Grape Wines

[turtlescales]

In my area there are a number of vineyards that sell wine making grapes by the pound. I've got quite a large selection to chose from, various reds and whites like merlot and riesling. Even better, at least one of them have equipment available to crush and press the grapes.

I'm having a bit of a hard time finding recipes, I am seeing as few as 18 pounds for a dry red and as much as 80 for a riesling. I'd like to try this, but am trying to get a handle on what I am getting myself into and the best practices. Even some good book recommendations would be appreciated!

 

[cla]

Can you ask them to provide you with just the juice? I started out,doing that, especially with white so I didn't have to worry about the skins.



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[turtlescales]

I know for sure I can at one vineyard, but they only have red wine grapes. I'd want the skins for those anyways though, wouldn't I? I am going to call around to other vineyards in the morning and see if I can get the juice for the white wine grapes.

 

[pumpkinman2012]

As far as a recipe, there really isn't a recipe for making wine from grapes, there are however, best practices.
A 36 lb lug of grapes should yield 2.5 gallons of juice, you absolutely want the skins to ferment on with red wines.
Here is an overview of how I would proceed with the winemaking:
Destem and crush the grapes, add potassium metabuisulfite (meta) to the grapes to stop wild yeasts, after 12 hrs, add an enzyme such as Opti-red, it will help you obtain fuller bodied, more color stable, smooth palate wines.
After 24 hrs I take a sample of the must and test the PH, TA and SO2, it is very important to make any adjustments prior to fermenting.
After I make my adjustments (if needed), I hydrate the yeast with GO-ferm and pitch the yeast.
Yeast selection is another lengthy discussion in itself.
Make sure that you punch down the cap at least 3-4 times a day.
I add a yeast nutrient, usually Fermaid O or Fermaid K, it is very important to make sure the yeast has the necessary nutrients.
I usually add oak (chips, spirals, cubes) during fermentation, this can help with any vegetal characteristics, and added during fermentation, the yeast metabolizes the oak much like barrel aging.
When fermentation is complete, you'll notice that the cap drops, remove the grape skins and press them (you can save them to make a second run wine) return the wine to the fermenting bucket and let sit for up to 24 hrs to allow the lees to drop.
At this point rack into carboy(s) or a barrel and inoculate with a Malolactic bacteria such as VP 41 (hydrate the MLB with acti-ml) and add opti-malo (MLB nutrient) stir well, and let it go through MLF, this could take several months. Make sure that the carboy is in a dark area, or cover it , I use an old shirt.
When MLF is complete, rack to a clean carboy(s) and stabilize with meta and let age, I usually rack into a barrel after 6 months, this way the wine has dropped a substantial amount of sediment, and a cleaner product goes into the barrels.
I usually let the wine barrel age for at least 6 months in the smaller barrels, after this I rack back to a carboy and let sit for a month or so and taste, I'll make any last adjustment necessary at this point and bottle.
Average time from grape to aged and drinking - 1.5 -2 years, whites take about 6 months.
I might have forgotten something as I rushed through this, but this is basically what I do.

 

[rickswine]

As far as a recipe, there really isn't a recipe for making wine from grapes, there are however, best practices.
A 36 lb lug of grapes should yield 2.5 gallons of juice, you absolutely want the skins to ferment on with red wines.
Here is an overview of how I would proceed with the winemaking:
Destem and crush the grapes, add potassium metabuisulfite (meta) to the grapes to stop wild yeasts, after 12 hrs, add an enzyme such as Opti-red, it will help you obtain fuller bodied, more color stable, smooth palate wines.
After 24 hrs I take a sample of the must and test the PH, TA and SO2, it is very important to make any adjustments prior to fermenting.
After I make my adjustments (if needed), I hydrate the yeast with GO-ferm and pitch the yeast.
Yeast selection is another lengthy discussion in itself.
Make sure that you punch down the cap at least 3-4 times a day.
I add a yeast nutrient, usually Fermaid O or Fermaid K, it is very important to make sure the yeast has the necessary nutrients.
I usually add oak (chips, spirals, cubes) during fermentation, this can help with any vegetal characteristics, and added during fermentation, the yeast metabolizes the oak much like barrel aging.
When fermentation is complete, you'll notice that the cap drops, remove the grape skins and press them (you can save them to make a second run wine) return the wine to the fermenting bucket and let sit for up to 24 hrs to allow the lees to drop.
At this point rack into carboy(s) or a barrel and inoculate with a Malolactic bacteria such as VP 41 (hydrate the MLB with acti-ml) and add opti-malo (MLB nutrient) stir well, and let it go through MLF, this could take several months. Make sure that the carboy is in a dark area, or cover it , I use an old shirt.
When MLF is complete, rack to a clean carboy(s) and stabilize with meta and let age, I usually rack into a barrel after 6 months, this way the wine has dropped a substantial amount of sediment, and a cleaner product goes into the barrels.
I usually let the wine barrel age for at least 6 months in the smaller barrels, after this I rack back to a carboy and let sit for a month or so and taste, I'll make any last adjustment necessary at this point and bottle.
Average time from grape to aged and drinking - 1.5 -2 years, whites take about 6 months.
I might have forgotten something as I rushed through this, but this is basically what I do.

What is the best way to know if malolactic ferm

 

[rickswine]

As far as a recipe, there really isn't a recipe for making wine from grapes, there are however, best practices.
A 36 lb lug of grapes should yield 2.5 gallons of juice, you absolutely want the skins to ferment on with red wines.
Here is an overview of how I would proceed with the winemaking:
Destem and crush the grapes, add potassium metabuisulfite (meta) to the grapes to stop wild yeasts, after 12 hrs, add an enzyme such as Opti-red, it will help you obtain fuller bodied, more color stable, smooth palate wines.
After 24 hrs I take a sample of the must and test the PH, TA and SO2, it is very important to make any adjustments prior to fermenting.
After I make my adjustments (if needed), I hydrate the yeast with GO-ferm and pitch the yeast.
Yeast selection is another lengthy discussion in itself.
Make sure that you punch down the cap at least 3-4 times a day.
I add a yeast nutrient, usually Fermaid O or Fermaid K, it is very important to make sure the yeast has the necessary nutrients.
I usually add oak (chips, spirals, cubes) during fermentation, this can help with any vegetal characteristics, and added during fermentation, the yeast metabolizes the oak much like barrel aging.
When fermentation is complete, you'll notice that the cap drops, remove the grape skins and press them (you can save them to make a second run wine) return the wine to the fermenting bucket and let sit for up to 24 hrs to allow the lees to drop.
At this point rack into carboy(s) or a barrel and inoculate with a Malolactic bacteria such as VP 41 (hydrate the MLB with acti-ml) and add opti-malo (MLB nutrient) stir well, and let it go through MLF, this could take several months. Make sure that the carboy is in a dark area, or cover it , I use an old shirt.
When MLF is complete, rack to a clean carboy(s) and stabilize with meta and let age, I usually rack into a barrel after 6 months, this way the wine has dropped a substantial amount of sediment, and a cleaner product goes into the barrels.
I usually let the wine barrel age for at least 6 months in the smaller barrels, after this I rack back to a carboy and let sit for a month or so and taste, I'll make any last adjustment necessary at this point and bottle.
Average time from grape to aged and drinking - 1.5 -2 years, whites take about 6 months.
I might have forgotten something as I rushed through this, but this is basically what I do.

What is the best way to know if malolactic fermentation has completely finished? I don't want to wait to long before stablizing.

 

[pumpkinman2012]

Accuvin test strips, or by using a chromatography test kit.