Winemakers' Daily Notebook for 2005 Production
20 September 2005
Madrone Vineyard Management checked sugar today -- 20 Brix.
23 September 2005
Madrone Vineyard Management
checked sugars today and we are at 22.5 so we are moving up. They will check T/A
and PH at 24 Brix.
25 September 2005
Calculating chemicals to purchase - adding ingredients 2005.xls
Analyzing TA and pH to determine when to pick - CC wine measurements - 25 Sept04.xls
In conversation and analysis, we conclude we would like to see
optimal Brix of 24 to 25.5
TA above .7
pH below 3.7
1 October 2005
Brix at 24.5. pH of 3.7 and TA of .675
Pick schedule for Friday 7 October.
10/8 - Seattle
12:45 picked up grapes.
David, Cheryl, Karla Miller, and Jim and Pam Murray crushed 5:00 pm
PFC A:
20 gallons
67 degrees
26 degrees refractometer
27.3 degrees hydrometer
PFC B:
20 gallons
67 degrees
26 degrees refractometer
27 degrees hydrometer
.08x20x3 = 4.8 g k2SO4 in each
10/8 - Austin
2pm - began crush
Lots of Friends of Cross Creek - 33 adults and 22 kids.
And a wonderful selection of foods. Including special dishes by Chris
Galceran - a onion tart and zucchini frittata, both authentic rustic Italian
dishes typical of a traditional wine country harvest.
Crushed/de-stemmed 1 macro bin.
79 gallons must (30+17+32 in pfcs)
Dumped into cleaned macro bin for fermentation.
4pm - Added 30ppm SO2
6pm - Temperature of must is 68 degrees. Brix (hydrometer) is 26 degrees.
10pm - Added 187g Pasteur Red yeast (dissolved in 2.5 liters of 100 degree F water then layered into must). Also added 125g of Superfood.
10/9 - Austin - 10am
Fermentation has started. Smell of yeast and sound of bubbles.
Temperature of must is 70 degrees.
Added 2 packets Viniflora directly to must (sprinkled) and 20g of Leucofood.
Punched down.
10/9 - Austin 7pm
24 Brix - 74 degrees
10/9 9:00 am Seattle
Punched down.
PFCs A and B both 63 degrees
Since the spreadsheet on the Web site is driven by pounds, I tweaked one of the Vinaflora spreadsheet tabs (attached) so amounts are driven by gallons, which is what I have the most accurate measure of. (actual)
Since I have two PFCs with 20 gallons each, I put half of the specified amounts of yeast and Superfood in each PFC, with the full amounts of Vinaflora and Leucofood because 1 packet seemed the smallest amount per PFC.
Added yeast to water, added must, let it sit for 15 minutes (since temperature < 65 degrees), and added it to the wine
Added Superfood, Vinaflora, and Leucofood.
8:00 pm Seattle
PFCs A and B both 61 degrees
PFC B 27.2 degrees hydrometer
10/10 Austin 8pm
Punch down. 18.5 Brix. 78 degrees.
10/11 Austin 7:30pm
Punch down. 13 Brix. 80 degress.
Added125g superfood. Slight sulfur tone.
10/12 Austin 6:30pm
Punch down. 82 degrees temperature. 8 Brix.
Austin Fermentation Progress (link)
Seattle Fermentation Progress (link)
Tuesday October 11 Seattle
8:00 am
Punched down.
PFC A: 62 degrees.
PFC B: 62 degrees.
7:00 pm
Punched down.
PFC A: 63 degrees, 21 degrees.
PFC B: 63 degrees, 22 degrees.
Added the second batch of yeast food after two days instead of three because I'm a little concerned with the must temperature not going up.
Wednesday October 12 Seattle
7:45 am
Punched down.
PFC A: 63 degrees.
PFC B: 62 degrees.
Overall: Colder => Slower. Garage has been 55-60 degrees.
This will be a very interesting year to compare the Seattle and Austin wines given the differences in the fermentation. The temperature of the must in Austin rose from 68 to 80 degrees. In contrast, the temperature of the must in Seattle has been a disconcertingly even 62 degrees. As of Wednesday 10/12, sugar is at 8 degrees Brix in Austin and 18 degrees in Seattle, a striking difference.
My best guess on pressing in Seattle is middle to end of next week.
9:45 pm
Punched down.
PFC A: 62 degrees, 18 degrees.
PFC B: 62 degrees, 18 degrees.
Moved both PFCs to the basement to make sure that the fermentation does not get stuck.
13 Oct (Thurs) - Austin
Punch down. Added last third of Superfood (125g).
