2018 Grape Season Underway

[jburtner]

Fair enough I do have a small press which is also grape stained but the mop bucket is just easier and actually works better

Cheers!
-johann

 

[sour_grapes]

Unfortunately, the actual pictures from @GreginND seem to have been lost into the ether, but you get the idea:

Bucket inside a bucket is just 2 5gal pails. One you drill a bunch of small holes in. Place your fruit in that and squish out the juice/wine by putting another bucket on top of it inside the bucket with holes and fruits.

I actually find a commercial yellow mop bucket with the mop wringer works pretty well. Put the fruit inside s paint straining bag, place it in the wringer and press away. Now it may not be designated as food safe but it's not like I'm storing wine in it for any length of time. I doubt anything leaches out in the couple minutes the wine or juice us in the mop bucket.

Here's some fresh king of the north grapes I was pressing a couple years ago. It's not as good as a real press, but I find it better than the bucket in a bucket.

 

[ceeaton]

Go the call today, picking up Pinotage grapes this afternoon. Guess I'm going to have a friday night crush.

Pictures or it didn't happen!

 

[pgentile]

either I was lied to or truck showed up right after I spoke with them.

From my understanding today they only have the Pinotage in, and I have a feeling they sold out on pre-orders for it. So technically they don't have any grapes or juice buckets available. They called me at 9am.

 

[mainshipfred]

From my understanding today they only have the Pinotage in, and I have a feeling they sold out on pre-orders for it. So technically they don't have any grapes or juice buckets available. They called me at 9am.

How do they look?

 

[pgentile]

Pictures or it didn't happen!

They said expect the brix to be somewhere between 26-28. Going to crsuh around 7pm.

 

[pgentile]

How do they look?

Posted pics

 

[mainshipfred]

they look good, you happy with them?

 

[pgentile]

they look good, you happy with them?

So far very happy, they look great, fruit is nice throughout, I haven't tasted yet but will prior to crush and then get numbers after and again in the morning before I pitch yeast, depending on temp in the am. supposed to drop to 38f tonight so it won't warm up quickly in a 65f basement.

 

[Johnd]

Were the grapes packed with SO2 soaked pads in them? Be interesting to see what the SO2 levels are.

 

[pgentile]

Were the grapes packed with SO2 soaked pads in them? Be interesting to see what the SO2 levels are.

No SO2 soaked pads just a white corrugated heavy paper. I still don't have an accurate way of measuring SO2. Something I will probably deal with between spring and fall harvest since I more than likely will be going down the barrel route.

 

[mainshipfred]

Were the grapes packed with SO2 soaked pads in them? Be interesting to see what the SO2 levels are.

No SO2 soaked pads just a white corrugated heavy paper. I still don't have an accurate way of measuring SO2. Something I will probably deal with between spring and fall harvest since I more than likely will be going down the barrel route.

Here's a typical WMT off topic a little. I've been holding back on saying anything until I received the pricing which I'm supposed to get tomorrow. I've been emailing with Zemplen Barrels about purchasing 10 barrels. 5 - 30 and 5 - 25 liter. I want one of each and was going to sell the others at cost to anyone who may want one. From what I understand they periodically make barrels for Vadai and is what Harford was selling but is no longer going to carry anything smaller then10 gallon. The relationship if you wanted to call it that stemmed from my relationship with Chrysalis Vineyards. Evidently the Owner of Chrysalis at one time bought enough barrels for Zemplen to get started. Fingers crossed the numbers come in right.

 

[pgentile]

I'm very curious to hear the pricing. Gino Pinto's had 25gl barrels for $395.

 

[zadvocate]

Here's a typical WMT off topic a little. I've been holding back on saying anything until I received the pricing which I'm supposed to get tomorrow. I've been emailing with Zemplen Barrels about purchasing 10 barrels. 5 - 30 and 5 - 25 liter. I want one of each and was going to sell the others at cost to anyone who may want one. From what I understand they periodically make barrels for Vadai and is what Harford was selling but is no longer going to carry anything smaller then10 gallon. The relationship if you wanted to call it that stemmed from my relationship with Chrysalis Vineyards. Evidently the Owner of Chrysalis at one time bought enough barrels for Zemplen to get started. Fingers crossed the numbers come in right.

