Steady but light advance of gas up the necks of the vessels. Minutes between burps of the airlocks. A thin collar, and a boot of settling yeast bodies and solids.
Thursday, October 13, 2016
2016 Chardonnay, day 13: collar and boot
22:00
Steady but light advance of gas up the necks of the vessels. Minutes between burps of the airlocks. A thin collar, and a boot of settling yeast bodies and solids.
Steady but light advance of gas up the necks of the vessels. Minutes between burps of the airlocks. A thin collar, and a boot of settling yeast bodies and solids.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
2016 Chardonnay, day 11
06:00
Brix -1.4
Things are in that steady hypnotic state of fine bubbles racing up the necks of each carboy but hardly ever popping the airlocks. All the vessels behaving similarly. Reading was from carboy A.
It's 48 F outside and we haven't let the furnace come on yet. Didn't take the temp of the cellar, but it's cool down there.
Brix -1.4
Things are in that steady hypnotic state of fine bubbles racing up the necks of each carboy but hardly ever popping the airlocks. All the vessels behaving similarly. Reading was from carboy A.
It's 48 F outside and we haven't let the furnace come on yet. Didn't take the temp of the cellar, but it's cool down there.
Sunday, October 9, 2016
2016 Chardonnay, day 9: less than zero
09:30
Brix -0.5
Still steady CO2, but today is the day to move to carboys.
(Elvis less than zero)
15:00
Et voila. Brix -0.8.
We racked the primary ferm into 4x5gal+1gal+1x.750ml. Tossed what must have been between 2 and 4 liters of muck from the bottom, which we never would do in the leaner Muscat years (and, just as Lori said I would, I already regret it.
Using the silicon drilled cup-shaped stoppers this year rather than either the traditional rubber stoppers or the plastic caps with 2 spouts. The later I've lost some faith in - I feel like they don't always give as tight a seal as you would want after primary fermentation and settling. The former I would have used but didn't have enough of them this morning and when I ran out to Pagano at Terminal Market the silicon is what he had left in size sevens.
There was very little foaming going on in the primary tank or noticeable in the carboys, so we filled them very near to full. Plenty of gassing, though. If there's no yeast foaming in an hour or two, we'll finish topping. (OK, I reserved an itty bit of the muck to do this with.)
An hour of work, and now the months of staring begin. Typical thick cidery color.
Brix -0.5Still steady CO2, but today is the day to move to carboys.
(Elvis less than zero)
15:00
Et voila. Brix -0.8.
We racked the primary ferm into 4x5gal+1gal+1x.750ml. Tossed what must have been between 2 and 4 liters of muck from the bottom, which we never would do in the leaner Muscat years (and, just as Lori said I would, I already regret it.
Using the silicon drilled cup-shaped stoppers this year rather than either the traditional rubber stoppers or the plastic caps with 2 spouts. The later I've lost some faith in - I feel like they don't always give as tight a seal as you would want after primary fermentation and settling. The former I would have used but didn't have enough of them this morning and when I ran out to Pagano at Terminal Market the silicon is what he had left in size sevens.
 |
| Chardonnay, with some old Primitivo and Cab Franc behind it. |
There was very little foaming going on in the primary tank or noticeable in the carboys, so we filled them very near to full. Plenty of gassing, though. If there's no yeast foaming in an hour or two, we'll finish topping. (OK, I reserved an itty bit of the muck to do this with.)
An hour of work, and now the months of staring begin. Typical thick cidery color.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
2016 Chardonnay, day 8
08:30
Brix 2.65
Steady pumping of CO2 - glad to see it, that makes us comfortable targeting tomorrow for going to smaller vessels. Still, we decided not to disturb things too much, did not open the tank except through the taps, left the (no longer frozen) ice block in, etc. Time to rearrange things in the cellar, make for 5 carboys, and let the troops know there's a little work to be done on Sunday.
23:30
Brix 1.2.
Steady CO2. Tomorrow seems like the right day to condense into CBs. Monday at the latest. Tasting the rough wine is not so pleasant - it's lost most of the cidery-sweetness of the middle ferment, and is now alcoholic and acidic. (Always worried about the acid, these last 3 or 4 years.)
Brix 2.65
Steady pumping of CO2 - glad to see it, that makes us comfortable targeting tomorrow for going to smaller vessels. Still, we decided not to disturb things too much, did not open the tank except through the taps, left the (no longer frozen) ice block in, etc. Time to rearrange things in the cellar, make for 5 carboys, and let the troops know there's a little work to be done on Sunday.
23:30
Brix 1.2.
Steady CO2. Tomorrow seems like the right day to condense into CBs. Monday at the latest. Tasting the rough wine is not so pleasant - it's lost most of the cidery-sweetness of the middle ferment, and is now alcoholic and acidic. (Always worried about the acid, these last 3 or 4 years.)
Friday, October 7, 2016
2016 Chardonnay, day 7: long and short
06:30
Happens every year. The long scale hydrometer says we're below 5 and the short scale disagrees. So, I'm going to call it:
Brix 5, temp 74 F.
Swapped the cooler. Yeast are in their oozy, sticky state. CO2 is constant and strong enough that there's no need to transfer to smaller vessels yet. I made a raucous sound recording of it and will try to post it.
22:00
Brix 3.85.
Which is to say that the reading moved from 3.7 to 4 over the few minutes that the short scale hydrometer was in the tube.
Under 5! Steady pumping of the bubbler has stopped, but still plenty of ferment, heavy yeasts, CO2 production and noise. Looks like we should move to carboys or whatever the next vessel will be late tomorrow or Sunday.
Brix 5, temp 74 F.
Swapped the cooler. Yeast are in their oozy, sticky state. CO2 is constant and strong enough that there's no need to transfer to smaller vessels yet. I made a raucous sound recording of it and will try to post it.
22:00
Brix 3.85.
Which is to say that the reading moved from 3.7 to 4 over the few minutes that the short scale hydrometer was in the tube.
Under 5! Steady pumping of the bubbler has stopped, but still plenty of ferment, heavy yeasts, CO2 production and noise. Looks like we should move to carboys or whatever the next vessel will be late tomorrow or Sunday.
Thursday, October 6, 2016
2016 Chardonnay, day 6
06:00
Brix 8, temp 72 F.
Calmer yeasts, but still pushing the bubbler every couple of seconds. Sadly realizing I may have misread some of the previous temps. Note to self: going back to a digital thermometer next year. Smells are intense and sweet still. And we're staying faster than last year's fermentation.
