Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings Guide V2.0 Copyright © 2001, 2002 by Peter Brehm

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Brehm Vineyards’ Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings Guide v2.0 Copyright © 2001, 2002 by Peter Brehm. Not to be reprinted in any form. Introduction to approximately 5 cases of full- Bordeaux Grape Wine bodied, full-flavored Bordeaux style wine. This should be a wine Beginnings of ‘Chateau’ quality, capable of The grapes provided for your serious cellaring. Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings are a powerful mix of classic There are many ways to produce grape varietals, which will this style wine. The following is produce a rich, dark, fully a personal method based on scented wine. A blend of classic winemaking techniques Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet that has been proven over Franc and Merlot, the wine will decades. It is the way Peter be finished with medium toasted Brehm, our winemaker, wishes to French oak. Brehm Vineyards will guide you through guide you from the opening of the production of fine wine - it is your pails to bottling your wine. not the only way. This Bordeaux Grape Wine

Beginnings Guide, the Bordeaux The first two weeks of Grape Wine Beginnings Log, the winemaking requires you to grapes, yeast, malolactic devote fifteen minutes, at least culture, oak cubes and a twice a day, to tend to your convenient way to get all the fermenting grapes. You’ll also essential supplies are what we need a couple of hours to press have put together for you. the wine when it has finished

fermenting. After the first If you follow these instructions fifteen days, the winemaking and monitor your winemaking requires only monitoring (tasting progress in the included and smelling) and predictable Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings chunks of time. You should Log, you will produce smell and visually inspect your

wine every 5-14 days. Racking Production of ethanol by the the wine will require 1-2 hours yeast is a natural part of their and bottling will require 2-4 life cycle. However, it is not the hours. primary goal of the yeast to produce ethanol, but rather to Grape Fermentation produce energy carrying Grape fermentation refers to the molecules to be used in other transformation of grapes into biological reactions. It is the wine by the actions of yeast winemakers’ goal that yeast reproduction. Yeast are single consumes the sugar in the celled organisms that, under grapes and excretes alcohol. anaerobic conditions (oxygen- free environments), can use Winemakers endeavor to use sugar as a carbon source to yeast that match their future grow and divide. As the yeast wine’s desired style, alcohol reproduces, sugar is converted content, age, related enzymatic into alcohol. This process is activity and fermentation known as alcoholic fermentation. characteristics (fast, slow, In winemaking, alcoholic foamy, etc). The presence of fermentation by yeast is also alcohol in high concentrations known as the ‘Primary will actually impede yeast Fermentation’ or ‘Sugar growth and may eventually kill Fermentation.’ yeast.

As the yeast multiply, the sugar Brehm Vineyards has provided a in the grapes is first converted winemaking yeast, Lalvin’s into pyruvate. Through a series D254, for use with our Bordeaux of enzymatic reactions, Grape Wine Beginnings. pyruvate is converted to acetylaldehyde, releasing carbon This commercial yeast originated dioxide (CO2) and eventually from ‘natural’ syrah into ethanol (ethyl alcohol) as a fermentations in France. The by-product. yeast purveyor tells us “it was selected for its ability to

ferment in low nitrogen musts. clean and their fermentor sterile It is a low foaming yeast. It has prior to taking receipt of their an alcohol tolerance of up to grapes. This should be your 16%.” They say that in red wine, goal as well. this yeast strain develops ripe fruit, jam and cedar aromas Read through this together with mild spiciness. comprehensive guide and the They promise a big, mid-palate included Bordeaux Grape Wine mouth feel with intense fruit Beginnings Log so you will be concentration and a smooth prepared to make wine once you tannin, mild spicy finish. These receive your grapes. After folks are poets. receiving your grapes, you have In most cases, the sugar content approximately a 2-week period of the grapes in conjunction where you are tending to the with the use of proper fermenting wine daily. This is winemaking yeast will effectively not for a long period of time, convert all of the grape sugar but daily. A few hints to prepare into alcohol. Grape must or yourself for this endeavor: juice that is 24% sugar (or 24° brix / balling) will produce a wine - Make sure that you read of approximately 14% alcohol. through and understand this Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings Winemaking yeasts are usually Guide before you notify your not adversely affected by the supplier (or Brehm Vineyards) to alcohol concentration as a result ship you the grapes. of sugar fermentation in the presence of adequate nutrient - Read and familiarize yourself sources until about 15% alcohol; with the included Bordeaux some are happy at up to 17%. Grape Wine Beginnings Log.

- Purchase and receive the Winemaker Preparation necessary winemaking A good winemaker is ready for equipment. anything. Their equipment is

- Read and understand all the recommended that the sugar instructions that come with your fermentation take place in a equipment as well as reading the food grade plastic container of recommended book. at least 28-gallon capacity. The container must be covered, or - Familiarize yourself with the have a polyethylene sheet tied other books and articles posted down over it. Do not make this at Brehm Vineyards’ web site. cover airtight. We have found that -It is also recommended that Rubbermaid’s 28-gallon RuffTote you read the books listed in the container works very well for a Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings primary fermentor. Log as Optional Equipment. Sterilize Equipment Before, as well as during the Where To Ferment Your primary sugar fermentation, Grapes other biological organisms such The location you choose to as fungi, bacteria, and naturally ferment your grapes should be occurring wild yeast can, and temperate, around will, contaminate your wine and 70°F / 21°C, dry and free of any compete with your selected airborne contaminates. winemaking yeast for critical Anything that falls into your nutrients. These biological must can impart off flavors or infections can cause incomplete cause other problems with the sugar fermentation, create off wine. A wash down floor is a real flavors in the wine, as well as a plus. Make sure to keep your host of other winemaking winemaking environment as misfortunes. Therefore, it is very clean as possible important that your winemaking equipment be as sterile as To maximize temperature and possible before you begin to achieve the best marriage of the ferment. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc musts, it is

