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[winemaker81]

You've been very helpful in the past so I was hoping you might give a explanation on the 2 week EM process and how you do it exactly. I'm trying to get a better understanding of EM, the benefits and how to incorporate it into a future FWK. If you would be kind enough to breakdown in some detail how you modify the primary/secondary processes, this would be very helpful!

I'll give you my understanding of Extended Maceration (EM), and I freely admit there's certainly more to it than I understand.

Maceration is simply "soaking", e.g., macerated cherries is soaking cherries in rum, brandy, or other liquor.

The idea behind EM is to soak the pomace (grape solids after fermentation) in an alcoholic liquid (the wine) for a period to extract more "stuff" from the pomace. Conversely, cold soaking is allowing the must (unfermented grape solids & juice) to macerate BEFORE fermentation, so it's in a non-alcoholic liquid.

The mechanics of EM, as recommended by FWK, is to ferment the wine normally in an open fermenter to near completion (SG 1.010 to 1.020, I can't recall exactly what the instructions say, and anything in that range is fine). Give the wine a final stir and snap the lid on the fermenter and apply an airlock. It's important that the ferment is active, as CO2 needs to be produced during EM to protect the wine.

During EM the wine completes fermentation. The CO2 emitted pushes out the air so danger of oxidation is reduced or eliminated. My belief is that the CO2 coming from the wine pushes out the air -- there will be some mixing, but the air at the top of the container is pushed out, so during the process enough air is pushed out to be safe. [This is "educated" speculation on my part, and if someone can prove I'm wrong, please post!]

Due to humidity in the fermenter, it's not necessary to stir the must to keep the cap from drying out.

There is some disagreement regarding what happens during EM. I've found several scientific references that indicate most color and aroma are extracted relatively quickly during fermentation, but some additional pigment is extracted. Tannin is extracted more slowly and evenly, so it appears that more tannin is the bigger draw. I've read numerous articles on the subject, and this one has a graph that shows the relative rates in which things are extracted during EM. This graph matches other references I've read, so it appears to be fairly accurate.

https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/winemakers-red-wine-secret-extended-maceration/
Commercial winemakers are divided on usage of EM. Personally, I don't believe in "one size fits all" so usage depends on what you want. If I'm making a longer aging wine, EM makes sense, and I'd be tempted to do 2 to 4 weeks. Making a quicker drinking red? Nope! No EM for me!

Based upon what @Matteo_Lahm has said about the FWK instructions, it appears that EM not only produces a more complex wine, but it also helps ensure the wine is fermented to completion. That's an issue for kit vendors -- ensuring beginners who have no experienced help do not produce two dozen mini-volcanoes in the bottle. The FWK process gets 2 birds with the same stone.

 

[Brant]

Based upon what @Matteo_Lahm has said about the FWK instructions, it appears that EM not only produces a more complex wine, but it also helps ensure the wine is fermented to completion. That's an issue for kit vendors -- ensuring beginners who have no experienced help do not produce two dozen mini-volcanoes in the bottle. The FWK process gets 2 birds with the same stone.

So following the FWK Forte instructions of leaving in primary for 14 days and transferring on day 15, you are essentially doing a 2 week EM? I assumed it was 2 weeks in addition to the standard 2 week in primary. But this would be considered a 4 week EM, right?

When I brewed my first Forte kit, primary fermentation was pretty much finished by day 4 or 5 with very little signs of fermentation still taking place. Is this when EM technically starts? When fermentation is completed?

Are you "tweaking" anything on your FWK Forte series red kits? Any secrets you wish to share?

 

[winemaker81]

When I brewed my first Forte kit, primary fermentation was pretty much finished by day 4 or 5 with very little signs of fermentation still taking place. Is this when EM technically starts? When fermentation is completed?

That's my understanding, that EM starts when fermentation ends. Keep in mind that there is no exact formula. The FWK instructions say to seal the fermenter at ~1.010, so you will not know exactly when fermentation starts and EM begins.

Nor does it matter. Make a choice, e.g., seal the container at 1.010 and ignore it for 14 days. Or 28 days. For your first try, I'd go with 7 to 14 days. See how it comes out, and either stick with that or extend the duration in succeeding batches. Experiment and have fun!

Are you "tweaking" anything on your FWK Forte series red kits? Any secrets you wish to share?

I have no secrets, as my notes are online.

What I did for my current reds is:

1. Added Scottzyme ColorPro maceration enzyme. I used this for my 2020 reds with great results. I purchased more last fall before my grape purchase fell through, and since I had it, I tried it on the Forte kits with skin packs. According to Scott's spec sheet:

Scottzyme® Color Pro is a specialty pectinase with protease side-activities. These side-activities are important for helping break down the cell walls of red grapes to gently extract more anthocyanins, polymeric phenols and tannins. This gentle extraction creates wines that are rounder in mouthfeel and bigger in structure, with improved color stability. Wines made with Color Pro tend to have increased tannins, improved clarity and reduced herbaceous or “veggie” character. Lower doses of Color Pro are recommended for red varieties that are underripe, low in anthocyanins or high in seed tannins. For “big” reds from ripe fruit with mature seeds, higher doses of Color Pro are recommended.​

The effect upon skin packs appears to be the same as fresh grapes:



The white in the background is a FWK Chardonnay -- that glass was the last of the carboy and is a bit muddy looking. The clear wine is beautiful.

