soulie
Junior
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2010
- Messages
- 19
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Alright so let me start out by saying that I don't know anyone who makes wine and all that we have done has been a mix of family tradition and information gleaned from books or from the internet. I will continue by saying that I'm going to probably infuriate you with my lack of data and ability to describe an issue. But alas, here it goes: we (the family) have made zin for three years.
Year 1.
The first year we made it the way my grandfather made it for years. We bought 10 boxes of zin grapes, crushed them into a 50 gallon drum (stems and all) and let ferment in the basement at about 65 degrees F. We pressed them after the fermentation stopped and tossed the wine in a medium toast oak barrel. After a few months we bottled it. The wine was... acceptable but volatile.
Year 2.
We pitched red star montrachet yeast but did things essentially the same. The only other difference was about 1 week into fermentation I had read that we shouldn't have left the stems in the primary, so I fished through and took them out. This time after aging in the barrel for a while we put it in demijohns to age for a few months before bottling. The wine was a lot better at first but has developed a flavor. I cannot describe it but it is almost musty.
Year 3.
Last year we crushed, took all the stems out, and wrapped our fermentation vat in a reflective insulation blanket and a small electric blanket. The fermentation temp was about 75 degrees F. We pressed, tossed in a barrel, and has been racked into a demijohn. I haven't tasted any of it yet.
So for those who know zin I have a two-fold question.
1. Is our process getting better or worse?
2. The musty flavor in the zin: any ideas?
Admissions: We have never taken a reading on original pH or TA. We took a sugar reading last year and the year before. Last year was 21 Brix, the year before 24 Brix.
For anyone who really knows zin, I will go to great lengths to provide data: even a bottle of wine.
Thank you in advance!
Year 1.
The first year we made it the way my grandfather made it for years. We bought 10 boxes of zin grapes, crushed them into a 50 gallon drum (stems and all) and let ferment in the basement at about 65 degrees F. We pressed them after the fermentation stopped and tossed the wine in a medium toast oak barrel. After a few months we bottled it. The wine was... acceptable but volatile.
Year 2.
We pitched red star montrachet yeast but did things essentially the same. The only other difference was about 1 week into fermentation I had read that we shouldn't have left the stems in the primary, so I fished through and took them out. This time after aging in the barrel for a while we put it in demijohns to age for a few months before bottling. The wine was a lot better at first but has developed a flavor. I cannot describe it but it is almost musty.
Year 3.
Last year we crushed, took all the stems out, and wrapped our fermentation vat in a reflective insulation blanket and a small electric blanket. The fermentation temp was about 75 degrees F. We pressed, tossed in a barrel, and has been racked into a demijohn. I haven't tasted any of it yet.
So for those who know zin I have a two-fold question.
1. Is our process getting better or worse?
2. The musty flavor in the zin: any ideas?
Admissions: We have never taken a reading on original pH or TA. We took a sugar reading last year and the year before. Last year was 21 Brix, the year before 24 Brix.
For anyone who really knows zin, I will go to great lengths to provide data: even a bottle of wine.
Thank you in advance!