Sterlizing Your Must - Couple of Questions

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- pdifondi
  
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posted
19 years ago

Tue, Oct 5, 2004 3:38 AM

OK, so I have been making wine from grape for a few years now, and I have never added crushed cam. tables (24 hours prior) before adding the yeast.

This year I decided to give it a try. I have a few questions based on this.

Additional Info: All red wines. 14 cases Merlot, 7 Cab and 7 Zin. Separated in (4) covered 39 gallon sterilized garbage cans.

1.) Do you really see a difference? I know wild yeasts can present off flavors, but I thought the commercial yeast strains kill off the wild yeast anyway (by raising the alcohol above what they can handle).

2.) How do you make sure the tablet powder is evenly distributed through out the must? Does it make a big difference?

3.) Based on my assumptions of 1, 36lb box, makes 2 gallons of wine, I added my tablets ( 1 per anticipated gallon) based on that formula. I swear I think fermentation started on the cab even with the addition of the tablets.

4.) What happens after 24 hours, that makes it so the cam. tablets kill the wild yeast, but won't kill my commercial yeast? does it settle or something?

Thanx a head of time. It is time for wine.

PjD

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- Miker
  
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posted
19 years ago

Wed, Oct 6, 2004 3:19 PM

I assume that you are attempting a maceration of sorts in order to extract more color without additional tannins. This is best done at cool temps so that fermentaion doesn't start but can be accomplished with the addition of SO2. An addition of 30-50 ppm is all that is necessary (1 campden tablet per gallon gives 75 ppm SO2) as wild yeasts are less tolerant to SO2 than commercial yeast strains. This is also the reason fermentation can start once you add your yeast, as the

30ppm or so won't inhibit commercial yeast. Once fermentation gets going commmercial yeast strains will then outcompete any wild yeast or bacteria. Keep in mind that once you are at fermentation temps. tannins will continue to be extracted even though most color extraction occurs within about 7 days, thus the reason a cold soak is the preferred way to get maximum color extraction without too much tannin.

Crushing the campden tablets to a powder and then mixing well into the must will make sure it is evenly distributed.

Miker

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- Miker
  
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posted
19 years ago

Thu, Oct 7, 2004 2:56 PM

After re-reading your post I think now that my assumption that you were trying to get more color extraction may not be correct. I think now that you are asking if sterilizing the must will give better tasting wine by eliminating wild yeasts.

If you add your yeast right after crush the commercial yeast will quickly out-compete wild yeasts. So, I don't think this is the reason some people add SO2 at crush and then wait to add yeast in 24 hours. There could be another reason, but I think they are trying to get better color extraction and want to slow or stop the wild yeast by adding SO2 (or by cooling).