For Brehm Vineyards’ Bordeaux - After 15 minutes, safely Grape Wine Beginnings, you will dispose of the bleach solution. need to sterilize your fermentor This bleach solution can also be and other pieces of winemaking used to sterilize your other equipment so that you don’t equipment. contaminate your grapes. The most convenient method of Bleach is a highly basic solution sterilization is to use common (with a pH much greater than household bleach. The bleach 7). Simply rinsing your will kill any live contaminants as containers and equipment with well as dissolving dormant mold water will not be enough to and fungi spores. remove the bleach. To completely remove the bleach, Use the following method for an acid must neutralize the sterilizing your fermentor, bleach. If the bleach is not carboys and winemaking neutralized, a slick residue will equipment. remain (as well as the smell of bleach). DO NOT USE THE BLEACH SOLUTION ON YOUR PVC Follow these steps to neutralize TUBING! the bleach solution when rinsing your containers: - Fill your fermentor and carboys about 3/4 full with water and - Rinse containers thoroughly then add 2 fluid ounces of liquid with cold water. (non-scented) bleach to the water. Then fill your containers - Fill the containers 3/4 full to the top with water. This will with water and add 1/4 cup of thoroughly mix the bleach. Citric Acid crystals.

- Allow your containers to sit in - Fill the container to the top the bleach solution for at least with water. 15 minutes.

- Stir the citric acid solution carboys are thoroughly dry, you thoroughly so that all the can simply cover the mouth of crystals have dissolved. your carboy with some plastic wrap and use a rubber band to - Let sit about 5 minutes. secure the seal. Store until needed. - Pour out the acidulated water (you can pour this out directly, or use it to neutralize the bleach Receiving Your Grapes used on your other equipment). It has been our experience over the years that occasionally a pail - Rinse containers and of frozen grapes will slightly equipment thoroughly with implode during the defrosting water. cycle causing the pail to appear - Smell the containers and dented. There is nothing wrong equipment for bleach. with the pail or the grapes within; it is the natural Make sure you smell your consequence of the ice thawing. containers and equipment after However, you should not leave you have completed the rinsing these pails upside down. process. If you can smell bleach, repeat the rinsing Swollen pails, pails venting CO2, process with citric acid until you leaking pails (probably not cannot smell the bleach. When usable), and any other serious you are satisfied that your conditions as a result of the containers are clean, sterile and shipment of the grapes should free of residual bleach, place the be received from the transport containers upside down to allow agent “with exception” to the the containers and equipment to specific condition. You should drain and dry completely. write a detailed description of the condition and have the You won’t need the carboys driver, or agent write their until after the primary name, date, and recognition of fermentation is over. Once the the condition on the bill of

lading or air waybill BEFORE you Your goal is to thaw your grapes leave with the pails. Please quickly and evenly so that the notify your supplier, or Brehm grapes get to proper Vineyards immediately of the fermentation temperature as problem. soon as possible. Once you add your yeast and the primary sugar fermentation begins, the How to Thaw Your Grapes bubbling CO2 released as a by- Depending on the method used product of the sugar to alcohol to ship you the grapes for your fermentation acts as a natural Bordeaux Grape Wine barrier against bacteria, fungi or Beginnings, you will need to let molds. Take advantage of this the pails of grapes thaw for 1-4 CO2 barrier by keeping the days. It is important that you fermenting must always covered thaw your grapes in an while in an open fermentor, or environment at a constant always sealed with a temperature. You want to thaw fermentation airlock when in the grapes quickly and evenly. carboys. Room temperature, 70°F / 21°C, is ideal for thawing, as well as When you receive your grapes, for conducting the primary to determine the degree of sugar fermentation. thawing, take one of the pails by the handle and twist the pail in Under no circumstances should your hand. If you can hear and you let your grapes thaw slowly feel the must (crushed grapes) in a refrigerated environment. If sloshing around inside, they are you let the grapes thaw out well on their way to being slowly, you greatly increase your thawed. If you don’t hear chance of allowing a bacteria, anything, then the grapes are fungi or mold from taking hold still frozen solid inside. and contaminating your grape must. Take the lid off the pail and visually inspect the grapes. Remove and freezer burned or

moldy berries. After removing your hands are clean and then and bad berries, stir the must to go ahead and mix the grapes in promote thawing. After stirring, the bucket thoroughly. Stir the make sure to replace your lid to pails with your hand and arm. If prevent anything from falling the must is completely thawed, into your must. You will you will be able to move the continue to stir the grapes until entire must around. The they are fully thawed. temperature of the must might still be cold. Stirring the grape Each pail in Brehm Vineyards’ must will speed the thawing Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings process. is 5 U.S. gallons of de-stemmed and crushed grapes contained in Once your pails of grapes are a 6-gallon pail. There is roughly completely thawed, pour the one gallon of air space above contents of each pail into your the must. The air space, in fermentor. Make sure that you contact with moist grape skins, scrape out everything that is an ideal environment for mold remains in the pail, especially to take hold and begin to grow. the syrupy ‘stuff’ at the bottom By turning the pails over during (which is a combination of thawing, you help to prevent sugars and cream of tartar that mold from forming. The mixing settle on the bottom of the pail of the grapes will not allow a during the freezing / thawing single surface layer to remain in process). Add this to the contact with the air space for fermentor. Now mix the must very long. This decreases the together thoroughly. Cover chance of mold formation. your fermentor so that no contaminants can fall into the After a day or so of turning the must. The cover should not be pails over, go ahead and take air tight to allow the CO2 to leak the lids off the pails. Visually out. inspect the must. If you see any moldy or freezer burned berries, simply remove them. Make sure As an educational aside:

