Question about extended maceration

[olusteebus]

I have a En premeur merlot kit that is slowly (I hope fermenting) in the primary. I think I want to do the EM style with it but don't really understand how it is best done.

It is in primary now with skins and oak.

I am thinking that once it through fermenting, I am thinking of snapping the lid down with a airlock after adding Kmeta. My wine room temp is between 72 and 75. My wine cellar is between 62 and 65. Should I put the bucket in the cellar or leave in the warmer wine room?

 

[pillswoj]

Most of us are using fermonsters to do the EM's, I typically lock it down after 5 days and just slosh the fermonster back and forth to wet the skins. I typically run 12 weeks in my wine room (68-72). Not sure about doing it in a bucket style primary fermenter, surface area may be larger then you want.

 

[olusteebus]

I looked up fermonster. What do yoy do with all the air space if you are doing a six gallon kit?

 

[pillswoj]

You need the space for the cap and such, idea is that by locking it down around day 5 you maintain a CO2 blanket.
Check out this tread by jgmann67 - https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/selection-amarone-w-skins-extended-maceration.62634/