Big Batch Question - 50gallons

Hey all - each fall my wife's family makes a 50gallon batch of wine. They use fresh grapes, water and granulated sugar. They then let it ferment out in a cask with out adding yeast.

Now I know I shouldn't meddle with their process for the sake of family cohesion but I can't help but think there is a better way. I'm a cider maker, and small 5gallon batches at that, so I don't know much about how to improve this wine process.

So I'm in need of your expert advice.
Is there a better sugar to use (dextrose?)
Should we be adding water?
How much yeast should we use for such a massive batch and what kind?
Should we kill the natural yeast with campden tablets?
Thoughts on pectin enzyme?


Thanks!
-Matt

Grapes shouldnt need water or sugar.

Not killing the wild yeast is asking for trouble.

It depends on many things- the type of grapes they are using, and the acidity level, and the wild yeast they have.

If they are using grapes like I do, native grapes, they don't have enough sugar to stand alone, and they are so acidic that they need to be watered down a bit so I add water and sugar to native grape varieties.

As for yeast, if they have good results with wild yeast, that's great. I do not, so I use wine yeast for my grape wines.

Pectic enzyme is a great addition, no matter what the yeast strain, to get more juice out of the grapes as well as an aid in clearing.

Using potassium metabisulfate to sterilize the batch and remove bacteria that can creat some spoilage and lactic acid is a great first step.

A good yeast for young grape wines is always lalvin 71b. Make a 2 liter starter with a couple packets of 71b and that should help in making a nice young wine.

If it works and they are happy with it, do they really need you to show them a "better way"?

I agree with zoonose.. If they are making 50 gallons every year and everyone is drinking it why change anything.
If you think there is a better way get 5 gallons of there juice and do your own thing with it and compare a year later. Till you can show a better and tastier way don't rock the boat.

Thank you all for the great posts. They are extremely helpful!

Zoonose - I completely see where you're coming from but the issue they have is one year they may like the wine and the next year it tastes rather bad. Based on the posts in this thread and additional research it sounds like this issue with inconsistency could be a result of wild yeast or poor sanitation.

BrownBottle said:

...one year they may like the wine and the next year it tastes rather bad. Based on the posts in this thread and additional research it sounds like this issue with inconsistency could be a result of wild yeast or poor sanitation.

Click to expand...

OK, that makes sense

BrownBottle said:

Thank you all for the great posts. They are extremely helpful!

Zoonose - I completely see where you're coming from but the issue they have is one year they may like the wine and the next year it tastes rather bad. Based on the posts in this thread and additional research it sounds like this issue with inconsistency could be a result of wild yeast or poor sanitation.

Click to expand...

Yep, thats why testing SG and using proven yeast strains works so well, it is consistant. Now, the grapes may change taste, but at least the finished wine will be as close to the desired flavor as it can be.

Well, if they save the yeast from the lees after the batch and store it, conceivably they could, once they get a batch they like, use normal procedures and use that instead of a commercial yeast...it's more or less how the commercial yeasts got started, after all, they cultivar "wild" strains already being used.