4.5 Brix. 82 degrees
14 Oct (Fri) - Austin
1.7 Brix. 80 degrees.
16 Oct (Sun) - Austin
-.5 Brix using the hydrometer. .5% alcohol using clinitest. 78 degrees temperature for must.
Have to decide whether to try to press later today or hold for (the more difficult timeframe) Monday or Tuesday before/after work.
Pressed today. 52 gallons of wine. In stainless steel tank. Will plan to transfer to 30 gallon oak barrel within 2 weeks.
Thursday October 13 - Seattle
7:30 am
Punched down.
PFC A: 61 degrees, 16 degrees.
PFC B: 62 degrees, 16.5 degrees.
9:30 pm
Punched down.
PFC A: 67 degrees, 14.5 degrees.
PFC B: 65 degrees, 15 degrees.
Friday October 14 - Seattle 10:30 pm
Punched down.
PFC A: 69 degrees, 12.5 degrees.
PFC B: 67 degrees, 13 degrees.
Saturday October 15 - Seattle 8:00 pm
Punched down.
PFC A: 71 degrees, 9.5 degrees.
PFC B: 71 degrees, 10 degrees.
Sunday October 16 - Seattle 8:00 pm
Punched down.
PFC A: 72 degrees, 6 degrees.
PFC B: 71 degrees, 6 degrees.
ANALYSIS REPORT
Date Submitted: 11/01/05 Report Date: 11/02/05
Sample Test Result
’05 Cross Creek Cab (Austin) (BASW) Basic Wine Chemistry
Alcohol, NIR 15.19%
Volatile Acidity (Skalar) 0.122 g/100 ml
Total Titratable Acidity 0.73 g/100 ml
pH 3.79
Free SO2 (Skalar) No recoverable SO2
Total SO2 (Skalar) No recoverable SO2
(MAD) Malic Acid, Enzymatic 0.01 g/L (MLF complete)
’04 Cross Creek Cab (Austin) (BASW) Basic Wine Chemistry
Alcohol, NIR 15.38%
Volatile Acidity (Skalar) 0.110 g/100 ml
Total Titratable Acidity 0.60 g/100 ml
pH 4.10
Free SO2 (Skalar) 26 ppm
Total SO2 (Skalar) 52 ppm
Note:
The pH of these wines is high, making the wines susceptible to oxidation and microbial spoilage. In order to lower the pH of the wine, tartaric acid may be added after performing trials to determine the appropriate addition amount.
The volatile acidity TTB legal limit for reds is 0.140 g/100 ml.
13 Nov 05 - Austin
Racked 2005 wine from stainless steel. Filled 30g barrel (far right in wine room). Remainder back into the stainless steel. Added 30ppm SO2.
ANALYSIS REPORT (Austin)
Date Submitted: 12/2/05 Report Date: 12/6/05
Sample Test Result
’04 Cross Creek Cab (ACID) Wine Adjustment Trial, Acid
|
Grams per liter Tartaric Acid addition |
pH |
TA (g/100 ml) |
|
1.5 |
3.87 |
0.75 |
|
2 |
3.80 |
0.77 |
|
2.5 |
3.73 |
0.81 |
Add 2 grams tartaric acid per liter wine.
(7.6 grams tartaric per gallon wine)
Adding
| 228 | g | per 30 gallons | |
| 114 | g | per 15 gallons | |
to 30 gallon and 15 gallon barrels with 2004 wine.
Also added 30ppm to 2005 wine (30 gallon barrel and stainless steel tank.
22 Jan 06 Sunday - Austin
Added 30ppm to 2004 and 2005 wines -- 3 barrels and stainless steel tank
29 Jan 06 Sunday - Austin
Bottled 30 gallon oak barrel. 149 bottles. Used pressure sensitive labels and heat shrink gun for first time. 1 hour for all bottling.
Step timing (thanks to Tommy):
Filling - 22.24 secs (each of two stations)
Corking - 4.64 secs
Capsules - 7.36 secs
Labeling - 36.12 secs (each of two stations - before paralleling multiple bottles per station)
TOTAL - 70.4 secs per bottle whole process.
Light body - some tanin. Good fruit.
The 15 gallon barrel has an off smell and was not bottled. No diagnosis yet.
Cleaned 30 gallon barrel just emptied and also 60 gallon barrel. Both filled with water and 100ppm SO2.
16 April 06 - Sunday - Austin
Added 30ppm SO2 to 30gallon barrel and stainless steel tank with 2005 wine. Added 100ppm SO2 to 60 gallon, 30 gallon and 15gallon barrels with water.
8 July 06 - Austin
Added 30ppm SO2 to 30gallon barrel and stainless steel tank with 2005 wine. Added "some" SO2 to 60 gallon, 30 gallon and 15gallon barrels with water.