The freezing and thawing of juice (to a lesser degree in the Yeasts are able to ferment grape crushed grapes than juice) must at low temperatures, albeit efficiently separates and inefficiently. The natural yeast concentrates the principal present on the grapes will be components of the grapes. You greatly diminished with freezing. may recall that ice burgs are The survivors will start to made of ice without salt. As multiply once the juice is water freezes, sugars and acids thawed. The initial goal is to get are concentrated by density. the must to 70°F / 21°C within a Grape’s principal acid is few days from the date of ‘tartaric’, which decreases in shipping. You will add the solubility with a decrease in selected winemaking yeast temperature and/or an increase included with your Bordeaux in alcohol, producing cream of Grape Wine Beginnings at tarter. You can adjust the approximately amount of sugar and the 55°F / 12.8°C. amount of tartaric acid of almost any juice by freezing. With the help of the heat from the fermentation, your next goal Take Initial Readings is to raise the temperature of Now that your grapes have the fermenting must to 85°F / thawed and you have mixed the 30°C. From the date of yeast different varietals together to addition (Fermentation Day 1), make your blend, it is time to the must should reach its top take your first analysis of the temperature of 85°F / 30°C on wine. Fermentation Day 3 or 4 with a sugar reading of at least 12° Temperature: Record every 12 Brix. hours the temperature, date and time in your Bordeaux Grape Measure Sugar: Degrees Brix Wine Beginnings Log. You wish or Degrees Balling are identical to see a steady gain in the units for measuring the temperature of the must. percentage of sugar in your

grape must. Specific Gravity is and seeds. Slowly insert the another method for measuring Hydrometer. (You may want to sugar concentration in your insert the Hydrometer as you must. hold the container over your must. The hydrometer will Please review the displace some of the juice, which Brix/Balling/Specific Gravity at will spill out of the container. then end of your Grape Wine Simply let the juice fall back into Beginning Log. Degrees Brix and the fermentor.) Take the reading Balling will be used from the bottom of the interchangeably throughout this meniscus between the guide. hydrometer and the jar. Be sure to pour the juice back into the To take a sugar sample of your fermentor! must, you will want to fill your hydrometer container with clean Record the degrees brix in your juice. Avoid collecting seeds, Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings pulp and skins, which will give Log. The temperature of the you an incorrect reading. An juice has an effect on the easy way to get clean juice is to hydrometer reading, as does the cover the container with the alcohol content of the wine. palm of your hand and plunge it These conditions are minor for into the grape must. Skins and our purposes. pulp will tend to float to the top of the must, therefore get the Monitoring the degrees brix is opening of the hydrometer your fermentation speedometer. container below this level and It will show you where you are in move your hand slightly to allow the race to total conversion of the juice to fall into the sugar to alcohol. The race starts container. You will feel the air with a slow rate of sugar being pushed out of the consumed per hour. A cold hydrometer container. Once the environment really slows down hydrometer container is full with the start of fermentation. It is juice, raise it above the skins critical that the must be warmed

to at least 85°F / 30°C before to their grape must prior to the sugar consumption begins in fermentation or to the wine earnest. If it is too warm, the after fermentation. yeast can take the grape must from 18° brix to 8° brix in the The purpose of adding tartaric blink of an eye, or overnight at acid is two-fold. Acid addition least! will increase the total acidity of the grapes as well as lowering It is good to remember that you the pH. slow the fermentation with cold and accelerate the fermentation The grapes included with your with heat. Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings when blended, have a balanced After 8° brix, the alcohol total acidity. Therefore, it is not content in the fermenting must necessary to add any tartaric will begin to be toxic to the acid. yeast. The combination of increasing alcohol content and You can contact your equipment diminishing nutrients in the supplier to purchase a total fermenting must will cause the acidity testing kit. It is good fermentation rate to practice to learn to test your dramatically decrease. grape must, juice or wine for total acidity.

Total Acidity and Tartaric Acid Fermentation Temperature Total acidity in American wines, Temperatures are extremely is measured in grams of Tartaric important in winemaking. Acid per 100 ml. The acidity in Winemaking usually occurs in the wine is a major flavor the late summer or early fall component. Tartaric acid when ambient temperatures are adjustments are common in enough to warm grape musts to home winemaking. The home proper fermentation wine maker can add tartaric acid temperatures. You want your

grape skins cap to reach a temperature of the room to at temperature of 85°F / 30°C least within 3 or 4 days of adding the 70°F / 21°C. yeast. This is the optimal temperature for extracting the most color and phenolic Make A Yeast Starter structure from the grape skins. Lalvin’s D254 yeast provided with your Bordeaux Grape Wine Take an initial temperature Beginnings has been freeze- reading of your grape must. If it dried. You can simply sprinkle is soon after thawing, the must the freeze-dried yeast onto your might be too cool to add yeast. grape must and fermentation You’ll want to get the must up will eventually begin. This is a to a temperature of at least 55- quick and dirty method and not 60°F / 12.8-15°C before adding very efficient. the winemaking yeast. Make sure to keep stirring the must, A better way to add the yeast at least 4 or 5 times a day to your must is to make a Yeast before you add the yeast. This Starter. The yeast starter is a helps to equalize the way to wake up the yeast and temperature in the must as well build up a large, active as prevent mold formation. population of healthy yeast. Adding a good starter to your Alcoholic, yeast fermentation is grape must will more efficiently, an exothermic reaction which and quickly, ferment the sugar. will only slightly increases the temperature of the must, so you Since the yeast is freeze-dried, may need to help your must it must first be re-hydrated reach this temperature. Many before the yeast can be used. winemakers will cover their Take 1 cup of water at fermentor with an electric 100°F / 38°C and add the yeast blanket or set a space heater to it. Do not mix the yeast, nearby to help raise the simply pour the yeast over the water and let it sit for 20

