Recent content by waygorked

Having seen shockingly good results from my first run at whole grapes this year, I'm gearing up for next season. I want to do about a 30 gallon batch of Pinot. I'm expecting that I'll be using multiple fermenters, and ultimately maybe a 30 gallon flex tank, then some time in a 30 gallon Vadai...

Actually, we wound up with 7 gallons of each varietal, and 7 gallons of a blend of both. I'm getting a bit concerned about the cab sauv. I punched down last night and got a distinct sulfur hit. There is some level of reduction taking place, despite there being a solid level of yeast nutrient...

Good point, hadn't considered that. We just used a couple of cups of filtered water. I suppose that dropped the acid a bit further. I tasted the CS last night, and the acid seemed about right, but the CF and blend, both of which needed to be watered down, seemed a bit light on acid now. Any...

Great. Thanks.What would be the minimum level of acid I should roll with early in fermentation? I ask because I'm honestly guessing where our acid level is at the moment. When we crushed and sulfated, we were told the acid came in at 0.4-0.42. We were not prepared for this, and didn't think...

I would have liked to try any of those, but for some reason none were available. I went with R56 for the cab sauv (which should be interesting, as there was already fermentation taking place when I pitched it), RC212 for the cab franc, and VR21 for the blend. I brought the acid up to about 0.56...

Yesterday we crushed 100 lbs each of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc grapes, from Washington up near Red Mountain. We wound up with significantly more must than we were expecting somehow, and went home with 7 gallons of cab sauv, 7 of cab franc, and 7 that was a 50:50 blend of both. Both...

And I quote: "Not many consequences really. You can make fine wine after rain, especially if warm dry weather comes back. This summer's been pretty dry, so it's not going to change to a wet fall overnight. A day or two of rain isn't bad unless rot gets started. That's another story."

Where are you located? We picked in Gaston down the street from Elk Cove last Sunday, and the pinot brix was up around 24. I'm surprised you were only at 19. I'm checking with a friend at Eyrie for you right now regarding if it is cool to let your pinot hang through the rainy week.

So far, so good. Today will be one week after yeast addition. Knowing that it would be hot out in the garage, we went with about 15% whole cluster fermentation to slow the process down and add some complexity. Las night brix was about 9, and we should be pressing in 3 days. The 667 tastes...

Just got back from visiting Mike in Gaston, with 300lbs of Pinot Noir and 100lbs of Chardonnay. Pinot brix was 24.5, pH 3.6, TA 6.8. K-meta and pectic enzyme added, yeast goes in tomorrow. It begins...

So far, I've come up with this: http://portland.craigslist.org/yam/grd/4645617761.html That's deep in the heart of Yamhill-Carlton, my favorite AVA, down the street from Elk Cove, which is nothing to sneeze at. All of my favorite local pinots rely heavily on clone 667, and he has them. Wine...

Just in case someone has a good answer for this and missed my other thread, Does anyone know of a good source for fresh grapes in Portland, OR? I want to step up from kits this year. I live in the Wilamette Valley, and want to make an Oregon Pinot. There are a few local shops that do fresh...

Folks, these are great replies! I fully expect to stay at low volume for some time, so I'll be renting equipment if I need to crush. Does anyone know of any good sources for fresh grapes? Bader Brewing up in Vancouver WA does fresh grapes from Yakima, and will crush and destem as desired. It...

Having made a few kits now, and being generally pleased with my results, I want to take a shot at making something from grapes, or fresh juice, or whatever then next logical step should be in my progression towards backyard winery. Any suggestions on where to start? I am in Portland OR, to the...

My CC Syrah is now 6 months old at bottling. It is good but just a touch down in sweetness compared with a really great one. I corked last weekend, but am considering popping them and titrating in a bit of wine conditioner to increase the sweetness. Good/bad idea?