2012 Merlot, racked off the gross lees, day 34 (Nov 22)

Happy Thanksgiving!

We took the opportunity of having the morning at home to get the Merlot off the gross lees.  Yes, we should have done this a week ago, but there was a lot of life intervening.

Went from 5+5+5 to 5+5+3+1+.750 ml, loosing less than a gallon.

2012 Merlot, Day 25 (Nov 13): tiny bubbles

Three days after pressing and having very quiet carboys, all four of them have started a gentle burping, about twice a minute.  Could be the last of the primary, but might be MLF.  We still haven't pitched the bugs.

Anisette diversion - first of the Fall

A few weeks back I started a triple-batch of anisette using my usual spice ratios, but when I went to strain and sweeten it last night I decided to go with a 1 to 1 syrup rather than 2 to 1.  Nice.  I left it in a Tito's jug.  Next time it'll be a septuple batch and we'll fill the jug.

I'm looking forward to sitting out in the dark this evening, with the anisette.  Maybe build a little fire in the barbie.  

2012 Reds, Day 23 (Nov 11): SO2

On the strength of the Enoferm Beta data sheet's representations about SO2 and the worry, anyway, that we might not be able to maintain MLF-friendly temps in the cellar this far into November, I bolted ahead and added 10 ml of 10% meta solution to each of the 5 gal Merlot and Cab Franc carboys last night, and 6 ml to the 3 gal.  That should bring things from just about zip to about 30 ppm.  I'll breath easier.

2012 Merlot, Day 22 (Nov 10): Pressed!!

Jah, can you believe it?  Lori and I pressed today, at 0.3 Brix!  Three weeks of primary fermentation - something we'd never seen anything like before.

20 gallons - 15 of it free run (5+5+5) and the last 5 mixed about 2 free and three pressed.

Lori feeding the press

The Merlot carboys

Happy family!

Cake.  Or, as the Russian couple who took over Aiello's and about whom the old guys at Rainbow used to say "They're restaurant people!  They have no business in retail!", "Kek!"

Do we add MLF bugs tonight?  I think we need to do that, and try to keep the cb's warmer than the cellar, or throw in the malolactic towel and add meta.

Re Enoferm Beta, from its own fact sheet:

• Acclimatised to tolerate high levels of SO2: maximum 50 – 60 ppm total SO2

I take that t mean we can at least get a moderate t low dose of SO2 in there, for both the Merlot and the Cab Franc, and still go forward with MLF.  And the temperature range seems fore forgiving than a lot of what I read:

• Good tolerance to low temperatures: minimum 14°C (57°F)

Though more general pieces indicate:

Red wines: have an optimum temperature for a favourable MLF of around 70º F (20º C), which is cool enough to limit alcohol toxicity and yet warm enough to maintain full activity.
...
Note that if the temperature of the wine will be falling colder than the recommended range before the MLF has finished (for example: it is not temperature controlled and the cellar temperature drops during the winter), it is important that the ML bacteria has a chance to at least establish itself as the dominant strain in the wine at the recommended temperatures before the wine gets cold. In other words, having one or two weeks at 70º F and then having the temperature slowly drop is better than trying to get the MLF under way at 57º–60ºF right from the start.

Let's see what sort of warmer cave we can build for the reds under MLF.

2012 Merlot, Days 16 - 18 (Nov 4 - 6)

Post Sandy, with me being away from the house so much fitting out new workspace, and Lori being in the house so much working here while her office comes back on line, she's become the full time winemaker.  It is her talking to the wine that has kept it fermenting as  the outdoor and cellar temps drop.

Nov 4, 800: Wine is at 71 F and the cellar at 65.

Nov 5, 1200: Wine is at 70 F and the cellar at 66.  Lori uses the space heater to try to keep the must warmer.

Nov 5, 1900: Wine is at 72 F with a huge cap, cellar is at 65.

Nov 5, 2300: Wine is at 73 F, 3 Brix, the room is at 65.  Hallelujah, we've reached an acceptable pressing point.  Lori writes the partners.  Can we press morning or night, Election Day?

Nov 6, 600: Wine is at 71 F, 2.5 Brix, cellar is at 64.  Turning the heat back on the fermenter for two hours.

2012 Merlot, Day 15 (Nov 3)

800: Room 69 F, must 72 F, 5.2 Brix.

Was hoping we might have had a productive night so switched to the short scale hydrometer (-5 to +5).  Looks like the manufacturer took into account the human need to use a shiny toy too soon, and put an extra three hash marks on the +5 side and that's how I read 5.2.  Our regular hydrometer said 5.

We have to make some decisions about pressing.  The reality is that there is no chance at all that we can assemble the team during the coming week when we might reach zero Brix.  So likely the best we can hope for is to press Sunday afternoon, and hope that we're at least down to 3.  I'm fine with that - we've had beautiful color since the get-go and we've already had the wine in contact with the skins for 5 days longer than anything we've done before.  I also think I tasted a swing toward bitter this morning - but it really was more likely the state of my wrecked morning mouth.  (I didn't get that last evening.)

2012 Merlot, Day 14 (Nov 2)

Well, hell's still a poppin in the real world.  No morning measurements, but Lori was able to punch down the must a few times during the day and also used the space heater to warm the cellar and must a bit.

2200: Room 70 F, must 73 F and 5.5 Brix.  New wine.

2012 Merlot, Days 12 & 13 (Oct 31 - Nov 1)

Superstorm Sandy has stolen a lot of my time in the last four days.  Here's a bit of catching up.

Oct 31 0600: Room 68 F, must 71.5 F and 10.5 Brix.
Oct 31 2230: Room 65 F, must 70 F and Brix 10.5.

With the weather cooling pretty sharply and the must cooling, too, we decided run the heater for a few hours near the fermenter.

Nov 1 0600: Room 67.5 F, must 70 F and Brix 8.5.  That was a pretty gratifying drop from the previous night.  Ran the heater again this morning for a couple of hours.

Nov 1 2200:  Room 69 F, must 74 F and Brix 7.5.  Lori had punched down in the afternoon and run the heater again.  This is really something now.  With our purposely warming it the must is the warmest it's been through the entire ferment, even though we're clearly winding down.

Because of the hours we've been keeping we still haven't added the MLF bugs to the Cab Franc.  Maybe when we're in the 5 Brix range of the Merlot we'll add the bugs to both wines?

And, will we press this weekend?  Where can we expect to be at on Sunday morning?  60 hours away. The last 60 hours dropped us about 5.5 Brix.  Would we be willing to press at 2?  Usually not, but this time around we'd be at day 16 - double anything we'd done before.