21:30
Brix 5.5, temp 72.
Steady CO2 production, yeasts are very wet and sticky. Still a heavy fruit smell from the must. Swapped the San Jamar. May be trying the short scale hydrometer in the morning.
Brix 8, temp 72 F.
Calmer yeasts, but still pushing the bubbler every couple of seconds. Sadly realizing I may have misread some of the previous temps. Note to self: going back to a digital thermometer next year. Smells are intense and sweet still. And we're staying faster than last year's fermentation.
21:30
Brix 5.5, temp 72.
Steady CO2 production, yeasts are very wet and sticky. Still a heavy fruit smell from the must. Swapped the San Jamar. May be trying the short scale hydrometer in the morning.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
2016 Chardonnay, day 5, exploding marshmallow
06:00
15 Brix, 72 F
Cap was askew and barely hanging on to the bubbler. Very deep, active, wet chuffing. Yeast had overflowed the bubbler and settled on the tank.
First noticeable temperature rise, 4 degrees. 2 Brix dip in last 7 hours. Though it will add again to the overflow I swapped in a cold San Jamar - would loved to have put in 2 and try to dent the temp., but there just isn't the headspace with so much foam.
Tracking very closely to last year's Muscat, which was 14.5 B at 81 elapsed hours since pitching yeast. We're 15 B at 79 elapsed hours.
20:00
10 Brix, 68F.
Constant, quick bubbling but it did not overflow the it had last evening. The entire house smells intensely of ferment.
Replaced the San Jamar, even though we seem to have finished the big blow. 33% sugar burn in the last 14 hours.
That suddenly bolts us ahead of last year's wine, which took about 15 hours longer to make the drop to 10 Brix.
15 Brix, 72 F
 |
| Wetter, stickier foaming. |
First noticeable temperature rise, 4 degrees. 2 Brix dip in last 7 hours. Though it will add again to the overflow I swapped in a cold San Jamar - would loved to have put in 2 and try to dent the temp., but there just isn't the headspace with so much foam.
Tracking very closely to last year's Muscat, which was 14.5 B at 81 elapsed hours since pitching yeast. We're 15 B at 79 elapsed hours.
20:00
10 Brix, 68F.
Constant, quick bubbling but it did not overflow the it had last evening. The entire house smells intensely of ferment.
Replaced the San Jamar, even though we seem to have finished the big blow. 33% sugar burn in the last 14 hours.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
2016 Chardonnay, day 4: the big burn begins
05:30
Brix 18, 68 F.
Bubbler is pumping and fouled. The entire 10 liter head-space in the tank is foam. The airtight plastic bag holding the icepack is puffed like a balloon.
Initial Brix reading was 19, but the longer it stayed in the tube the lower the reading went - I think it was being bubbled up. I'm splitting the difference of where it started and ended and calling it 18. This is burn of 24% of the sugars from the last measurement just 6.5 hours ago.
Though it will add to the overflow, I've replaced the San Jamar - but not the bagged ice-pack.
23:00
Brix 17, 68 F.
Wild and wooly. Overflowing yeast. but surprisingly little dip in the last 17.5 hours. What's happening?! Swapped the SJ. Lots of cleanup.
Brix 18, 68 F.
Initial Brix reading was 19, but the longer it stayed in the tube the lower the reading went - I think it was being bubbled up. I'm splitting the difference of where it started and ended and calling it 18. This is burn of 24% of the sugars from the last measurement just 6.5 hours ago.
Though it will add to the overflow, I've replaced the San Jamar - but not the bagged ice-pack.
23:00
Brix 17, 68 F.
Wild and wooly. Overflowing yeast. but surprisingly little dip in the last 17.5 hours. What's happening?! Swapped the SJ. Lots of cleanup.
Monday, October 3, 2016
2016 Chardonnay, day 3
06:00
23 Brix, 68 F.
Much heavier shag. Swapped a single San Jamar.
31 hours since pitching the yeast, a 2 Brix (8%) fall in sugar content. That's tracking very close to the behavior of the 2015, 2014 and 2013 Muscats. (The 2015 Muscat had a huge burn-off in the following 15 hours.)
23:00
24 Brix, 68 F
So, OK, here's the deal. The 6 AM reading was taken directly in the primary ferm tank and I read it as best I could through the foam. The 11 PM reading was taken in the standard tube because the tank was so wild with big-bubbled fermentation that it came all the way up to the bubbler.
Swapped out both the San Jamar and the chem ice pack. No sign that they are keeping the must at less than ambient temp, but who knows if they are helping keeping it from going above that temp?
And here's where we have an excellent difference from last year. At 48 hours in 2016 we've just begun to move the needle, but in 2015 we'd blown off 10 Brix, well over a third of the sugar.
23 Brix, 68 F.
Much heavier shag. Swapped a single San Jamar.
31 hours since pitching the yeast, a 2 Brix (8%) fall in sugar content. That's tracking very close to the behavior of the 2015, 2014 and 2013 Muscats. (The 2015 Muscat had a huge burn-off in the following 15 hours.)
23:00
24 Brix, 68 F
 |
| Deep shag. |
Swapped out both the San Jamar and the chem ice pack. No sign that they are keeping the must at less than ambient temp, but who knows if they are helping keeping it from going above that temp?
And here's where we have an excellent difference from last year. At 48 hours in 2016 we've just begun to move the needle, but in 2015 we'd blown off 10 Brix, well over a third of the sugar.
Sunday, October 2, 2016
2016 Chardonnay, day 2
07:00
Brix 25; wine temp 68 F.
Fermentation has taken hold quietly. No obvious difference yet to sugar. Five degrees warmer over the last 15 hours, but that may just be coming to the ambient cellar temp rather than heating from the fermentation. Did not put any ice blocks in: maybe will think differently after coffee? (EC-1118 temp range is 50 to 86 F.)
11:00
Added one San Jamar ice block.
20:00
25 / 24.9 Brix, 68F.
Not much change. The yeast foam is shaggier, but not crazy. No heat. Changed the (completely melted) San Jamar ice thingy.
Brix 25; wine temp 68 F.
 |
| Ferm @ 11 hours |
11:00
Added one San Jamar ice block.
20:00
25 / 24.9 Brix, 68F.
Not much change. The yeast foam is shaggier, but not crazy. No heat. Changed the (completely melted) San Jamar ice thingy.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
2016 Chardonnay, day 1
It begins to begin.
