Cellar Craft 2010 LR Rosso Fortissimo Reserve Cuvee

[v1rotate]

I started my kit of this 2010 Limited Rosso today and just want to ask a question of the others who have done this kit before me. The sell sheet on this kit says its a 18L kit with a 2.6L grape pack. So what should one expect to have in the way of Juice Volume.


I would say 15.4L.




Seems I had to add over 8L of water to get up to the 23L ring in my 7.9 Fermentation bucket. Closer to 9L. And I was counting as I always do. No mistake.

Interesting observation. I didn't measure the water I added. What was your SG before adding the GP? I think mine was about 1.085. (from memory, I have the number downstairs.)

 

[bcfryer]

I will post the gravity results after taking the reading tomorrow. I like to give the kit at least 1 day to get an accurate reading. Gives the water and juice time tojoin together.

 

[bcfryer]

I started thisLE Rosso yesterday around 5PM and this morning it was bubbling away. 7 PM today pulled the lid off the 7.9G fermentation bucket and could see where the lid had contact from the fermentation. Stirred well and took a SG reading . It was 1.092 . Smelled great. I pulled up the grape pack and stirred again. when the grape pack was clear, the liquid was still at the 23L mark. Jumps back to like 24.5Lwith the pack back in. I guess the grape pack in the mesh bag will shrink as the kit is moving along. This is actually the first kit where I used the mesh bag. Last kit the Red mnt Cab I dumped the pack in without the bag. Also all of the RJS kits I have made with dry skins Inever used the bag. Is there anything I need to do to get all the goodie from the grape pack in the bag as it is now?

 

[ibglowin]

Its NOT going to shrink so fugetaboud that!

Just keep punching it down daily and when you get ready to transfer to glass you wring it out as best you can with your hands and twisting it in the bag.

 

[bcfryer]

How about you Mike , Bag or no Bag?

 

[vcasey]

I'm pretty sure I Mike uses the bag.
I used the bag once and never again. It was more trouble to get the grape pack into the bag then to use the bag over the siphon tip while racking.

 

[Bartman]

I understand the frustration with the mesh bag at the outset, as I ended up doing both on my first go-round. Most of the grape pack contents made it into the mesh bag, but probably 1/4 of escaped into the primary, along with a few choice words from my mouth.

The problem later is the bits of grape and skin clog up in the spigot (as do oak chips a lot of times), and then you have to stop and quickly find a sanitized device to unclog it (or a more-or-less sanitized finger if it's late or you are already frustrated).

Oh woe is us! The struggles we endure for our art!

 

[ibglowin]

I use the bag. The trick to getting in in "easy" is to have a one gallon bucket on hand. This is my corkador bucket when bottling.

I have a big rubber band as well and just put the mesh bag in the bucket and held in place on the side with the rubber band.

Squeeze it into the bag as best you can then pull off the rubber band, tie off the bag with itself and toss it in. The bag makes it really easy to wring/squeeze at the end of primary.

 

[vcasey]

I use the siphon (no spigot) with the mesh bag over to keep out the bits and pieces, Takes no time at all and all the left overs get put into the bag so I can get all the goodness. I was much more frustrated trying to get the grape pack in the bag at the start (even using Mike's method) then it clogging the siphon at the end. Also since this is the first rack, I don't get too concerned about it being a very clean one. I've also just gently poured it through a large strainer that catches all the solids, it was easy to press the solids dry.
You'll find that winemakers will tell you one or the other is better because .... (fill in the blank). The key is to find what works best for you because whatever it is that works is the best way ..... for you.

 

[tonyt]

How about you Mike , Bag or no Bag?

Snap down Don't snap down. Bulk age don't Bulk age. Boxers or Briefs? The age old questions.

My first kits I did not use a bags but at racking I would scoop the skins or raisins into cheesecloth in order to squeeze the goodness out of them. After doing this for a couple kits it dawned on me I was doing double work, so now I bag the whole time. Instead of punching down twice a day I am going to try weighing the sins down with marbles. But I imagine it will be messy separating the marbles from the skins in the end. Maybe I will put the marbles in their own bag inside the grape pack bag, oh at what lengths we go in search of that 100 point wine.

BTW, the trick to getting the grape pack inside the mesh bag is to have SWMBO near by, what would we do without them!

 

[vcasey]

The other alternative is to use the 5 gallon paint bags. I think they fit right over the bucket,I've never tried them but you would get the best of both worlds. The key is to keep everything loose enough to allow the must to soak through keeping everything wet to extract all that goodness.
I did discover having hubby around to help me lift full carboys and carry them and such works well, other stuff not so much.

 

[bcfryer]

No problems with using the mesh bag supplied with the kit. I have large rubber bands and used one over the rim of a stainless round bowl to hold the bag in place. was able to get most all the goodie from the plastic bag. No mess. I only cut one corner of the plastic bag. This allowed meto direct the grape jammy into the mesh bag with no problem. Much likewhat my wife uses to decoratea cake with. Once most of the solids and jammy wastransferred then Iadded a small amount ofwater to the bag and flushed it to the fermenter. Done deal.

 

[v1rotate]

BTW, the trick to getting the grape pack inside the mesh bag is to have SWMBO near by, what would we do without them!

This and putting the GP in hot water for a half hour. Works great for me, though I am moving back into the 5 gallon paint strainer bag camp now. I tried putting the GP in the bucket loose, but it was just too much hassle racking when I did the Rosso Fortissimo kits. The only trouble with the 5G bag is that it wicks juice out of the bucket and causes a bit more work to clean the bucket when done.

I've used the muslin bag a few times also and it was fine, but I prefer the 5G bag. (And briefs

)

 

[Rocky]

I have a CC Rosso Fortissimo going and I put the grapes in loose. (Brings back the memories of when we made wine from fresh grapes.) There will be a lot of debris but with an Amarone I made, I just scooped out the skins that were floating with a SS strainer. Then when I racked to a carboy, I put the strainer inside a large funnel and ran the wine out of the primary through the spigot and into the carboy. That caught most of the rest of the large particles.

 

[v1rotate]

I have a CC Rosso Fortissimo going and I put the grapes in loose. (Brings back the memories of when we made wine from fresh grapes.) There will be a lot of debris but with an Amarone I made, I just scooped out the skins that were floating with a SS strainer. Then when I racked to a carboy, I put the strainer inside a large funnel and ran the wine out of the primary through the spigot and into the carboy. That caught most of the rest of the large particles.

Sounds like a decent method to me. Whatever works, right?