Volume issues

[yakhunter]

So my first batch of wine from all grapes was a bit more voluminous than I had anticipated. 6 flats of grapes at 18 lbs each yielded over 8 gallons of must and I am now, after the first racking, down to a 6 gal carboy, a one gallon jug, a 750 ml bottle and a 375 ml wine bottle. I added ML bacteria to the carboy and the jug, and oak chips to the carboy.

Now what do I do? I can see that there is not enough sediment to make this all fit into a carboy and a jug if I rack again, and I am getting to the point where I need to start tasting for the oak and testing for the MLF.

You "grapers" got any advice or rules of thumb about how to plan volume? Should I get a 7 gal or 7.5 gal carboy or should I make this a 6 gal batch and drink the rest? Other options?

 

[jamesngalveston]

you know the answer ....6 gallon and drink the rest...i mean come on man, you have to do some heavy tasting.......dont let your friends down..
if you can make adjustments after all the tasting, more better...lol

 

[Boatboy24]

Blend. Just use the bottles for,your top up wine on your next racking(s). When its time to bottle, blend the carboy and jug together.

 

[JohnT]

OK,

When you rack, get that carboy filled up, It is your top priority! Top off with the 375 spit, then the 750 bottle, then as much of the gallon as needed.

depending on how much is left, you could either top off the gallon jug with a simular storebought wine, or transfer the remaining wine in the gallon jug to 750ml bottles. A gallon is approx 5 bottles of wine.

johnT.

 

[salcoco]

7 gal carboy does not exist. future calculations assume 12 lbs grapes makes one gallon of wine. this is most stringent, avg is 15 lbs for each gallon. depends on how much juice you can get from grape and how the pressing is accomplished

 

[yakhunter]

Thanks all. Maybe I will invent a 7 gallon carboy!!!

There is only about 1/2 inch of sediment at the bottom of the carboy so Topping up should not use much wine even from the 375. I'll probably be left with a half of a 375. Will the MLB start chewing on my top off additions since it has not yet been exposed to them? That is, I only innoculated the carboy and the jug, so there is no MLB in the 375 or the 750. When I add that to shat is in the Carboy, will the MLB start acting again? SHould I be concerned about this down the road when it is time to bottle?

 

[sdelli]

Cost more money ..... But how about three 2 1/2 gal carboys? Also.... Usually get 7 1/2% yield of grapes to final juice...

 

[saramc]

Actually 7 gal carboys do exist. The glass ones are out there and can be hard to find. There are 7 gal SS fermenters and buckets. I have yet to see a 2.5gal carboy, but have not ever looked for one.