The Machine
A Rite of Passage for a Wino
August
Week 4
If you were a horror movie addict or a Stephen King fan, you may have heard of the movie 'The Mangler' a horror flick about a laundry machine from hell that would eat people....as I'm writing this sentence, I now realize just how ridiculous that scenario sounds, but of course when the grapes are pressed and it's time to clean 'THE MACHINE' I think of this movie!
Every. Single.Time.
I now have this irrational fear that when I'm in the press cleaning it, the press will somehow turn on and the bladder will inflate! Gruesome indeed, but life must go on and the grapes must be pressed...and pressed they will be.
Every. Single.Time.
I now have this irrational fear that when I'm in the press cleaning it, the press will somehow turn on and the bladder will inflate! Gruesome indeed, but life must go on and the grapes must be pressed...and pressed they will be.
Monday
Aug. 22nd 2016
Things are as usual at the winery, there is always something to do!
The finishing touches for the hand etched bottles are being done today; we are adding wax tops to the top of these bottles.
Ever wonder how it is done? Well here it is...simple, yes...but time consuming!
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| Dip the top into the wax, twist it around until the wax drips off and thins out, then dip it into cold water to harden the wax. |
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| Perfect =) |
Adding bentonite to the wine fermenting in the 1,000 gallon tank to improve the clarity of the wine.
Venturi?
What we are doing is dosing the bentonite into the hose that is already circulating with wine.
We need to slowly introduce the bentonite to the wine because it is extremely reactive. If the bentonite is dumped into the wine en masse, it becomes useless and reacts all at once; with improving clarity...one does not rush.
The key is to slowly introduce it, in order to have the bentonite touch/mix with all of the wine .
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| Bucket of bentonite and dosing tube feeding into the hose. |
Tuesday
Aug. 23rd 2016
Grenache is done fermenting, and ready to go into the press.
Sucking out the wine, and leaving what we can't suck out to go into the press, this process helps us get as much juice from the grapes as possible.
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| The press work order for pressing Grenache |
Thursday
Aug. 25th 2016
It's a busy day today! Syrah has been harvested, needs to be destemmed, and yeast needs to be added to get the fermentation process going.
It's a busy day today! Syrah has been harvested, needs to be destemmed, and yeast needs to be added to get the fermentation process going.
As soon as the grapes come in, we need to extract the juice from them.
The Syrah is going through the crusher and destemmer, and as the grape clusters go through the machine, the grapes are gently squeezed and pulled from their stems.
Adding Oak Rice
This does not add oak flavor to the wine.
What it does do is help extract any green aromas and bitterness left over by the leaves, stems, etc...
Oak rice also helps with color stabilization.
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| Out pops the stems |
Grapes are crushed and destemmed, now we need to add yeast to get the fermentation process started, and add acid as well.
Acid has many functions when it comes to winemaking: It can help balance fruity and sweet elements, that would otherwise be cloying if not present. It creates a harsh environment that helps keep the wine from being spoiled by pesky microorganisms, and also promotes good ageing characteristics.
Adding Acid to Must/Wine
From MoreWine.com
There are two ways to look at acidity in a winemaking: TA or pH:
The TA is a measure of the actual physical grams of acid in one liter of your wine and is expressed as “_ g/L of acid”, or in tenths of a percent of acidity as in “0.1% total acidity”. Both terms are equivalent and can be used interchangeably by moving the decimal point; e.g: 6.5 g/L = 0.65% TA.
The pH is a measure of how strong the acids are in relation to all of the other compounds in a wine/must. The lower the value, the more strongly acidic the sample will be; i.e: apH of 3.3 is more acidic than 3.9. In winemaking, most pH values will be between the 3.0 and 4.0 ranges, with most of the focus happening in the range of tenths between these two ends (“3._ pH”). While the TA will tell you how much physical acid there is in the wine/must, the pH tells you how this acidity will be perceived.
To illustrate how even a single added element can alter the perception of acidity, let's use the following example: you squeeze the juice of one lemon into a glass of water and taste it. At this point the combination of only lemon juice and water will be quite sour. However, if you add some sugar to it, the sharpness gets balanced out, you have lemonade. The amount of acid has not been altered, yet the perception of the acidity has shifted from sour to tart and refreshing.
