RJ Spagnols RJS EP Australian Pinot Noir

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Gautrey

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Hello everybody!
Bare with me here, this is my first post and my first wine kit. I am currently at day 16 into "secondary fermentation" with my RJS EP Aus. Pinot Noir (With grape skins). I've yet to start the "stabilizing and clearing process". When transferring the wine from primary to secondary(Day 9) it seemed pretty dull and smelled no hints of oak at all (I realize it is young and that the PN aren't very oak-e, but still expected some profile). I mainly want to see if anyone has tips/tricks/recommendations and experience with this specific kit or one similar to improve it. Also, any input on days (Primary, Secondary, Stab. & Clearing, then bulk aging until bottling)???

After pulling my grape skins bag from the primary I found a few wasps in with the grape skins. I don't believe it changed the fermentation but MW Sup. shipped me a whole new kit. Now I have a second chance to make this PN better and compare the differences!
 
Hello everybody!
Bare with me here, this is my first post and my first wine kit. I am currently at day 16 into "secondary fermentation" with my RJS EP Aus. Pinot Noir (With grape skins). I've yet to start the "stabilizing and clearing process". When transferring the wine from primary to secondary(Day 9) it seemed pretty dull and smelled no hints of oak at all (I realize it is young and that the PN aren't very oak-e, but still expected some profile). I mainly want to see if anyone has tips/tricks/recommendations and experience with this specific kit or one similar to improve it. Also, any input on days (Primary, Secondary, Stab. & Clearing, then bulk aging until bottling)???

After pulling my grape skins bag from the primary I found a few wasps in with the grape skins. I don't believe it changed the fermentation but MW Sup. shipped me a whole new kit. Now I have a second chance to make this PN better and compare the differences!

Well that's a big score on the second kit for free!! A little wasp never hurt anyone.

My advice would be to follow your hydrometer as your guide until fermentation is complete, let it ferment til it's done and your SG is exactly the same for several days in a row. It should get to .995 or lower.
On to the next step, KMS, sorbate clearing agents, and degassing. Add the KMS provided. If your wine is fermented dry, .995 or lower, consider not using the sorbate as long as you're no back sweetening. Degas as best you can, but don't stress over it, plan to bulk age to allow your wine to degas and get some aging on it. Use the clearing agents, if you get to the point when you're aging longer times in glass, you can even skip these in favor of time and gravity clearing your wine.

During bulk aging and periodic racking as needed, you can experiment with your oak level. There are countless threads here about oaking options. You should keep your wine properly sulfited during B/A, unless you're testing and measuring sulfite levels, 1/4tsp per 6 gallons every 3 months is the rule of thumb. Your wine should improve through the bulk aging process, if you can go 6-12 months, you'll be rewarded. Those profile issues you noted should improve.
 
Welcome to the forum!

I think you might have an 8 week kit which is simply going to take more time to come around than a 4 or 6 week kit. Betcha it turns out just fine if you continue to follow the directions except that you bulk age before bottling and bottle age some before consuming.
 
My first is about 13 months and in the bottle now (old box before the merging of lines) and i just bought another one so it must have been acceptable

cheers
 
I will say that the Homebrewsupply chat function (while it worked well) wasn't very helpful. I asked questions about the oak - I was surprised that it was included in the kit. The CSR on the other end, while very nice, was not sure about what kind of oak, whether it was dust, chips or cubes, or when it would go into to the wine.

I know they can't know everything. Maybe I'm being picky.
 
The one I made had 75g of oak powder that went in at the start.

Cheers
 
Good luck with it. I will start mine after a winery series Cab Sav. i want to compare it to the same eclipse wine started a couple months ago. my reds are being bottled a 12 months right now, so it will be 2 years before i see which one i prefer.

cheers
 
My EP pinot noir just shipped today! Can't wait to get this bubbling!
 
In the EP Pinot Noir box:

80gr of oak dust
2 bags of genuine grape skins
Pectin (really??)
EC1118 yeast
Lots of juice
All the usual other stuff

So, first question - yeast swap. I have some D254 from this past fall and some BM4x4 from the summer. Either of those, or would an RC212 or BM45 be more appropriate?

Next - what's up with the pectin?

Outside of maybe looking at some finishing tannins, I'm thinking that's all I'm going to do for tweakery.
 
In the EP Pinot Noir box:

80gr of oak dust
2 bags of genuine grape skins
Pectin (really??)
EC1118 yeast
Lots of juice
All the usual other stuff

So, first question - yeast swap. I have some D254 from this past fall and some BM4x4 from the summer. Either of those, or would an RC212 or BM45 be more appropriate?

Next - what's up with the pectin?

Outside of maybe looking at some finishing tannins, I'm thinking that's all I'm going to do for tweakery.

http://www.morebeer.com/public/pdf/wyeastpair.pdf
 
So RC212 or Bm45.

http://www.lallemandwine.com/north-america/products/catalogue/

Doesn't have D254 and PN as a pairing on their list, but likes the other two. I used RC-212 this Spring and I really like the wine at this point, even as young as it is. Either yeast you'll have to feed it if starts farting H2S smells. If I do it again I'll order AMH (since Scotzin's doesn't carrry it) if I'm making it from grapes so the juice can be in contact with the skins longer (AMH was a slow poke fermentation speed-wise).

Are you going to let the skins in the wine for an extended time after primary fermentation gets done (like @AZMDTed is doing)?
 
Are you going to let the skins in the wine for an extended time after primary fermentation gets done (like @AZMDTed is doing)?


Good question. I don't think so. If I could minimize o2 exposure, I might consider it. But, I'd worry the bucket wouldn't work out well.

I would like a slow burn on this ferment, though - increase the time on the skins.
 
Well, AMH I used on my Lanza Zin took twice as long as any yeast to ferment to dry that I'd ever used before, and I've used most of the standard ones to this point. And I'm sure my temperatures were decently high since the GRE I used on my Cab Franc a few weeks later buzzed through it in four days, yikes! That's why my Cab Franc looks more like my White Zin I did this year, hardly any skin contact.
 

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