Mosti Mondiale MM Barolo With AllGrape Pack

[vinividivici]

Okay, I did the first racking today. And Mike, I'm changing my name to IBMakingaMess.

I emptied both bags of oak chips into the secondary fermenter.
I then scooped up as many skins as I could with a strainer and dumped them into a hop bag.
I squeezed the bag until all the juice was gone and set it aside.
I poured the yeast nutrient mix into the primary and stirred for a few seconds.
I racked the primary to the secondary with a hand-held siphon pump (with sediment attachment removed)
I poured the remaining juice, including sediment into the secondary up to the top.
I screwed the top onto the bucket and had juice flowing down the side onto the floor.
Added the airlock.
After about four hours, I noticed some very slow bubbling in the airlock. Good sign that secondary fermentation is beginning, I hope.

Now: the instructions said to add a teaspoon of KMeta to the secondary and stir it in before sealing with the airlock.
Wouldn't that prevent the secondary fermentation? I didn't add any because it didn't seem right. Should I add it at this point?

It will be racked again in about a week. I've got it in a bucket rather than a carboy due to all the lees and stuff from the grape pack. When I rack it next time, it will go into a carboy.

 

[ibglowin]

NO K-Meta until its completely finished (dry) What is the SG now? Are you in a bucket still or a carboy?

When did you add the nutrient? What SG?

 

[vinividivici]

NO K-Meta until its completely finished (dry) What is the SG now? Are you in a bucket still or a carboy?

When did you add the nutrient? What SG?

When I racked it today (first rack), the SG was .990

I racked to a bucket for the next week or so. After racking, added the packet of yeast nutrient mixed in cold water, per instructions. Did NOT add the Kmeta like I said above. Glad I didn't. It made no sense to start a secondary fermentation and add it at the same time.

I used the bucket (filled to the top) due to the amount of residual skins, seeds, etc. Felt it would be easier to rack the next time with the spigot.

Aroma was great.

Thanks, Mike.

Bob

 

[cpfan]

If the sg is .990, then fermentation is done. So no need for the nutrient, and the K-meta could have been added. There is no 'secondary' fermentation, the bubbles you saw were likely just CO2 outgassing.

Steve

 

[vinividivici]

If the sg is .990, then fermentation is done. So no need for the nutrient, and the K-meta could have been added. There is no 'secondary' fermentation, the bubbles you saw were likely just CO2 outgassing.

Steve

I think the primary fermentation was faster than the kit instructions mentioned, as the racking I just did was supposed to be when the SG was in the 1.030-1.040 range or so. Mine was already at .995. So I could have skipped their "secondary" and done what you suggested. But, it still doesn't explain their contradictory directions to add nutrient and KMeta at the same time. LOL

So now, I've got it on the oak chips and it's outgassing some CO2, good. I guess I could add the KMeta now and then rack after five days so the oak can do it's job?

Thanks, CP.

Bob
PS: We stayed overnight at the Best Western in St. Catherine's in October. Are you near the area? Recommendations for any particular vineyards there? Send a PM if you'd like.

 

[TomK-B]

Bob, sorry to have missed so much of your process here. I've been away for a couple of weeks and just got back to catch up on this thread. I'll just give you my process notes, although you are already past much of this.

8/11/12
Pitched yeast
SG: 1.092
Temp: 78F

8/12/12
8:30 am vigorous fermentation
3:00 pm added grape pack in hop bag and stirred, SG: 1.102
Added 90g medium toast Hungarian oak to primary

Continued to punch down hop bag and stir daily

8/20/12
Transferred to secondary
SG:.998
Temp: 76F
Added both packs of oak that came with the kit to secondary (90g medium French and 90g heavy French toast).
I squeezed the hop bag into a clean and sanitized bowl and added the entire contents of the bowl to the secondary before racking from primary. I stirred the primary well, added the yeast energizer and transferred to secondary, leaving the Hungarian oak behind.

9/4/12
Racked from secondary
SG: .992
Temp: 74F
Added K-Meta supplied in kit, but decided not to add the sorbate as I plan to do extended bulk aging. Added fining agent, degassed for fifteen minutes with drill mounted stir device and thirty minutes with Vacuvin, then topped up with Nebbiolo.

