any wine equivalent of how to brew?

[martinworswick]

i've just gotten over a hundred pounds of pinot noir grapes,i'm planning on making pinot and rose with them,problem isi've never made wine before so i'm reading all i can but i'm getting a wee bit confused,is there a website anywhere thats the equivalent of something like palmers how to brew site?

 

[gregbathurst]

The first steps are pretty easy; Crush, destem, add so2, ferment. After that its just press, MLF, rack, then age till its ready to drink. The rest is just details.

Most stuff on the web is misinformation mixed with good advice. The best thing is to get advice from someone in the industry for your first batch.

The most important thing with small batch winemaking is that it oxidises much easier than big batches due to the high surface area/volume ratio. After the primary fermentation you have to be really careful to keep air out - glass carboys filled right to the brim are the best way.

Greg

 

[martinworswick]

The first steps are pretty easy; Crush, destem, add so2, ferment. After that its just press, MLF, rack, then age till its ready to drink. The rest is just details.

Most stuff on the web is misinformation mixed with good advice. The best thing is to get advice from someone in the industry for your first batch.

The most important thing with small batch winemaking is that it oxidises much easier than big batches due to the high surface area/volume ratio. After the primary fermentation you have to be really careful to keep air out - glass carboys filled right to the brim are the best way.

Greg

cheers,i missed the so2 will that be a problem? what is mlf? after the primary i was going to put in cornys i have which i'm not using for anything else,along with a bunch of oak chips in the pinot cornies

 

[Time-Travelers]

Homebrewtalk has a 'sister-site' called winemakingtalk.com

 

[Time-Travelers]

There is also the Home Winemakers Manual (or something like that) on-line, here's a link...

http://www.winebook.webs.com/winebook.pdf

 

[gregbathurst]

cheers,i missed the so2 will that be a problem? what is mlf? after the primary i was going to put in cornys i have which i'm not using for anything else,along with a bunch of oak chips in the pinot cornies

Leaving out the so2 (camden tablets) isn't a problem at this stage, though you should use some when racking. Are you fermenting the juice with the skins? This is the normal practise for pinot.
After 5-7 days on the skins you press and transfer to a container that needs to be kept completely full, to prevent excessive air contact. This is when you do MLF, similar to pitching yeast but a bacterial culture that turns malic acid to lactic acid, improving the taste. To do MLF you need the temp above about 17C and don't use so2 yet. The MLF gives a slow bubbling of co2 for about a month, after this you need to store the wine for a few months+ to allow the co2 to degas. Corny kegs would be ok if you can allow the co2 to escape over time, but glass carboys would be better.

 

[martinworswick]

Leaving out the so2 (camden tablets) isn't a problem at this stage, though you should use some when racking. Are you fermenting the juice with the skins? This is the normal practise for pinot.
After 5-7 days on the skins you press and transfer to a container that needs to be kept completely full, to prevent excessive air contact. This is when you do MLF, similar to pitching yeast but a bacterial culture that turns malic acid to lactic acid, improving the taste. To do MLF you need the temp above about 17C and don't use so2 yet. The MLF gives a slow bubbling of co2 for about a month, after this you need to store the wine for a few months+ to allow the co2 to degas. Corny kegs would be ok if you can allow the co2 to escape over time, but glass carboys would be better.

i crushed the grapes and put everything in the buckets,its been there for 2 days now,its definitely fermenting,it doesn't smell like i was expecting though,smell solventy,if it was beer my shoulders would be slumped,how is it supposed to smell?
mlf is a specific yeast? i can't find it at any local homebrewstores so i'll pop into a few local wineries to see if i can buy some, (i'm next to gibbston valley,central otago if you've heard of it)

also, when i remove the juice i press whats left of the grapes again?did i understand that correctly? would that not increase the contact with air?

cheers
martin

 

[gregbathurst]

Martin, the solvent smell is fine (good even) reds on the skins often smell like that. Take sg (brix or baume readings) daily and do the pressing before the ferment gets to zero, that way you get co2 protection to prevent oxidation. Before then keep stirring the skins to get contact with the juice to extract colour and tannins. Getting MLF culture from a winery is a good idea, you only need 1/2 teaspoon, rehydrate in water at 20C.

Pressing is done normally with a basket press, if you don't have a basket press put the skins in a fine mesh bag and squeeze, or just use the free run juice.

Greg

 

[PGriff]

Here's an article that explains MLF really well, and has a link for ordering it.

http://www.eckraus.com/home-wine-making-malolactic-fermentation.html