RJ Spagnols Winery Series Super Tuscan Concerns

[smcalli1]

I started the kit on Saturday pitching WYeast Chianti at 70 degrees. By Sunday night, the batch was in full boil with a good head of foam. By last evening the boil was over and the foam gone, but I could still hear fizzing. When I punch down the skin bag I do get some foam, but not a lot. The SG when I pitched the yeast was 1.097. Last night it measured 1.069.

I have the primary in the basement with a heat belt on. I measured the temp last night and it was around 78 degrees. So I unplugged the belt, took the temp again this morning (it was 67) and plugged the belt back in. I'll measure the SG after work again today to see if it's continuing to drop.

My fear is a stuck fermentation. If it hasn't dropped much, should I add a yeast energizer? Add K-meta and start again with the EC-1118? I hesitate to clamp down the lid to limit exposure to air because of needing to keep the skins moist. Suggestions?

 

[Putterrr]

If its bubbling (fizzing) then its still working. It can drop 20 points a day when its going good. I have never had a kit with stuck fermentation but I always use the yeast they send which is normally 1118

try to keep your temp constant. if you can get your temp up to the mid seventies that is good. Turn your heat belt off and then wrap your primary in blankets to keep the heat in. Then it will only require short periods of using the heat belt to keep it warm. Just don't forget the belt is on or it will warm up too much. Having it up off the floor will help as well.

Cheers

 

[smcalli1]

If its bubbling (fizzing) then its still working. It can drop 20 points a day when its going good. I have never had a kit with stuck fermentation but I always use the yeast they send which is normally 1118

try to keep your temp constant. if you can get your temp up to the mid seventies that is good. Turn your heat belt off and then wrap your primary in blankets to keep the heat in. Then it will only require short periods of using the heat belt to keep it warm. Just don't forget the belt is on or it will warm up too much. Having it up off the floor will help as well.

Cheers

Thanks, Putterrr. It is fizzing so I'll see what the SG is when I get home. And thanks for the suggestion on the heat belt. I do have the primary off the floor. I'll pay closer attention to the temp.

 

[Rocky]

Smcalli, I have read your post a couple of times because I think I am missing something. If I understand correctly, you started on Saturday with an SG of 1.097 (which is great for the Super Tuscan, potential ABV 13.5-14%) and by Monday night the SG was 1.069 (moving along nicely) and the temperature of the wine was 78 degrees F (great fermenting temperature for a big red). Here is where you lose me. Why did you turn off the brewbelt? I am not familiar with Wyeast Chianti and I don't know what its tolerance is for temperature and while the drop to 67 degrees F may not have harmed it, I doubt it did it any good. I am pleased to see that you plugged it back in and I am eager to see what what happening when you got back to the wine this evening.

I have made the Winery Series ST many times (I have 13 gallons in bulk aging right now) and I have found it to be a very easy wine to make. One suggestion I make to all that use a grape pack is to not only punch down the pack but to squeeze it a couple of times a day (don't forget to sanitize your hands) for better extraction of color and TDSs. The vigorous fermentation that you saw early on usually does not continue for the entire fermentation period. More commonly, you will see a slow "sparkling" on the surface of the wine, kind of like water at a slow simmer. Be patient, this is an easy wine to make. Good luck.

 

[smcalli1]

Rocky, I understand your confusion. I'm a little confused myself. But I just checked again and the ideal temp range for the WYeast Chianti is 55-75. That's why I unplugged the heat belt. I was seeing movement on the surface of the wine and it was audibly fizzing. So I guess it's OK. I guess I'm new enough that it's easy for me to get worried. I'll see what's happening when I get home. And thanks for the recommendation on squeezing the grape pack. I'll do it tonight.

 

[Wade E]

OK then, maybe instead of unplugging the belt put a spacer between the belt and the bucket, maybe a couple screwdrivers or something.

 

[smcalli1]

Well, I feel like quite the dolt. I got home from work and the must was back to creating foam and bubbling away. Must have just needed a breather. I'll take an SG measurement soon to see where it's at. Thanks for humoring this worry-wart.

 

[robie]

I don't know anything about that particular yeast, but it must not have been fermenting very hard for the wine temperature to drop all the way back to 67F when yo removed the brew belt. Normally, when a red starts fermenting, it generates its own heat.

What is the temperature of the room in which the wine is fermenting? It seems like it is very low. Then again, I don't know that yeast.

Why did you switch yeasts from what comes in the kit, if in fact you did switch? Just your preference? If you switched, does that yeast have a high nutrient requirement? If so, you just might need some nutrients.

Keep the brew belt turned on unless the temperature of the wine gets up over 84F. If it does, watch it and turn the belt back on when the fermentation slows.

