two or three years.

 

[geek]

You're midway in the river, don't abandon the boat now but continue....you should be fine.

 

[jgmann67]

I agree with Boatboy Jim. Think of all the posts on this site where someone "forgot" to tend to a carboy and the airlock went dry, or a bung fell off because of a temperature increase. I don't hear of too many "I had to dump the batch", plus you have yours under airlock and you added some kmeta already. What could possibly go wrong?

So relax and open up a bottle of wine when you get home after a long week at the Capitol and just think how good your current batch will be in two or three years.

All true, I'm sure it will be fine (and hopefully ready quicker than 3 years from now).

The lees are beginning to compact at the bottom. I've given it a little agitation here and there to get some CO2 to release. But, I'm going to stop that. Four weeks and counting...

 

[geek]

I will be getting a Master Vintner LE16 Cherie Merlot next week and feel tempted to do the EM, although using an italian 6gal glass carboy.....hmmm

 

[jgmann67]

I will be getting a Master Vintner LE16 Cherie Merlot next week and feel tempted to do the EM, although using an italian 6gal glass carboy.....hmmm

Same here. But will use the fermonster.