|
Back to the Forum 2006
Archives
The Science of Winemaking:
Sixth Report:
By William E. Steinman:
February 13, 2006:
This is the step by step process I followed in making Baco
Noir wine. I was unprepared when the harvest came in and I made
a last minute decision to make wine. Therefore, I took some steps
that will be different in future work.
09/25/2005
I Made a sterilizing solution of 8 Campden tablets dissolved
in a quart of water.
I sterilized 2 five gallon buckets previously thoroughly cleaned
with Spick&span and Clorox2 bleach.
I harvested the Baco Noir grapes and de-stem them into the
buckets. Crushed the grapes giving a yield of 5 gallons crushed
with 2 &1/2 gallons per bucket.
Added 1 gallon water to each bucket to achieve a specific gravity
of 1.095.
Dissolve 3 Campden tables in water for each bucket (=6 Campden
tablets for 7 gallons of must) and stirred the mix into must.
Covered buckets with clear plastic bags and allow to sit for
one day in cool dark place.
9/26/2005
Dissolve 2 packets of Red Star Montrachet wine yeast in lukewarm
water for each bucket and stirred into the must. (=4 packets
for 7 gallons must.)
Covered again with clear plastic bags and allow to stand in cool
dark place.
I should have raised temperature at this point to between 65
and 75 deg.
9/27/2005 AM
Uncover buckets to discover a nice crust on each bucket.
Sterilized a wooden spoon to break up crust and push it down
into the foaming juice. Stirred well.
9/27/2005 PM
Repeated AM bust. push, and stir procedure.
9/28/2005
Continued daily AM, PM bust, push, and stir procedure.
9/30/2005
Begin daily check of SG. look for 1.045 for first rack time.
10/02/3005
Racked wine to sterile 5 gallon carboy and 1, 1 gallon sterile
jug.
Filled carboy only 7/8 full to leave a space for fermenting.
Installed sterilized vapor locks to jugs. Put sterile Campden
mix in locks.
Placed in cool dark place to settle and continue fermenting.
I should have maintained a temperature of 65 to 75 degrees throughout
fermentation process.
10/06/2005
Flowers of wine or something similar appeared on surface of wine.
10/08/2005
Racked wine to new clean carboy as clearly as possible.
Added 6 campden tablets.
Added 2 quarts water, 1/2 lb. sugar, 600 mg. B1, and 2 packets
of foaming yeast to fill carboy.
Put on sterile vapor lock with clean drilled cap.
Raised temperature in room.
Wait and see!
10/10/2005
The wine seems lost. The yeast is not working. There are contaminants
on top of the wine.
10/11/2005
A surprise! Fermentation or something like it has resumed. Gas
is being produced and escaping through the lock.
If it is fermentation, I will have some kind of wine. If it is
alcohol eating yeast, I will have colored water. Wait and see!
10/12/2005.
Fermentation continues.
10/13/2005
Fermentation continues at a much slower rate.
10/14/2005
Fermentation is very slow. Tasted wine and it still tastes like
raw wine. Very good so far. Topped wine with jug Chianti. That's
what I had. Installed clean bung and vapor lock. Will wait about
3 or 4 weeks for next rack unless something happens. No trace
of flowers on the wine. Whatever was there got killed or died.
10/24/2005
Tasted wine and it tastes like raw wine. SG = 1.020. Topped with
Chianti. Installed new bung and lock.
11/06/2005
Racked wine into another five gallon carboy. Tastes a little
smoother, but still harsh. Added 5 Campden tablets. Topped with
jug Chianti. Installed vapor lock.
12/07/2005
Tasted wine. Tastes better. I hope it will get better. Reduced
heat to 60 deg.
01/12/2006
Added gelatin finings to wine and stirred vigorously for several
minutes to get all of the sediment into the mix.
01/22/2006
Racked wine to a clean carboy with 5 Campden tablets and added
Vodka to bring up alcohol to 12%.
Racked wine to bottles and corked. Yield was 25 bottles.
Right now it tastes like a dry red wine, but it is harsh.
It will be at least six months before this wine mellows if it
does at all. I am willing to wait a year or more.
From this I learned that the fermentation temperature is critical.
It must be maintained between 65 and 75 deg F. I also used too
much yeast to begin fermentation. 1 packet for 5 gallons is sufficient.
I will do a much better job with the Baco Noir grapes this fall.
Back to the Forum 2006
Archives
|