Zin, Cab, Petite Sirah blend

[Ajmassa]

Well all the numbers are in and I've got no complaints. (Refractometer made a quick job of it. Glad I bought one)
My cab is just as you said.
Prem- 21.3 Brix and 4.1 ph
Wood 20 Brix. 3.7 ph

Merlot
Prem 21 Brix 4.3 ph
Wood 21.2 Brix 3.6 ph

Sangiovese
Prem 27.2 Brix 3.7 ph
Wood 22.5 Brix 3.7 ph
All blended
23.5 Brix 4.0 ph. -- not too bad
Pope juice
1.090 SG 3.8 ph

It was a long day. I'll take some TA measurements tomorrow and see if any of the other numbers shifted.
Ended up with 28 gallons of must from 8 lugs. Added lallzyme ex, stirred it up, broke my little plastic paddle in half and called it a night.

There's noticeable differences in the numbers from premium to regular. Also the prem merlot and prem cab both were lesser yields. With a very large amount of raisin clusters and also how stubborn they were coming off the stems leaving a lot of guts. No complaints tho. And All the other grapes left the stems as cleanly as can be.

 

[Boatboy24]

...stirred it up, broke my little plastic paddle in half and called it a night.

You need one of these:

 

[jgmann67]

You need one of these:

If there's a restaurant supply store anywhere near you, you can find one there too. Craig found one for me locally.

 

[pgentile]

There's noticeable differences in the numbers from premium to regular. Also the prem merlot and prem cab both were lesser yields. With a very large amount of raisin clusters and also how stubborn they were coming off the stems leaving a lot of guts. No complaints tho. And All the other grapes left the stems as cleanly as can be.

My cab was the same. Yield from zin and petite sirah were much better. Consistency with our numbers is reassuring. Not in the numbers themselves but that we were close in separate operations.

All is fermenting nicely and smells great.

 

[pgentile]

Ended up with 28 gallons of must from 8 lugs. Added lallzyme ex, stirred it up, broke my little plastic paddle in half and called it a night.

I replaced mine with a stainless paddle after breaking two plastic ones last year.

Restaurant Equippers Warehouse Store in Pennsauken and Fante's on 9th St in the Italian Market would have the utensil @Boatboy24 and @jgmann67 point out. I need to get one myself.

 

[Ajmassa]

Well in the meantime until I pick up the proper tools I was gonna use something like this.

 

[pgentile]

I actually use a 2 x 4. Crude but it works.

 

[Ajmassa]

Good to know. I remember as a kid seeing my grandfather use the 2x4 too.

Hey Jim and Jim, how long as that handle on the punchdown thing?

 

[jgmann67]

Good to know. I remember as a kid seeing my grandfather use the 2x4 too.

Hey Jim and Jim, how long as that handle on the punchdown thing?

30-36". Works great with a brute primary fermenter.

 

[pgentile]

Crusher/punchdown and destemmer:

 

[Ajmassa]

Looks like a whole lotta work. I rented the crusher and worked great. I just fished out the majority of the stems by hand.
When looking for something to stir and punch with in the shop I came across an old canoe oar. Cleaned it up proper. Nice and strong Works for me.

Before pitching yeast I added a couple large scoops of skins to the juice pail. Can't hurt right?

 

[Ajmassa]

I'm very happy with all the numbers too. The varying lugs blended well. I ended up with ph 3.9 TA 7.25. SG 1.100. With no adjusting.
I decided to leave the pH alone and let her go. I pitched yeast and will add the malo in a day or so.
My pope juice started goin from native yeast. I added some new strain with zero h2s. Andante. Hoping that takes over. That was the only hiccup.
Worked hard this weekend. But I truly do love it.

 

[pgentile]

2 x 4, canoe oar, whatever it takes. Looks like you have enough space to step up to tonnage next year....a few more brutes a few more oars a few more lugs....

I've had pails from Gino's hissing away from native yeast or pre-inoculation on the way home from buying them, so2 and then new yeast, they have turned out fine.