Megioli amarone

[ShawnDTurner]

I started the Megoili Amarone today with grape pack, my bucket at 7.9 is filled to the top. When I opened the box to my surprise there was also a Raisin pack as well. I jumped for joy and yes I will be using it. I will be adding it once my juice reaches a S.G. 1.020. I will keep everyone up to date.

 

[robie]

You should add the raisin pack now. along with the grape pack. It will be less effective if you wait. Your fermenter bucket is too small for a MM Meglioli red, a grape pack, and a raisin pack. You need a ten gallon fermenter or split it into two buckets. Once it gets going and starts foaming, it will likely run over. If you can't split it or move it, put the bucket in a larger tub to catch the overflow.

 

[ShawnDTurner]

Rob I have a six gallon as well you think I should transfer half now into It and let it finish seperately and then combine. You think I should transfer 3 gallons over?

 

[robie]

Rob I have a six gallon as well you think I should transfer half now into It and let it finish seperately and then combine. You think I should transfer 3 gallons over?

I would set the bucket in a tub to be safe. Sometimes a wine will not foam much, but other times (most of the time), it will produce 2 to 4 inches of foam. I would watch it very closely and if it starts to foam a lot, yes, I would transfer half to the other bucket. You can recombine them into a single carboy when you rack to secondary fermentation.


For this very reason, a couple years ago I purchased a 10-gallon fermenter bucket.

 

[tonyt]

You should add the raisin pack now. along with the grape pack. It will be less effective if you wait. Your fermenter bucket is too small for a MM Meglioli red, a grape pack, and a raisin pack. You need a ten gallon fermenter or split it into two buckets. Once it gets going and starts foaming, it will likely run over. If you can't split it or move it, put the bucket in a larger tub to catch the overflow.

My experience with Meglioli kits is that they don't foam, just pin-point bubbles. However, I always place my primary in a rubbermaid action packer mostly because of bottom seal failures I and others have experienced in the past.

 

[ShawnDTurner]

I went ahead and split it up. I left the grape pack in one and added the raisin to the other half with an addition of a half pound of raisins. Do you guys recommend a particular brand of ten gallon fermenter?

 

[robie]

I went ahead and split it up. I left the grape pack in one and added the raisin to the other half with an addition of a half pound of raisins. Do you guys recommend a particular brand of ten gallon fermenter?

Several of the LHBS advertisers sell one. I bought mine from The Wine Maker's Toy Store.
Places like Home Depot sell Rubbermaid plastic trash cans that are also food grade. They can scratch easily, but as long as they have the food grade symbol on them, they are good for a period of time. The ones sold at the LHBS are really nice, white ones that will last for years.

 

[robie]

My experience with Meglioli kits is that they don't foam, just pin-point bubbles. However, I always place my primary in a rubbermaid action packer mostly because of bottom seal failures I and others have experienced in the past.

I made the MM Meglioli Barolo. I added the grape pack and not the raisin pack. It did foam some, but not a huge amount like other kits. (That kit was and still is a big disappointment, considering the cost of it. Even after going through the barrel, it has turned out to be only as good as a $10 table wine. After 2 years, no Barolo taste at all. I hope the Amarone turns out much better. I made a MM Ren. chardonnay and Amarone and they are both pretty good. I guess I just expected more from such an expensive kit.)

 

[joeswine]

Grape packs and raisins

Assuming you have a 6 gallon one kit now fermented out with the grape pack. Basically you will have less than 6 gallons. I would have taken that same 6 gallons and at my raises to the secondary fermentation now-using the same volume that I started with or less and adding a different nuance to it , why would you want to go through all those changes, not necessary .

 

[ShawnDTurner]

TOnyT.......You were correct this thing is not foaming at all much.

 

[Rocky]

Shawn, I wish you had PMed me. I have a 10 gallon that you could have borrowed. I rarely use it because it is too big for one kit batch and too small for two batches. I have made 23 liter kits with grape packs and never had a problem with overflow in my 7.9 gallon primary. If you ever need something and you don't want to buy it for one time use, PM me. I live in Powell.

I believe you started out following Joeswine's alternate method of adding raisins, i.e. in the secondary rather than the primary. I think that alternative has promise and I plan to try it on the next big red I make. When you think about it, the raisins would stay with the wine much longer than they would if there were used in primary and discarded when moving to secondary.

 

[ShawnDTurner]

Thank you so much for that kind gesture. I am still going to do joes method. Once I go to secondary I will add additional raisins. I also agree, his method will yield a good result. I am thinking add them at 1.020, when I transfer to secondary. Leave them for two weeks as he recommended. Now I am off to punch down ..cheers

 

[robie]

Hey, if Joe says adding raisins later is a good thing, you can bank on it being a good idea. Joe knows his stuff!!!

 

[Gareth]

Complete beginner at this stuff, do u have to wash or sterilize your raisins before adding?

 

[ColemanM]

No need to wash them. But try finding raisins that don't have added sulfite listed on the package. I had better luck and taste with Zante currants from whole foods than I did with regular sunmaide raisins. FYI


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