minutes. Be sure to use a large them healthy while fermenting bowl to hydrate the yeast the sugar in your grape must. because the yeast will foam. Read the instructions provided In the meantime, take a with your yeast nutrient and add sterilized ladle or cup and take the recommended amount to about 250 ml of the juice from your yeast starter and to the the grape must (avoid skins, grape must in your fermentor. pulp or seeds) and pour this Mix well. juice into a sterilized wine bottle. If your grape must is not at the proper temperature, you can After letting the yeast re- continue to feed your yeast hydrate for 20 minutes, pour starter by adding more juice. the yeast into the bottle with This will create a bigger starter. the grape juice. Put a cotton Make sure you continue to feed plug into the bottle and let the the starter if you do not add it starter sit in a warm location for to your juice within 24 hours. a few hours to overnight. (If you let the starter sit longer than a day, your will need to add Add The Yeast Starter more juice to the bottle to feed Once your grape must has the yeast.) reached the proper temperature and you have a good yeast starter prepared, it is time to Add Yeast Nutrient begin the sugar fermentation by A yeast nutrient is to be adding the yeast starter to the purchased as part of the must. Before you add the yeast Essential Equipment for your starter, record the following in Bordeaux Grape Wine your Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings. The yeast nutrient Beginnings Log: gives your proliferating yeast vitamins and minerals to keep - Temperature of grape must

- Degrees brix of grape must Cover your must and let it sit It is also a good time to record for a few hours to overnight. any sensory perceptions you After this acclimation period, have about the grape must wash your hands and arms including taste and smell. Use again, and plunge your hand the space provided in your down into the must. Stir the Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings must around completely. Log to do so. Record the Temperature and Once you have updated your Degrees Brix reading again, in records, and have made sure your Bordeaux Grape Wine your hands are clean, add your Beginnings Log. yeast starter to the grape must. Use your hand to make an indentation in the grape must, Keep Must At Proper exposing the juice below the Fermentation Temperature floating skins. You want to Red wine grapes should be move aside any floating skins or fermented at a warm seeds to allow the yeast direct temperature. To do this, folks access to the juice. Slowly pour usually keep the environment the yeast starter into this around the fermentor warm. indentation. There are many ways to keep the environment warm from Do not mix the yeast into the using space heaters to wrapping must just yet. Allow the yeast the fermentor in blanket or to acclimate to its new towel. Rigid foam insulation has environment (which will most also been constructed around likely be a different fermentors. temperature). If you mix the yeast around right away, you If you find your must getting run the risk of shocking the too hot, above 95°F / 35°C, you yeast and lowering the yeast need to cool it down. Place population. towels tightly around fermentor

with their ends in a cool water must. This is known as the bath. Direct a fan at the wet wine’s “cap.” towels so it creates an evaporative cooling affect on CO2 is heavier than air and can the fermentor. settle into low places where it will remain undisturbed. This You can also fill a clean, means that a CO2 layer will cover stoppered glass jug with ice your fermenting must and water and plunge this into the basically sit below the cover of must to cool the must from the your fermentor. inside. Do not let your must go over 95°F / 35°C. When you lift off the cover of your fermentor, make sure to fan this CO2 layer away before Punch Down The Cap Often you smell your grape must. Within 48 hours of adding your Otherwise, you will take in a yeast starter, you will begin to deep breath of CO2. In home see the signs of active winemaking, carbon dioxide fermentation. In an anaerobic production is quite minimal, environment, yeast use sugar as however, it was once common their primary carbon source for for one, often two men to die growth and replication. The each harvest from CO2 conversion of sugar into ethyl suffocation during the alcohol releases carbon dioxide production of California wines (CO2) in the process. As the from hidden CO2 in large yeast proliferate, more and more fermentation vessels. CO2 is released. This CO2 gas will rise through the grape must The more active the yeast, the until it reaches the surface and quicker the cap forms. Except escapes. for Alicante Bouchet, the juice of red wine grapes is actually As the CO2 rises, it will bring to white. The red color comes from the top the skins and pulp of the the grape skins. To extract the most color and flavor from the

skins, you must punch this cap mix the juice and skins back down into the fermenting thoroughly. wine. The grape skins must be kept in contact with the juice for Ideally, the temperature of the maximum extraction. You should cap and the mixed must will be punch down this cap at least 2 within 5°F / to 4 times a day for the first 4 1-3°C of each other. The to 6 days of the active temperature of the cap should fermentation. reach between 83-90°F / 29- Each time you check your 32°C. fermenting must, it is extremely important that you monitor the temperature, both in the cap Measuring the progress of and in the juice. You want your the yeast wine to ferment within a narrow By recording the degrees brix or temperature range. If the balling of the fermenting must temperature gets too cool at least once a day, you will be (below 85°F / 31°C) the yeast able to track the progress of the will grow slowly and the yeast. As the fermentation extraction of flavor and color progresses, there will be less components will be minimal. If and less sugar available. The the temperature gets too hot degrees brix will be lower each (above 95°F / 35°C) the yeast day. Try to take the brix could be killed and off flavors measurement at the same time could result. each day. This way, you can After taking the cap chart sugar consumption as temperature, punch the cap actual data points. For example, down into the juice and mix measure the sugar level every everything together thoroughly. morning when you punch the Since heat rises, the juice at the cap down for the first time that bottom of your fermentor may day. be at a much lower temperature Use the Fermentation Log Chart than that at the top of the in your Bordeaux Grape Wine fermentor. Therefore you must

Beginnings Log to record he way to monitor the health of the progress of your fermentation. wine as it ages.

