If you’re following me on my quest to make all ten of the special edition Cru Select and Selection wine kits then things have been pretty slow over the past few days. Not much to report. The Piazza is completely finished and is waiting for me to stabilize and fine it. The Toro looks like it may be finished and the Selection Shiraz/Viognier is still slowly bubbling away. I’ve been stirring the Toro and Shiraz/Viognier at least two times a day. I’ll take care of the Piazza tonight and then I have two more waiting to start. So things should start heating up soon.

It was only four days ago that I started the Selection Shirz/Viognier. The yeast must have went through a rapid growth stage because the juice was fermenting nicely when I looked in on it the next morning. I added a half teaspoon of Fermaid K then and another half teaspoon the following morning. The fermentation was vigorous and steady. The temperature stayed at 25º. I checked the specific gravity today and it was down to 1.002. That was a fast fermentation. I’ve now transferred it into the carboy where it will remain for the next two weeks.

The Piazza is now ready to stabilize and clarify. I’ll be doing that within the next couple of days. The Toro is still fermenting slowly but it’s close to the end. Time to start thinking about another wine. I now have the Selection Pacifica and the Cru Select Trek waiting in line. Maybe tomorrow for the Pacifica.

This is the first of five Winexpert Selection Limited Edition kits that I’ll be doing in this series. Since they are made by a different manufacturer I’ll go through a detailed description of this first kit.

Immediately you are conscious of the fact that Winexpert takes a more traditional view of winemaking than RJ Spagnols. The graphics on their packaging depicts a bucolic scene of a country vineyard replete with jovial mature gentlemen and attractive young ladies enjoying wine. Selection Limited Edition kits contain 16 litres of juice and concentrate compared to 15 litres found in RJ Spagnols Restricted Quantities. This means that the Selection Kit has an extra litre of fresh juice with less concentrate. Will it make a difference in the final product? Maybe not but we’ll see. I was thinking that it would be a good idea to have a blind tasting of the ten wines I’ll be making. So in early 2012 that’s what I’ll do. I’ll use this blog to keep you informed.

Let’s get this Shiraz/Viognier going. I’ve opened the box and find four packets of oak chips, a packet of EC-1118 yeast, Potassium Sorbate, Potassium Metabisulphite, a pouch of Chitosan (clearing agent) and 30 classy wine labels. The instructions again reinforce the feeling that Winexpert takes their winemaking seriously. The instructions are very precise, almost preachy. Being an old hand, I found them a bit overbearing but I can see where this style would be beneficial to novice wine makers.

The procedure is much the same as for the previous kits I’ve made. You sanitize all the equipment and rinse it. Add hot water to the fermenting bucket, stir in the bentonite, add the contents of the juice bag, top up with water to 23 litres and then add the oak chips. Give it a good stir. Check the temperature to make sure it’s between 20º to 25º Celsius then add the yeast.

Here is where I make my first amendment. Just like the previous kits I’ve made this one came with Lalvin EC-1118 yeast. As I said before this is the yeast of choice for wine kit manufacturers because of it’s reliability and fairly neutral profile. In previous years Winexpert has used different strains of yeast in their Selection Limited Edition kits but I guess experience has taught them to play it safe and stick with a yeast that presents less problems for novice wine makers. I’m an experienced wine maker so I would like to use a yeast that is better suited to ferment this style of wine. Lallemande, a respected wine yeast manufacturer, gives Bourgovin RC 212 the highest recommendation for fermenting red wines so that’s what I’ll be using.

I’m going to use two 5 gram packets of yeast. One packet is just within the minimum recommended dosage for 23 litres of wine so I like using an extra packet to reduce lag time. There are technical reasons to reduce lag time but I won’t bore the average reader with them. If you would like to find out more about this subject then I recommend this information sheet from Lallemande. I also will be rehydrating my yeast as suggested by Lallemande. They deem it to be important in maintaining the optimum amount of viable yeast cells. Most wine kit manufacturers will tell you to sprinkle the yeast on top of the juice without stirring. Again this is for the benefit of the average wine kit maker.

