stems or stalks

[mattlait]

Hi. I was given over 45kg of small very sweet home grown grapes. A quick sg after I squashed a handfull was 1.050 but how many of the stems should I take our or for that matter leave in. ........ ill be aiming to do half the amount as a red wine and half white.....
Also will a potato masher be ok for squashing the life giving juice out of them.

Matt

 

[salcoco]

take all stems out they add to much tannin. for white need to press the grapes, let juice sit for a day in cool place until all gunk has settled. rack and ferment. for red wine ferment on skins. you will need to add sugar to both to get sg=1.092.

 

[JohnT]

Yup,

I agree, take out all of the stems. Bad tannins in them!

johnT.

 

[mattlait]

Cheers all. Busy night ahead then!

 

[mattlait]

Cheers sal..... now as both a newbee kit wine maker and a first time grape wine maker (I've done a few country wines tho) how long do I let the red wine sit on the skins for...... I've aprox 20ltr of wine with about a 2.5 inch cap of skins which I push down twice a day.
Thanks
Matt

 

[JohnT]

Cheers sal..... now as both a newbee kit wine maker and a first time grape wine maker (I've done a few country wines tho) how long do I let the red wine sit on the skins for...... I've aprox 20ltr of wine with about a 2.5 inch cap of skins which I push down twice a day.
Thanks
Matt

Matt,

It all depends on the amount of body, color, and tannins you want from your wine. I like it rather hardy, so I will leave it sit on the skins for a minimum of 5 days.

 

[saddlebronze]

Matt, I rack kits when the SG gets around 1.010, grapes a little earlier.

 

[mattlait]

Cheers johnt and saddlebronze...... I hope i get this lot right as half the bottles are for the grape grower and then I get free grapes every year