2018 Fermentation and Press

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Published: Tuesday, 27 November 2018 10:17

Written by David DeCiero

Fermentation started fairly quickly (as it always does with rehydration). At 1/3 completion, I added a dosage of Fermaid K (1/2 of the recommended). Fermentation completed in 6 days, which is what it normally takes for these grapes. There were no problems since I punch down twice a day to avoid any H2S issues. Pressing went smoothly using my homemade press. Doing only 125 lbs per varietal made the removal of the press cake much easier. It certainly weighed less than when I was doing 250 lbs. Made lifting much easier. Pressing yielded 11 gallons of Cabernet Franc and 13 gallons of Merlot. Immediately after the press, I added Opti-Malo and VP41 to start the malolactic fermentation.