Homebrew 3.6
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A great wine can be the product of dumb luck, but more than likely it is the result your knowledge of harvesting grapes and understanding the process of wine making. It is not rocket science, but you must invest some time in studying so you understand why certain things are happening. Harvest day could well make or break your wine, so we will look at some of the most important points to consider.
Grape Picking
The first key to making excellent wine is to pick the grapes at the moment of perfect ripeness. This is when the sugar, acid, and pH are at their optimum levels. For example, the perfect ripeness for red grapes is said to be 22 Brix, 0.75 Acid and pH of 3.4; and for whites 22 Brix, 0.80 Acid, and pH of 3.1. Chances are you won’t get the perfect ripeness, but you need to take the measurements on a daily basis when the grapes are approaching these values and then pick immediately when the readings get close.
The balance of sugar and acid is also very important so you should look at the ration of Brix to acid as the final factor when determining the day to harvest. A value of 30:1 is optimum. You could let the grapes hang for several more days but if the value goes over 35:1 your results will not be good. The other thing that will key you to harvest is if the pH goes too high. Your Brix to acid ratio may only be 25:1, but if pH gets to 3.4 or 3.5 go ahead and harvest because your results will go downhill from here. You can adjust the Brix later. When picking, make sure that the grapes are handled carefully, and not crushed or split. Also make sure that leaves, large stems and other trash are removed from the grapes.
The Crush
Crushing must begin immediately after picking especially if it is hot. The quality of your wine erodes quickly if the crush doesn’t happen right away. One of the main reasons for this is the fruit flies will invade the grapes and leave bacteria on the grapes which will quickly turn alcohol into vinegar. It is very important to make sure everything that contacts the must has been sterilized with a solution of 4 Campden tablets per quart of water. This is to minimize bacteria which will adversely affect the flavor. As soon as you have crushed, the vat should be covered with a cloth to keep the fruit flies off the must
The Chemistry
Now you measure again the Brix, acid, and pH. If acid is above 0.55 you now should add Campden tablets. If pH is 3.2 to 3.5 add tablets so you get about 50 ppm of potassium metabisulfite in the must. If pH is 2.8 to 3.0 you should be at 25 ppm, and conversely, if pH rises to 3.6 you will need 75 ppm, and pH at 3.8 requires 100 ppm. The addition of sulfites prevents any fermentation as a result of natural yeast on the grape skins. If the Brix measures below 20, you should add white sugar to bring it up to the low 20’s so you will have 12-12.5 per cent alcohol after fermentation. You also may have to add tartaric acid to bring levels to a minimum of 0.60 for red and 0.70 for whites. Low acid wines don’t last very long and they have a flabby taste. If you didn’t add the Campden tablets before adjusting sugar and acid, do it now.
For white wines you want to remove the stems immediately and for reds I suggest you remove most of them. For whites the skins can be left in the must for up to 16 hours and then the grapes should be pressed to remove the juice from the skins. Be sure not to press your grapes too hard trying to get all the juice out. This will squeeze some bitterness out of the skins and you won’t be happy with your result. For reds leave the skins on and let sit for 24 hours. Now, having done all these steps correctly, your must is ready for primary fermentation, and you may put in the yeast and relax a little. The most important work has been done.
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Gino Marino is a grape growing expert. For more detailed wine making instructions as well as grape growing information, visit http://www.grapesmakewine.com Article Source: |
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