Testing Wine

[whackfol]

Just added two 50L F/O Artisan barrels. Before: St Martin, Seguine Moreau and Rousseau. Fewer companies offer small format barrels. None that I tried are that much better than the other that I have a preference except the seguine Moreau. Brick Packaging began distributing them a few years ago and either Brick no longer carries the 50/55L barrels or Seguine Moreau longer makes them. Last time I purchased from Brick they only had Rousseau. Availability and price are important and AB has a good product at a good price. Additionally, I like dealing with them.

I only purchase FO because I find them more subtle. 50/55L barrels are portable enough for me plus they allow me to age wines in different age/strength barrels. I age for two years and add one or two new 50/55L barrels a year.

 

[Ajmassa]

Just added two 50L F/O Artisan barrels. Before: St Martin, Seguine Moreau and Rousseau. Fewer companies offer small format barrels. None that I tried are that much better than the other that I have a preference except the seguine Moreau. Brick Packaging began distributing them a few years ago and either Brick no longer carries the 50/55L barrels or Seguine Moreau longer makes them. Last time I purchased from Brick they only had Rousseau. Availability and price are important and AB has a good product at a good price. Additionally, I like dealing with them.

I only purchase FO because I find them more subtle. 50/55L barrels are portable enough for me plus they allow me to age wines in different age/strength barrels. I age for two years and add one or two new 50/55L barrels a year.

Thank you. That’s some very useful info. I’ve got a 55L Saint Martin lined up. Definitely not an easy size to find in french oak here in US. I’ll need to look into the rest. I’m Still new and don’t even know what F/O means. French something?

 

[sour_grapes]

I imagine he means "French Oak." Good thing we use abbreviations to speed up communication, huh?

 

[ryankelley]

visit morewinemaking.com. scroll down to bottom of page and select manuals. they have red and white winemaking manuals that discus the ph and acids.

Wow, that's some good information. Thanks for letting me know about it.

 

[NorCal]

Here is one of my Carboys.

 

[mainshipfred]

I'm careful to sanitize everything, keep containers topped, with breathable bungs. With the generation of CO2 from mlf, I havent had any oxidation/spoilage issues.

I just finished helping crush 16 ton and he said he said he lets his wine go through MLF for 3 months as well.

 

[ryankelley]

I just finished helping crush 16 ton and he said he said he lets his wine go through MLF for 3 months as well.

That's a long time. And there's not issue with infection that long without sulfities?

 

[Ajmassa]

That's a long time. And there's not issue with infection that long without sulfities?

Not at all. You’d be surprised how resilient wine actually is without sulphites. Topping up for minimal airspace isTHE best protection yo can get. I just went 5 months without So2 actually.
My family never used any. And bottled many times with screw cap bottles. Never went bad. (Never made it beyond 2 yrs before being consumed either).

 

[mainshipfred]

That's a long time. And there's not issue with infection that long without sulfities?

I would have thought the same. AJ's 5 months is first hand proof.

 

[Mac60]

2 Week into MLF with CH16 and its looking just about complete, keeping my fingers crossed this season has been absolutely perfect. I'm going to give it another 2 weeks and before I rack and So2.
What do you think based on the test from yesterday. Right side from yesterday.

 

[mainshipfred]

Mac, I have no proof one way or the other but I'm following the lead of the my winemaker friend and Norcal and letting mine sit for 3 months.

 

[Mac60]

Mac, I have no proof one way or the other but I'm following the lead of the my winemaker friend and Norcal and letting mine sit for 3 months.

Fred,
That's what I did for years, up until last year I decided to test for MLF, Since I'm making 160 gallons I feel responsible to do every thing I can to make a good wine, there's a lot of money at stake.
In the past I made some good wine and some not so good wine, I even had a friend tell me the bottle I gave him exploded in his kitchen, he kept it on top of the cabinet where it most likely got the hottest and boom.