Riesling - Day Forty Two

It has been a little over two weeks since I stabilized and cleared the Riesling, however I was busy this week and couldn't bottle at the exact two week point. I wasn't too worried though as I knew a few extra days in the fermentor would actually help the taste. I did one final check of the specific gravity, which was right around 1.000. That means the final alcohol content of the wine is a healthy 12%. None of my roommates were around to help me bottle, so it took me a little longer than last time.

I was extremely pleased with the results of this batch. The wine still tastes young, but definitely has some great potential. Not only did this batch taste better (in my opinion) on bottling day than my last one, I was also able to get more bottles, 28 in total. I bottled 27 750ml bottles and 4 110ml bottles to be used for taste testing every couple of months.

The Merlot will likely be ready to stabilize sometime this week. Also, make sure to vote on the next white varietal!

The first bottle of a white varietal for Zschoche Cellars.

The two current varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling.

All 28 bottles of the Riesling.

Merlot - Day Seven

I checked on the Merlot today and it had a specific gravity of 1.000, which meant that I could move it to the secondary fermentor. As I stated in the last post, I purchased an additional secondary fermentor last week. This was the first time I used the new fermentor. Everything went smoothly with the transfer and the juice should be ready for stabilizing and clearing in another ten days or so.

The Riesling and Merlot juice together in the secondary fermentors.

Merlot - Day One

Today marked a first for Zschoche Cellars - there are now two different varietals being produced simultaneously. The fermentation of the newly acquired Merlot this afternoon. Once again, a Vinters Reserve kit was used. It is the second red varietal for Zschoche Cellars.

The Vinters Reserve Merlot Kit.

The first step was to add a package of bentonite to a small amount of spring water. The mixture does not look too appealing, however it is important to have the bentonite in the juice for primary fermentation.

The bentonite before being mixed in with the water.

Next, 2.6 gallons of juice were added to the primary fermentor using an auto siphon and gravity feeding.

Gravity feeding the juice into the primary fermentor.

After mixing the juice and water, I took a small sample and measured the specific gravity, potential alcohol and percent sugar. The readings were 1.084, 12% and 22% respectively. Next, I added oak chips, which are used to give an oak like aroma to the wine. Most commercially produced wines age in oak barrels, but for the home winemaker, oak is an expensive and space consuming option. Oak chips are used in place of oak barrels.

The package of oak chips.

Adding the oak chips to the juice.

Finally, I added the yeast to the juice, covered the fermentor and placed it in a dark cabinet. The temperature of the juice is 69 degrees farenheit, which is right in the middle of the required temperature range for fermentation to begin. As with the last batch, the yeast should begin fermenting the juice sometime in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Update

I made my second trip to the Brew Shop in Oklahoma City today. As I have stated before, it is about an hour and a half drive from where I live. Fortunately however, I had to bring Marissa to the airport and the brew shop is on the way.

In the latest poll I asked which red varietal I should try next. Zinfandel finished 1st with 8 votes, Merlot had 5, Pinot Noir had 4 and Syrah had 2. Unfortunately, Zinfandel was not available, so I went with the second place Marlot as the next batch I would make. I also listened to supporters of Zschoche Cellars who suggested that I increase my production capability, by purchasing a second carboy to be used as a secondary fermentor. I decided to go with a glass fermentor (rather that plastic like my current one) because everything that I've read says glass produces a better final product.

With the procurement of a second fermentor, I doubled my production capability from 30 bottles every 40 days, to 60 bottles every 40 days. Though I don't have the time or money right now to sustain that capability, it is nice to have another secondary fermentor so that I can easily roll into the next batch without having to wait so long. Hopefully I will have some time tomorrow to begin the Merlot.

Riesling - Day Twenty Five

I checked the juice once more today and it had a stable specific gravity of 0.996. Because there were stable readings on two separate days, the fermentation is complete and I was able to stabilize and clear the juice. Stabilizing means that it is not possible for the juice to ferment any more and clearing is the process of removing the cloudiness from the juice. Based on the specific gravity reading from day one and the reading from today, I have determined that the alcohol content of the juice is right around 12%, which is typical for Riesling. With the last step of the process complete, the juice is only two weeks away from bottling.

Riesling - Day Twenty Two

It's been eleven days since I moved the juice to the secondary fermentor. I checked the specific gravity today and it was just above 0.996. That's still a little too high to stabilize and clear the juice. It should only be another day or so before it will be ready. In another couple of weeks it will be ready for bottling! Also, check out the new poll question.