Yeast hydration follows a strict protocol. It has to be rehydrated in a specific volume of water, within a narrow temperature range and it must be left in the rehydration medium for no more than 20 minutes. Failing to follow this protocol will result in far more yeast cell damage than the sprinkle method found in the kit instructions. Wine kit manufacturers take the safe route and tell you to sprinkle the yeast on top of the juice. I agree with them but if you are confident that you’ll get it right rehydration is the preferred method.

So the yeast has been rehydrated and now I’ll add juice from the fermenting bucket to it. I’ll do it in 60 ml increments over a period of five to ten minutes to slowly bring the temperature of the yeast down to match that of  the juice. This prevents temperature shock and potential cell damage. I give it one last stir and then into the bucket it goes. It’s now up to the yeast to do its stuff.

That’s if for today. I’ll update you on all three wines in my next post.

It’s been a few days since I posted. Winter storms and staff shortage resulted in extra hours at the store for me. I didn’t have much time to write but don’t worry my wines were not neglected.

Actually my wines needed little attention this past few days. The Piazza has stopped fermenting. I transferred it last night into the carboy and this morning it’s showing signs of clearing. The specific gravity is .996 and the temperature stayed steady at 17º Celsius which is ideal for the IC-D47 yeast I’ve used in this wine. The instructions included with the Piazza kit tells me to degas and begin the stabilizing and clearing process now but this is another area where I’ve decided to deviate. I’m going to leave the wine in the carboy for another seven days. Since the wine is not showing any sign of fermentation and the yeast has seemingly done it’s job I’m going to increase its temperature. I’ll do this by wrapping a brew belt around it. This will bring the temperature up to about 23º over the next couple of days. My reason for raising the temperature is twofold. It will make degassing more efficient since warmer liquids release carbon dioxide gas more readily than cooler liquids. And secondly if there is some residual sugar remaining, raising the temperature may coax the yeast into completing the job.

The Toro is coming along fine. I checked the specific gravity this morning and it’s at 1.004. The temperature is staying steady at 23º. I added the second dose of nutrients on Thursday and have been stirring it three or more times every day. Unlike the Piazza this wine has been pretty tame. Almost no odour and just a little foaming which mostly occurred on the first day of fermentation. The powerful oak aroma that was evident the first couple of days of fermentation has subsided now. I’ll be transferring into the carboy over the next few days so I’ll keep you informed. Right now it’s just stir and take hydrometer readings until transfer time.

Now it’s time to start getting ready for my third wine. This time I’ll be making the Winexpert Selection Limited Edition Australian Shiraz/Viognier. This is the first Winexpert kit I’ll be making in this series of posts. So it will be interesting to see how they differ from the RJ Spagnols Restricted Quantities. If things go well I should get this wine going tonight and I’ll post my thoughts tomorrow morning.

I just checked in on my Toro and Piazza. The Toro is fermenting vigorously. The temperature has risen to 25º Celsius now so I’m happy with that. I just gave it a stir and it really smells nice with all that grapey, oaky aroma. I added a half teaspoon of yeast nutrient to it last night. I’ll keep checking the gravity and when the fermentation is at the midway point I’ll add another dose of nutrient. So far so good for the Toro.

The Piazza’s specific gravity is now below 1.000 and the temperature is ideal at 17º Celsius. I was going to rack it last night but I’ve decided to wait for tonight. My wife and daughter are flying out to Halifax today so I’ll  have the house to myself. It will be a good night for some wine making activity.

I just checked in on my Toro. When I lifted the cover I got a strong whiff of oak. The fermentation has started and the oak is floating on top. Lots of foam and fizz. I gave it a good stir and checked the temperature. It’s at 23º Celsius which is fine. I expect the temperature to rise 5º or more when the fermentation gets into high gear. I’m using Bourgovin RC 212 yeast which requires a fermentation temperature between 20º – 30º Celsius so it’s right where I want it.