7:00
Forecast has changed so that it looks like there will be no rain - and no tent to put up. 58 F at 7 AM, going to a high of 64. The grapes have been in the Mini overnight with lots of ice blocks - sort of a cooler on wheels. Jake and Liz brought them down yesterday, arriving at 3 PM. They look very, very good. Sorting should be quick. No measurements taken yet. Plenty to do.
Dare I say it? Yes. Awesome day 1!
The crew started gathering at 10, were eating the first focaccia by 10:30, and were hauling gear shortly afterwards. We decided on one sorting table, put the destemmer in the usual place, and put the bladder press out by the curb. Wheeled the car down to the house and only took crates out of it when they were needed for sorting. Sorting went fast because the grapes were so good. Backup was in destemming, because that could not go faster than the pressing.
90 liters of juice! wildly more than yields from Muscat in prior years. Was it the nature of Chardonnay? Or just the relative quality of the grapes?
Took five early refractometer readings from a single cluster (the one we used for focaccia) and they ranged from 23.8 to 27.8 Whacky.
At 3 PM from juice: 25 brix, 3.86 pH, 63 degrees F, uncertain acid readings, but the seemed low. Repeated around 7 PM and we opted to add about 130 g. of tartaric.
At 7:45 we hydrated 20 grams of EC-1118 and pitched it.
But about the day: Ron Rosansky, Jim Paul, Michael Gramaglia and Christina Dolce Vite were the new kids in the barrel and they worked like banshees. Pietro and Mihai did the side-job of hauling new cabinets into the cellar. Carmelo made the transition from little kid onlooker to active participant. Because the grapes were great sorting went fast. Plastic crates meant wildly quicker breakdown. Clean-up and hauling back to the cellar never went faster than ever. We were at lunch by two and up from it at about 4:30. Fab!
7:00
Forecast has changed so that it looks like there will be no rain - and no tent to put up. 58 F at 7 AM, going to a high of 64. The grapes have been in the Mini overnight with lots of ice blocks - sort of a cooler on wheels. Jake and Liz brought them down yesterday, arriving at 3 PM. They look very, very good. Sorting should be quick. No measurements taken yet. Plenty to do.
Dare I say it? Yes. Awesome day 1!
The crew started gathering at 10, were eating the first focaccia by 10:30, and were hauling gear shortly afterwards. We decided on one sorting table, put the destemmer in the usual place, and put the bladder press out by the curb. Wheeled the car down to the house and only took crates out of it when they were needed for sorting. Sorting went fast because the grapes were so good. Backup was in destemming, because that could not go faster than the pressing.
90 liters of juice! wildly more than yields from Muscat in prior years. Was it the nature of Chardonnay? Or just the relative quality of the grapes?
Took five early refractometer readings from a single cluster (the one we used for focaccia) and they ranged from 23.8 to 27.8 Whacky.
At 3 PM from juice: 25 brix, 3.86 pH, 63 degrees F, uncertain acid readings, but the seemed low. Repeated around 7 PM and we opted to add about 130 g. of tartaric.
At 7:45 we hydrated 20 grams of EC-1118 and pitched it.
But about the day: Ron Rosansky, Jim Paul, Michael Gramaglia and Christina Dolce Vite were the new kids in the barrel and they worked like banshees. Pietro and Mihai did the side-job of hauling new cabinets into the cellar. Carmelo made the transition from little kid onlooker to active participant. Because the grapes were great sorting went fast. Plastic crates meant wildly quicker breakdown. Clean-up and hauling back to the cellar never went faster than ever. We were at lunch by two and up from it at about 4:30. Fab!
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
2016 Chardonnay: grapes purchased
Yesterday we purchased 12 36# lugs of Lanza Chardonnay that should be arriving at Musto today. Yeast and a few odds and ends should arrive today from Presque Isle. And we're hoping that Presque Isle will have a record of the steel tank we purchased from them (or did we purchase it from Texas?) so that we can get a new gasket and possibly a new pump so that our steely Chardonnay really will grow up in steel.
Monday, September 26, 2016
More Chardonnay yeast considerations and sources
- Chardonnay yeast chart at Wine Business
- Lalvin tear-sheet on EC-1118
- WineMaker Magazine article on Chardonnay from different regions, with different yeasts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4 PM: OK, the decision is made. Lalvin EC-1118 to support our non-malo approach.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Which yeast for our Chardonnay
From More Wine's yeast matching guide for Chardonnay:
- ICV-D47: Complex white with citrus, dried apricot, pineapple and floral notes. Lees contact gives ripe spicy aromas with tropical and citrus tones developing, along with nuts. Adds volume/mouthfeel. Barrel fermentation and lees aging recommended. Good single-strain or as a blending component.
- T306: Exotic fruit and pineapple, with elegant white fruit notes in Chardonnay. Contributes to mouthfeel and lees aging is recommended. Good as a single-strain or as a blending component.
- CY3079: Classic white burgundy: rich, full mouthfeel with aromas of fresh butter, almonds, honey, white fruit, flowers and pineapple. Barrel fermentation and lees aging recommended.
- QA23: Usually used in terpenic whites, it enhances the floral, aromatic aspects of a grape. In Chardonnay, floral, white peaches are emphasized with an equal clarity in both aroma and taste. Great as a “top-note” in a blend.
- BA11: Fresh fruit aromas of orange blossom, pineapple, and apricot develop, along with clean aromatics, lingering flavours, and an intensified mouthfeel.
- Rhône 4600: Apricot and tropical fruit with enhanced mouthfeel contribution. Delivers fat roundness and balance along with light esters. Good as a blending component.
- ICV-D254: Usually used as a blending component, D254 gives stone fruit flavours, aromas of nuts, smoke, and sourdough, along with a creamy mouthfeel. Good for adding complexity and mouthfeel to a blend.
- ICV-GRE: Brings fresh melon foreword along with good mouthfeel. Also effective for reducing herbaceous and vegetal notes in under-ripe fruit.
What about us folks who don't want their Chardonnay to taste like butter?
Back from... where?
Man, more than nine months since the last look at the blog.
After much travel and many busy weekends, it suddenly looks like we will not skip winemaking this year, but will get Chardonnay grapes from Musto's Lanza vineyard in Suisan Valley. With luck Cousin Jake will drive them down to us on this coming Friday, and we'll be crushing on Saturday, October 1. He's driving a car, not a rig, so we're not sure how much he'll be able to haul, but we're still hoping for 500 to 600 #.
