Sunday, October 10, 2010

2010 Reds, day 2

6 AM: Chart updated with readings.  Room cooler, musts slightly warmer.  We held of inoculating the musts yesterday to let them come up in temp a bit and feeling OK with having added meta at destemming - an enforced mini-cold soak.  The D21 yeast Mike & Pam are using gives "best results" 55 F to 90 F.  The fussier D45 that Lori & Peter and I are using is best results 64 F to 82 F, but we'll be pitching at 56 or so.  Both yeasts will be mixed with Go-Ferm.  Question: add yeast and nutrients on volume of must, or expected yield of juice?  There's just under 30 gal of Primitivo must, and just over 25 gal of Cab / Merlot / PV must, but our history with the weight of grapes suggests 20 gallons of juice from each.  Oh, it's a mystery.  My guess is we'll shoot at the higher numbers.

[1.25 g Go-Ferm for each 1 g yeast.  Hydrate the Go-Ferm first in 17 ml water per 1 g Go-Ferm.  Then add yeast.  Then add to must 15 to 30 minutes later.]

9 AM:  We decide to base additions on expected juice, and go with 24 grams yeast, 30 grams Go-Ferm.  We follow hydration instructions, and add Crowe's step: at 15 minutes into hydration we add an equal volume of must, and let that stew for another 15 minutes.  Then we pitch.

3 PM:  Ferm has visibly and audibly started in both wines.  Am guessing we're at least a day from any capping.

9:30 PM: Steady as she goes.  Temps rising.

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