How long do i let Cabernet grapes sit before the first pressing?!
Some books say 24days. I am not sure and the wine right now is almost a white wine at the bottom of the SPG testing tube
Answers: They are boiling still but had a bad batch and am afraid of developing a bad bacteria (yes we double sanitized before adding yeast)
Some books say 24days. I am not sure and the wine right now is almost a white wine at the bottom of the SPG testing tube
I usually add a little sulfite to the must after crush to protect against bacteria, but not very much or you will not be able to get ML fermentation going (if you are not going to do a ML, you can add a little more sulfite at crush).
Still, your sulfite only works for so long before it combines with oxygen and doesn't protect from bacteria.
The longer you can keep the must in contact with skins, the more colour and flavour you can extract from the skins. I usually press around day 7 to 9 with most reds, but for higher quality fruit, I sometimes try to push for 14 days or so. I would go longer if I had a way to protect the must better. Like the ability to blanket with CO2 or something. But I have had some volatile acidity in bathces before, and it has been enough to scare me off more than 14 days...
BOILING!!!!!!!
What are you trying to do!
If you are making (or trying to) a "regular" red wine you would NEVER boil your must.
You simply crush them and let liquid sit with the skins...the more tanic and red you want your wine to be the longer the liquid must stay in contact with the skins.....so it is a question of balance....the acidity, sweetness and tanin content of your grapes ...