Our first venture away from Muscat for our whites. We know we'll be in steel or glass. We know there won't be any oak. We don't know what yeast we'll use, or whether we will try to kill malo or just let the wine and the cellar do what they want.
Yippee!
After much travel and many busy weekends, it suddenly looks like we will not skip winemaking this year, but will get Chardonnay grapes from Musto's Lanza vineyard in Suisan Valley. With luck Cousin Jake will drive them down to us on this coming Friday, and we'll be crushing on Saturday, October 1. He's driving a car, not a rig, so we're not sure how much he'll be able to haul, but we're still hoping for 500 to 600 #.
Our first venture away from Muscat for our whites. We know we'll be in steel or glass. We know there won't be any oak. We don't know what yeast we'll use, or whether we will try to kill malo or just let the wine and the cellar do what they want.
Yippee!
Sunday, December 13, 2015
2015 wines racked, tasted, mystery haze
I used some 2014 Muscat to top with, maybe 2 quarts across the 15 gallons (making the wine now 3% 2014, 97% 2015). The 4 gallons of rose I topped with half of the liter bottle we'd filled when we came off the gross lees.
I didn't notice it until racking the third Muscat carboy but there was a theady, veil-like haze in the wine, most of it seemed to be gathered at the periphery, maybe hugging the glass, but not all of it. Looking at the relative clarity of the racked carboys I'm assuming the haze was also in the first CB but not the second. (The second seems crystal clear.) It looked like the haze was generally falling with the wine and might have mostly ended in the lees. I took some photos, hoping the haze could be seen at all, and to my horror it looks wildly worse in the photos than it did to my eye. Research! I see Bentonite in our future!
Saturday, December 12, 2015
2015 Muscat, day 87
Acid at about .65% tartaric, or 4.16 ppt sulfuric. Probably slightly higher, but not much, and that puts us just into the bottom of the range we were shooting for. (Tasting it at 6:30 in the morning on an unwashed tongue I would have guessed higher.)
Color is great. Nose isn't remarkable. I think we're somewhere between the very good 2013 and the OK 2014
Put a couple of carboys up on the bench for racking later today. The thin lees look like they have crystals in them. We'll know pretty soon.
No measurement of the rosé yet.
Friday, November 27, 2015
2015 Muscat, day 71
Ready to rack. A few lazy bubbles here and there. Light lees. Will test later today and rack before Monday.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
2015 Muscat, day 31
Sharply colder outside the last day, 38 at 8 AM, and 68 in the cellar.
A bright light shone into the necks of the carboys shows that there are still fine threads of gas rising through the wine.
Wine put into a test glass isn't yet clear but is showing the familiar dandelion yellow finish.
pH 3.71, SO2 somewhere between 20 and 25 (using year old Titrettes).
Acid measurement was off the charts. Hmmm. Let's try new chems. Saw a similar measurement at this phase last year, but at the second racking a lot of acid had fallen out in potassium bitartrate crystals: let's look for the same this year.
A bright light shone into the necks of the carboys shows that there are still fine threads of gas rising through the wine.
Wine put into a test glass isn't yet clear but is showing the familiar dandelion yellow finish.
pH 3.71, SO2 somewhere between 20 and 25 (using year old Titrettes).
Friday, October 9, 2015
2015 wines, day 22 - off the gross lees
Well, this is later than we've come off the gross lees in a long time - maybe ever?
Topped off the Muscat with some of last year's wine and so stayed at 3+3+3. Some pictures of the mud, below.
- 2015 - day 22
- 2014 - day 14
- 2013 - day 14
- 2012 - day 14
- 2010 - day 10
Topped off the Muscat with some of last year's wine and so stayed at 3+3+3. Some pictures of the mud, below.
 |
| Muscat mud |
 |
| Rose mud |
 |
| Topping needed for Muscat |
Saturday, October 3, 2015
2015 wines, day 16
Muscat continuing to slow. (3 BPM)
The Rosé is starting to give a hint of it's color.
Friday, October 2, 2015
2015 wines, day 15
2400: Effin cold and wet.
The Muscat is sharply less active from this morning to this evening - 5 burps per minute. Still a steady stream of bubbles coming up the sides of the CBs. Might be fun to try to test acid tomorrow to see if we got to where we were shooting.
The Grenache Rosé over the last couple of days has lost some of it's thick sherbert look - looking more like wine. Tough to say where exactly it will land when clear, but we are definitely talking a lot of skin color from those 60 hours of contact.
The Muscat is sharply less active from this morning to this evening - 5 burps per minute. Still a steady stream of bubbles coming up the sides of the CBs. Might be fun to try to test acid tomorrow to see if we got to where we were shooting.
The Grenache Rosé over the last couple of days has lost some of it's thick sherbert look - looking more like wine. Tough to say where exactly it will land when clear, but we are definitely talking a lot of skin color from those 60 hours of contact.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
2015 Muscat, day 13
2100: 72 F in the cellar, cool and rainy outside. Wine -1.1 Brix and still sending up a steady flow of C02.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
2015 Muscat, day 12
0600: 74 F cellar, a very wet 72 F outdoors. 249 hours since yeast.
-0.3 Brix in the carboy I've been measuring from most often, and 20 burps per minute. (22 in the CB I measured from last night that had the higher than expected Brix.). Time to fully top up and raise the SO2.
So, added 5.7 ml 10% metabisulfite solution to each 5 gallon carboy. Topped up with finished Muscat, using about a quart total over the 15 gallons.
Bonus: was finally able to get the drowned black wasp out of the soup!
-0.3 Brix in the carboy I've been measuring from most often, and 20 burps per minute. (22 in the CB I measured from last night that had the higher than expected Brix.). Time to fully top up and raise the SO2.
 |
| Calculator at vinoenology.com |
So, added 5.7 ml 10% metabisulfite solution to each 5 gallon carboy. Topped up with finished Muscat, using about a quart total over the 15 gallons.
Bonus: was finally able to get the drowned black wasp out of the soup!
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
2015 Muscat, day 11
0600: 69F outside, 74 in the cellar. 225 hours since yeast.
