I just racked this from the primary to a carboy for the secondary fermentation. All is calm, no bubbling or activity in the air lock. Is this normal for this kit? Everything looked normal during the primary fermentation, just surprised with this lack of activity. I recently just did a Walla Walla and that was really active. Is this OK?
Cellar Craft Cabernet Sauvignon California Reserve
- Thread starter jspang
- Start date
Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:
Check the SG and see where your at. You could be close to dry but always always know your SG when you rack from primary to secondary. Without it your lost in the woods so to speak!
I have done quite a few CC kits. Most of the time the primary is very active and the secondary the airlock barely moves. But magic is still happening. I always leave it in the carboy for the 14 days or whenever I get to it, and then clarify and stabilize. Its always better to leave it in the primary for the alloted time than to rush things.
Bartman
Senior Member
I just bottled my Cab Sauv. with the 1.5 L grape pack. Started it Dec. '09 with S.G. @ 1.086. Tastes pretty good, but not as oak-y as I expected, since I added two extra oak spirals (1 after 2nd racking, 2nd after 3rd racking).
Anyway, my question is what is the ABV? From the hyrdrometer reading it should be about 11.5-12%, but that must not account for the extra sugars in the grape pack, right? I mean, by definition, the grape-pack sugars that would raise the SG are not mixed into the must in the same way the sugars in the grape juice are.
So, is the ABV with grape pack kits actually higher than the initial hydrometer readings would lead us to believe? If so, how much higher (approximately, of course)?
This is more than academic as I would like to put the ABV on the label, so I am waiting to print my labels. Thanks,
Anyway, my question is what is the ABV? From the hyrdrometer reading it should be about 11.5-12%, but that must not account for the extra sugars in the grape pack, right? I mean, by definition, the grape-pack sugars that would raise the SG are not mixed into the must in the same way the sugars in the grape juice are.
So, is the ABV with grape pack kits actually higher than the initial hydrometer readings would lead us to believe? If so, how much higher (approximately, of course)?
This is more than academic as I would like to put the ABV on the label, so I am waiting to print my labels. Thanks,
I am interested in the answer to this question also. I've been assuming the GP adds about 0.020 to the initial SG but that seems pretty high. I seem to remember someone mentioning that they measured SG before and after dumping the GP in and mixing well. Does that ring a bell with anyone? I've been using the 5Gal paint strainer bag method which makes it hard to measure.BartReeder said:
diggerdan17
Self Made Thousandaire
- Joined
- May 19, 2009
- Messages
- 176
- Reaction score
- 2
Just take your hydrometer reading after you vigorously mix in your grapeskins.
I don't have my notebook with me (I know, hard to believe!) But I did that before and after GP addition and it seems like it was 0.02. Seems like it went from ~ 1.085 to ~ 1.105
Bartman
Senior Member
Couple thoughts occur to me - 1st: I can't stir the grape pack in as vigorously as I would an f-pack because it is in the cheesecloth-strainer bag, but I presume that the sugars in the grape pack are fermented and (mostly) extracted by the time the bag is removed and squeezed.
2nd: Mike, 0.020 causes a big jump in ABV! From (initial) 1.086 to 0.998 should yield 11% ABV; adding your .02 to the starting SG would give 1.106 -> 0.996 = 13.5% ABV --- 2.5% higher alcohol content! That seems like a lot for a 1.5L addition to a 23 L kit, even if it is mostly sugars in that grape pack.
Could you double-check that 0.02 figure for me later, Mike?
2nd: Mike, 0.020 causes a big jump in ABV! From (initial) 1.086 to 0.998 should yield 11% ABV; adding your .02 to the starting SG would give 1.106 -> 0.996 = 13.5% ABV --- 2.5% higher alcohol content! That seems like a lot for a 1.5L addition to a 23 L kit, even if it is mostly sugars in that grape pack.
Could you double-check that 0.02 figure for me later, Mike?
Will do but it won't be till next week as I on the road ATM. Did u taste that Grape Pack? It's solid sugar!
When i started the showcase merlot i checked the SG before grape pack and got 1.090 then added grape pack in cheese cloth and sanitized my hands and massaged the grape pack in the must for a while then retested and got 1.108 final starting SG. BTW you can tell when your massaging the grape pack when your finally at just skins.FYI this kit came with oak sawdust which i used but in bulk aging i used 1 1/2house toast american and 1 1/4house toast french stavin cubes for four months and after tasting, i truly think i acheived the washington fruit forwardness coupled with california oakiness which in simple terms tastes AMAZING!!!!!!!!
Bartman
Senior Member
Interesting... I didn't massage the grape pack that much at the outset. I stirred it pretty well, and I stirred several more times whenever I punched down the cap. You got .018 difference in the SG levels which would yield about 2% difference in ABV, so I guess Mike was right on or at least pretty close with the sugar content of the grape pack.
Bartman
Senior Member
I have yet to bottle my Red Mt Cabernet, I intend to do so next month (~6 months bulk aging). Will let the bottles rest another 6 months or so, before trying it.
From the 2 rackings I have done, it seems to have more body than the other cabs I have done (one with and one without grape skins).
From the 2 rackings I have done, it seems to have more body than the other cabs I have done (one with and one without grape skins).
Similar threads
