Question on Finer Kit - "Cool Soaking" and EM

[my wine]

I have my Finer wine Zin kit with double skin pack and am preparing to start things up. I noticed a number if folks getting the Finer kits plan on an EM so I did a little reading on it and on cold soaking. I want to do both. Here is the approach I'm considering and would like your feedback please.

Cold Soak - It won't be cold soaking; more like 65 degrees F cool soaking. I will add the juice, water, 2 bags of skins, oak chips provided and the Starter Kit Packet A which purges wild yeasts and adds yeast nutrients. Then I will let that sit for a week before pitching the yeast starter (cool soak) instead of pitching the starter the next day.

Questions: Will the must stay wild-yeast free for a week with the packet? Can I go longer than a week? Will the nutrients be affected if there is no yeast for a week or longer? Will the warmer than normal cold soaking temperture accelerate the color/flavor extraction? Should I toss in a cold pack every so often to cool things down more?

Extended Maceration - How long are some of you thinking of going with EM (post fermentation)?

Looking forward to comments and advise. Thanks!

 

[cmason1957]

Sitting for a week at 65 F probably isn't a good idea. Particularly if you added some wonderful wild yeast food (yeast nutrients). Most folks consider a cold soak at 40 F or lower to prevent things from growing.

 

[Gilmango]

Yeah, as @cmason1957, already said, for most folks it is either cold soak or EM, and cold soak only if you have the equipment to cold soak (control temps way below 65F). Since Finer Wines is unpasteurized just get it fermenting right away, pitch the yeast right away, with or w/o the yeast starter (but better with).

If you have a well sealed primary (no need to seal it from the outset, cloth cover is fine), then you can do EM after the wine gets down towards its final gravity. So basically you stir it and punch the skins down 2x/day for the first week or so while it ferments towards 1.01 or lower, than you seal it under air lock for EM for 3-10 weeks. If you don't have a sealable vessel then skip both cold soak and EM. Can always do those next time when you have temp. control or a primary which you can seal.

 

[my wine]

Thanks for the advice thus far. It caused me to do more reading. I found that 65 degrees is on the warm side but not by much. Read from homebrewsupply.

What is Cold Soaking? Cold Soaking in Wine Making

Cold soaking, more thoroughly described as “pre-fermentation cold maceration,” is a winemaking process that involves cooling down (usually to around 50-60° F) freshly harvested grapes in the form of must for a selected period of time (anywhere from a few hours to 10 days, but usually around 3 days) before alcoholic fermentation. Not to be confused with extended maceration, which refers to a similar protocol after fermentation, cold soaking allows for aqueous extraction as opposed to the alcoholic extraction you would normally see with extended maceration.

C.G. Di Arie Vineyard and Winery in Mount Aukum, California does cold soaking at 55 degrees. And the temperature around Dayton OH got to 36 degrees last night and won't go over 57 today. So I put my bucket (sealed) outside last night. I can monitor the must temperature with my probe. Winefolly says cold varies from 12 hours to 5 days. So I'm past the 12 hour mark and I'll see about getting 1 or 2 more days in with the cooler weather here.