0.9 Brix, still 28 bpm. Down 0.6 (40%) in the last 11 hours. Will need to know this evening how we should top up the carboys - one of our wines from the last few years, commercial wine, or water. Will do the topping & SO2 addition tonight or , maybe more likely, tomorrow morning
After charting this morning's numbers I went to look at the Brix to alcohol chart that we've pointed to for years on the sidebar - 404,it's gone. But I found a handful of calculators at WineBussiness.com, and some helpful explanatory information. Their Brix / alcohol calculator expects for you to know the conversion factor of the yeast you are using. It's somewhere between 0.55 and 0.64: each gram of sugar will get converted into somewhere between .55 and .64 grams of alcohol. So far so good. But Lallemand's spec sheet for EC-1118 doesn't point me to a value I should use. Which officially indicates, I think, that I shouldn't care about what I can't measure. But it does make a big potential difference to the alcohol content of the finished wine.
The calculators at WineBusiness are a subset of the calculators at Vinoenology. Geek heaven!
2100: 75 F cellar, 73 F outside, 240 hours since yeast.
0.8 Brix from a different carboy, 26 burps per minute. Hmmm. 15 hours, 0.1 Brix delta (11%). In the morning I'll go back to the previous CB to see if there's a significant difference. Used juice from the test CB to level out the three we have cooking. When we get to less than zero I'll top everything up and add 30 ppm SO2.
0.9 Brix, still 28 bpm. Down 0.6 (40%) in the last 11 hours. Will need to know this evening how we should top up the carboys - one of our wines from the last few years, commercial wine, or water. Will do the topping & SO2 addition tonight or , maybe more likely, tomorrow morning
After charting this morning's numbers I went to look at the Brix to alcohol chart that we've pointed to for years on the sidebar - 404,it's gone. But I found a handful of calculators at WineBussiness.com, and some helpful explanatory information. Their Brix / alcohol calculator expects for you to know the conversion factor of the yeast you are using. It's somewhere between 0.55 and 0.64: each gram of sugar will get converted into somewhere between .55 and .64 grams of alcohol. So far so good. But Lallemand's spec sheet for EC-1118 doesn't point me to a value I should use. Which officially indicates, I think, that I shouldn't care about what I can't measure. But it does make a big potential difference to the alcohol content of the finished wine.
The calculators at WineBusiness are a subset of the calculators at Vinoenology. Geek heaven!
2100: 75 F cellar, 73 F outside, 240 hours since yeast.
0.8 Brix from a different carboy, 26 burps per minute. Hmmm. 15 hours, 0.1 Brix delta (11%). In the morning I'll go back to the previous CB to see if there's a significant difference. Used juice from the test CB to level out the three we have cooking. When we get to less than zero I'll top everything up and add 30 ppm SO2.
Monday, September 28, 2015
2015 Muscat, day 10
0700: Cellar 73 F, 64 F outside. 202 hours since yeast.
2.3 Brix. Bubblers going strong in all carboys. Still the priest's collar of foam. Small absolute numbers but big percentage - down 1.2 Brix (34%) in the last 13 hours.
1900: Cellar 74. 214 hours since yeastadooddle.
1.5 Brix, 28 burps per minute. 0.8 absolute drop, 34%.
2.3 Brix. Bubblers going strong in all carboys. Still the priest's collar of foam. Small absolute numbers but big percentage - down 1.2 Brix (34%) in the last 13 hours.
1900: Cellar 74. 214 hours since yeastadooddle.
1.5 Brix, 28 burps per minute. 0.8 absolute drop, 34%.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
2015 Muscat, day 9
0700: 72 in the cellar, 57 outside. 178 hours since yeast.
3.9 Brix. Each CB has a priest's collar of white foam, bubbling steadily. Down 0.8 Brix (17%) in the last 15 hours.
In 2014 I didn't take many readings after coming out of the primary on day 7, at which point the juice was 6 Brix versus 4.7 this year, but I did note that in the evening of day 9 we were at 0.6.
1800: 189 hours since yeast
3.5 Brix. Samples from different CB, so might get some inconsistency. Down 0.4 (11.4%) in the last 11 hours.
3.9 Brix. Each CB has a priest's collar of white foam, bubbling steadily. Down 0.8 Brix (17%) in the last 15 hours.
In 2014 I didn't take many readings after coming out of the primary on day 7, at which point the juice was 6 Brix versus 4.7 this year, but I did note that in the evening of day 9 we were at 0.6.
1800: 189 hours since yeast
3.5 Brix. Samples from different CB, so might get some inconsistency. Down 0.4 (11.4%) in the last 11 hours.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
2015 Grenache Rosé, day 8
1500: 162 hours since yeast.
Brix -0.2 (that's minus, not dash)
Made up a 10% meta solution and raised all of the vessels by 30 ppm SO2. Counting on this being enough to halt any malolactic fermentation. Am also thinking about surrounding the cbs and jugs with water & an ice paddle for the next few days.
Brix -0.2 (that's minus, not dash)
Made up a 10% meta solution and raised all of the vessels by 30 ppm SO2. Counting on this being enough to halt any malolactic fermentation. Am also thinking about surrounding the cbs and jugs with water & an ice paddle for the next few days.
2015 Muscat, day 8
0800: 155 hours since yeast
63 F outside, 72 F in the cellar. Wine is 76 F, and the brix is somewhere between 5 and 6 - the long scale hydrometer says 5, the short scale says no-way and probably 6. So that's a drop of somewhere between 1.0 (15.4%) and 0.5 (7.2%) in the last 11 hours,
Fine white, thin foam. Today should be the day to transfer the wine into topped off vessels. Shooting for 15 or 16 gallons.
Quick chart of Brix levels since adding yeast. At 33 hours switched from refractometer to hydrometer. A lull in the readings between 48 hours and 73 hours, though the ferment was obviously strong at that point.
1600: 163 hours since yeast.
Alright, I did it. Brix at about 4.7. Moved the wine into 3 5 gallon CBs, each a liter or less shy of full. Will let things bubble for a while, and then either condense or top off the vessels with wine from last year or the year before.
Lots of yeast mud went in - very little left in the primary fermenter. And the black wasp is floating at the top of the last of the 3 carboys...
63 F outside, 72 F in the cellar. Wine is 76 F, and the brix is somewhere between 5 and 6 - the long scale hydrometer says 5, the short scale says no-way and probably 6. So that's a drop of somewhere between 1.0 (15.4%) and 0.5 (7.2%) in the last 11 hours,
Fine white, thin foam. Today should be the day to transfer the wine into topped off vessels. Shooting for 15 or 16 gallons.
