- Joined
- Jan 2, 2008
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Hello all,
I am doing two batches from Chilean grapes. Four crates each of Merlot and Cab. The grapes looked great (from what I've read and heard). I crushed them on the afternoon of Sunday May 24th into two 10-gal buckets (7.5 gal Merlot and 6.5 gal Cab.) mixed in 2.3gm potassium metabisulfite (mbs) to the Merlot and 1.9gm mbs to the Cab. and let rest about 24 hours.
I started the yeast (Pasteur Red) with Goferm (poured on top on Monday 5-25), mixed in Tuesday morning, punched cap morning and evening each day after. By Tuesday evening both had nice caps formed, not rolling bubbles but light foaming and faint crackling. Added Fermaid 2gm/gal. on day Thursday 5-28, and Fermaid 2gm/gal. on Sunday 5-31.
Brix started about 25 for both, on Thursday it was 19 and 15, Saturday it was 12.5 and 10, Monday June 1st it was 9 and 7.
Temps started at 74, stayed around 80 a few days so I wrapped them in a blanket and both rose up to 86 by Saturday and on Monday June 1st the room temp was 75* and the wine was down to 83*. Both caps had fallen a bit and were looser.
Tuesday June 1st the Brix was 8 and 7. I detected a faint sulfur smell in the Merlot, it dissipated after punching down. I mixed in another 2gm/gal Fermaid in both and added a heating pad.
This morning, June 3rd, there was noticeably more activity, the caps had firmed up and the temps were at 87 (near 100 against the side of the bucket where the heating pad is). Still a faint smell of sulfur in the Merlot that again dissipated on punching down.
Edit: I moved the heating pad from the side to underneath both buckets, 3/4" space between the pad and the buckets and still wrapped in a blanket.
Also, pH started at 3.38 and 3.74, now is 3.78 and 3.68.
I expected both would have been ready to press by now. Any comments and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Tom
I am doing two batches from Chilean grapes. Four crates each of Merlot and Cab. The grapes looked great (from what I've read and heard). I crushed them on the afternoon of Sunday May 24th into two 10-gal buckets (7.5 gal Merlot and 6.5 gal Cab.) mixed in 2.3gm potassium metabisulfite (mbs) to the Merlot and 1.9gm mbs to the Cab. and let rest about 24 hours.
I started the yeast (Pasteur Red) with Goferm (poured on top on Monday 5-25), mixed in Tuesday morning, punched cap morning and evening each day after. By Tuesday evening both had nice caps formed, not rolling bubbles but light foaming and faint crackling. Added Fermaid 2gm/gal. on day Thursday 5-28, and Fermaid 2gm/gal. on Sunday 5-31.
Brix started about 25 for both, on Thursday it was 19 and 15, Saturday it was 12.5 and 10, Monday June 1st it was 9 and 7.
Temps started at 74, stayed around 80 a few days so I wrapped them in a blanket and both rose up to 86 by Saturday and on Monday June 1st the room temp was 75* and the wine was down to 83*. Both caps had fallen a bit and were looser.
Tuesday June 1st the Brix was 8 and 7. I detected a faint sulfur smell in the Merlot, it dissipated after punching down. I mixed in another 2gm/gal Fermaid in both and added a heating pad.
This morning, June 3rd, there was noticeably more activity, the caps had firmed up and the temps were at 87 (near 100 against the side of the bucket where the heating pad is). Still a faint smell of sulfur in the Merlot that again dissipated on punching down.
Edit: I moved the heating pad from the side to underneath both buckets, 3/4" space between the pad and the buckets and still wrapped in a blanket.
Also, pH started at 3.38 and 3.74, now is 3.78 and 3.68.
I expected both would have been ready to press by now. Any comments and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Tom
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