Know Your Wine When To Press The Wine It is essential that you become You want to keep the wine on one with your wine throughout the skins for as long as the the winemaking process. Even primary, sugar fermentation is though the wine can’t talk, it will vigorous. The yeast will be able to communicate with continue to work as long as their you in many other ways. sugar fuel source is available. Since there is a finite amount of - Smell your wine. From start to sugar in the grape must, once finish, you must smell your wine. this sugar is used up, the yeast Fruit and alcohol and other will die and the sugar natural grape and wine smells fermentation is over. The sugar will be apparent. fermentation may take as long as a few weeks or as little as a Also apparent is the presence of couple of days to completely Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). H2S finish. Due to a lack of nutrients smells like rotten eggs or sulfur and sugar, the yeast growth will and can be perceived at the be slower near the end of sugar level of a few molecules per fermentation. With this slower million. By smelling your wine, yeast growth, less CO2 and heat you can take action early to are produced. Thus, a good prevent problems later. indication when the primary sugar fermentation is near - Taste your wine. Taste is the completion is when the cap ultimate gauge. As the must weakens and the temperature of ferments, you will be able to the must decreases. notice that the sweet taste of the sugar will subside as the Each day as you punch down fermentation progresses. your cap, you will be able to Tasting your wine is a critical gauge the strength of the cap.

The formation of the cap and the CO2 visibly bubbling through As an educational aside: the must are clear signs of a vigorous fermentation. Four or The extraction of phenolics, five days into the fermentation color, etc, happens initially from process, you will notice that the heat and alcohol exposure with cap is not quite as tough to the skins - the first four days. push down and the amount of From then on there is an bubbling CO2 will slow. exchange of phenolics. The Eventually, the cap will fall in on major accumulation that itself due to lack of CO2 being proceeds is the alcoholic produced. At this stage, the extraction of the seeds. Long amount of sugar available for skin contact, as well as seed fermenting is quite low. Other contact, creates very phenolic nutrients necessary for the wine. Strong black tea, left on yeast growth are also in limited the leaves is phenolic. In grape supply. wine, especially Bordeaux style Ideally, you want to press your wines, you can create long wine under one or some of the chains of phenols by extended following conditions: skin and seed contact. These long chains of phenols will not fit - after 4 days of active in our taste receptors - you can fermentation only taste what gets in. This is (By this time the entire pigment an advanced technique often coloring has absorbed into the used for the top line Bordeaux juice. Further skin contact style wines. The wine tastes less actually causes a reduction in bitter, because it is very bitter! color.) If only life could be so.

- the must is at 2° to 3° brix/balling Time To Press Using the Fermentation Log - at the point when the tannins Chart in your Bordeaux Grape soften

Wine Beginnings Log, predict - Place the drained skins into the when the must will reach press cage (which you rented or 2-3° brix. Plan your pressing for purchased) or into cheesecloth this day. If pressing is delayed (within another clean pail). and fermentation is just about over, place a 4-millimeter (or - Using the colander to thicker) poly sheeting right on filter/hold out solids within the top of the cap. You will need to fermentor, you can siphon or hold this poly sheeting down pump free run juice from within over the grape must. You can the colander directly into use clean sand, or marbles or carboys. even distilled water for holding down the sheeting. The yield from the grape must will vary. Smaller berries = more The idea is to simply eliminate extract = less wine. The any airspace above the level of Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings your must. Put your standard is a low yielder. Your yield will fermentor cover over this poly be about 12-13 gallons. sheeting. The best, and easiest way to Pressing Hints: press the wine off the skins is to rent a wine press from your local - Let grapes/wine sit home winemaking shop. This undisturbed for 12 hours before way you will be able to maximize pressing, allowing the cap to your winemaking yield and have form. the right tool for the job. Use the press to squeeze all of - Using a plastic or stainless the wine out of the skins and steel colander, scoop off the pulp. You cannot press the grape skin cap, removing most skins too hard. of the floating skins and pulp in your wine. It should be pointed out that there is still some good character left in the pressed

skins. It is a tradition in Italy and air space between the wine and France to have these skins re- the rubber stopper/airlock. fermented with water and sugar. This ‘wine’ is then distilled into Save any excess wine in a 3-liter what is known as Grappa. How jug (with an airlock) so that you good it can be. can top up your wine after the Gross Lees Racking. Be sure to Winemakers in far away places check the carboys the day after will add 1/2 the amount of wine pressing. Sometimes the wine achieved from the grapes back expands, and vigorous foaming to the grapes in the form of may knock off fermentation water (preferably distilled), with locks. sugar to bring the pressed must to about 24° brix, tartaric acid to bring the TA to about 0.75 and yeast nutrient. Fermented, this is called a second wine. First Racking: Gross Lees Racking Winemaking After Pressing Within a few hours after Siphon the free run wine, and pressing, you will notice that the wine you squeeze out of the sediment begins to form at the grape skins into your carboys. If bottom of your carboys. This is the wine is still fermenting, fill dead yeast cells or lees along the carboys up to their with grape particles that shoulders. You want the precipitate or fall to the bottom carboys to be as full as possible of the carboy. After a week to without the wine getting into two weeks of settling, you will the fermentation lock. If, or need to rack your wine if you when the sugar fermentation is have more than one inch of complete, make sure the sediment. carboys are filled all the way up to the neck; leave 1/2 inch of Racking entails siphoning or pumping the wine off the

