Few questions to a new winemaker

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Dabillskid

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First post here. Love the site very helpful.

Couple questions

1.) I’m using fresh juice from fresh pressed juice from Italy. I️ went for amarone. I️ bought 10 gallons. I️ have so far fermented juice to .992, starting was 1.095 ish. I️ve racked twice once at 1.02 and at .992. At .992 I️ racked to clean bucked and degassed with a wine whip then transferred to glass carboy with 1/4 tsp of Meta per 5 gallon and topped up with airlocks in place. I️ guess my one question is does that sound right so far lol

2. Should I️ bulk age it with airlocks? And do I️ just rack every 3 months adding 1/4 tsp of kmeta?

3. I️ bought a 10.6 gallon French oak barrel and plan to put it in there at some point. I️ve read you should only put it in a new barrel for a short time bc it picks up the oak flavor quickly. Should I️ oak it earlier rather then later? Or should I️ bulk age for a while before putting into the oak? Not sure if I️ should go back and forth between the two.

4. I️ also only have 10 g and I️ guess this thing is 10.6 and realize it will evaporate wine. Is it ok the top off with a boxed wine. I️ rather use amarone wine that I’ve made. Maybe I️ should have some more ready? And is there a quick way to guestimate how much kmeta to add to the barrel. I️ don’t have any testing supplies and I️ really don’t want to spent 400 bucks on one of those devices

Thanks!
 
Been told that it is perfectly fine to top off the carboy with a similar wine. I don't want to say any more as I have very little experience. You might post this question in 'Barrels and Oaking' under the Wine making forum list.

Semper Fi.!!!
 
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1.) I’m using fresh juice from fresh pressed juice from Italy. I️ went for amarone. I️ bought 10 gallons. I️ have so far fermented juice to .992, starting was 1.095 ish. I️ve racked twice once at 1.02 and at .992. At .992 I️ racked to clean bucked and degassed with a wine whip then transferred to glass carboy with 1/4 tsp of Meta per 5 gallon and topped up with airlocks in place. I️ guess my one question is does that sound right so far lol

I might have considered chapitalizing mid-ferment to bring that ABV up a tick or two. No skins? No MLF? Racking to a clean carboy when the wine reaches 0.992 sounds fine. Your wine will naturally de-gas over the long term (at proper temperature). Just remember, you want to minimize your wine's exposure to oxygen once you're done with AF.

2. Should I️ bulk age it with airlocks? And do I️ just rack every 3 months adding 1/4 tsp of kmeta?

That's the way I do it.

3. I️ bought a 10.6 gallon French oak barrel and plan to put it in there at some point. I️ve read you should only put it in a new barrel for a short time bc it picks up the oak flavor quickly. Should I️ oak it earlier rather then later? Or should I️ bulk age for a while before putting into the oak? Not sure if I️ should go back and forth between the two.

I'm not a barrel guy. But, I've seen members here bulk age for months in a barrel and then move the wine to a carboy when they've reached "maximum oaky goodness." I'm interested to see what other members post.

4. I️ also only have 10 g and I️ guess this thing is 10.6 and realize it will evaporate wine. Is it ok the top off with a boxed wine. I️ rather use amarone wine that I’ve made. Maybe I️ should have some more ready? And is there a quick way to guestimate how much kmeta to add to the barrel. I️ don’t have any testing supplies and I️ really don’t want to spent 400 bucks on one of those devices

Commercial wine is fine to top up. You'll need to monitor the wine level in your barrel while it's in there, so having a supply of wine to top up is a good idea.

I think if you stay on the schedule of 1/4 tsp for 5-6 gal of wine every 3 months, you're safe. You might consider spending a few dollars to be able to test your Ph and TA, though.
 
