What is excessive MOG?

[SLM]

This is the first time I ever used a crusher. It seems to me I'm getting a lot of stems (cab sauv). Is this standard? Is my crusher not working well? Do these need to be picked out? Thanks in advance for your recommendations.

 

[cmason1957]

Looks just like every crush I have ever seen. Do you need to pick them out? Some say, yes, some say no. I never do for any of the ferments I do. I pick out some that are somewhat larger and don't loose any sleep over them being there.

 

[sour_grapes]

Do you have a crusher, or a crusher/destemmer?

 

[SLM]

It’s a crusher/destemmer

 

[sour_grapes]

I have EXTREMELY limited experience. I have only used ONE C/D. I have essentially no stems in my must.

To wit: I just did a punchdown, and I was like "Oh, there is a stem, let me grab it and get rid of it before it goes under again."

 

[CDrew]

The "stems" you are showing are "jacks". They are pretty normal. Get out what you can easily, but some are beneficial, and make it easier to press. I gradually remove the jacks as I go through fermentation and punch downs, but they are not particularly harmful as long as your grapes are ripe.

 

[SLM]

Alright, this is encouraging. We had a small stem picking crew to be on the safe side.
Sour grapes, what equipment do you use?

 

[NorCal]

The jacks are a normal home winemaker phenomenon, but you would not see anywhere near that amount of MOG in the higher end wineries I have personally seen. The question is how much of a difference does MOG make? Not sure, but I’ve found that it is the cumulative effect of small things that have made my wine better.

See post #284 on this thread. You will see what the must looks like after a higher end winery does their post destem sort. I was planning on using the post destem sorting chute that I made this season, but I ended up swinging a deal with a winery to destem, sort and cold soak my grapes for me in exchange for some vineyard consulting that I did.