Grappa Question

OK, I did a search or two and it seems I'm full of it! Grappa is distilled. So what did I see that used the pressed grapes sugar and water and isn't distilled? Does anyone know, I have to know by tomorrow at the latest or I'll have to chuck out my pail of skins :o(

Grapa is distilled spirits

What you could do with the pulp is add water and sugar and make some more wine. While it's not as good it's better then nothing. What I plan to do is add a bucket of grape juice to the pulp add some sugar and some water and make some more wine.

Louise,

I don't know what you're trying to make, but just throw the skins in some baggies and toss them in your freezer - you can just defrost them once you know what you want to do with them. I've done that before and added them when fermenting a similar kit wine with good results - a much better wine than I'd have gotten from the kit otherwise.

Ed

So how much water do I add to the pulp. I have about 28 liters of skins. I know I should add sugar to 22-23 brix but the water ratio is a mystery...

Try here

Louise - When I crush grapes the must contains about 2/3 juice and 1/3 skins and seeds (stems already removed). When I make a white wine I just run off the free-run juice for fermentation. A red wine is fermented on the skins. You don't say which type skins you are working with and it will make a difference. For a second wine I would make up 22 brix sugar water in an amount close to the volume of wine you are shooting for. Then add the skins so the proportion is 1/3 to 1/2 skins. For a second white wine I would cold soak this mixture with SO2 and pectic enzyme added (if not added earlier) for a day or two. Run off the liquid and ferment. For a second red wine I would add yeast and ferment as soon as you mix the skins and sugar water. Treat this wine just like a regular red wine.

BTW, I always thought Grappa was made from the stems.

I found it!!

Hi Bill, I'm using pulp from a red wine. Pressed yesterday after 8 days on the skins. So I did what you said, brought it up to 22 brix but this is before I read your post so the water grape proportion isn't the same as you mentioned. I had 5 cases of grapes (180 lbs) so I just chucked them all together in a large fermenter added water to about 3" above the pulp, added my sugar, checked PH and whatnot so now I have about 32 litres of whatever you call this.

I've seen that referred to as "grappa" before - but it really isn't. It's a second-run wine.

Grappa is white brandy. It may be produced by heating red wine pomace and collecting the vapors in a condenser, but I'm sure the big producers simply distill the wine.

Tom S

Grappa is the distillation of second run wine. Since this in "not legal" in the US freeze distillation could be substituted. Add sugar and water to the pomace at the rate to provide a SG of 1100. Ferment as for the first run. After fermentation is complete, freeze the wine using pratical size containers. I use a wide mouth one gallon jar. When defrosting only retain the first run juice. It will have a higher alcohol content. This juice should be about 25-30%. Repeat the process should you want a higher value.

Sal Coco Kansas City Kansas USA

I have tired wine made that way. (I have not made it myself.) From my observasions the wines were not very good. Not much body, pour vinuosity, a low quality rose. You probably should make it the normal way the first time so you get your own impression but if I were doing it I would add grape juice (probably frozen) to build it back up.

Ray

Technically, freeze distilling is also illegal but I doubt the BATF will be knocking on your door.

Patrick

I probably won't do that anyways, I'll settle for second run wine. My brother in-law who is from the Bordeaux region of France says everyone over there (who owns a Vineyard) drinks this, he says they call it "piquette". Not the best stuff but fine to give to my son who's a wine mooch! :oP

All the old Italian-American guys, my dad included, from whom I originally learned to make wine, always made a second run wine. They called it "acqua", I think, for "water". But they aways used Alicante grapes, which, as I understand it, is one of the few red grapes with pigment in the skin and pulp. So even after pressing, there is a heck of a lot of pigment left. But that's about it. Over the years I've tried to make "acqua" with Cab Sav, Zin, you name it, and it's never been work the effort. My Dad likes it, though. Go figure.

But I'd still like a recipe for grappa, the orignal question in this thread. Anybody have one? I know it's distilling the pomace, but how? Even after a light pressing, how much alcohol would be given off? It would probably scorch first. Do grappa manufacturers add a little water/sugar to it? Of course, since this involves distillation, my question is just an "intellectual exercise". ; - )

Bob, See Sal's post. That is my understanding too. Joe

Close. The word acqua means water in Italian. The word for this second-run wine is "acquara" or as many would pronounce this in the Italian dialect "acquar."

In fact, I used to help my father make this. I remember him saying in his dialect, "facimm ne po d'acquar" which meant "let's make a little bit of second-run wine."

The old Italians were very frugal and would make this as the cheap man's wine. It was not very good, but it was not very bad either.