2. Barrel aging. Each wine (Super Tuscan, Rhone blend [Syrah, Petite Sirah, Merlot]) is in a 54 liter (14.25 US gallon) neutral barrel with the 4.5 oz of cubes provided with the kits (each kit has 1.5 oz).

Note that a barrel is a big commitment, and it's not cheap -- and I'm not talking about the price of the barrel. At the 1 month mark each barrel consumed a full bottle of wine (although the 4 oz tasting sample is part of that). Of the 18 gallons a triple kit produces, I expect to bottle about 15.5 gallons.

Also barrels need to be kept full -- these wines will remain in the barrel until the 2022 wines are ready for barrel.

And ... I purchased used barrels from known owners, both about 10 years old. The first wine may be in a new barrel only 4 to 8 weeks, so for me to buy a new 54 liter barrel, I'd plan to make three 18 gallon batches to cycle through it during the first year. Once a barrel is neutral (~3 year mark), wine can remain in the barrel in definitely.

Note this is for small barrels. The volume to internal surface area ratio of a 60 gallon barrel is totally different, so wines can remain in them much longer.

In addition to my regular notes, I also have several "in detail" blogs that record very detailed notes.

https://wine.bkfazekas.com/2021-super-tuscan/
https://wine.bkfazekas.com/2021-rhone-blend/

 

[Brant]

Thanks for the info, Bryan. Ill check out Scottzyme.

I have a line on (2) 15 gal barrels that were used once for 9 months according to the person who owns them. The owner (neighbor) seems to be OK with parting with them and was willing to show me how to re-seed and use them. I'm clueless on their use and not sure if I'm ready to make the commitment. Sound awesome but kind of intimidating at this point in my journey.

Do you notice a big or subtle difference in the finished product with barrel vs carboy?

Also, I noticed you replying to some topics about using glycerin. Do you normally add it to all your wines, or?

 

[winemaker81]

I have a line on (2) 15 gal barrels that were used once for 9 months according to the person who owns them. The owner (neighbor) seems to be OK with parting with them and was willing to show me how to re-seed and use them. I'm clueless on their use and not sure if I'm ready to make the commitment. Sound awesome but kind of intimidating at this point in my journey.

Are they stored wet or dry? If dry, I'd be VERY leery. If wet, then ensure the storage solution was correct (K-meta and acid).

This is a large commitment. If you're feeling uncomfortable, then it's best to wait.

Do you notice a big or subtle difference in the finished product with barrel vs carboy?

For wines aged 6+ months in a barrel, the difference is tremendous. The one thing no other container (that I know of) can do is provide the concentrating effect that a barrel does. The water and alcohol that evaporate through the wood leave all other constituents behind, so aroma and flavor become more concentrated.

Also, I noticed you replying to some topics about using glycerin. Do you normally add it to all your wines, or?

Currently, yes. It smooths a lot of rough edges. 1/2 to 1 oz per gallon is the general dosage.

 

[Brant]

Are they stored wet or dry? If dry, I'd be VERY leery. If wet, then ensure the storage solution was correct (K-meta and acid).
...
Currently, yes. It smooths a lot of rough edges. 1/2 to 1 oz per gallon is the general dosage.

Not positive but I would assume stored dry. What happens to a dried barrel? Shrinkage and leaking issues? Other?

Also, do you add glycerin at any specific time in your process? I believe you said the effects on taste are immediate so I would assume a person could add just prior to bottling and taste test at that point to determine if it improves taste quality. Is this fair to assume?

 

[winemaker81]

Not positive but I would assume stored dry. What happens to a dried barrel? Shrinkage and leaking issues? Other?

Shrinkage and drying out are a given. Fill the barrel with water and keep it full until it seals. IF it seals. Barrel wax will fix minor leaks. I'd not buy a used barrel unless it had a leak-free guarantee.

Mold and mildew are the serious problem. While it's possible to disassemble a barrel, sand it down, and re-assemble it ... I'll pass.

The barrels I purchased were kept full of a holding solution, and the couple what owned them knew what they were doing. That is key.

Also, do you add glycerin at any specific time in your process? I believe you said the effects on taste are immediate so I would assume a person could add just prior to bottling and taste test at that point to determine if it improves taste quality. Is this fair to assume?

I add just before bottling. When I think I have it right, I don't second guess myself. Maybe I can make it better, maybe not.

Some folks are into fine tuning, and if they are happy? Cool! YMMV