sediment into a sterile carboy. Wine’s Coming of Age Make sure not to splash the wine The birth of the wine begins or cause it to bubble. Allowing with the first yeast chewing on a too much oxygen to be exposed hunk of fructose. The coming of to your wine can cause it to age, the confirmation, the oxidize prematurely. barmitzvah of wine is when it consumes its sweet nature and After you transfer the wine, you adorns the protection of an may notice that your final alcoholic shield. This shield is carboy / container is not quite effective in warding off completely filled. It is extremely infection, as long as it is not important to minimize the air exposed to excessive oxygen contact with your wine. Take (air). Prior to and during your extra wine that you kept in fermentation, the juice (the the 3 liter jug and use this to must) was protected from top up your carboy. If you find oxygen (oxidation). Yeast are that you do not have enough extremely effective in wine to top up the carboys, then scavenging oxygen from their you must use a dry commercial environment, all the more so if wine, or some distilled water to fermenting without exposure to top up the wine. You can also oxygen. The CO2 produced by add sterilized glass beads or the yeast blankets the wine marbles to displace the wine in from the air, a good reason for your carboy, which will minimize covers and airlocks. When there air contact. is no feeding yeast, the oxygen is absorbed into the wine during Record the smells and taste of racking, topping, bottling, etc the wine after the Gross Lees and oxidizes the color and Racking in your Bordeaux Grape phenols in the wine. We all must Wine Beginnings Log. oxidize, and so must our wine. A critical winemaking task is to control the wine’s oxidation.

There are many traditions and corks have very little in the way rituals evolved over centuries of redeeming value. that allow oxidation of the wine in a controlled way. Everyone You need to be careful in learned early that bigger was introducing air to your wine. better for less oxidation. Limit Sometimes it may need some air the surface area of wine but as a policy: exposed to the air and you cut down on oxidation. This holds - Do not splash wine in racking. true for containers, and in Keep the racking hose under the particular with hoses. The wine. surface area of a 2-inch hose (small for a winery) compared to - Maintain wine into the neck of a 3/8 inch hose is staggering. all carboys to minimize surface Small-scale winemaking is area. If need be, it is better to extremely difficult due to the add a dry commercial wine or wine’s excessive exposure to distilled water to top up the oxygen. carboy. You can also add sterilized glass beads or marbles I have heard that the optimum to displace the wine, eliminating level of oxygen pickup for red the airspace. wines is from 60 to 130 mg per liter during their life. Winery - Keep fermentation locks filled size operations have shown with clean, sulfite solution, well oxygen pickup of 20 mg per liter sealed. from topping up barrels and 20 mg when racking wine. There is - Maintain, after malolactic little oxygen transfer through fermentation, approximately 20- oak barrel staves and hardly any 25 parts per million free Sulfur (measured at 0.1 mg / liter for Dioxide (SO2) in the wine. lifetime of wine) for corks. Barrels do seem to allow the Potassium metabisulfite is the permeation of certain gases, but chemical used to add SO2 to the wine. It is the chemical of choice

in combating oxidation and a Record the percentage of host of other wine maladies. Residual Sugar in your Bordeaux See pH & SO2 Additions for Grape Wine Beginnings Log. more information. Wait until you measure less than 0.3% residual sugar before you Residual Sugar Test add your malolactic culture to The wine’s sugar fermentation induce a malolactic activity will gradually slow to a fermentation. stop. Using your hydrometer, the wine should measure a 0° or less on the brix / balling scale. Induce A Malolactic This does not mean that the Fermentation sugar fermentation is complete. If your wine measures 0.3% Residual sugar may remain. A residual sugar, it is time to hydrometer is simply not induce a Malolactic Fermentation accurate enough to measure the (MLF). This is also known as the small amount of sugar left in the secondary fermentation in wine. Wine is not considered winemaking. It is considered ‘stable’ until it is 0.2% or less fermentation because CO2 is residual sugar. There is not a released in the chemical process. risk of sugar-related bacterial Lactic acid bacteria use the degradation or the wine starting malic acid in the wine as an to re-ferment at 0.2% or less. energy source converting the Once all signs of CO2 production malic acid into lactic acid and has ceased, use the Dextro- CO2. Lactic acid is perceived to Check Kit to perform the be softer and milder when Residual Sugar test. Use a 10- compared to malic acid in drop (0.5 ml) sample of the tasting wine. wine to determine how much residual sugar is remaining in the The malolactic culture provided wine. with your Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings is enough for 60- gallons of wine. If the residual

sugar of the wine is less than formed during sugar 0.3% and the wine temperature fermentation tend to be larger is about 70°F / 18°C, distribute than the pinpoint sized 1/8 of the package of the malolactic fermentation bubbles. malolactic powder for each 5- gallons of wine. Then put the air This ‘secondary’ fermentation is locks back on your containers. as natural as gray hair. You Save the remaining bacteria in should count on it happening the packet for future wines. even if you didn’t add the Store, well sealed, in the freezer. bacteria. It is not an event you It should last for about a year have the option to ignore. Once without losing its activity. the wine reaches about 70°F / 21°C, malolactic fermentation is At this point, your wine will be almost spontaneous in the wine finishing up (or have finished) its due to naturally occurring lactic primary sugar fermentation. acid bacteria. Keep the wine in a warm environment. The malolactic Malolactic fermentation can be culture is most active at inhibited by temperature, SO2, temperatures between alcohol content of the wine, 65-75°F / 18-22°C. Below or clarity of the wine, isolation above these temperatures can from the malolactic bugs retard the malolactic (filtration), or by the addition of fermentation. You must keep Lysozyme. the temperature in your winemaking environment constant. Oak Flavoring The customs in the world of After adding the malolactic wine die hard. Containers of old bacteria and storing the wine for often imparted flavors into the a few days at proper wines. The pitch-coated clay temperature, take a look at the amphorae of the Mediterranean bubbles forming along the edges basin imparted their resin flavor of the carboy. The CO2 bubbles

