01/14/2013 – Brew Day

Made a kit, WineExpert Vintner’s Reserve, Mezza Luna Red (see it here).

Since we don’t know how old the yeast was, replaced the yeast packet with a freshly bought one of the same brand and strain, Red Star Premier Cuvee.  Then made a starter, as follows:

Rehydrate yeast in a cup of water, 100-105 degrees F. After 4 hours, add 1/4 cup sterilized orange juice.  Three hours later, add another 1/4 cup juice.  Three hours later, add about 1/2 cup.  Went to see a movie, and the starter was ready when we got back.  (Note: After the first addition, transferred to an Erlenmeyer flask and put it on the stir plate.)  This made a huge starter for the wine, hopefully much better than using nothing but the active dry yeast by itself.

Dissolved a packet of bentonite (included in the kit) in the primary fermenter with 1 liter of hot spring water.  (Note: next time, pour just a few grains of bentonite at a time into the water and shake to make sure it doesn’t clump.)  Added the sterilized grape juice from the kit and topped up with more spring water to just shy of 6 gallons. Added the yeast starter.

O.G.: 1.102, 23.4% Brix

Fermenting at 72 degrees.

Shortly after loading into the temperature chamber, realized that I’d forgotten to add yeast nutrient.  So, added 6 tsp of Fermax to the carboy and agitated it a bit.  Hopefully, it will help.

01/31/2013 – Racked to Secondary

Approximately 8% Brix

Added 60 g – French Oak Chips

07/03/2013 – Degassed

Added Potassium metabisulphite and potassium sorbate to 0.5 cup cool spring water. Stirred in to the wine with a degassing whip on an electric drill.

Stirred in chitosan with a degassing whip.

F.G.: 0.992
ABV: 14.4%

Topped up with CO2 (instead of water)

08/31/2013 – Bottled

Vacuum racked to another carboy through a kinked tube to degas… very effective.

Added 50 ppm of potassium metabisulfite.

Bottle, corked (synthetic), and capsuled 27 bottles.