Cab Sav - 180lbs ish

[xring01]

I have made 3 Wine Expert Kits, and decided to make wine the old fashioned way...BTW... I planted 30 Cab Sav Plants in my back yard in May of this year... I should grow my own in a few years.

On Sep 22, I picked about 180lbs of Cab Sav in Fallbrook Ca.
Crushed about half of it by hand, and learned thats alot more work than I bargained for. Took the remaining grapes to a Winery in Temecula and used there equipment... it made quick work out of them..

My SG was 21 Brix, added sugar water to achieve 23brix, PH= 3.6... Started fermenting on Sep 24th.

Punching down 3 times a day minimum. Sep 30th Brix was 4.5.

Planning to rack the wine off the skins at Brix of Below 1...

Considering Malolactic Fermentation, because I prefer buttery cabs.... But again I am a newbie and have a lot to learn....

Also planning to use a combination of Hungarian and French Oak for aging.

 

[NorCal]

Nice looking fruit. I would recommend malo fermentation. I would wait until your brix are at 0. Unless you are having off smells, no reason to rush it off the skins. The alcohol is a solvent, which extracts the color, flavors and tannin. I would give the wine time when the alcohol is at its peak to take in all the grapes have to offer.

 

[xring01]

Nice looking fruit. I would recommend malo fermentation. I would wait until your brix are at 0. Unless you are having off smells, no reason to rush it off the skins. The alcohol is a solvent, which extracts the color, flavors and tannin. I would give the wine time when the alcohol is at its peak to take in all the grapes have to offer.

Thanks for the advice...
I am a newbie to this, so I have a boat load to learn....

I am using a 30 gallon barrel to ferment the 18-20 gallons of must I have....
I am kinda worried about oxidation, once it gets down to 0 Brix...

Which is why I wanted to get it into Carboys when it hits zero brix....

How much time do I have once I hit 0 Brix to get it off the skins, and risk oxidation?

BTW... we have 1965 Conv Mustang... White w Red Interior...

 

[xring01]

Today I was at 0 Brix, and Ph of 3.5

Drained and hand pressed the skins, started Malo in my new Speidel...
Added some med toast french oak, and 1/2 spiral of american oak, should have some hungarian oak delivered in a few days.
Guessing I started with 20 gallons, now have 14 ish...

I tasted it, for a new person at this, I liked it...

Made a mess of my kitchen...

 

[xring01]

Looks like my yeast have accomplished there mission in life.

SG of .992 or -2.5 Brix

Let it settle for 48more hours, rack into car boys, repeat another rack in 5 days after, then maybe 7 pending what I see at the bottom... continue oak and age time.

Very happy with the taste right now.

 

[xring01]

Ended up with 13 gallons, which is perfect....
2 full carboys and 1 gallon for toping them off in a week or so.

Now I need to research the amount of SO2 to add...

 

[Johnd]

Now I need to research the amount of SO2 to add...

None, if you plan to do MLF, which is highly recommended for a grape like CS..........

If you’re done, and don’t have SO2 testing ability, add 1/4 tsp for every 6 gallons, that’ll keep you good for 3 months.

 

[Stressbaby]

https://winemakermag.com/resource/1301-sulfite-calculator

Big reds will have some SO2 binding, the site tells you how to account for that.

 

[xring01]

Thinking Malo has completed...

tasting very good... full bodied, a bit buttery... needs more time on oak...

added some SO2,,, and letting it age some more...

how long will a French Oak Spiral last,,, continue adding flavor?...

 

[Chuck E]

Thinking Malo has completed...
tasting very good... full bodied, a bit buttery... needs more time on oak...
added some SO2,,, and letting it age some more...

how long will a French Oak Spiral last,,, continue adding flavor?...

About 6-8 weeks on the spirals. I usually use 2 pieces per 5 gallon carboy.