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Winemaking question

bluue13

bluue13

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2010
Messages
3,344
Location
RI
Calling all home wine makers!
 
I need to harvest my grapes this week- preferably today.  I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions or knowledge on how much time I can put between harvest and crush?  I've never made wine from grapes before, only juice and other fruits.  This is the first year my vines have yielded a decent crop so I'm super excited!
 
So back to the question.  I know its prob best to crush right after harvest, but can I stick a day or two between harvest and crush?  
 
The reason I ask is that I want to get the grapes off the vine today because they're starting to get nice and tempting for the birds, but I'm not sure that I have enough time for the whole crush process today.
 
Thanks all!
 
 
I'm not a winemaker but my grandfather was. He used grapes from the store as well as his own vines. I imagine the store bought grapes had been picked some time earlier. So I don't see any problem. I envy you. There's nothing better than "vino fatto en casa."
 
Doc
 
Devil Doc said:
I'm not a winemaker but my grandfather was. He used grapes from the store as well as his own vines. I imagine the store bought grapes had been picked some time earlier. So I don't see any problem. I envy you. There's nothing better than "vino fatto en casa."
 
Doc
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Thanks, Doc.  I had the same thought.  I know people who buy their grapes from a distributor and I'm sure there are days if not up to a week in between harvest and crush.  Just wanted to see if anyone has any different thoughts.  
 
Don't envy me just yet, we're not sure how its going to come out yet!   :laugh:
 
Same here! I vaguely remember my Great Grandfather taking me down to the train tracks in Akron Ohio to buy his grapes. He kept them in the basement, and I seem to remember it was a couple of days after that before he started with them in the press.
 
Funny thing was they all referred to the wine that came from the huge barrel in the basement as "Dago Red". I didn't know any better, but at church one day back here in Virginia when they were doing the Lord's Supper, I asked a little too loudly if the wine in the chalice was Dago Red. Got some funny looks from all around, and my parents looked like they wanted to crawl under the pews.
 
A couple of days won't matter as long as the grapes are kept cool. Are they red or white? Only reason I ask is red you ferment before pressing while white you can cold soak before pressing or just press and depending on the tanins you want control the skin contact. Either way I've worked in wineries where so many grapes came in that it took 3 days of working 20 hour shifts to get to them all so you should be fine just keep the fruit flies away.
 
Napa_Smokes said:
A couple of days won't matter as long as the grapes are kept cool. Are they red or white? Only reason I ask is red you ferment before pressing while white you can cold soak before pressing or just press and depending on the tanins you want control the skin contact. Either way I've worked in wineries where so many grapes came in that it took 3 days of working 20 hour shifts to get to them all so you should be fine just keep the fruit flies away.
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Who are you?
 
My Grandfather used to buy grapes as well. Bushels. He also mixed different colors. I don't remember any of his process but I'll be damned if it wasn't delicious.
The color was sort of a light and reddish. Was very much like drinking grape juice. He'd hand us a pitcher and ask us to go to the back room in the finished basement
and fill the pitcher with wine. (Any Italian knows you HAVE to finish the basement). We had to siphon it out of the Barrels, i.e., sucking on the hose vice a pump. Well, I have to admit it was VERY difficult to do so with getting some in your mouth, and swallowing it...a few times.... :whistling:
 
I've had two other wines as smooth and delicious. 70s German Mosel, and some 85-ish Cabernet that I aged for about 10 years.
 
Great to see you, Josh! (Napa_Smokes)
 
I typically crush the day of harvest but if you are going to wait a day or two keep then in a cool place. Also if they are going to sit for a couple days prior to crushing you might want to bump the SO2 up to 75 ppm ILO 50 to kill off anything prior to inoculation of your yeast.
 
Thanks folks.  Fermentation is going strong.  I ended up waiting a day in between.  Kept them in my basement which is nice and cool and everything was fine.  Added a crushed campden tablet to the must before pitching, waited 8-1/2 hours in between SO2 and yeast.
 
We'll see how it goes!
 
Just figured I'd share a few photos of the process so far:
 
4F72DBF0-EEDD-4EE9-BF61-58C8E2C9FFF3.jpg

C89DB04F-D680-420D-BF0B-6FA3A513D5B2.jpg

F190DBCC-EC9B-463E-A7A4-F08B5C12C125.jpg

A5E57424-73AD-4883-96B4-3165BE5E626B.jpg

D078488B-D5A8-43D6-9EB8-D2669CE98750.jpg

F8640455-AC12-462A-ABF2-D9B15DB8AC8F.jpg
 
Devil Doc said:
How it's done in the Old Country.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzFFRAh7Y-U
 
Doc
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Love that scene.  Remember the 1st time I saw it sitting next to my Pepere eating BBQ lays and enjoying a RC cola.  Good memories!!!
 
Good luck with the wine.  Thanks for sharing, it is very interesting.  I hope the process goes well.  
 
I have a "wall" of native grapes on one side of my property about 40ft by 20 feet high.  The grapes are very bitter. I have contemplated making some vino but, not sure the time /effort would be worth the end result.  Maybe one of these days... 
 
Early?  Yeah maybe only slightly though.  The varietal I grow/used is Frontenac which ripens late August/Early sept around here.  This batch I'm really doing just for fun in the hopes that something may come out of it.  If all goes well I'm going to fine tune the process a bit more next season.  So far things are going well with everything so.... I'm happy!
 
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