This same type of modifying phenomenon is also taking place in the must/wine but in a much more complicated fashion. A complex variety of different compounds are responsible for not only altering the perception of the acidity, but for defining how the wine will react to any changes made to its acid structure. Because the ratio of these modifying compounds varies for each must/wine, it is difficult to predict exactly how the pH will shift as a result of a calculated acid addition or reduction.
While both TA and pH can be used to measure and discuss acidity, they are not directly related to each other in a predictable manner. If you add 1 g/L of Tartaric acid to a wine/must already containing 6 g/L, you TA test will clearly reflect this addition and let you know there is 7 g/L of acid present. However, when testing how the same sample for pH, it's highly unlikely to get a 'one-to-one' reaction. A pH of 3.7 will not go straight to 3.6. We could even get a final pH of anywhere from 3.65 to 3.5! That extra 1g/L has interacted and balanced out with all of the other elements in the must/wine, accounting for the final pH value. The only way to know for sure how the wine/must‟s pH will react to an acid adjustment is by doing a bench trial. When this is not possible it is recommended to make a partial addition, test/taste the results, and then add the balance if needed.
In Practice
Generally, if either TA or pH is within the recommended ranges, the other will be as well. When adding acids, a wine will more gracefully absorb large acid additions during its earlier stages than it will as time goes by. Therefore, if you do need a large acid adjustment, we recommend making a relatively large correction early on (preferably in the must), so that you only need to make minor changes later on.
Acid additions become more apparent in wine as it ages and the fruitiness starts to fade. An adjustment that seemed just right early on might end up being a little too tart in six months to a year. As a result, when making large adjustments to your must or wine, it's best to use a conservative, two-step approach: make one addition now (in the middle range of what you are shooting for), then, if it needs it, add a little more later.
Another thing to consider: TA will drop 0.5-1.0 g/L (0.05-0.1%), or possibly even more, as a natural result of fermentation. Additionally, Malolactic Fermentation will lower your TA by another 1.5-4.0 g/L (0.15-0.4%). As a result, it's important to consider both the TA of the must prior to fermentation as well as the techniques you will be using when making additions at crush. If you are not sure of your approach, shoot for the 7g/L TA range for the must and go from there.
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Adding Acid
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| Adding Yeast |
Just add water...easy right? Not necessarily.
Definition
"By definition, rehydrating active dry wine yeast is the process of adding water back to the dried yeast cells.
This is done by combining yeast and water in a certain way that facilitates uptake of water into the yeast cells. See how this is done by reading the simple rehydration steps below.
Why Should You Rehydrate Yeast?
Yeast is a living organism, and like you, depends on water to live. When active dry wine yeast is made in the laboratory, the manufacturer removes the excess water - both inside the cell and out - effectively putting the yeast in a desiccated state of "hibernation" until we're ready to use it. In order to be functional again, we must add back the water that was removed during the drying process. Without this water, the yeast cannot process the sugars properly due to inefficient oxygen and nutrient transfer to the cells.
That being said, here are the reasons why you should rehydrate yeast:
-To ensure cellular integrity of the yeast. We want to make sure that the cell walls and all the organelles have all the water they need to do their jobs properly.
-Rehydrated yeast performs fermentation more efficiently. More active yeast cells means better, more complete fermentation.
-Must can contain high levels of SO2 or residual fungicides that can kill the yeast cells during the rehydration phase. Once rehydrated, the yeast cells do a better job of resisting SO2 and low levels of fungicides, but not during water uptake.
-To ensure dispersement. Yeast works better if it is widely dispersed throughout your must/wine, and yeast cells that have been rehydrated are dispersed more easily.
There are things that can go wrong when rehydrating yeast, and you should avoid these pitfalls at all costs:
-Avoid extremely high or low temperatures when rehydrating yeast. Temperatures that are too high or too low can kill the yeast cells before water uptake can occur.
-Avoid "shocking" the yeast during inoculation. A shock occurs when there is a big difference in temperature between the yeast slurry and the must. If you desire to ferment at low temperatures (59°F / 15°C or below), adjust the yeast slurry temperature by slowly adding a small amount of must to the suspension mixture and stirring for about a minute before inoculating.
