REFRACTOMETER READINGS

[NorthernWinos]

Finally got around to calibrate the Refractometer and squeeze some juice onto it...


Have a reading of near 18 Brix on the Valiant Grapes...

I was surprised it was that high already....wonder how high this variety will get...Anyone know???


Glad that the varieties come ripe at different times.

 

[Joanie]

Wow! They look beautiful!!!!! Good enough to ...uh...you know....drink!

Tell me about your bird netting? How close is it to the grapes?

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Here's a nice chart with different fruits NW, although it list just "grapes" and not by varietal.
http://www.honeycreek.us/brix.htm

 

[NorthernWinos]

Joan...the bird netting works great...We have some long pieces maybe 25X7' and also some small pieces maybe 7X7'...We just use clothes pins and tuck it in as best we can. It can be close to the fruit, if too close can cause *FINGER BLIGHT.


It keeps the birds our pretty good as well as stopping *FINGER BLIGHT.


*FINGER BLIGHT...fingers that make fruit disappear.Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[NorthernWinos]

JW..interesting chart....now I will be testing everything...then wait and test again...hopefully not too long and loose a crop while waiting.

 

[Wade E]

NW, that is really a beautiful sight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Those grapes look absolutely gorgeous

!

 

[scotty]

Boy did i get sucked into the finger blight thing

 

[Joanie]

*FINGER BLIGHT...fingers that make fruit disappear.

Hehehe That's some funny stuff there, NW!

It would seem to me that the netting would give the birdsa handy place to perch--up close and personal to those luscious grapes!!

 

[grapeman]

Those are looking good NW, probably getting close to ripe at 18 brix if a Concord type grape. How is the acid on them? It probably stays fairly high so they can hang a while longer.


The netting we put on the other day was 14 feet wide so it goes right over the top of the whole row and we put skewers at the bottom to hold together. The man in charge said to make sure it was closed really tight because he didn't want any birders complaining about dead birds in the net. That's like a robber complaining about slipping on the floor of the store hew was holding up!

 

[swillologist]

Grapes look good NW.

 

[Waldo]

Grapes looks mighty nice NW...!!!!

 

[grapeman]

Do you have any Frontenac growing there NW? It seemed like you had some there. If so have you checked their brix yet? I checked some again tonight and they are continuing to increase rapidly. They were running between 16 and 20 brix. They need to get to mid 20's to get the acids down. The Leon Millot is about 16 brix.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Frontenac are barely turning color up here.

 

[grapeman]

Frontenac are barely turning color up here.

That's amazing. Everything out there looks early this year. I figured the Frontenac would be coloring good there too.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Here is some info on the Valiant Grape..they do get very sweet.



<DIV =h1-left2>
<H1>Valiant Grape Details</H1>


This red wine producing grape, reportedly cold-hardy to -70 F (approx. -52 C), has lived up to its name in some harsh winter conditions. Valiant is grown in South Dakota, Minnesota, and other parts of the continental Midwest. Valiant is also grown in the Canadian prairie provinces, where reportedly it does not require protection from the elements, wintering above ground instead of the usual 'hilling-up' required for most varieties subjected to similar conditions. The vine was developed by Dr. Ron Peterson at South Dakota State University from a Fredonia x Wild Montana (Vitis riparia) cross. It is mostly used in blends, but is also made into jelly, and consumed as a table grape. Ripening about three weeks prior to Concord, it typically produces grapes with low acid levels and high sugars

 

[NorthernWinos]

Been watching the Valiant grapes and testing them every few days....The fruit is turning near black this year...must be the Fredonia breeding and all the sunshine.


I am getting readings of from 19.+ to 22.+ on the same vine....Some clusters are hidden in the foilage....Does anyone know at what point is the best time to harvest????? I would guess wait until the readings are closer???


I am in no hurry to harvest, plenty of other stuff to take care of, like apples, tomatoes, etc. This time of the year I feel like I am working in a factory.....

 

[grapeman]

What do you plan on doing with them NW? I would think that would determine when to harvest them. From what I have read about them, they get very sweet, about where they are, but lack enough acid for making wine with. Of course that doesn't stop you from adding a little acid if need be. Did you make any last year from it or just juice?

 

[NorthernWinos]

I made a few bathes [3] of wine with them from last years harvest....I used the steam juicer as tho I was making breakfast juice, then thought..."why not"..others make wine with them....so used up some of the jars of juice.


For the wine batches I added WinExpert Red Grape Concentrate as well as all the other 'usual-suspects' [additives] as well as oak, vanilla beans and toasted peppercorns...Each batchgot better, the first batch had 'wine-diamonds'...which didn't affect the taste, but was a bit of a distraction....the last batch is very nice and clear.


I will do the same this year...will drink some for breakfast and make some wine with some....


I will let them hang till I have time to juice them...or when they split or start to drop. Will for sure keep you Posted with the harvest and processing. Wish I had a de-stemmer, crusher, press and all the usual tools for making grape wine...but...will make-do with what I have and enjoy the 'spoils'.

Edited by: Northern Winos