I currently have a fermentation that is winding down, Grenache Quartet, and I have a GSM kit waiting in the wings. I was wondering if anyone has ever tried "reusing" the skins from an earlier fermentation and mixing them into another? Seems like it should be fine as long as the fermentation was clean and it should help add some more body to the second wine but I have never done this before. Thanks for any help/advice.
Using Skins Twice
- Thread starter tbachta
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Almost all of the available tannins and solids are going to be extracted so really not much point.
You would be better off just picking up a separate CC Syrah Grape Pack kit to throw in it for ~$14
You would be better off just picking up a separate CC Syrah Grape Pack kit to throw in it for ~$14
JimCook
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Tbachta,
In my experience, the use of pomace in a second fermentation does in fact add the character of the skins to the wine but with two points to note. One, if you are adding the very small amount of skins that comes standard with a kit (normally a liter or so in volume), it's simply not enough and in that case Mike's suggestion of purchasing a fresh grape pack would give you better results. If you are using a larger volume of skins, lets say from a from-grape fermentation (Brehm's pails, fresh grapes, etc.), then we come to the second point which is the amount of time the skins saw contact with the wine in the making.
Skins that have been in contact for a longer period will have a great rate of extraction. Much like a barrel, their greatest rate of extraction will happen earlier on rather than later. Does it mean they have nothing to give - not at all. As an experiment, I used the entirety of a batch of Cabernet Sauvignon pomace from Brehm's pails that had seen roughly seven days of fermentation before pressing a second time with a Winexpert Crushendo Cab kit and there was a very clear contribution from the skins. Keep in mind that equated to roughly four gallons of pressed skins being added to roughly six gallons of wine. I state that to emphasize the first point - if you're adding only 1-2 liters of skins and using them the second time, they likely just won't have enough of an impact to notice or be worth the trouble.
- Jim
In my experience, the use of pomace in a second fermentation does in fact add the character of the skins to the wine but with two points to note. One, if you are adding the very small amount of skins that comes standard with a kit (normally a liter or so in volume), it's simply not enough and in that case Mike's suggestion of purchasing a fresh grape pack would give you better results. If you are using a larger volume of skins, lets say from a from-grape fermentation (Brehm's pails, fresh grapes, etc.), then we come to the second point which is the amount of time the skins saw contact with the wine in the making.
Skins that have been in contact for a longer period will have a great rate of extraction. Much like a barrel, their greatest rate of extraction will happen earlier on rather than later. Does it mean they have nothing to give - not at all. As an experiment, I used the entirety of a batch of Cabernet Sauvignon pomace from Brehm's pails that had seen roughly seven days of fermentation before pressing a second time with a Winexpert Crushendo Cab kit and there was a very clear contribution from the skins. Keep in mind that equated to roughly four gallons of pressed skins being added to roughly six gallons of wine. I state that to emphasize the first point - if you're adding only 1-2 liters of skins and using them the second time, they likely just won't have enough of an impact to notice or be worth the trouble.
- Jim
Similar to what Jim said, I have read of using skins from a fresh/frozen fermentation for a kit. You would need a large proportion of skins to kit juice, though, to make an impact.
Enough skins to make an impact will also impart some of the characteristic flavor of the skin's grape-type to the kit.
I would not try using the skins from one wine kit on another kit. The price of a very nice new pack of skins is very reasonably priced from George.
Enough skins to make an impact will also impart some of the characteristic flavor of the skin's grape-type to the kit.
I would not try using the skins from one wine kit on another kit. The price of a very nice new pack of skins is very reasonably priced from George.
i do this all the time with my homegrown grapes. i use a nylon bag to hold thegrapes during the first fermentation. press bag . reuse the bag with sugar water for a second run. it works well.it gives a lighter color/body wine, but itis still definitely wine. i also blend the first pressing and what i call the crud wine, and the blend is very nice. i'm not even sure i add yeast to the second run. boy, in 3 weeks i have to prune the vineyard. did that winter go fast.