to the wine, a custom still being flavor of the wine. Over time, inflicted on some Greek wine. the oak will settle to the bottom of the carboy. Oak certainly is more than a container, it is a component of At the same time you add your the wine which imparts flavor malolactic culture to your wine, and aromatics. Bordeaux style go ahead and proportionately wines combine well with oak. distribute the oak pieces provided into the carboys. The smallest oak barrel Record in your Bordeaux Grape recommended for oak aging Wine Beginnings Log the date would be 30-gallons, you add the oak to your wine. 15-gallons is the absolute minimum. Even though 5 and Monitor and record the oak 10-gallon oak barrels do exist, it complexity by tasting your wine is not recommended that you every couple of weeks. purchase one for aging your wine. Resist the temptation. Wine Stability With small volumes of wine, we If any residual sugar is left in recommend using oak cubes or wine that has been bottled, it is pieces of oak for adding oak possible that this sugar can be complexity to your wine. The fermented in the bottle by oak should be air dried for at surviving yeast. This will cause least 18 months and ideally for the bottle to spoil, retain 24 months. Only the heartwood dissolved carbon dioxide or even is acceptable. The oak should explode. Malic acid in the wine be toasted from a light to heavy can produce similar effects. char. Medium plus toasting is Naturally occurring lactic acid the average. The larger the bacteria can make it into your wood pieces, the longer the bottled wine and create a extraction period. The depth of malolactic fermentation. Thus, wood adds complication to the to have a truly stable wine, all aromas, mouth feel and overall the sugar must be fermented

and malic acid must be fermentation is complete by this converted. Only at this point is method. Once you do not see a wine considered stable enough any bubbles evolving from the for bottling. wine (storing it at 65-75°F / 18- 22°C during this time), this is a At this point in the winemaking, good indication that the you have tested the wine for malolactic fermentation is residual sugar and it is at or complete. At this point, you below 0.2%. You do not know if need to send a sample of the the malolactic fermentation is wine for testing. complete. To test for malolactic fermentation, you will need to send a sample to a Send a sample to a wine lab laboratory for testing. Contact a wine-testing laboratory for instructions on Malolactic fermentation can take how to send a sample. A list of weeks to months to complete. testing laboratories can be The best way to monitor the found at the end of your progress is to simply look Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings closely at the wine in the Log. carboy. You will be able to see the tiny bubbles of CO2 rising to You will want to have them test the top. Sometimes you may for Malic Acid Conversion by an even see your airlock jump or enzymatic method. This will tell bubble when the CO2 builds up. you if your malolactic As the malolactic fermentation fermentation is complete. nears completion, the rate of If the wine testing laboratory the CO2 bubbling will slow down. confirms that the malolactic fermentation is complete, have You can monitor the malolactic them test the pH of the wine. fermentation by paper chromatography methods. Brehm Vineyards has designed Unfortunately you cannot the Bordeaux Grape Wine determine when the malolactic Beginnings to create a blend of

grapes whose individual Total Acidity and pH characteristics mix together The balance between acids and making a good winemaking bases is a hypothetical starting point. measurement that quantifies the way elements are, and helps us Some of the wine’s other predict the future. The pH of important components are the the wine affects the amount of pH, total acidity, and the malic free SO2 that is available to the acid concentration. These tests wine. The actual amount of SO2 can be difficult to impossible to to add to a wine can only be perform at home and always determined once the pH of the include a large investment in wine is known. The pH of a wine equipment. can change dramatically between harvest and the end of It is for this reason that we fermentation. Often potassium encourage you to begin a will be released into the wine relationship with a wine-testing from the skins causing a laboratory. Brehm Vineyards dramatic rise in pH. The cold knows the average sugar, pH, maceration of the skins prior, total acidity, etc. of the during, and after freezing will vineyard a day or two before raise the pH of the grapes from harvest. Samples are taken at their pre-harvest readings. The harvest. Your pails of grapes will alcohol will lower the tartaric have labels reflecting these acid content, as does the averages. In white juice they are freezing. After the sugar quite accurate. Hand harvested, fermentation is complete, it is a black grapes are averages only. good time to check out where Each pail will be different; the the wine stands. more pails used, the closer the average. You are usually safe by The probability of a successful following the labels instructions and complete malolactic for the sugar fermentation. fermentation is dependent on many things, most notably on the wine’s pH. Temperature, SO2

content, nutrient availability, the Tartaric acid has the nasty habit malolactic culture’s of precipitating cream of tartar characteristics as well as the after addition to the wine. In alcohol percentage of the wine your future wines, if it is are all considerations. If the pH necessary to add more tartaric of the wine is less than 3.20, acid, make sure to add it at malolactic fermentation least 6 weeks before bottling. becomes more difficult. As the Holding the wine at 35-40°F / pH decreases, special cultures 1.7-4.5°C two weeks before may be required. Malolactic bottling will help settle out bacteria are inhibited by wine cream of tartar, lessening with over 14.5% alcohol. At deposits in the finished bottles. 15% only special cultures will This is called cold stabilization. work reliably. Temperatures below 65°F / 18°C will inhibit malolactic fermentation. Free Subsequent racking and / or combined SO2 inhibits Unless you filter your wine, you malolactic fermentation. will always have microscopically small particles of grapes in your With deeply colored wines, the wine. These particles, if denser Total Acidity (TA in the United than the wine, will fall to the States is measured in grams of bottom as sediment. The more tartaric acid per 100 milliliters) you rack your wine, the more becomes difficult to determine. particles you are able to remove Wines with acidity above 0.75 from the wine. However, you TA usually will benefit from a always lose some wine when you malolactic fermentation; below rack. Racking is part of the 0.55 TA, the wine will probably oxidation of the wine. Burgundy benefit from the addition of style wines are hardly racked, tartaric or citric acid. whereas commercial Bordeaux style wines are often splashed Citric acid is only added after when racked to increase malolactic fermentation; tartaric oxidation of the wine. acid may be added at any time.

