This year will be our 2nd year with extended maceration. Last year we
did this with our Cab for 1 wk past dryness and we had tremendous
success. This year we are going for 2 weeks. What we did in the past
was:
put two sheets of plastic wrap on the wine surface
poke 2 holes (one as an inlet and one outlet) in the fermenter.
then we sealed up the primary (except the 2 holes)
in one hole we pumped CO2 and after a few minutes, plugged the exit
(once we thought sufficient O2 had left)
we then pressurized the primary with CO2 just a bit so our seal puffed
up a bit. This would be our indicator of a leak if one occured.
Every day I would add CO2 and allow some 'air' to escape through the
exit at the same time, thus decreasing even more the O2 level.

Now this year we are graduating to either nitrogen or argon, which
have distinct advantages over CO2 in that they don't mix with O2 so
well and therefore blanket better. Outside of doing our last year's
process as is with the new gas, does anyone have any builds or advice?

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> This year will be our 2nd year with extended maceration. Last year we
> did this with our Cab for 1 wk past dryness and we had tremendous
> success. This year we are going for 2 weeks. What we did in the past
> was:
> put two sheets of plastic wrap on the wine surface
> poke 2 holes (one as an inlet and one outlet) in the fermenter.
> then we sealed up the primary (except the 2 holes)
> in one hole we pumped CO2 and after a few minutes, plugged the exit
> (once we thought sufficient O2 had left)
> we then pressurized the primary with CO2 just a bit so our seal puffed
> up a bit. This would be our indicator of a leak if one occured.
> Every day I would add CO2 and allow some 'air' to escape through the
> exit at the same time, thus decreasing even more the O2 level.
>
> Now this year we are graduating to either nitrogen or argon, which
> have distinct advantages over CO2 in that they don't mix with O2 so
> well and therefore blanket better. Outside of doing our last year's
> process as is with the new gas, does anyone have any builds or advice?

Wouldn't the fermenting wine produce enough co2 to drive out the O2 anyhow?

>
> Wouldn't the fermenting wine produce enough co2 to drive out the O2 anyhow?- Hide quoted text -
>

Once the fermentation is complete, there is very little CO2 coming off
the grapes. It is mostly just from degassing at this point. The
extended maceration, with the nitrogen or argon, etc doesn't start
until after dryness.

I don't do it that way; I use 6 gallon pails and just 'top them up'
once it's mostly done. I have at least a week of active fermentation
and it takes a while - usually at least 2 weeks total for the cap to
totally sink. By then I'm pretty sure I have as much out of those
skins as I am going to get. Once the wine is still for the most part
I start combining pails and let the residual CO2 cover them. I do lid
the pails the whole time.

Your way sounds OK, I just don't have gas available. What some people
do is just lay a few layers of plastic sheeting on top of the wine.

Joe

I probably should have mentioned that I make about 90-100 gallons,
which means a lot of must. I have 3 primaries that are 55, 55, and 40
gal.
The 6 gallon pales sounds pretty slick, though.

Joe Sallustio wrote:

>
> I don't do it that way; I use 6 gallon pails and
> just 'top them up'
> once it's mostly done. I have at least a week
> of active fermentation and it takes a while -
> usually at least 2 weeks total for the cap to
> totally sink. By then I'm pretty sure I have as
> much out of those
> skins as I am going to get. Once the wine is
> still for the most part
> I start combining pails and let the residual CO2
> cover them. I do lid the pails the whole time.
>
> Your way sounds OK, I just don't have gas
> available. What some people do is just lay a few
> layers of plastic sheeting on top of the wine.
>
> Joe

Joe, do you do a delestage(sp?) and remove most of
the seeds when you transfer?

> Joe, do you do a delestage(sp?) and remove most of
> the seeds when you transfer?

No on the delestage but I should, thanks for reminding me... It's
pretty easy with small pails but it's messy. Yes on the seeds, I
remove them as I combine pails. They end up in a mass at the bottom
of each pail and go in the garden like everything else. I punch down
once in the morning, once in the evening at minimum. You probably get
hotter ferments than me because I have more surface area exposed; you
may extract faster than me too.

I do a sort of Saignée though; I usually make a light red from
Grenaché and may do the same with Syrah this year; those skins go in
with something else once pressed. Those are crushed and pressed the
same day. It's not blush; more of a Rosé. It's very good as a dry
wine.

Joe

Sorry to be dumb but what's delestage?

Dick


Joe Sallustio wrote:
>> Joe, do you do a delestage(sp?) and remove most of
>> the seeds when you transfer?
>
> No on the delestage but I should, thanks for reminding me... It's
> pretty easy with small pails but it's messy. Yes on the seeds, I
> remove them as I combine pails. They end up in a mass at the bottom
> of each pail and go in the garden like everything else. I punch down
> once in the morning, once in the evening at minimum. You probably get
> hotter ferments than me because I have more surface area exposed; you
> may extract faster than me too.
>
> I do a sort of Saignée though; I usually make a light red from
> Grenaché and may do the same with Syrah this year; those skins go in
> with something else once pressed. Those are crushed and pressed the
> same day. It's not blush; more of a Rosé. It's very good as a dry
> wine.
>
> Joe
>
>
>

Dick Heckman wrote:

> Sorry to be dumb but what's delestage?
>
> Dick

It may mean slight different things to different
people but my understanding is that it is "rack
and return" less the seeds.


>
>
> Joe Sallustio wrote:
>>> Joe, do you do a delestage(sp?) and remove
>>> most of the seeds when you transfer?
>>
>> No on the delestage but I should, thanks for
>> reminding me... It's
>> pretty easy with small pails but it's messy.
>> Yes on the seeds, I
>> remove them as I combine pails. They end up in
>> a mass at the bottom
>> of each pail and go in the garden like
>> everything else. I punch down
>> once in the morning, once in the evening at
>> minimum. You probably get hotter ferments than
>> me because I have more surface area exposed;
>> you may extract faster than me too.
>>
>> I do a sort of Saignée though; I usually make a
>> light red from Grenaché and may do the same
>> with Syrah this year; those skins go in
>> with something else once pressed. Those are
>> crushed and pressed the
>> same day. It's not blush; more of a Rosé.
>> It's very good as a dry wine.
>>
>> Joe
>>
>>
>>

Dick,
To add to Paul's comment I think a more common term is 'pumping
over'. They take a hose close to the bottom of the fermenter and pump
it over the cap until it mushes up the cap.

Joe

Joe Sallustio wrote:

> Dick,
> To add to Paul's comment I think a more common
> term is 'pumping
> over'. They take a hose close to the bottom of
> the fermenter and pump it over the cap until it
> mushes up the cap.
>
> Joe

Ya, that is correct. When I worked at a
commercial winery we had a screen basket on top
of the fermentation bin and pumped from the
bottom and sucked up the seeds and let the wine
splash over the cap and then threw away the
seeds.