Cellar Craft CC Pinot Noir

[Appfan]

I racked the CC Pinot Noir to Secondary fermentation today. SG was 1.000. As you can see, I had a little more than the 6 gallons. Should I save this for topping up?

 

[AlFulchino]

save...just gotta watch the vinegar bug ...maybe use a smaller bottle

 

[grapeman]

At the first racking I usually leave the wine down a couple inches more than that until it goes dry. If you fill it up like that and it foams, it will overflow. That leaves enough extra wine to make the "extra" bottle fuller. I use an airlock on both. Once secondary is finished and it has dropped the seiments and clarifiers added according to directions, it is racked again and the extra wine used to top up.

 

[Appfan]

Thanks guys. I didn't have another airlock, but ordering one along with an extra carboy tonight. The instructions said to fill up t 3" from top, so I did go a half to aninch high. There wasn't alot of foam in the primary, so maybe I'll squeek by.

 

[AlFulchino]

down the road you will be adding oak..maybe some other agents to the carboy...so some wine will have to come out, as the volume that they take up will more than eat up that 3-3.5 inches. Sounds like taste test wine to me...or fill the rest of that bottle

 

[dfwwino]

Appfan,


Where did you get the round rolling device for your carboy?

 

[uavwmn]

df, those round dolly things you can usually find in garden areas in Wal Mart or Ace Hardware. I use mine for heavy planting pots. Good idea for the carboys tho.

 

[Appfan]

DFWino and all, uavwmn is exactly correct. While I was about to lift the 6 gallon bucket primary fermenter, my lovely bride came up with the idea. A quick trip to the garage, and viola~!






Now the Fementer/Carboy transportation/storage device is standard equipment.

 

[dfwwino]

I suspected that was what the device was. All you need now is a rope or leash and you can take your carboy for a walk. If only it could walk up and down stairs.

 

[uavwmn]

df, you surely can take your carboy for a walk up the stairs. Get a small dolly, pad it with moving furniture blankets, strap it in and up you go!!

 

[Appfan]

I have an even better idea DFW.


Drink it, then walk upstairs!

 

[otto6183]

I have established what I find to be a very workable routine when making CC Showcase wines. For secondary, use a 6 1/2 gallon carboy. At stabilization time, after racking to a 6 gallon carboy, you almost always end up with an extra bottle for future topping.

 

[Appfan]

Bottled the CC Pinot Noir today. All went well except for a minor, but exciting, equipment operator error. The tube from the primary to the bottling wand came off mid-bottle.... WAAAA!. A quick fix and clean up and it was back to bottling again. It went really fast and there was about a glass left over for ... well it was time!


Some aging will definately help but it has a nice complex aroma and flavor. Very pleased so far.

 

[vcasey]

I have established what I find to be a very workable routine when making CC Showcase wines. For secondary, use a 6 1/2 gallon carboy. At stabilization time, after racking to a 6 gallon carboy, you almost always end up with an extra bottle for future topping.

Outstanding idea. Now all I need to do is work around hubby's beer making!
VPC