If you’ve been reading my Piazza post you’ll notice that I’ve been stirring the wine several times a day. I’ll be doing the same with the Toro. I’m doing this to keep the yeast and bentonite in suspension plus to get better extraction from the raisins, oak and skins (if applicable). Some have told me they would find it an onerous task to sanitize the spoon so often every day. But I have a secret; I don’t sanitize the spoon. After the fermentation has started, the competitive factor of the yeast inhibits the propagation of other micro-organisms. If you use a clean plastic spoon and rinse it with hot tap water before and after you stir the wine everything will be fine. That’s not to say you should be lax with sanitation. Sanitation is very important and is essential to good wine making. You should clean and sanitize all of your equipment before use. But in this case your spoon is being kept clean and used regularly to stir the wine after fermentation has begun so it will be fine.

The RC 212 yeast has high nutritional requirements so I’ll be adding my first dose of Fermtech-K this afternoon. My Piazza is due for racking tonight. I’ll update you on both of them tomorrow.

“It is difficult to envision Spain’s culture without their famous icon – the bull or ‘Toro’ as it is known in Spanish. A Toro is bold, aggressive and intense – a fitting name for this unforgettable and powerful wine.”

This is RJ Spagnols intro to their Spanish Toro. They then go on to describe the characteristics of the wine that you can expect to produce from this kit.

“This wine is an intense red characterized by cigar box and dark fruit on the nose, finishing with dates, prunes and cherry on the palate. Made in a Crianza style, the toasted French oak aroma completes the experience of drinking Toro. Olé!”

It all sounds good to me. I hope that it can live up to its billing!

Ok I’m doing this live now just like CNN. I’ve just opened the box and found two packets of medium toasted oak chips, a packet of self adhesive wine labels like the ones shown above, plus finings, stabilizers, etc. that you will find in most kits and the ubiquitous EC-1118 yeast. If you read my previous Piazza post you know that I am doing a few minor tweaks. I’m trying to produce the best wine possible from the 10 kits I’ll be making so I will be giving them special care. The first thing I have to do is select a yeast that is more suitable for the wine I’m making. Lalvin gives Bourgovin RC 212 the highest recommendation for aged reds. This is touted as a “bold, aggressive and intense wine” so it will definitely spend some time ageing in my cellar. Just like I did with the Piazza I will be using two packets of yeast. Lalvin recommends one packet of yeast for up to 20 litres of wine. Since the kit produces 23 litres of wine I will add an extra packet of yeast.

Now I have my fermenting bucket filled with warm water in which I’ve added 1/4 cup of chlorinated cleaner. It’s been a while since I’ve used this bucket so I’m going to let it stand for an hour or so before I use it. I’ll then rinse it with hot water and spray the inside with sulphite solution. Then I’ll add all the ingredients into the fermentor, stir it will and add the yeast. I won’t get into the details of mixing the juice since I’ve already outlined the process in my Piazza post.

The fermenting bucket is ready now so I’m going to add the bentonite, then the juice, top up with water and give it a good stir to make sure everything is well mixed. This is important. If it’s not completely mixed you’ll have a more concentrated juice at the bottom of the bucket which could impede the fermentation.

I’ve got my yeast ready. I rehydrated the yeast in warm water as recommended by Lalvin. Since I’m using two packets of yeast I rehydrated it in 100 ml of 40º Celsius water for 15 minutes. The must is at 25º and this is perfect for the yeast I’m using. Bourgovin RC 212 works best in a temperature range from 20º – 30º Celsius so I’d like to keep the fermentation temperature right where it is. I’m fermenting the Piazza in an unheated room and the temperature is staying at 18º Celsius. This will be too low for the Toro so I’ll have to put a heat belt around my fermenting bucket to keep the temperature where I want it.

That’s it for tonight. I was going to rack the Piazza tonight but I’ve decided to leave it one more day. I’ll update you on both wines tomorrow.

Just looked in on the Piazza. The specific gravity is 1.004. That’s down 16 points from yesterday! Still a strong fermentation going with foam on top. The raisins are starting to look a little weathered. I just gave it a stir and had a small taste. It’s now tasting like wine. Way too early to make a judgement on how it will finally taste but I’m not disappointed so far. The temperature is holding steady at 18º Celsius which is great—right where I want it to be. I plan on racking it to the carboy tomorrow and then it will be wait and see for awhile. I’ll be starting my second wine later today. It’s the Cru Select Spanish Tora (Tempranillo Grenache). I’ll post my musings tomorrow.