What’s your longest EM?

[crushday]

I’m wondering what your longest Tim V extended maceration is. Has anyone gone over 9 weeks? I want to see if there’s going to be problems if I go 10 weeks or longer.

 

[Swedeman]

Only done four EM this far, all done for 8 weeks.

 

[pillswoj]

I have done some longer ones, My longest was the Passport 2 roads red which went 11 weeks ( I lost track of time) it turned out excellent. I try to target 8 weeks nut quite often end up at 9 weeks.

 

[crushday]

I have done some longer ones, My longest was the Passport 2 roads red which went 11 weeks ( I lost track of time) it turned out excellent. I try to target 8 weeks nut quite often end up at 9 weeks.

This is excellent news. When you're in EM, you're all sealed up and haven't applied K-Meta yet? Please advise.

 

[pillswoj]

I seal up around 1 week, as soon as fermentation slows. From that point on just slosh the fermonster until the skins sink. I don't kmeta until I rack.

This is excellent news. When you're in EM, you're all sealed up and haven't applied K-Meta yet? Please advise.

 

[crushday]

I seal up around 1 week, as soon as fermentation slows. From that point on just slosh the fermonster until the skins sink. I don't kmeta until I rack.

Sounds very similar to my process. I'm going on vacation for a couple of weeks and I don't want to mess with it before I leave, but after I get home. Thanks!

 

[jgmann67]

Sounds very similar to my process. I'm going on vacation for a couple of weeks and I don't want to mess with it before I leave, but after I get home. Thanks!

Right as long as your skins are sunk and your vessel is buttoned up, you should be fine.

I’ve only done 4-5 EMs so far, and have been contemplating a shorter EM (5 weeks instead of 8). But the EMs I’ve done at 8 have all turned out really well, I might not monkey with the process.

 

[pillswoj]

In going back through my notes for George I did find one wine that I only did for 4 weeks, it was a Mosti All Juice Cab with a 4kg skin pack, (I was afraid of over extraction). It has fairly harsh tannins at this point (just over 1 year). I used one of the skin packs on the Passport Cab Franc - Merlot and went 8 weeks EM on it, it is already excellent at 9 months old. It seems the extra time does something but being different kits it is hard to say.

Short of one of us doing 2 of the same kit side by side with different EM times we will never be sure.

 

[DriftlessDoc]

4 months. I did a super Tuscan with skins, and then added two all grape packs and essentially forgot about it. When I opened the bucket to clean it out it seemed surprising clear on top so I tasted it and it’s incredible. So much body. Doubt I will wait that long again.

 

[pillswoj]

4 months. I did a super Tuscan with skins, and then added two all grape packs and essentially forgot about it. When I opened the bucket to clean it out it seemed surprising clear on top so I tasted it and it’s incredible. So much body. Doubt I will wait that long again.

OK you win

 

[crushday]

4 months. I did a super Tuscan with skins, and then added two all grape packs and essentially forgot about it. When I opened the bucket to clean it out it seemed surprising clear on top so I tasted it and it’s incredible. So much body. Doubt I will wait that long again.

4 months - incredible. You’ve inspired me. My next rounds will include a longer EM.

 

[DriftlessDoc]

4 months - incredible. You’ve inspired me. My next rounds will include a longer EM.

It was a complete screw up but its incredibly smooth and just tons of body. There was barely any room in my primary, maybe a half inch to an inch of head space in a sealed bucket with an airlock. I've never done a MLF (will be doing one with my grape batch coming up) but wonder if some spontaneous MLF action took place. I really expected it to be an awful mess.

 

[crushday]

You may have stumbled upon a great bold step in the world of kit wine. I assure you, I will purposely replicate your “screw up”. Any way I can buy a bottle of your “grape juice”?

 

[Greg Teegarden]

I’d be willing to try this too. My EM is five weeks in now, I’m out of town for two more weeks, was planning on racking it a week after that, now wondering. I tried some this past weekend, and apart from being a little fizzy, it was remarkably clear and had some good body.

 

[jbo_c]

I did two kits for 3 months. Life just kept happening and I didn’t make time to rack them. They were still in the secondary bucket even. I just knew they were ruined, but they’re both fine. I don’t know that the extra time helped, but it didn’t hurt. They’re still bulk aging until I have time to filter and bottle.

Jbo