-Avoid impatience. Don't be in a rush to inoculate your must. Allow sufficient time for the water uptake to occur (15 to 30 minutes)." Grapestompers
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| It's growing! |
Friday
Aug.26th 2016
Rosé: vibrant in taste, alluring in color, and infamous for displaying flavors of red fruit, flowers, citrus, melon, and at times energetic green notes; is the perfect companion for summer time backyard bbqs, tangy Vietnamese cuisine, and brunch time gossip.
A custom crush Tannat came in the other day, the red wine grapes rested overnight, and will be pressed to make rosé.
I want a glass already!
Saturday
Aug. 27th 2016
Pressing Chardonnay
The first thing to do in the morning is to take the Brix and temp readings on all of the fermenting wines, the reds must be punched down first in order to have an easier time taking samples.
Using the hydrometer to read the density of the fermenting grape juice.
The higher the density of the sample, the less the hydrometer will sink.
The lower the density of the sample, the more the hydrometer will sink, the more the fermentation is progressing.
All of these bins are fermenting reds, and all of them need to be punched down! This is actually nothing yet! Pretty soon the whole winery will be full of these bins, and that means its arm day everyday at the wine gym.
The Lab
Running a primary amino acid nitrogen test & ammonia enzymatic test
-This test shows how much natural nutrients are currently in the juice, and to see how much nutrients one needs to add to the liquid so that the juice can stay happy as it is fermenting.
PAAN(primary amino acid)+80% An(ammonia)=YAN(yeast assimilable nitrogen)=...ppm
"The YAN value is important as it will determine the nutrient strategies utilized during primary fermentation. Too little or too much YAN at the start of fermentation can lead to higher risks of developing hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg aromas) during primary fermentation. The development of hydrogen sulfide leads to a decreased perception of fruit and is often considered a wine flaw." ~PennStateExtension
Nutrient Management during Fermentation
On an ending note....
With grapes to press, there is 'The Machine' to clean! Just about 20 more times the assistant says....you'll be fine, Stephen King only haunts you in your dreams.
Aug.26th 2016
Rosé: vibrant in taste, alluring in color, and infamous for displaying flavors of red fruit, flowers, citrus, melon, and at times energetic green notes; is the perfect companion for summer time backyard bbqs, tangy Vietnamese cuisine, and brunch time gossip.
A custom crush Tannat came in the other day, the red wine grapes rested overnight, and will be pressed to make rosé.
I want a glass already!
Aug. 27th 2016
Pressing Chardonnay
The first thing to do in the morning is to take the Brix and temp readings on all of the fermenting wines, the reds must be punched down first in order to have an easier time taking samples.
Using the hydrometer to read the density of the fermenting grape juice.
The higher the density of the sample, the less the hydrometer will sink.
The lower the density of the sample, the more the hydrometer will sink, the more the fermentation is progressing.
All of these bins are fermenting reds, and all of them need to be punched down! This is actually nothing yet! Pretty soon the whole winery will be full of these bins, and that means its arm day everyday at the wine gym.
Chardonnay has arrived, sulfur needs to be added to these bins, then into the press they go.
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| Adding Enzymes |
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| And out comes California's most popular white |
The Lab
Running a primary amino acid nitrogen test & ammonia enzymatic test
-This test shows how much natural nutrients are currently in the juice, and to see how much nutrients one needs to add to the liquid so that the juice can stay happy as it is fermenting.
PAAN(primary amino acid)+80% An(ammonia)=YAN(yeast assimilable nitrogen)=...ppm
"The YAN value is important as it will determine the nutrient strategies utilized during primary fermentation. Too little or too much YAN at the start of fermentation can lead to higher risks of developing hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg aromas) during primary fermentation. The development of hydrogen sulfide leads to a decreased perception of fruit and is often considered a wine flaw." ~PennStateExtension
Nutrient Management during Fermentation
On an ending note....
With grapes to press, there is 'The Machine' to clean! Just about 20 more times the assistant says....you'll be fine, Stephen King only haunts you in your dreams.
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