Mosti Mondiale Masters Edition - Outback Chardonnay with Raisins

[admiral]

I


I started this wine today at about 3:00. Fermentation is already evident 6:30. SG was 1.092 @ 70 degrees.

 

[Joanie]

I've made that one and it won a silver at the Winemaker Mag's competition and a gold at the NY State Fair. It's delish! I think you will be pleased.

 

[Wade E]

Looks wonderful!

 

[Joanie]

I can smell it from here!! =)

 

[admiral]

I had read several very positive reviews on the forum and decided to try it. Joan, already it has that yeasty nose. (And I haven't added the raisins yet!)

 

[Joanie]

Are you going to do a buttery chard?

 

[admiral]

I think so. The Hungarian cubes can be left in until the wine matches the flavor profile you are shooting for. How long did you leave the cubes in? Did you adjust in any other way?

 

[ibglowin]

What type of raisins came with this kit, can you tell?

White or Red?

Looks like you grabbed two nice kits there!

 

[Joanie]

I left the oak in and stirred up the lees every 4 days for about a month. It seemed wrong to let it sit on dead yeast all that time but apparently it didn't hurt the wine. =)

Mike, mine had white raisins. It's so much fun to see them puffed up.

 

[admiral]

Mike, the raisins are white. Looking forward to seeing them all puffed up. Joan, are you talking about primary or secondary or after fermentation?

 

[Joanie]

Admiral, I did the Battonage after I racked to the secondary.

 

[admiral]

Thanks!

 

[admiral]

I racked this to secondary today. Wow, the wine went from 1.092 to .998 in just 5 days at 72 degrees. The loose raisins are a pain to get out of the wine and to squeeze. I guess I needed a bag rather than loose gauze to put them in, but picking them out by ones and twos was time consuming. Never the less, I got it racked. Pictures later of the massive amount of lees I transferred with the wine.

 

[Joanie]

It's a beautiful thing, Admiral!

 

[ibglowin]

I don't know why MM doesn't include a cheesecloth bag. When I did my MM All Juice Amarone this Summer I bought one from the hardware store and that worked out quite well. Sure made it easier to remove when I transferred to carboy plus easier to squeeze the goodness out at the end.

Keep us posted on how this guy turns out!

  The loose raisins are a pain to get out of the wine and to squeeze.  I guess I needed a bag rather than loose gauze to put them in, but picking them out by ones and twos was time consuming.

 

[admiral]

Yes, Mike, I wonder the same thing. I realize that raisins are not like crushed skins and perhaps MM thinks that the raisins benefit by being free floating. I would like to hear their reasoning on this. Has anyone ever chopped the raisins in this kit? Anyway, I stirred this morning. Airlock is still bubbling and the SG has to be below .996. At this rate, the alcohol will be over 13%. That will take some aging to smooth out.