Ideally, you will have 3 rackings in winemaking. There are many of the wine after you press: methods for adding SO2 to your wine and many different theories - The first racking is a few days for when to add SO2. Brehm to a couple of weeks after Vineyards feels that as long as pressing. This is the Gross Lees the wine is active, either Racking. It is desirable to bring undergoing the primary sugar over a small amount of the fermentation or the secondary sediment - no more than 1/8 malolactic fermentation, the inch. This sediment will help the addition of SO2 is not necessary malolactic fermentation. with fruit in good condition.

- The second racking is There are some conditions that approximately 6 weeks prior to require an addition of SO2 at bottling the wine. The wine at harvest. The fruit provided for this point should be stable your Bordeaux Grape Wine (malolactic and sugar Beginnings was harvested clean fermentation completed), SO2 and will hold up without SO2 has been added and the wine addition, under conscientious exposed to the oak. The oak winemaking care, until after the should be in contact with the malic acid reduction, or wine for at least 60 days, 90 malolactic fermentation, is days is better. Any off smells or complete. fining may require another racking. Upon receipt of the laboratory results of your wine sample, - The third and final racking will record these results in your be approximately 2 weeks Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings before you bottle your wine. Log.

The pH of the wine, after pH & SO2 Additions completion of malolactic Sulfur Dioxide, SO2, is a gas fermentation, will be the guide in which is used as a preservative determining how much SO2 is

necessary to properly preserve wine. Too much tannin can your wine. We use Potassium make the wine undrinkable; the Metabisulfite to add SO2 to tannin is too aggressive. These wine. are the tannins that enter and Read the tenths and hundredths fill up your taste receptors. position of your pH reading and Tannin comes from the skins this will tell you the amount of and seeds of grapes. Grapes potassium metabisulfite, in parts such as Cabernet Sauvignon, per million to add to your wine. Syrah and Zinfandel are usually If the pH is 3.78 you should add high in tannin. Tannin is also 78 parts per million SO2 to the what allows a wine to age. The wine. If the pH is 3.45, add 45 astringency does subside over parts per million SO2 to time. Many Cabernets are not effectively protect the wine. ready to drink for a minimum of 5 years after bottling to allow an Refer to the Potassium oxidation of some of the Metabisulfite Addition Chart in phenols. your Bordeaux Grape Wine Beginnings Log for instructions To reduce tannins, you can let on making a solution of SO2 for the wine age or you can fine the easy addition to your wine. wine. Fining refers to the addition of an ingredient that - You must add SO2 as soon as assists the wine in clarification the malolactic fermentation is or modification of taste, smell complete. and appearance.

- Add SO2 into containers from With Bordeaux style wines, which you will bottle. reducing the amount of tannins is fairly common. A traditional method of fining a red wine is to Fining The Wine first get a freshly laid chicken Tannin is perceived as a drying egg (store bought will do). effect on the tongue and sides Discard the yolk. Take about a of your mouth when tasting 1/2-tablespoon of the white of

the egg (for 5 gallons of wine) and whisk with water and a dash of salt. Do not froth. Thoroughly Bottling the Wine mix this egg white mixture into The wine is now stable. It has the wine. undergone a complete sugar fermentation and has had a Note: If you are allergic to egg complete reduction in malic acid. whites, please contact your We have maintained a free SO2 home winemaking equipment presence in the wine to inhibit supplier for alternative fining oxidation. The wine should be methods. young and aggressive, but pleasant without any off smells The albumin in the egg white will or flavors. bind to free tannin and eventually the complex molecule After your last racking, the wine will precipitate to the bottom of is finally prepared for bottling. the carboy. Let your wine settle Any fining or cloudy wine should for at least three weeks before be racked at least once before racking. this final racking. You wish the wine to have sufficient SO2 If you do find that the tannin in when entering the bottle. your wine is too aggressive, you Add the final amount of SO2 to might wish to fine it. Fine one the bottom of the carboy from of your two carboys first so that which you will bottle. This you have a point of reference. amount of SO2 is based on the After tasting the fined wine, you pH of the wine. This should be may wish to fine your second the same amount you added carboy. Be sure to first take an after you received confirmation equal sample of the fined wine, that malolactic fermentation was and the un-fined wine and taste complete. Rack without this mixture. The reduction in splashing the wine. Set the tannins from half of your total carboy(s) on a bench or shelf volume of wine might be the from which you can siphon the right amount. wine.

like this wine, does not need to I recommend beer, wine, soda or be blanketed. champagne bottles that can receive a crown cap for bottling. If you decide to use corks and Bottle caps are extremely cost rent or buy a corker, make sure effective. Corks cost a lot of to get an irised floor model: money and offer an inferior seal when compared to crown caps. - Don’t soak your corks before You need to spend at least bottling. Use #9 corks with a $60.00 on a corker to get one light paraffin coating of good that really works. The most quality at least 1-1/2 inches recent corks I bought were over long. 20¢ each. I do not want to project an - Allow the corked bottles to image of a ‘Wacko’. I use corks stand upright for three days in my wine bottles because I do before putting them on their not want to distract the sides or upside down. recipient from tasting the grapes. Here you are paying me Age the bottled wine for about for my best thoughts. For use 5 months in cool, constant in your home, for the best seal temperature, and then give one available, bottle with crown a try. This wine will start caps. The wine will age with becoming enjoyable in 18 to 24 crown caps equally as well if the months. bottle were corked. Smaller bottles age faster than large. Be careful in filling the bottles. Some folks will blanket the wine Good Winemaking! Peter (fill the bottle) with CO2 or Brehm nitrogen before filling. The CO2 will give the wine a slight spritz, especially if bottled cool. Nitrogen or argon are the best gases to use. A full-bodied red,