Have Grapes... Now What?

Hi,

I got my hands on a 30L bucket of wild grapes that grow near by. As best as I can tell they are Schuyler which I have read work okay to make Rose.

I'm not clear how to process them. Should I wash them? Discard any green ones? Not worry about it and just crush the whole thing?

My plan was to pick the grapes that were fully ripe and give them a quick wash. Then I was going to mash them with a potato masher and throw the skins and seeds in a grain bag and toss everything into a bucket with a few camden tablets. 20 hours later or so I would pitch some yeast. Then sqeeze juice from grain bag and throw everything into a secondary after about a week.

Am I missing anything or is this a good plan? I was just worried about all the particles and wild yeast currently on the grapes, but was equally worried about the spring water I have to wash them with. Was also worried that maybe I was missing the point by removing the wild yeast. Just not sure what the best course of action is. Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks.

I wouldn't worry about wild yeast too much. Get some sulfite in there. Monitor color extraction, and most important get a Brix reading. You may have to chaptilize or water back for the desired wine. PH would be great too.

Destem and crush the grapes, put them all in a fermenting bucket and add meta (the amount depends on the volume of grapes), I would add some pectinase such as Lallzyme EX to help the release of aromatic compounds and tannins.

Specially formulated enzyme preparation for improved color intensity and stability, greater mouthfeel, and enhanced fruity, floral, spicy flavors in wine

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I'd also add Opti-Red, it improves body, color stability, and mouthfeel in red wines, and results in red wines with more intense color, rounder mouthfeel and better tannin integration.

I would ferment using &!B-1122 yeast (I usually use 1 gram per gallon of must) to keep the fruit forward characteristic of the wine and to help soften the wine. (it partially metabolizes malic acid).
Always rehydrate your dry wine yeast in water between 100° -115°.

During fermentation, make sure that you punch down the cap several times a day, when fermentation is complete, press the grapes and transfer the wine into a carboy, stabilize with meta and let bulk age, making sure that there is no head space in the carboy.

At this point, you can decide if you want to put the wine through Malolactic fermentation, this may be a consideration due to the fact that most cold climate grapes tend to be more acidic/high in acidity.

I'd be happy to walk you through that.

I'd bulk age for at least 6-12 for a blush, 12-15 months min. for a red wine.

I hope that this helps.

Thanks for the info. I'm going to crush them tonight and see what happens. I'll hit the thread up again if I run into any problems. Thanks.

Just remove all the stems wash the grapes pick out the mushed ones. Then press the juice from the grapes and pour the juice in the fermenter. Next get some water ~ 50ml (30 degrees ) and add a sachet of wine yeast reccomened by a brewing site or store.once added add in the fermenter and leave for ten days to ferment



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Why would he/she want to just press and use the juice? For that matter, he might as well have made a juice bucket?
Fermenting on the skins is what sets making wine from fresh grapes apart from other methods.
No disrespect, but just using the pressed juice would be a waste of a great wine waiting to happen, furthermore, how do you know what the wine will be doing in 10 days?
The only way to know when fermentation is complete is with a hydrometer. again, no disrespect, but

and add a sachet of wine yeast reccomened by a brewing site or store

Click to expand...

this is a brewing site and frankly, I wouldn't make wine as you posted.

Nah that's fine


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