Fresh Pinot Noir juice (Santa Clara)

[bobski911]

Hi Everyone,

Can I get some advice here. I have made these juice wines before but I just let them ferment like my Italian neighbor does. So I'm pretty new to making adjustments and adding things to the juice. This year I was planning to do a little more with them to get a better quality of wine. However, I just got my buckets of fresh juice in today (Two Pinot Noir and one Merlot) I checked the S.G. and its 1.010. I'm assuming its been fermenting for a while now. What would be my next move here? Carboy?

I'm not sure if these have been pre-balanced (ph,ta). I was planning on adding yeast, but is it too late? Has the wild yeast taken over too much? That is if it is wild yeast.

Any recommendations? Is there anything I should add to it at this stage? Yeast Nutrient etc.? What type of yeast I should add?

Thanks guys

 

[Tom]

Hi Everyone,

Can I get some advice here. I have made these juice wines before but I just let them ferment like my Italian neighbor does. So I'm pretty new to making adjustments and adding things to the juice. This year I was planning to do a little more with them to get a better quality of wine. However, I just got my buckets of fresh juice in today (Two Pinot Noir and one Merlot) I checked the S.G. and its 1.010. I'm assuming its been fermenting for a while now. What would be my next move here? Carboy?

I'm not sure if these have been pre-balanced (ph,ta). I was planning on adding yeast, but is it too late? Has the wild yeast taken over too much? That is if it is wild yeast.

Any recommendations? Is there anything I should add to it at this stage? Yeast Nutrient etc.? What type of yeast I should add?

Thanks guys

Welcome!
WOW! it fermented all the way to 1.010?
I would think its old or not kept at right temps. I make a tone of wine from juice. Never have I gotten a bucket that low. can you bring it back?
Yes the juice should have been balanced. But I would ck again
It its at room temp might as well let it go dry and then rack

 

[jet]

1.010 !?!?

That doesn't sound right. If that number is correct, I wouldn't see pitching any yeast at this point.

 

[Wade E]

If that sg is correct then they were not refridgerated or they are last years or possibly this years Chilean juices and were kept cold but mother nature does take over even at temps around 40* Dont even bother trying to add yeast cause it would most likely be done fermenting by the time the new yeast even got started. At this point if you want to tinker then there are things such as post fermentation tannins like Tancor GrandCru or oaking. You probably should check the PH nd TA of the wine and thats best done correctly with a Ph meter especially when working with red wine as its harder to see color changes on those paper strips and even then they arent nearly as accurate. Hers a good sight to get any of these supplies.
http://finevinewines.com/

 

[bobski911]

Thanks for the reply guys,

Yeah its 1.010. I'll phone tomorrow to see if I can take them back. If I cant take them back what do you think I should do? what S.G. should it be before I transfer to carboy and should I add campdon tablets at that time? One year I added campdon tablets and it stopped the final fermentation and I ended up with nasty sweet wine.

Thanks again

 

[Wade E]

Never add campden (sulfites) before it is done fermenting as you could stress the yeast causing off flavors like sulfur. You can actually rack it safely right now at that sg.

 

[bobski911]

Great, thanks for the help Wade. As far as adding Oak, when should I do this? Some say during fermentation and some say after.

Thanks

 

[Wade E]

That really depends on the type of oak you are going to use. Dust and chips give their oak up fast due to higher surface contact so usually sed in primary while cubes, staves, and spirals are much slower and used while bulk aging.

 

[bobski911]

Thanks again Wade,

I have chips which are a Medium roast. Is it too late in the fermentation now to add them? When do you think I should add them and for how long would you leave them in? Thanks bud

 

[Wade E]

You could add them and rack them over for a short period. Then rack them and the wine after another short period off the heavy lees in secondary.

 

[bobski911]

Also, I looked at the supplies site you recommended. Thanks for sending me that. Do you know where I could get a digital ph and Ta meter? I didn't see one on that site.

Thanks

 

[Wade E]

Its there, its where I bought mine! Scroll down as there are a few. I bought the Hanna PHEP which is water proof, tells you the exact state of the battery, and has a acap right on it where you store the solution in with the probe on.
http://www.finevinewines.com/Hanna-Instruments.asp

 

[bobski911]

Thanks, I didn't see those the first time. I hope this isn't a stupid question but is measuring the total acidity the same as measuring the ph. If not whats the best way to measure TA. Sorry if this is a dumb question

Thanks