Quick chart of Brix levels since adding yeast. At 33 hours switched from refractometer to hydrometer. A lull in the readings between 48 hours and 73 hours, though the ferment was obviously strong at that point.
1600: 163 hours since yeast.
Alright, I did it. Brix at about 4.7. Moved the wine into 3 5 gallon CBs, each a liter or less shy of full. Will let things bubble for a while, and then either condense or top off the vessels with wine from last year or the year before.
Lots of yeast mud went in - very little left in the primary fermenter. And the black wasp is floating at the top of the last of the 3 carboys...
Friday, September 25, 2015
2015 wines, day 7
0600: 64F outside, 74F cellar. 129 hours since yeast.
For comparison, last year was 7.5 B at 114 hours and that was also a 2.5 drop from the prior reading. Gone is the 60's shag, in is the 80's indoor/outdoor short nap nylon loop: about 1/4 to 1/2 inch very active, tight-bubbled foam. I did not take the temp and I did not add an ice paddle - after last night's reading and seeing the deep foam disappear I was OK with things warming up and staying active. Still OK with that?
Lots of C02 visible rising. Had one of those orange caps on the CB and saw that the bubbler wasn't giving any action, while the rubber stopper / bubbler combos on the smaller vessels were doing there thing. Squeezed my hand around the neck of the cap and bubbler started going. Sigh - I like them but I don't trust them so well and this is why. Switched to a bored stopper.
2100: Cellar 74 F. 144 hours since yeast.
- Muscat:
For comparison, last year was 7.5 B at 114 hours and that was also a 2.5 drop from the prior reading. Gone is the 60's shag, in is the 80's indoor/outdoor short nap nylon loop: about 1/4 to 1/2 inch very active, tight-bubbled foam. I did not take the temp and I did not add an ice paddle - after last night's reading and seeing the deep foam disappear I was OK with things warming up and staying active. Still OK with that?
- Grenache Rosé
Lots of C02 visible rising. Had one of those orange caps on the CB and saw that the bubbler wasn't giving any action, while the rubber stopper / bubbler combos on the smaller vessels were doing there thing. Squeezed my hand around the neck of the cap and bubbler started going. Sigh - I like them but I don't trust them so well and this is why. Switched to a bored stopper.
2100: Cellar 74 F. 144 hours since yeast.
- Muscat:
Thursday, September 24, 2015
2015 wines, day 6
0600: It's 60 F outside and 73 in the cellar. 105 hours since yeast.
- Muscat
73.3 F, 3.59 pH, 11.5 Brix.
Down 1.5 B in the last 10 hours (11.5%). Foam is thinner, easier to poke a hole in the shag. Swapped the paddle and noticed that the paddle I was taking out showed itself full a good measure above the max line: it's very unlikely that's the way I filled it. I'm washing the paddles and refreezing them between uses, but not emptying and refilling them: I'll start fresh from here on out.
- Grenache
Bubbling 27 burps per minute (I counted). New measurement standard - bpm. With that, seeing that there's enough gas developing to protect the wine, I decided not to pop it open and take measurements. Buying time to get it into the next set of containers this evening.
2000: 74 F in cellar. 119 hours since yeast.
2000: 74 F in cellar. 119 hours since yeast.
- Muscat
- Grenache
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
2015 wines, day 5
0600: 60F outside, 74 F in the cellar. 81 hours since yeast.
Will need to to move the juice into fully topped containers now or this evening.
2000: 95 hours since yeast.
Still plenty of foam (I should hope so, there's a long way to go), a little less wavy and psychedelic than the last day or so. Swapped paddles.
- Muscat: 74.5 F, 3,52 pH, 14.5 Brix.
- Grenache: 4.6 Brix!
Will need to to move the juice into fully topped containers now or this evening.
2000: 95 hours since yeast.
- Muscat: 74 F, 3.56 pH, 13 Brix.
Still plenty of foam (I should hope so, there's a long way to go), a little less wavy and psychedelic than the last day or so. Swapped paddles.
- Grenache: 3.5 Brix
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
2015 Muscat, day 4
0600: Outdoors 61 F, cellar 74 F. Wine 73.1 F, 3.51 pH. Brix reading, in retrospect, was off by a crazy amount and I need to remeasure.
Thick big-balloon-bubble shag, bubbler pushed up. Swapped the ice paddle, but just before I did... death in the fermenter!
There's been a black wasp in the cellar since crush day. I had the lid off the poly tank with the muscat in it, and saw the wasp circle the light just above the tank - and then fly into it! I rushed over to it in time to see the wasp clinging to the side of the tank above the wine and then, not 5 seconds later, suffocating from the CO2, fall backwards into the foam. I grabbed the hydrometer tube hoping to fish him out but on my first poke his body was swallowed up in the foam. Begorah!
2200: 76.4 F, 3.54 pH, 16.5 Brix. Pushing up the big bubbler. Deep waffle rainbow yeast. Warmest the Muscat has been - changed the paddle. 72 hours in I'm happy with the speed of the ferment.
Thick big-balloon-bubble shag, bubbler pushed up. Swapped the ice paddle, but just before I did... death in the fermenter!
There's been a black wasp in the cellar since crush day. I had the lid off the poly tank with the muscat in it, and saw the wasp circle the light just above the tank - and then fly into it! I rushed over to it in time to see the wasp clinging to the side of the tank above the wine and then, not 5 seconds later, suffocating from the CO2, fall backwards into the foam. I grabbed the hydrometer tube hoping to fish him out but on my first poke his body was swallowed up in the foam. Begorah!
2200: 76.4 F, 3.54 pH, 16.5 Brix. Pushing up the big bubbler. Deep waffle rainbow yeast. Warmest the Muscat has been - changed the paddle. 72 hours in I'm happy with the speed of the ferment.
2015 Grenache rosé, day 4
Separating out the posts for the two wines.
Made the decision last night to end the skin contact on the rosé.
0600: Started prepping for the press.
0730: Jonboy arrives and after a judicious amount of coffee we punched down the cap, then opened the bottom valve on the stainless steel tank and got more than 2 gallons of free run rasberry sherbert colored juice. That lightened the tank enough so that we could carry it out to the patio where the press was set up. Hot, semi dessicated grapes into the bladder press - everything fit in one load. Brought the pressure up to 3 bars and left it there for 5 to 10 minutes, bled the bladder and shoved the skins around and reinflated the bladder: 2 more gallons of juice to add to the free run. Added these to the same 5 gal. carboy.
