Cellar Craft Lesson Learned & A Question...

[Jaggz]

After 7 days in primary, I racked my CC Amarone kit into a carboy this morning (SG - .990) ...the lesson learned, never, ever again will I add the grape pack directly into the must! It was huge pain in the ___ to transfer!

So, I just went to check on things, I have noticed that there were some grapes that apparently were transferred over into the carboy...I can see some floating at the top. I know that I got a huge amount of them out before transferring & there were still lots left behind in the primary. Do you think the ones that were transferred over will be OK...it's under bung & airlock, with obvious fermentation taking place?!? The kit says to let it go until day 20-22 (15 more days), before moving to the clearing phase.

 

[dralarms]

It will be fine.

 

[Julie]

for the future get some fruit bags or go to home depot and pick up a couple of packages of paint strainer bags and put your fruit into this.

And yes what was transferred over will be fine.

 

[novalou]

The few remaining grape skins will be ok in your carboy.

In the future, put your grape skins in a nylon straining bag and put that in your primary.

 

[Jaggz]

for the future get some fruit bags or go to home depot and pick up a couple of packages of paint strainer bags and put your fruit into this.

And yes what was transferred over will be fine.

Great call on the strainer bags... I thought it may be easier to just dump the grape pack directly in there, as my last kit, (CC Syrah) I couldn't keep them submerged. I'd stir, punch down and within minutes it was all floating again. Anyhow, lesson learned!

 

[novalou]

Great call on the strainer bags... I thought it may be easier to just dump the grape pack directly in there, as my last kit, (CC Syrah) I couldn't keep them submerged. I'd stir, punch down and within minutes it was all floating again. Anyhow, lesson learned!

That's what happens when making wine from grapes, they float to the top. It just gets submerged twice a day.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Excellent call on the straining bags Julie!
The new Eclipse kits include a muslin steeping bag for the grape skin packs.

 

[mmadmikes1]

Now how can this still be fermenting at .990. Either you are reading the Hydrometer wrong or you are just de-gassing. Ya, I love my paint strainer bags. If you wash and dry your socks in them you always have right amount and pairs

 

[Jaggz]

Now how can this still be fermenting at .990. Either you are reading the Hydrometer wrong or you are just de-gassing.

You're right - I mistook the "bubbling" for fermentation...I double checked the hydrometer reading...so I'm guessing it's just de-gassing.