A few questions on using real grapes

[Wild Duk]

I'm 3 days into fermenting a 5 gallon jug of Cab Sav grapes a bought frozen. I've been punching down the cap 2-3 times daily
1. Do I continue to do this until it ferments out or should I stop and just seal up the bucket at some point 2. Do I press when the grapes ferment dry, or sometime a little before. 3. Should the MLF fermentation be done in a bucket or in a Carboy

Thx

 

[grapeman]

A lot of it is your own style for doing things. I punch down until almost dry, then press it. Let that settle 24-48 hours and rack into a carboy and then add the mlb. If you press just before dry, the wine will be protected by the C02 still being generated while the gross lees settle out before transferring to glass (or tanks in my case).

 

[joea132]

I'm 3 days into fermenting a 5 gallon jug of Cab Sav grapes a bought frozen. I've been punching down the cap 2-3 times daily
1. Do I continue to do this until it ferments out or should I stop and just seal up the bucket at some point 2. Do I press when the grapes ferment dry, or sometime a little before. 3. Should the MLF fermentation be done in a bucket or in a Carboy

Thx

I press at or around 1brix. You need to keep punching down until this point. You can't "overpunch" really but I never do more than 5 times a day. You can press dry, it's a matter of opinion but I've found most people press before dry. After pressing, put it in an air locked carboy to keep additional oxygen out.

MLF can be done with alcoholic fermentation but most do it afterwards so they can monitor it. Make sure you get the wine off of the gross lees, or the big sludge that forms after you press. I wait a few days. MLF only let's up little bubbles, it's not violent like alcoholic fermentation. Consider stirring the lees up every 3 days to help the MLF bacteria do their thing. It's a process called "batonnage" if you want to research it.