skins in a bag vs free floating

[gitmo234]

Any thoughts on the pro/con of pouring must into a a brewing bag to catch the grapes and leave them in the must to ferment, vs letting them free float?

 

[FTC Wines]

I'm a free floater, feel we get better extraction. A little pain to rack, I use a mesh bag around my vacuum tube pickup, then turn the bag inside out & pour the last of the must into the bag & squeeze dry. Roy

 

[jgmann67]

I'm a free floater, feel we get better extraction. A little pain to rack, I use a mesh bag around my vacuum tube pickup, then turn the bag inside out & pour the last of the must into the bag & squeeze dry. Roy

I was a fan of free floating skins , but losing a gallon in the lees of an extended maceration has me rethinking the idea.

 

[AZMDTed]

I was a fan of free floating skins , but losing a gallon in the lees of an extended maceration has me rethinking the idea.

Yep, same here. I think I mentioned something about that in my EM thread, plus it’s just a mess

 

[jgmann67]

Yep, same here. I think I mentioned something about that in my EM thread, plus it’s just a mess

Experience is the greatest teacher.

 

[joeswine]

The more surface contact you have the better yes it's a pain but sometimes you have to put the work in.

 

[bkisel]

I bag. Remember once not doing so and having to reach down into the pale in order to free the auto siphon tip from continuous clogging.

Bag loosely then punch down and squeeze once or twice a day while in primary to get most of the goodies extracted is what I do.

 

[Trick]

I am free floater in bucket. I use a stainless steel strainer outside the siphon to rack and spin from time to time to get rid of the sludge around the mesh. It works great. Then I dump all the pomace into a mesh bag and press to recover every drop of juice.

However, I use bag in Fermonster. The contact area doesn't quite matter for EM given sufficient contact time.

 

[meadmaker1]

I like free floating but the racking wasnt worth the trouble.
But now I use an old honey bucket ( I dont do batches bigger than 5 gallons + -) with an inch and a half spout at the bottom, nothing getts stuck in the spout.
I then used a paint strainer as a bucket liner to lift solids out.
I then draw the bag through a hole in the bucket to let it hang and drip. Or I have., I have a nice new press now so this may change

 

[gitmo234]

I may have to look into a Fermonster, although I'd need specifics on a bung that can fit the all in one wine pump.

 

[jgmann67]

I may have to look into a Fermonster, although I'd need specifics on a bung that can fit the all in one wine pump.

Same bung as you’d use in a better bottle plastic carboy.

 

[Trick]

I may have to look into a Fermonster, although I'd need specifics on a bung that can fit the all in one wine pump.

mine uses #10 bung.

 

[FTC Wines]

JG & AZ, I don't understand how you can lose a gallon of Lee's. After I transferred ( see post #2) to secondary I had a softball size clump of squeezed grape skins & added raisins left over. Maybe I squeeze too much. I also use a " fruit straining bag" because the mesh is more open than a paint straining bag, this gives me a little more Lee's in the secondary, which I usually rack in 6 weeks vrs 3 months. Which may require a bottle of top off wine. Roy

 

[Ajmassa]

Sounds like you guys are talkin about kits with skins packs. But a full batch made from grapes doesn’t seem like a very realistic option. @gitmo234, I’m assuming you were asking for your pail of frozen must.
If a skins pack from a kit I think it’s a toss up. And if it’s a small batch from grapes able to ferment in a bucket you can just line the bucket with a brew bag but not tie it. And easily remove the back to separate when pressing. I Didn’t worry about gross lees since it was being racked off in a couple days anyway.

 

[gitmo234]

Yeah I’m talking about the frozen pail. I’m gonna try to line it, I think.

 

[gitmo234]

So I went this route. Makes punching the cap a bit interesting but seems to me its so far so good.

 

[Ajmassa]

So I went this route. Makes punching the cap a bit interesting but seems to me its so far so good.

Pics or it didn’t happen

 

[gitmo234]

Perfect timing. Just punched the cap.

Procedure for me is as follows:
spray sanitizer around edge of bucket (for fold over bag)
Pop lid
punch
Put bag back in
Close


Pics are just upon opening, pre-punch and post punch. I tested brix today and if mid-fermentation taste is any qualifier this is entirely different than everything else I've made, in a good way.

 

[Ajmassa]

Good to hear things are going well. The time I used the brew bag as a liner I left it folded outside the bucket the whole time. And just had my lid resting on top loose between punches.
It does add an extra level of looking messy doesn’t it? But when it’s done the liner will save you a lot hassle. After lifting nd allowing the free flowing wine to drain out I just tied a knot and put the whole bag right into the press. Nice and easy