1.) I’m using fresh juice from fresh pressed juice from Italy. I️ went for amarone. I️ bought 10 gallons. I️ have so far fermented juice to .992, starting was 1.095 ish. I️ve racked twice once at 1.02 and at .992. At .992 I️ racked to clean bucked and degassed with a wine whip then transferred to glass carboy with 1/4 tsp of Meta per 5 gallon and topped up with airlocks in place. I️ guess my one question is does that sound right so far lol

I might have considered chapitalizing mid-ferment to bring that ABV up a tick or two. No skins? No MLF? Racking to a clean carboy when the wine reaches 0.992 sounds fine. Your wine will naturally de-gas over the long term (at proper temperature). Just remember, you want to minimize your wine's exposure to oxygen once you're done with AF.

2. Should I️ bulk age it with airlocks? And do I️ just rack every 3 months adding 1/4 tsp of kmeta?

That's the way I do it.

3. I️ bought a 10.6 gallon French oak barrel and plan to put it in there at some point. I️ve read you should only put it in a new barrel for a short time bc it picks up the oak flavor quickly. Should I️ oak it earlier rather then later? Or should I️ bulk age for a while before putting into the oak? Not sure if I️ should go back and forth between the two.

I'm not a barrel guy. But, I've seen members here bulk age for months in a barrel and then move the wine to a carboy when they've reached "maximum oaky goodness." I'm interested to see what other members post.

4. I️ also only have 10 g and I️ guess this thing is 10.6 and realize it will evaporate wine. Is it ok the top off with a boxed wine. I️ rather use amarone wine that I’ve made. Maybe I️ should have some more ready? And is there a quick way to guestimate how much kmeta to add to the barrel. I️ don’t have any testing supplies and I️ really don’t want to spent 400 bucks on one of those devices

Commercial wine is fine to top up. You'll need to monitor the wine level in your barrel while it's in there, so having a supply of wine to top up is a good idea.

I think if you stay on the schedule of 1/4 tsp for 5-6 gal of wine every 3 months, you're safe. You might consider spending a few dollars to be able to test your Ph and TA, though.
 
What do you mean by chapitilizing? I️ calculated alcohol percent of ~ 13.5%. I️ thought amarone packed some more punch also but it was just pressed juice so no skins or anything like that
 
chapitilizing is adding sugar to increase the specific gravity. You are okay where you are at. your no 1 and 2 are spot on. you can after three months go with a bung rather than a airlock. I would place in barrel after three months and wine is clear. add K-meta at the dosage you have been using. you are correct you will need to top up and keep it up . Since it is a new barrel I would check weekly to insure you do not over oak once at the level you wish place back into carboy under bung and let is age another 6 months then bottle insure K-meta dosage. then let bottle age one or two years before drinking.
 
What do you mean by chapitilizing? I️ calculated alcohol percent of ~ 13.5%. I️ thought amarone packed some more punch also but it was just pressed juice so no skins or anything like that

That one has been a head scratcher for me as well. Amarone is a wine made from dried grapes from Valpolicella . These same grapes make a few different wines But it's not "Amarone" unless the drying method is used. (Called Appasimmento. Drying grapes for months after harvest before crush)
Otherwise those same grapes made differently are Valpolicella Classico, Superiore, or Superiore Ripasso.
But fresh juice is offered as "Amarone". And for a few bucks less you can also get "Valpolicella" juice.
Is that Amarone juice offered really from grapes that have been dried out? Same thing with Amarone kits. If so then that's awesome and I wanna make it. But SG would be 1.115+ i woulda thought.
 
Salcoco covers it well - during primary fermentation, you can boost your ABV by adding sugar. And, yes, you're fine where you are if that's where you want to be. The nice thing about winemaking... it's all up to you.
 
Ajmassa. Great point. I️ thought this to myself as well. If anything maybe they’re not dried and just pressed? Ripasso is where they pass the volpolicella through the skins of amarone from my understanding. Either way it should come out pretty good. Probably not like a 100$ bottle of amarone but will see I️ guess
 
The more I’m reading I️ probably should have done MLF. I️ did use lavin 71b which is supposed to do some MLF? What’s the concensus do you all MLF your dry reds?
 

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