great responses and replies!
Thanks for all your input.
These are Niagara grapes, the cousin to concord grapes.
Welches uses them to make white grape juice.

Destemming by hand was VERY time consuming,
but now it's fermenting, having pitched it with cotes des blanc yeast.
I chaptalized it, added sugar until it was about 13-14% p.a.v.
the cap is pushing to the top and is made of all that very small and fine
sediment.
I will probably scoop it off soon. It's somewhat clear underneath.
I think most of it will drop out afterwards.
Next time I think I will just pick off the bad grapes and crush by foot
(hopefully no toe jam!)
or a 4x4. Im thinking of building a crusher....maybe a good winter project!

Thanks again!
Rick

As the fermentation draws to a close,
I've been skimming off all this brown gunk and sludge
that has been floating to the top,
and as I do,
I'm seeing a very nice clear yellow juice underneath...
and a magnificent niagara aroma....
So, experience is a good teacher!
Though the processing was a bugger,
the end product is going to be wonderful,
almost 6 gallons of it!

Take care,
Rick


"Rick Vanderwal" > wrote in message
...
> great responses and replies!
> Thanks for all your input.
> These are Niagara grapes, the cousin to concord grapes.
> Welches uses them to make white grape juice.
>
> Destemming by hand was VERY time consuming,
> but now it's fermenting, having pitched it with cotes des blanc yeast.
> I chaptalized it, added sugar until it was about 13-14% p.a.v.
> the cap is pushing to the top and is made of all that very small and fine
> sediment.
> I will probably scoop it off soon. It's somewhat clear underneath.
> I think most of it will drop out afterwards.
> Next time I think I will just pick off the bad grapes and crush by foot
> (hopefully no toe jam!)
> or a 4x4. Im thinking of building a crusher....maybe a good winter
project!
>
> Thanks again!
> Rick
>
>

"Rick Vanderwal" > wrote in message
...
> to process the grapes, I used a victorio strainer (200 model).
> WHAT A LOT OF WORK!
> I don't have a press, and didn't know how else to go at the grapes.


I put my grapes into a plastic 5-gallon pail, filling it only about 1/3 of
the way up. I then wrap a plastic bag around one end of a four-foot piece of
4" x 4" wood and pound them until they're all crushed.

If I'm making red wine, I pour it all into the primary vat. For white, I
have a press. Lacking a press, I'm sure the squashed grapes would work well
in a food processor, juicer or just hang them in a nylon bag and let the
juice run out.

Paul