Very happy with the yield - +4 gallons from 84# of grapes.
1900: No measurements yet. Bubbler is popping but I'm surprised not to see any foam - there was some this morning immediately after pressing.
2200: cellar 75 F, wine 75F, 3.71 pH, and only 5 Brix! Burn, baby, burn. Took a video of the C)2 prickling the surface of the wine, bubbler popping. Since there's no foam it might already be time to go to topped up smaller bottles.
Made the decision last night to end the skin contact on the rosé.
0600: Started prepping for the press.
0730: Jonboy arrives and after a judicious amount of coffee we punched down the cap, then opened the bottom valve on the stainless steel tank and got more than 2 gallons of free run rasberry sherbert colored juice. That lightened the tank enough so that we could carry it out to the patio where the press was set up. Hot, semi dessicated grapes into the bladder press - everything fit in one load. Brought the pressure up to 3 bars and left it there for 5 to 10 minutes, bled the bladder and shoved the skins around and reinflated the bladder: 2 more gallons of juice to add to the free run. Added these to the same 5 gal. carboy.
Very happy with the yield - +4 gallons from 84# of grapes.
1900: No measurements yet. Bubbler is popping but I'm surprised not to see any foam - there was some this morning immediately after pressing.
2200: cellar 75 F, wine 75F, 3.71 pH, and only 5 Brix! Burn, baby, burn. Took a video of the C)2 prickling the surface of the wine, bubbler popping. Since there's no foam it might already be time to go to topped up smaller bottles.
Monday, September 21, 2015
2015 wines, day 3
0600: Outdoors 58F, cellar 74.5F
Grenache: 22.5 Brix (refractometer), 79 F, 3.63 pH. Solid cake is forming, punched it down and lots of pink foamy fizz below.
Muscat: 25 Brix (hydrometer), 71.7 F, 3.7 pH. Deep fluff. No popping of the bubbler. Stately at about 36 hours in. Used the hydrometer because I was getting fooled by alcohol on the refractometer - nope. Put in a fresh ice paddle.
Woof! Got home from work this evening and the air n the cellar said full-on winemaking.
2100: Outdoors 68 F, cellar 75 F.
Muscat: 73 F, 3.65 pH, 16.5 Brix (hydrometer). Before disturbing the juice you could hear snap crackle pop putting your ear to the tank. Super-shag inside. Lori changed the ice paddle.
Grenache: 84.3 F, 3.6 pH, 18.5 Brix (refractometer). Heat and prickle rising up the stainless steel tank. Punched it down, looked at the color, and am thinking that tomorrow morning, at maybe 60 hours post-yeast, it will be time to press. If not then, the next opportunity will be at 72 hours.
For both wines we've blown off roughly a third of the sugar at 48 hours.
Muscat: 25 Brix (hydrometer), 71.7 F, 3.7 pH. Deep fluff. No popping of the bubbler. Stately at about 36 hours in. Used the hydrometer because I was getting fooled by alcohol on the refractometer - nope. Put in a fresh ice paddle.
Woof! Got home from work this evening and the air n the cellar said full-on winemaking.
2100: Outdoors 68 F, cellar 75 F.
Muscat: 73 F, 3.65 pH, 16.5 Brix (hydrometer). Before disturbing the juice you could hear snap crackle pop putting your ear to the tank. Super-shag inside. Lori changed the ice paddle.
Grenache: 84.3 F, 3.6 pH, 18.5 Brix (refractometer). Heat and prickle rising up the stainless steel tank. Punched it down, looked at the color, and am thinking that tomorrow morning, at maybe 60 hours post-yeast, it will be time to press. If not then, the next opportunity will be at 72 hours.
For both wines we've blown off roughly a third of the sugar at 48 hours.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
2015 wines, day 2
The surface of the muscat is already covered with the clingy, leathery stage of yeast. No audible or visible popping yet, but there's a prickly tang of CO2 to the nose. Off to a fast start in a very warm cellar. Going to approach 80 outdoors today, so not much chance of keeping things cool. We'll ice it as best we can.
Less developed yeast on the Grenache, but it's starting, too. We haven't set out our pressing plan for it yet. Watch the color? Take it at a specific Brix level?
Have added a chart of measurements and also a side panel to track key dates for the 2015 wines.
1730:
Muscat 72.4F, 3.7pH, 23 Brix by a questionable refractometer reading - too lazy and too early to be hauling the juice into the hydrometer tube. Exchanged ice paddles.
Grenache 74.9F, 3.7x pH, 22.5 Brix by refractometer. Punched down the grapes, fizz throughout but not yet ripping.
2130:
Grenache is pumping! Didn't take measurements but did punch it down and looked at the color of the juice - don't think I want to go longer than tomorrow night for pressing.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
2015 Muscat, Day 1
0700: Awfully warm for winemaking. 68F outside, 77F in the cellar. Next few days will be a little cooler, but not much. Crew is due at 10.
OK, sports fans, here's a recap of day 1, written the next morning:
With the grapes already here, and all of the heavy gear already up from the cellar, it was a very relaxed start to the day. We set up with a single sorting table and the bladder press rather than the basket press. Focaccia before the first grape got sorted.
As we did last year we decided again to do all of the pressing after all of the sorting, destemming and washing up of the other equipment. We collected the grapes pre-pressing in a 50 gal. drum and gave them something of a mashing in there to help free up the juice (undoing as much of the extra spend we made to get a destemmer rather than a destemmer-crusher. Hmmm.) Crates were also getting broken down while the sorting was happening. We destemmed the grenache for rose after the muscats, and they went directly into a steel tank for primary fermentation.
Pressing went at a stately pace and left a loft of grapes relatively & frustratingly intact. Note for next year: more mashing. Also more filling and emptying the bladder to get a bit more yield? Probably only worth going beyond a second filling if the lid comes off and the grapes are redistributed.
The muscat were in much better shape than last year. The grenache were picture-book beautiful.
Who made the wine? In more or less order of appearance: Mihai, Colleen, Savino, Phil Englander, Danny Levy, Michael Hearst, Doyle, Marcelo de Oliviera, Judy Lieff.
Who else helped make the day? Peter, Kellie & Nathan, Noemie & Asher & Jeremiah, Danny K and Lieff, Becky MacDonald, Emily Miller, Ella & friend. Many thanks to Rich & Ellen's tomatoes and Paola's as-yet-undone laundry. And the Syrian lady who stopped her car and got out to talk to us.
