Southern Crush Day!

[Johnd]

Ok, so I guess crush was a few weeks back, but since I just got my loot, it's the same level of satisfaction. Must is resting at a balmy 28 F in brutes, it 75 in the house, so getting a little cold soaking in. From left to right, two 32 gallon, and two 20 gallons:

Lanza Clone 169 Cab Sav
Brix 26.9
pH 3.62
TA 6.0

Lanza Koch Cab Sav
Brix 26.8
pH 3.82
TA 7.2

Lanza Merlot
Brix 26.3
pH 3.49
TA 6.2

Lanza Petit Syrah
Brix 24.9
pH 3.75
TA 5.0

I'm feeling like the two cabs and merlot will be a little hot pushing 16% ABV, so they'll get watered back a smidge, along with a little tartaric on the Koch. Number look pretty nice, all of the juices really taste great too. Quite stoked!!!

 

[Tnuscan]

Excited for you!

I'll be keeping up with this thread for sure.

 

[Boatboy24]

You're pretty brave fermenting in that location!

Your PS numbers are pretty close to what jgmann67 and I both had on our Lanza PS.

 

[heatherd]

Looks fantastic!

 

[Johnd]

You're pretty brave fermenting in that location!

Your PS numbers are pretty close to what jgmann67 and I both had on our Lanza PS.

LOL, everything I've fermented sits right there, not like I have any other options though. 86 F outside today, wine room too cold. I press in the kitchen.

I was looking at the Lanza PS threads a little earlier, was nice to see our numbers so close, sort of validates them a bit. I might spill a little tartaric into the PS after it warms a bit.

 

[Stressbaby]

Holy cow, the rug!!!

 

[Johnd]

Holy cow, the rug!!!

What about it? I have towels under the fermenters, LOL!

 

[stickman]

I like this, the man has his priorities straight! John, if you replace the couch cushions with a piece of 3/4" plywood it would be a nice carboy racking table.

 

[ceeaton]

I like this, the man has his priorities straight! John, if you replace the couch cushions with a piece of 3/4" plywood it would be a nice carboy racking table.

I know he has his priorities straight, he's the one who noticed last Spring that I dole out the heat depending on the needs of the wine, not the house occupants. His wine needs a nice setting to reach it's potential. Pamper it now and it will pamper him a few years down the road.

@Johnd , that looks like a lot of fun!

 

[JohnT]

I love you guys!!

Just think, the whole house will smell of fermenting wine! To this old winemaker, that is better than that Channel #5 perfume!!!

 

[Johnd]

I like this, the man has his priorities straight! John, if you replace the couch cushions with a piece of 3/4" plywood it would be a nice carboy racking table.

That's funny! I'd be a little worried about stability on the couch cushions! Really though, it works out pretty well, my home is always between 70 and 75 depending upon the season, which is pretty much right on track for fermenting red wines as well as conducting MLF. So the wine sits in fermenters in there for a week or so, gets pressed and carboyed to MLF for a short period of time, then into the wine room at 60 F. Pretty much everything else happens in the wine room, so it's not too intrusive. Whites get fermented in the wine room and don't impose at all on the house. Good thing is that my wife really enjoys the wine, so she tolerates the slight imposition.

BTW, I do occasionally splash a little drop or two of wine, a spray of KMS solution on the spot completely removes the red wine stain. I do the same on my barrels when I have splashes or overflows.

 

[ibglowin]

Your a brave man or you want a new couch and a new rug! Punchdowns would be a disaster if I tried that!

 

[FTC Wines]

John, You are beyond brave! When I first started making wine in our 4th bedroom there was beige carpet in there. NO matter how careful I was I added RED polka dots on it!! Now it has a reddish oak laminate floor. Roy

 

[Johnd]

John, You are beyond brave! When I first started making wine in our 4th bedroom there was beige carpet in there. NO matter how careful I was I added RED polka dots on it!! Now it has a reddish oak laminate floor. Roy

Guess I'm just a bit of a neatnik. Your post popped an idea into my head, instead of enduring stains, embrace them. Put down a nice new wood floor in your wine room, and stain it with red wine. Literally use it like stain, two or three good coats of a cheap petit syrah, couple good sealer coats when dry..............

 

[Johnd]

Made my prefermentation adjustments yesterday, using acidulated water, brought the Brix on the two cabs and merlot down to 25, as I hoped it also ended up improving the pH a bit. Added .5 g/l acid to the petit syrah as well. With all of the Brix in line, and pH's between 3.48 and 3.68, pitched yeast on all four and headed out for a weekend of hunting at the property.

I expect to return Sunday to a house full of fermentation smells, 4 caps starting to rise, getting in a good punchdown and adding some nutrients.

 

[Johnd]

Little disappointed upon my return, no fermentation smells, just yeast. Not sure what I was thinking, but it's pretty hopeful to think that yeast pitched in 55-60F must would be rolling in 48 hours. It probably didn't warm up to my 75F room temps until yesterday, but it's on the way now, thick and gooey on top.

I easily noticed a very big difference in the must since adding the Lallzyme EX-V, super purple and much less viscous.

 

[Johnd]

I'm getting big full grown caps now, looks like the 32 gallon fermenter with 5 pails of Cab Clone 169 in it is really pushing the limit. Going to break out one of the 8 gallon fermenters and do a little transfer.

 

[ibglowin]

I don't know John, kinda disappointed. You could have added more I think!

 

[Johnd]

I don't know John, kinda disappointed. You could have added more I think!

Mike, it was purely unintentional. I purchased my grapes, they were processed as I requested and shipped on a pallet. I was surprised to receive one more pail of the 169 than I anticipated. Not complaining, but there I was with a 32 Brute and 25+ gallons of must. Didn't transfer last nite and it was still below the rim this morning at punch, so I'm riding it out. My temps are in the high 80's, so I know I'm at the height of AF activity and it's still ok..............we'll see!

 

[Johnd]

Yesterday evening was my first set of numbers on the fermenting wine, which have been punched down and agitated vigorously 4-5 times per day.

Clone 169 Cab Koch Cab Merlot PS
Temp 81F Temp 82F Temp 85F Temp 85F
SG 1.080 SG 1.076 SG 1.050 SG 1.049

The two cabs are behind, as they were larger quantities and took longer to come up to room temp, hence didn't start fermenting as soon. This is probably a good thing, they won't all need to be pressed at the same time, should get a day or so of spacing between pressing, Merlot and PS first, then the two cabs.

All of the wines are very aromatic, the alcohol smell just starting to appear on the Merlot and PS. Color on the cabs a beautiful dark purple, more red in the merlot, and the PS is just incredibly dark and inky.