 

[SouthernChemist]

From a quick google search on this yeast, it appears it was an alcohol tolerance of 14%, so the starting S.G. will put it close. As far as nutrient requirements, I can only find a mention of it being 'normal' on one website. EC-1118 is rated the same.

It will be interesting to see how the wine turns out with the different yeast. Of course, there has to be a control...so smcalli1 will have to make another Super Tuscan (a terrible burden) with the kit yeast.

 

[smcalli1]

The WYeast Chianti was recommended to me. The suggestion was that liquid yeast is far better than rehydrated yeast. I'd used it on other wine to good success. I just checked the SG and on day 3 it's 1.058. The temp with the belt on was 70.

 

[smcalli1]

From a quick google search on this yeast, it appears it was an alcohol tolerance of 14%, so the starting S.G. will put it close. As far as nutrient requirements, I can only find a mention of it being 'normal' on one website. EC-1118 is rated the same.

It will be interesting to see how the wine turns out with the different yeast. Of course, there has to be a control...so smcalli1 will have to make another Super Tuscan (a terrible burden) with the kit yeast.

Say it's not so!

 

[Rocky]

This is really going to be interesting. I calculate that if you ferment to dry (at about SG 0.992) you ware going to end up with an ABV in the range of 13.75-14%. You seem to be on track at this point, but it may stall later on. I wonder what would happen if you added the EC-1118 that came with the kit now or perhaps half of it. I have never done this but does anyone else have any thoughts on adding a different yeast after fermentation has begun?

 

[smcalli1]

This is really going to be interesting. I calculate that if you ferment to dry (at about SG 0.992) you ware going to end up with an ABV in the range of 13.75-14%. You seem to be on track at this point, but it may stall later on. I wonder what would happen if you added the EC-1118 that came with the kit now or perhaps half of it. I have never done this but does anyone else have any thoughts on adding a different yeast after fermentation has begun?

Or perhaps yeast energizer?

(I'm not so sure I enjoy my wine making being interesting. )

 

[Jwatson]

I used the Wyeast Chianti on a batch of Super Tuscan 1 1/2 years ago. The yeast had no problem fermenting it to dry. This has been one of my favorite wines.

This is from my wine log for this Super Tuscan:

2/22/11 SG: 1.101 @ 79 F. Added 6 g Tanin VR Supra, 6 grams of Opti-Red, grape pack and oak shavings.
2/24/11 Added 6 g Fermaid K
2/28/11 SG: 1.020 @ 78 F
3/4/11 Racked to secondary fermenter. Squeezed grape pack. Still fermenting well.

3/16/11 SG: 0.997 @ 72 F [FONT=&quot]

3/23/11 Racked to 5 gal. carboy and added 4.8 g of k-meta. [/FONT]

As you can see I do add a few tweaks (so far I have been pleased with them). When using a different yeast, I rehydrate with Go Ferm Protect and use Fermaid K as per the instructions. I have yet to have a problem with fermenting to dry and have used the following yeasts (D254, BM45, RP15, D47, and ICV-D21). There are a lot of varying opinions on using different yeasts, but so far the Go Ferm Protect and Fermaid K routine has not steered me wrong.

Be patient on the fermentation schedule. I now generally leave my wine 10-14 days in primary, followed by 10 days in secondary. I travel every week, so I have to be flexible on my times. I always use a hydrometer.

 

[smcalli1]

I used the Wyeast Chianti on a batch of Super Tuscan 1 1/2 years ago. The fermentation temp. was around 70-72 F. The yeast had no problem fermenting it to dry. This has been one of my favorite wines.

Was it a slow fermentation?

 

[Jwatson]

I revised my post after looking at my notes. I hope it helps.

 

[smcalli1]

I revised my post after looking at my notes. I hope it helps.

That does help. Thanks.

 

[Jwatson]

The one problem I have is a constant temperature control during fermentation. The winter weather in Florida can change from the highs in the 60s to the 80s in a matter of days. We don't like to run the air conditioning in the winter so the temp. in my closet will vary (as you can see from my log). As long as the temp. (the must not the surrounding air) is in the range for the yeast, proper fermentation should be no problem.

 

[smcalli1]

The one problem I have is a constant temperature control during fermentation. The winter weather in Florida can change from the highs in the 60s to the 80s in a matter of days. We don't like to run the air conditioning in the winter so the temp. in my closet will vary (as you can see from my log). As long as the temp. (the must not the surrounding air) is in the range for the yeast, proper fermentation should be no problem.

I may be too late with an energizer. If Fermaid K contains nitrogen, I'm reading that would be bad for the must when more than half way to dry.

 

[Jwatson]

I agree...don't add Fermaid K if wine is dry. I made that mistake before but no harm occurred. What is your hydrometer reading now?