Please let me know I’m looking for a 25 l

 

[Ajmassa]

No SO2 soaked pads just a white corrugated heavy paper. I still don't have an accurate way of measuring SO2. Something I will probably deal with between spring and fall harvest since I more than likely will be going down the barrel route.

They must have screwed up your Cabernet order. I see you ended up with some weird grape called ‘Pinotage’ somehow. Some big ol’ berries there.
Well hit us with the plan brother!
Looking back I see Bm 4x4. Vp-41 co-innoc
Mainly curious about the sulphide addition. Workhorse mLb and co-innoc and no so2 pads sounds like a recipe for MLF success. 30ppm?
Anything else goin in that’s out of the norm ? Tannin?
Hope the crusher serves you well. Have fun with your expensive Pintotage tonight buddy.

 

[pgentile]

They must have screwed up your Cabernet order. I see you ended up with some weird grape called ‘Pinotage’ somehow. Some big ol’ berries there.
Well hit us with the plan brother!
Looking back I see Bm 4x4. Vp-41 co-innoc
Mainly curious about the sulphide addition. Workhorse mLb and co-innoc and no so2 pads sounds like a recipe for MLF success. 30ppm?
Anything else goin in that’s out of the norm ? Tannin?
Hope the crusher serves you well. Have fun with your expensive Pintotage tonight buddy.

Right!? Everything I read said the berries were small this year.

Plan is, yes, BM4x4 and vp-41 co-inoc a day or two later. I have ferm everything and the MLB adjuncts.

Vacillating on the SO2, but as you point out these are slightly more expensive grapes I'm considering hitting the must after crush with some.

Lallzyme after crush.

Not planning on tannin addition in this.

Also considering oak chips in the must.

Scrubbed the crusher again and sanitized. Will be using in 20 min.

 

[Johnd]

Right!? Everything I read said the berries were small this year.

Plan is, yes, BM4x4 and vp-41 co-inoc a day or two later. I have ferm everything and the MLB adjuncts.

Vacillating on the SO2, but as you point out these are slightly more expensive grapes I'm considering hitting the must after crush with some.

Lallzyme after crush.

Not planning on tannin addition in this.

Also considering oak chips in the must.

Scrubbed the crusher again and sanitized. Will be using in 20 min.

If the grapes are in good shape, you should really consider skipping the sulfites at crush, your cultured yeast will take over and govern the fermentation. When we get grapes from afar, we never know what sulfiting has or hasn’t taken place before we get them. Dig through the MoreWine manual again, it’s not just free sulfite that can inhibit your MLB, bound sulfite can do it as well. I believe that’s why my Chileans wouldn’t go through MLF. Shipped with SO2, some got bound, add at crush, some got bound, after AF, free SO2 was almost nil, but no joy, too much bound sulfite. Just one mans theory, take it for what it’s worth.......

 

[pgentile]

The Pinotage grapes had almost no leaves, twigs, unripe fruit or raisin-ed fruit. Nothing but clusters. Consistent all the way through. Handful of loose berries in each lug. Taste is very good.

The crusher worked superbly.

Must is temp is 51 f

brix 25
pH 3.32
TA .60

Will take readings again the am.

 

[pgentile]

If the grapes are in good shape, you should really consider skipping the sulfite sat crush, your cultured yeast will take over and govern the fermentation. When we get grapes from afar, we never know what sulfiting has or hasn’t taken place before we get them. Dig through the MoreWine manual again, it’s not just free sulfite that can inhibit your MLB, bound sulfite can do it as well. I believe that’s why my Chileans wouldn’t go through MLF. Shipped with SO2, some got bound, add at crush, some got bound, after AF, free SO2 was almost nil, but no joy, too much bound sulfite. Just one mans theory, take it for what it’s worth.......

John thanks, I decided during crush to skip the SO2 upfront after seeing how good the grapes were all the way through. Just added the Lallzyme and will pitch sometime tomorrow.

 

[pgentile]