marcO wrote:
> Question: I have never wanted to extend the maceration past dryness
> for fear of something bad happening, yet I hear people doing it all the
> time. My assumption was that these people had nice Stainless Steel
> fermenters they could close up tight from O2, but my setup is not so
> elaborate- Plastice drums with cloth to keep the bugs off. Am I
> missing something here? I'm making about 110 gal and I don't want to
> risk it by letting it sit around dry.
> any thoughts?
> Marco

I've done extended macerations on each of my reds for the last few
years. The results have been great so far. As discussed in the thread,
I've put a double layer of saran-wrap directly on the liquid (in 55
gallon drums) and fill the remaining headspace with Co2 or Argon (you
can get a tank of either relatively cheaply) and then tape the lid of
the drum shut. It doesn't ensure a total oxygen-free zone, but it
seems to work. You will want to check it frequently to make sure all
is good, replace the gas, etc. All in all, macerations make for a more
full-bodied wine, especially with big reds like cabs, zins or
syrahs.....