Received my Chilean Juice today

[s0615353]

Joe/Runningwolf, are there any problems using raisins while the wine is undergoing MLF? Aren't raisins covered in sulfite as a preservative, which could cause some issues for the bacteria? Do you soak them in water first, or maybe use an organic brand that is low in sulfite?

 

[JohnT]

Dan,

Why would you want to add raisons to your fresh grape juice? The color looks rather dark and I would think rather full bodied.

johnT.

 

[Runningwolf]

John, I am taking Joe's lead on the rasins. Tonight the juice is at about 12 brix and I added 1 pound of sugar to up the abv a bit and also to increase the stability of the finished product. I have to go to a PSU graduation on Saturday for my daughter so I will probably rack everything over to five gallon carboys on Sunday. Right now with the addition of the Oak dust and sugar there is only about 1/2 inch space left in the pail. I gave this a lot of fore thought on the placement of the pails, so I'll be able to easily siphon them into carboys.

 

[JohnT]

OK, just wondering.

The chillean wine that I have made in the past (although from fresh whole grapes) has yeilded killer body. I think that I sent you my 2010 chillean. This wine has the typical body that I get from chillean grapes.

I was just curious if the juice pails did the same. By the looks of your pictures, it does seem like there is a nice dark color, but pictures can be deceiving.

 

[Runningwolf]

OK, just wondering.

The chillean wine that I have made in the past (although from fresh whole grapes) has yeilded killer body[I met this red head once...opps another story]. I think that I sent you my 2010 chillean.[I never received wine from you john] This wine has the typical body that I get from chillean grapes.

I was just curious if the juice pails did the same. By the looks of your pictures, it does seem like there is a nice dark color, but pictures can be deceiving.

I think the juice really does lack in body with no skins. We are just trying to make a good wine, GREAT!

 

[Runningwolf]

One week after start of fermentation i racked my ten pails into five gallon carboys. I added one pound of raisins, mlf culture and micro esentials to each carboy including the surplus. After filling each 5g carboy I had enough wine left from each pail (blended together) to fill (2) 7 gallon carboys, adding the same ingrediants to those. My sg was about 1.03 or 8 brix. All the carboys are rocking. I could have waited a bit longer but with the start of a new work week I wanted to get this done rather than being in a position of not being able to get it when I exactly want to.

 

[Runningwolf]

Yesterday I racked my Chilean to carboys. Two days earlier I added another pound of sugar to each batch. I racked all ten varieties over to five gallon carboys that had a pound of raisins in each one. The remainder of the juice I put in two 7 gallon carboys to use for topping up and making my port with. When I came home tonight the carboys were still rocking and rolling with juice in 7 airlocks and as you can see in the picture one actually spurted out creating a small stream. I left head space in each carboy for expansion and fermentation, evidently not enough!

 

[robie]

Joe/Runningwolf, are there any problems using raisins while the wine is undergoing MLF? Aren't raisins covered in sulfite as a preservative, which could cause some issues for the bacteria? Do you soak them in water first, or maybe use an organic brand that is low in sulfite?

Sorry no one got back to you.


The raisins are being added during secondary alcohol fermentation. It seems unusual only because MLF is being started early.

If you buy off-the-shelf raisins from the grocery store, they will have sulfites on their surface, which one should wash off. Organic raisins may not have any sulfites on them at all. I would prefer nice, big organic raisins, but they may be hard to find.


Adding the MLB before the alcoholic fermentation is complete, is not unusual, depending on the type of MLB and of course whether the wine is white or red. It is more popular to add it early for reds.


Adding the MLB early is good if the wine might end up with a greater ABV than the MLB can handle. Even though the alcohol fermentation will complete long before the MLF, this will give the MLB time to acclimate to the higher ABV slowly as alcohol fermentation progresses.


Hope this answered your questions.

 

[Runningwolf]

Sheesh, I remember reading that post and thought I responded. Robie, thanks for stepping up. In the past I always added raisins in the very beginning but this time I am taking Joe's lead on adding them on the back half of fermentation. Another reason I added MLB at this time is to take advantage of the higher temps created during the regular fermentation.

