Hello from Western Australia

[Obelix]

Thanks the crane.
27 Brix on Merlot? Wow that's high.

My first experiment went really well. 160L of Shiraz safely stored to mature. A commercial yeast and MLF bacteria applied - it tastes really good. The PH is a bit too high at 4.0.

Still need something to measure the TA - bought the rest.

I kept a diary on this forum and received a lot of useful advice from more experienced wine makers.

 

[Shayne Edwards]

Gidday Obelix, I'm in sunny Brisbane away from the Italians I grew up with in Nth Qld so don't have access to the generational knowledge they have. Keen to follow your exploits please don't forget to share where you find wine making items here in OZ please. Regards, Shayne PS Arw you down in sth WA?

 

[GaDawg]

Welcome from WEST GEORGIA! USA

 

[Obelix]

Thanks guys

Shayne, my first batch ever completed. The whole journal captured here :

https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/beginners-diary-shiraz-making.64892/

I left for Europe a month ago and left the wine in a nearly completed malolactic fermentation stage.
Hope to see it nicely developed by the time I get back (another month) - dreading a possibility to find a lot of winegar

The wine turned out really nice - as I think but also from what other people tell me.
There were some lesson learned but not too many, thanks to some great advice from this forum and other online texts.

I didn't really have access to the generational knowledge - my folks never made wine and rarely drunk it. Observing sone friends helped - mostly to learn what not to do ;-)

Looking forward to completing the wine (bottling) and can't wait to make more next year

 

[Obelix]

Shayne : re equipment.
Bought three beer kegs and fitted them with stainless steel taps and kegs.
Purchased a 200L variable capacity stainless steel tank from Busselton WA. They also supplied the MLF bacteria.
The yeast, yeast food, yeast prep material, and oak chips from Qld.
Two plastic barrels (195L each) for temporary storage - gumtree.
350L vat and sulfites from a local brew shop.
The crusher and the press I got for free from one lady who wanted space in her shed.
Ph meter purchased on line.

The next year I will need a device for measuring acidity.

BTW - I live in Perth and buy grapes from Swan Valley.

What are you making? Or planning to make?

Cheers