9/16/12
Racked off fine lees
Added 1&1/2 tsp of Tan Cor Gran Creu
Topped up with about a half bottle of Nebbiolo

It's been sitting in bulk since then. I'll add 1/8 tsp of K-Meta about 1/15/13.

 

[smcalli1]

I'm curious why you wouldn't add the sorbate if you're bulk aging. That's something I hadn't heard before

 

[Bartman]

With a dry red, sorbate isn't really needed at all, but never during bulk-aging. K-meta keeps it sanitized and prevents yeast from growing wild. It is necessary with back-sweetened 'wine cooler' type wines to prevent/inhibit renewed fermentation after more sugar is added back in. Some prefer not to use it at all because it can add a bubble-gum-ish flavor to the wine. I don't use it except on rare occasions. If you do use it, you add it just before bottling (or when back-sweetening) so it as its most potent when new sugar is added.

 

[smcalli1]

Interesting. Thanks. I always thought it was used to kill the yeast in the case of back sweetening and to prevent reactivation and fizziness after degassing. So on a dry red kit, you never use sorbate before degassing as instructed? I've got a Super Tuscan that's nearing the end of secondary fermentation and the instructed next step is to add k-meta and sorbate and degass.

 

[vinividivici]

Interesting. Thanks. I always thought it was used to kill the yeast in the case of back sweetening and to prevent reactivation and fizziness after degassing. So on a dry red kit, you never use sorbate before degassing as instructed? I've got a Super Tuscan that's nearing the end of secondary fermentation and the instructed next step is to add k-meta and sorbate and degass.

This is exactly why I wish the kit instructions were specific to the wine, rather than one size fits all. And a lot of times, they give you conflicting and/or confusing instructions. So then I ask the questions on here and the experienced makers offer the appropriate guidelines.

 

[TomK-B]

So, can someone please tell me the recommended aging time on this kit?

 

[vinividivici]

Ist Sample Today

And it tasted great! Full-bodied as a Barolo should be and the color was a very dark red/purple. Considering I started this only in Nov 2012, it seems drinkable right now. But, will let it age in the carboy until this coming Nov and then bottle it.

"The King of Wines, The Wine of Kings"

Waiting for Spring. It was 8 degrees this morning and another inch of snow.

 

[vinividivici]

So, can someone please tell me the recommended aging time on this kit?

I did what any red-blooded, red wine drinker would do, Tom: I Googled for an answer.

What I found, though, was confusing. And we are talking about a kit wine here, not a full-juice, winery bottle. Here's a very interesting article on Barolo:

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/is-barolo-still-italys-greatest-wine

The author makes the distinction between the tradionalist and modernist methods of Barolo production and aging. It's entertaining and enlightening.

From what I can gather from postings on the forum, some say a 3 year hard and fast rule. Others mention letting it age for 10-15 years. But I think they are referring to the old Barolo method.

So what about these Barolo kits? After doing my sample this morning and really pleased with it. I think after a year in the carboy it will be very drinkable. Perhaps bottling at that time and setting half aside with two groups of another year and another two years? With the first half for drinking now.

Would also like to hear from others who have made this from a kit and their opinions on taste rather than some arcane "rules" of aging that may have nothing to do with "real" traditional Barolos.

Cheers,
Bob
JMHWO

 

[Bartman]

I made the Alljuice Barolo about 3.5 years ago, and bulk aged it for almost exactly one year (Sept. 2009 to Sept. 2010). That was before the grape packs were available with the MM package. I don't believe my batch benefited much from bulk aging past 6 months, but with the grape pack addition, there may be some real value in bulk aging yours 9-12 months. I highly doubt it will gain much at all from 12 months+ bulk aging. Bottom line, I would bulk age at least six months, 9 months or so if you have the patience and carboy space, bottle it and wait 3-4 months to start getting into it!

 

[vinividivici]

I agree, Bart. Will be bottling this batch from the carboy, aged 10 months. Then will wait 6 months from bottling to start tasting.

I have the patience. Started buying the boxed wine, $15 for 5 litres. They have come a long way with body/taste. Use them as a daily drinker as I build up my wine cellar with my production.


Bob

 

[UBB]

I have this same kit FYI. It's been in glass since 1/19/2012. Haven't tasted it since November 18th. Still needed more time IMO then.