Cellar Craft Low SG Readings

[Bacci]

Last two kits, CC Rosso FortissimoLQ and the newestRed Mountain CAB -Showcases thatI just startedboth hadlow SG reading at 1.083& 1.08. Does the wet skin pack make up the difference in these reading? Has anyone else had similiar readingson these type kits recently?

 

[Randoneur]

Your S.G. is close but does seem just a bitlow. What was the temperature when you took the reading??
The grape pack is full of concentrate which preserves the skins, so yes it will raise the S.G. You really don't have an accurate S.G. unless you have the grape pack contents fully mixed in. Warming the grape pack just a little bit before opening it helpsa lot.

 

[Bartman]

Yes, the grape packs add a lot of sugar and volume to those kits. Mike (ibglowin) figured out his raised the S.G. by ~ .020 to .024, so that would raise your overall S.G. to about 1.100 or more. I'm still a little unclear on how the sugars in the grape packs get mixed into the must to accurately reflect the increased S.G., but Mike's a moderator, so he must be right.

 

[Dean]

you really have to massage the heck out of the skins to release the jammy goodness in them. The alcohol and yeast will leach it out as time moves forward, but it will make your alcohol calculations go out a bit. I'd say that Mike is totally in the ballpark for those estimates.

 

[Bacci]

Never thought of warming up the bag,but during daily stirring, would it help lift up the sack and give a little squeeze with a clean hand for the first couple of days?

 

[ibglowin]

If your juice is at 70-74 when you pitch the yeast your grape pack should be fully dissolved (integrated) in a few hours time (with some good stirring of course).

Take a reading before and then after and you will see the difference. Its important to get the second reading ASAP before the yeast start working on the sugar but there is some lee way in the time frame for measuring.

 

[Wade E]

I too agree that when using the grape skins the typical over all starting sg is right around 1.110

 

[Bacci]

would think that i'd need to stir to get a good reading but today not going to fool with a reading on first 24 -48 hrs. of fermentation. I'm going on faith with these new CC kits -body& color looked really good when I degassed the Rosso LR last week. I believemy RJS Zin WS had similiar reading in the beginning. I will say that the dry skin pack kitsi've done in the past (Grand Cru Int.) all read over 1.094 withjuice only.

 

[ibglowin]

Any chance you added too much H2O?

Just a thought.

 

[v1rotate]

18 months I started a(n) RM Cab and had an initial SG reading of 1.078 at 78' before adding the GP. I've done 4 or 5 other CC GP kits since and always start out around 1.080 to 1.085.

No worries!

 

[Bacci]

Cool! sounds like it's on track