"gene" > wrote in message
. net...
> Darwin Vander Stelt wrote:
>
> > "Mark" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >>I know that for 5 or 6 gallon batches glass carboys are recommended to
> >>keep oxygen exposure limited. When planning larger batches though does
> >>it make sense to use a fermenter like this one http://tinyurl.com/ynb3om
> >> and not have as narrow a neck?
> >>
> >>Please comment and let me know what you think.
> >>
> >>Mark
> >
> >
> > I have been using 55 gal soft drink syrup barrels ($15 apiece), and I
bought
> > a case of food grade plastic bags big enough to line the barrels. This
has
> > worked very nicely , as you can put around 35 gals of must in the
barrel,
> > twist the top around a 1" plastic hose and tie it and put the hose end
in a
> > bucket of water and you have an airtight primary. There is room in the
bag
> > for the cap to float, and while it is an extra nuisance opening it to
punch
> > down etc, it isn't worse than any other system I've seen, and when you
get
> > into the later stages of extended maceration where you want to keep it
> > airtight, I just put some argon in, take the hose out and tie it
securely.
> > Over-all it makes for a nice clean system, and when I press, I just
throw
> > the first bag away and put the wine in another plastic bag with some
argon
> > and let it settle a couple weeks before putting it into a barrel. I have
> > done this with smaller bags in 15 gal barrels as well, and it seems to
work
> > fine.
> >
> >
> Darwin,
> Pretty darn elegant setup. Would pressing on the bag be sufficient to
> immerse cap and keep it wet, instead of opening the bag and punch-down?
> My guess is that for first two days, you'd want to open to give the
> yeast enough oxygen during the growth phase, but after that, in the
> anaerobic alcohol producing stage ..... This method could make for very
> fruity wine style.
>
> Now, if you want to make NZ style sauvignon blanc (reductive
> fermentation limiting the yeast's access to oxygen), you'd never open
> the bag till you transfer to secondary.
>
> And have you used this method with high-foaming yeasts? If so, how full
> do you fill your bags in order to leave room for the foaming? More or
> less than for open top fermentor?
>
> Gene
As you get into the extended maceration, I just slosh it around and punch
the bag down.You don't have to open them. The bags (6 mil) probably hold 60
or 70 gals, and fold down over the sides of the barrel. I do like to scoop
the cap off and dump it into a new barrel every day for about the first 2 or
3 days after you get a good cap, and pour the wine over it, also try to
dump most of the seeds off the bottom of the barrel (delestage?). If you
have one empty barrel you only have to put in one new bag each day, as you
can dump the wine and cap from one barrel into a new one with new bag, and
dump the seeds in the wheelbarrow, then put the liner back in and use it for
the next barrel. After 3 days of that most of the seeds are gone and I
start keeping it closed pretty tight. (I use 3 plastic barrels to eventually
fill 2- 30 gal oak barrels with a cab sauv, cab franc, merlot mixture, and
one 15 gal oak barrel with pinot noir, plus 5 gallons of pinot for topping
off wine . I fill them about 3/4 full of must, the cap comes right to the
top. ( having a big bag loosly tied sort of keeps it off the garage floor
too). After pressing and settling thats about 30 gals.). I macerate for
about 40 days (or whenever I get around to pressing it which was 6 weeks
this year) and this system is about as forgiving as it gets. I had the bags
closed tight (I think a little gas escapes, as you can tell if the bags puff
up they're maybe too tight) with argon in for about the last month, and just
punched it down when I got around to it. And yes, when I put it into the
barrel after a couple months in the bag it was a real fruit bomb. I'm
extremely pleased with this system because I am one of the more
procrastinating type winemakers and this system seems not to punish neglect
(too much).
I got a case of 100 bags for 115 bucks or so, will last me at least 10
years. My next purchase will be for a case in 20 gal size for whites.