It was pretty dark out when the winemakers' lunch wound down.
What did we make:
OK, sports fans, here's a recap of day 1, written the next morning:
With the grapes already here, and all of the heavy gear already up from the cellar, it was a very relaxed start to the day. We set up with a single sorting table and the bladder press rather than the basket press. Focaccia before the first grape got sorted.
As we did last year we decided again to do all of the pressing after all of the sorting, destemming and washing up of the other equipment. We collected the grapes pre-pressing in a 50 gal. drum and gave them something of a mashing in there to help free up the juice (undoing as much of the extra spend we made to get a destemmer rather than a destemmer-crusher. Hmmm.) Crates were also getting broken down while the sorting was happening. We destemmed the grenache for rose after the muscats, and they went directly into a steel tank for primary fermentation.
Pressing went at a stately pace and left a loft of grapes relatively & frustratingly intact. Note for next year: more mashing. Also more filling and emptying the bladder to get a bit more yield? Probably only worth going beyond a second filling if the lid comes off and the grapes are redistributed.
The muscat were in much better shape than last year. The grenache were picture-book beautiful.
Who made the wine? In more or less order of appearance: Mihai, Colleen, Savino, Phil Englander, Danny Levy, Michael Hearst, Doyle, Marcelo de Oliviera, Judy Lieff.
Who else helped make the day? Peter, Kellie & Nathan, Noemie & Asher & Jeremiah, Danny K and Lieff, Becky MacDonald, Emily Miller, Ella & friend. Many thanks to Rich & Ellen's tomatoes and Paola's as-yet-undone laundry. And the Syrian lady who stopped her car and got out to talk to us.
It was pretty dark out when the winemakers' lunch wound down.
What did we make:
- 60 liters Muscat Alexandria, 26.5 Brix, 3.765 pH, .5 tartaric. Pitched 15 grams of Lalvin EC-1118 at about 9 PM. Also 1 oz weight tartaric acid with a view toward making a modest rise.
- 84# Grenache, 26 Brix. Pitched 5 grams of Lalvin RC-212.
- No nutrients added to either grape or juice.
Friday, September 18, 2015
2015 day zero (or 00?)
M&M is teasing us with a possible Malvasia Bianca delivery Sunday morning. We'd have to alert the troops. Meanwhile, PE & RC are on their way to help haul the equipment from the cellar. Tick tick tick tick...
... and resolved.
Couldn't work out the delivery of Malvasia Bianca from M&M so we've gone with the Muscat Alexandria from Pagano. RC & PE and Steve hauled everything out of the cellar, then grabbed DW and all four of us headed to Brooklyn Terminal Market. Pagano's Muscat came in just yesterday and we bought 10 42# lugs ($45 each), plus 2 lugs of Grenache ($42 each) to make a little bit of rose. All stowed at home & waiting for Day 1. Also picked up some Lalvin RC 212 and Lalvin EC 1118, which are Pagano's default red and white yeasts: tried to get ICV D47 from Brooklyn Homebrew, but they were mysteriously closed, phone unanswered, web page down... uh oh.
... and resolved.
Couldn't work out the delivery of Malvasia Bianca from M&M so we've gone with the Muscat Alexandria from Pagano. RC & PE and Steve hauled everything out of the cellar, then grabbed DW and all four of us headed to Brooklyn Terminal Market. Pagano's Muscat came in just yesterday and we bought 10 42# lugs ($45 each), plus 2 lugs of Grenache ($42 each) to make a little bit of rose. All stowed at home & waiting for Day 1. Also picked up some Lalvin RC 212 and Lalvin EC 1118, which are Pagano's default red and white yeasts: tried to get ICV D47 from Brooklyn Homebrew, but they were mysteriously closed, phone unanswered, web page down... uh oh.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
2015: day -1, everything still in the air
We've been talking to M&M about Muscat Canelli, Pinot Gris, and Malvasia Bianca, but as early as we've tried we're still a tad too late. We'll know for sure in the morning, but the likelihood is that even if M&M still has ani of these grapes tomorrow, we won't be able to arrange for the trucking.
And so we're likely looking at our old friend, Muscat Alexandria, from one of the two families at Brooklyn Terminal Market. Lapide has MA in the cooler (and have they gotten in any fresher grapes during the week?). Tony Pagano seems to be getting the grapes from a little further north and, though they already hit their sugar content, he's been holding off bringing them in until this week and should have them tomorrow.
(As a side thing, I keep saying that we can make a rose from whatever is freshest in the market, but no one is interested in the idea but me.)
Comparisons?
And so we're likely looking at our old friend, Muscat Alexandria, from one of the two families at Brooklyn Terminal Market. Lapide has MA in the cooler (and have they gotten in any fresher grapes during the week?). Tony Pagano seems to be getting the grapes from a little further north and, though they already hit their sugar content, he's been holding off bringing them in until this week and should have them tomorrow.
(As a side thing, I keep saying that we can make a rose from whatever is freshest in the market, but no one is interested in the idea but me.)
Comparisons?
- 2014: Purchased MA from Pagano on Oct 5, 12x42#, 28 Brix, 47F outdoor temp, ICV D47.
- 2013: Purchased MA from Lapide on Sep 21, 12x42#, 23 Brix, 64F outdoor temp, ICV D47.
- 2012: Purchased MA from Lapide on Sep 29, 12x42#, 25 Brix, 70F outdoor temp, Montrachet Red Star.
- 2011: Purchased MA from Lapide on Sep 24, 10x42#, 23 Brix, Montrachet Red Star.
- 2010: Purchased MA from Lapide on Sep 25, 8x42#, 21 Brix, Montrachet Red Star .
- 2009: Purchased MA from Lapide on Sep 26, 21 Brix, Montrachet Red Star.
The best MA we've made was in 2013. The grapes this year will likely have the sugar content of 2013, and we'll be purchasing, storing overnight, and working in warmer weather than the years I've recorded. Maybe I'll make up a proper comparison spreadsheet with ph, etc.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Thinking about 2015...
Lori's set on buying more ambitious grapes for the 2015 white. It'll be sad to say goodbye to Muscat Alexandria we've been using, because it's been fun to compare successive years. But I'm on board. M&M is already updating their harvest tracker and the June 26 post includes these notes:
- Harvest is going to be at least 1 week early this year.
- We are getting reports of the crops being a little lighter.
- Cabernet and Malbec are projected to be in shorter supply.
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