basic newbie question

[reisjdmd]

hi all
our concord are about ready to try to become wine, brix at 17 and still going up.
my wine supply shop said that for our relatively small amount of grapes, we do not need a crusher but can use a freezer instead, and that freezing actually has several advantages over crushing.
we are going to try the freezing method instead of using a crusher.
so, the question, basic as it is, after we thaw the grapes and put them into the primary fermenter and add yeast and let 'er rip, and periodically tamp down the floating stuff, when finished, what happens to the skins and seeds? also, does the frozen fruit liquify as it ferments? are the seeds etcon the bottom and can we just siphon the wine into a carboy or does the wine have to go through a strainer of some sorts before siphoning???
i know this is a groaner of a basic question, but i have never done this before. the only wine we have made is from extract. i guess the same question would go for apples and pears if we choose to make wine from those fruits, although there i would use a crusher and a press.

 

[grapeman]

The easiest way to do it is to get a strainer bag and put the grapes in that. As the skins and pulp break down aided by freezing, the juice is given off. Just push the bag to the bottom a couple times a day. When done to the right SG to rack off, lift the bag out and let it drain through a collander into the primary. Then give it a gentle wringing and you will get all the good juice and wine out. When done, throw the pulp-skins and seeds away.

 

[Wade E]

I dont really think it helps with freezing fruit that is cut up like a sliced up apple or pear as it does with whole fruit such as crab apples or grapes which the freezing actually breaks open the cell structure. It doesnt hurt it and is great for keeping a fruit good until you are ready to make it though.

 

[swillologist]

I'm no expert at this. But I think you need to crust your grapes even after you freeze them. You need the skins broke on them so the pectic enzyme can get into the grapes and breakthem down. Edited by: swillologist

 

[Wade E]

Very true which freezing usually does or helps you do once they thaw out. I have frozen crab apples a few times and those are very hard like Muscadines so Im told and most of my crab apples breal open from a week of being frozen and the few that arent break open with very little effort unlike when they were fresh.

 

[smurfe]

You still need to extract the juice after freezing. If you take a look at Waldo's method for his Muscadine wine I don't see why that wouldn't work fine for your Concords. Freezing helps break down the cell walls that allow the grape to release more juice. Steam juicers work real good to extract the juice from Concords. You can them put the left over skins on a mesh bag to extract some color into the wine. Here is a link to Waldo's method.


http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1168

 

[reisjdmd]

thanks to all for the excellent advice!! i'll take it!

 

[grapeman]

Believe it or not guys, as long as the grapes have been destemmed, they have openings through the skin into the grape pulp. The yeast enter these openings and devour the pulp- especially if aided by pectic enzyme. It certainly doesn't hurt to squeeze them before the end, but isn't necessary. This is the reason you are able to do a whole berry maceration. It takes a bit longer for the fermentation to complete and results in deeper colors and retained volatile esters (smells). All the above advice is right on, but just popping the berries in the strainer bag works well and the squeeze at the end gets the juice out easily.