 

[s0615353]

It's fine, shortly after I made that post I stumbled on Luc's article on adding raisins to wine and it is all clear now. I also add MLB towards the end of fermentation when there are still plenty of nutrients and heat to keep the bugs happy. I will just make sure to rinse the sulfite and sorbate off the raisins before tossing them in if I add MLB.

 

[joeswine]

addition of rasins

STAYING THE COURSE,,



1)primary fermentation as normal
2)rasins in the secondary(self fermentation)
3) powder oak in secondary(stir well)

ONCE this is done it will do it's owe thing............


MY position on fresh juice in the past 5 to 7 years I have noticed a change in the viscosity of the finish product,not to the good side ,the wines have gone thin and very little aroma if any OF their own,I have stated this in the past and that's why I make changes as do all wine makers or they should to put there own finger print on the wine,nothing erotic but suttle changes,thats when I started experimenting with rasins ,the enjoyment of a great amarone started me figuring out the possibilities and reading about ITALIAN wines and there processes which we can not duplicate (they are the masters ) we are but students,and we do the best we can with what we have available to us.

Knowing each of us are different in many ways, are taste are also different and so there four are styles,, wine making over time has made me
has made me a accomplished wine maker, trial and a lot of error has led the way,WOLFMAN your on the right road the work area looks great,the process is simple let the rasins do the work for YOU the testament is in the finish product.....with respectfully .jp

 

[Runningwolf]

Thanks Joe. What I did different; I did add the powder oak during primary and mlf plus nutrient during secondary to take advantage of the fermentation heat. I will keep this thread going and report back as I go along.

 

[hocke230]

How long does MLF run for? I'll be doing this to my bucket soon.

 

[Runningwolf]

It can run for anywhere from several weeks to several months. The only way to know for sure is to test it.

 

[geek]

Dan, how's your Chilean wine going? Just curiosity....

 

[Runningwolf]

Sorry Geek I did not see this post. Last night I decided to check to see if my wine had completed the MLF. I know several folks doubted if it could be completed with raisins and oak in it and at cooler temperatures. Well my temps were 65* (not ideal) and I had oak and raisins in it. I posted 4 pictures showing the steps of doing the mlf. Pictures 1&2 should be reversed.

 

[Runningwolf]

Today I racked and tasted all 12 carboys of Chilean I've got going. In the last post I said the mlf was finished but what I meant was nearly finished as it is still showing a bit of malic acid. I have to say this is going to be the best Chilean I've made to date. Putting the oak dust in during fermentation, taking Joe's lead to add raisins in the last part of fermentation for about 30 days and starting the MLF at the same time seams to be a real winner. I will taste again in 30 days or so to see if I want to add an oak stick or not. With 10 different big red's I will be doing a lot of blending. The extra gallon I had of each one that I blended all together is going to make an outstanding port!

 

[Pumpkinman]

Dan, you should really check out the grape skin pacjs that M&M sells, these are just shy of 9 lbs. These are the "All Grape Packs", at $19.99, they are obviously more expensive than raisins, but in my opinion, they probably would be better than adding raisins when making wine from juice buckets.
I cannot argue using raisins when making kit wine, I've tasted Joes Amarone, you could have knocked me over with a feather when he told me it was a kit wine!

 

[geek]

Today I racked and tasted all 12 carboys of Chilean I've got going. In the last post I said the mlf was finished but what I meant was nearly finished as it is still showing a bit of malic acid. I have to say this is going to be the best Chilean I've made to date. Putting the oak dust in during fermentation, taking Joe's lead to add raisins in the last part of fermentation for about 30 days and starting the MLF at the same time seams to be a real winner. I will taste again in 30 days or so to see if I want to add an oak stick or not. With 10 different big red's I will be doing a lot of blending. The extra gallon I had of each one that I blended all together is going to make an outstanding port!

Dan, did you add the raisins at the end of alcoholic fermentation when you racked to carboy and then started mlf immediately?

..

 

[joeswine]

wolfman

Sounds like a plan wolfman,stay the course, it will work out in the end,THIG,,by the ,end of the week I hope to get all the sangiovese tastings out, ones on it's way to you...this was the short turnaround kit ...................