Toggle sidebar

Good Foretune!

  • PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.
Barrel Char Wood Products
S

storm1969

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 13, 2005
600
1
0
57
Columbia, MD
This morning I received the last of my grapes for the season....

They were supposed to be 150lbs of Yountville appellation Cab. Sauv....

I got there, and they said that the Yountville hadn't shipped because the grower didn't like them... But the distributor had a substitute.
I had flashes of Lodi cab or some other over cropped cab...

But no, they substituted Rutherford Cab, from Beckstoffer Vineyard! Total score! (and they charged the same price, even though the Rutherford was much more expensive!)

Somedays the gods are looking out for you!

Brian
 
Per my usual.

Punch down 3 to 4 times a day,
Add yeast nutrient at first sign of ferment (already done this morning) and again at 1/3 sugar break.

I'm using VQ-15 "Rockpile" yeast, which is new for me, but I've heard some very promising reports about it.

I expect the ferment to end in about 7-10 days. At which time I will add MLF, cover with saran wrap, and let it sit for enough days to get skin contact to about 14-16 days.

After that I with press into carboys. I will let that settle for 2-4 days, than wrack off the gross leas.

I will rack onto maybe 4 oz med+ toast oak cubes and 4 oz medium toast oak.

It will stay on the oak for maybe 6 month to a year depending on flavor. THen I will rack off of the oak, and bulk age for about another year.

Then it will be bottled, and maybe sit for another 6 months before I start drinking it.

Brian
 
Sweet score! There's a place in NJ that offers both of those options and if I remember correctly the Rutherford Cab was very steep (over twice the price of Yountville). What a deal!

I used VQ-15 on some Cabernet Sauvingnon from Mendocino last year and was pretty happy with it, though this year I went with D-21, BM-45, and D254 for my Cab (Lake County). VQ-15 seemed to produce some bright berry flavors. Unfortunately I didn't keep it separate from other components for as long as I wanted to, but it was pretty nice coming out of MLF.
 
On my large patch of cab/merlot/PV, I used MT and d-21.

Wow. MT extracts a ton more tannins, hopefully making the wine into a long term aging Bordeaux style red that i was going for. The D-21 adds more fruit and softer tannins.
 
If you haven't tried the Enoferm Beta Oenococcus oeni, it rocks pretty hard! It's tearing up my Pinot right now.

Man, those Pinot grapes from the Los Alamos Valley are pretty damned impressive so far. The juice was simply amazine, we actually took a juice break and drank like a gallon of that stuff while we were working on pressing the grapes from the Bruery. Then we drank some more of the juice and crushed for the wine batch!

Very cool stuff!
 
Oskaar said:
If you haven't tried the Enoferm Beta Oenococcus oeni, it rocks pretty hard! It's tearing up my Pinot right now.

Man, those Pinot grapes from the Los Alamos Valley are pretty damned impressive so far. The juice was simply amazine, we actually took a juice break and drank like a gallon of that stuff while we were working on pressing the grapes from the Bruery. Then we drank some more of the juice and crushed for the wine batch!

Very cool stuff!
Click to expand...

Oskaar -

I've been using VP41 and have been pretty happy with it - any major differences?

Both seem to work at lower temps, lower pH levels, and higher alcohol environments, as well as enhancing the flavor of reds. Both are also priced the same at MoreWine.
 
Storm, I definitely like the dry better. It takes off like a rocket and really does it's reduction very efficiently, not a huge heat producer and leaves a very nicely polished wine in my opinion.

Aaron, I think either is fine, I like the Lallemand stuff because I've gotten very consistent results as well. I think it falls to personal preference, and what you're used/conditioned to getting as an end product.
 
OsKaar,

I will have to try the dry.

When do you add it? I get the best results adding the liquid when the sg is at about 1.000, before press. It seems to like the nutrients in the grapes.

Do you use the nutrients to rehydrate?

Thanks,
Brian
 
I add at 1 brix, check my pH and acid to make sure I'm not totally out of whack, and use the Acti ML rehydration nutrient from Lallemand. The stuff comes out of the gate pretty hard and really produces some significant CO2 up front which is nice because I like to do this right as I rack into the barrels.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
One more quick question, then I will shut up about ML.

What do you do with High Alcohol musts? I've done Zins and ps's that have gone to 16-16.5 percent. Most of the dry ML's say a limit of 14-15%

Brian
 
I honestly haven't had a problem getting it going by using the acti-ML. In higher ABV musts, I'd keep it to the warm side, and do a stepped up process similar to getting a wine must restarted that has stalled at like 12% or so.

Start with a blended down (I use some wine from the year before) volume of must and gradually add in the remainder of your wine until it's all going.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
Thanks for the advice.

I added a dry ml this time (vl41) with acti-ml. Took off like a rocket.

Only warning I would add is that the acti-ml irritated my skin and raised a rash. Painful too. Never had that problem with any yeast/nutrient before. Wear gloves!
 
Wow, good to know. Now of course like a complete noodge, I'll go out and mix some Acti-ML up and rub it on my skin to see if I break out. Damn, I hate experimenting on myself!

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns

Top Bottom