Riesling - Day Eleven

This evening I once again checked the specific gravity of the juice. It was just over 1.00, which was under the 1.01 needed to move the juice to the secondary fermentor. After I sanitized the equipment, I moved the juice to the juice. I'll check the specific gravity again in ten days or so. At that point I should be able to stabilize and clear the juice.

Moving the juice from the primary to the secondary fermentor.

The recently moved juice sitting in the secondary fermentor.

Riesling - Day Two

It's been just over 24 hours since the yeast was introduced to the juice. Just as I predicted would be the case, the fermentation has begun! In another week or so I will check the specific gravity. At that point I will be able to begin the second step, provided the reading is in the correct range. Check back in a few days for an update!

Riesling - Day One

Zschoche Cellars began fermenting our second round of juice this afternoon. This time it is a Vinters Reserve Riesling white wine kit. I began by sanitizing all of the equipment and then let it dry. That is one thing that I am going to try differently this time around. Last time, I didn't allow the equipment dry. While the sanitizer is "no rinse," I believe that some of the residue hindered a complete fermentation of the sugar and also led to some of the "off tastes" in the finished product.

The Vinters Reserve Riesling kit that I used.

Next, I added a package of bentonite to a small amount of spring water before adding 2.6 gallons of Riesling juice. I stirred the contents after adding an additional 2.4 gallons of water to bring to total volume to 6 gallons.

All of the ingredients that will be added to the juice at different times over the next month.

 

 

Adding the water to the juice.

Gravity feeding the juice into the primary fermentor using the auto siphon.

 After mixing the juice and water, I took a small sample and measured the specific gravity, potential alcohol and percent sugar. The readings were 1.082, 12% and 22% respectively. Finally, I added the yeast to the juice, covered the fermentor and placed it in a dark cabinet. The temperature of the juice is 65 degrees farenheit, which means that it might be a little longer than seven days before I begin the next step. As with the last batch, the yeast will begin fermenting the juice sometime in the next 24 to 48 hours.

The juice with the yeast floating on the surface.

New Beginnings!

It's been almost two weeks since I bottled my first batch and I am starting to get antsy to get going again. There is no brew shop in Enid. The closest is about 90 minutes south in Oklahoma City.

Well, yesterday I drove to OKC to pick Marissa up at the airport and on the way made a detour to The Brew Shop, a small supply store north of downtown. I am happy to report that the next round of fermentation will begin in the next day or two! I will announce the varietal when I blog on the first day, so check back soon!

Update

It's been three days since I bottled my first batch of wine. I went to the UPS Store today with my label design and had them print the label. When I got home, I placed the label on several of the bottles, as well as applied the shrink wrap. Both of those things give the bottles a more "professional" look.

I also did the finance calculations on this batch of wine. It cost me a total of $357.31 for all of the supplies. After I divided that by 24 bottles, I figured out that each bottle cost me $14.89 to produce. That might seem like a lot, but you need to consider how most of the expenses were for equipment, not for the juice itself. Each subsequent batch that I produce will cost on average $7 or less. Not only the next rounds be cheaper to produce, hopefully they'll be better to drink!

 

Zschoche Cellars first bottle with the new label. 

 

The first bottle of Zschoche Cellars wine ever produced.

Day Thirty Three, Bottling Day!

There are many things that people accomplish in their lives, almost all of which can never be taken away from them. Becoming an Eagle Scout, receiving a college degree and soloing an airplane are three such accomplishments that I can boast. Well, now I have one more, I am a wine maker!

Tonight, I, along with the help of several friends, bottled my first batch of wine. It was not the smoothest of processes, but when all was said and done, I had twenty four bottles of newly fermented wine. It's been 14 days since I last worked with the juice, when I stabilized and cleared the juice. I had to take a small sample of the wine tonight to make sure that it was clear. I did this by using a siphon and holding the juice up to the light. The wine was clear (meaning that I could easily see through it and it did not appear cloudy) and I decided to press forward with bottling.

I lifted the fermentor to the counter top and sanitized all of my equipment, to include all of the bottles. Initially, I thought that I could bottle by myself. Almost immediately I realized that it was going to take more than one person, so I called Matt Deming and Dave Keller to come and help me. Dave sanitized the bottles while Matt and I used the siphon to bottle the juice. At one point, we had too much pressure build in one of the hoses. The result was catastrophic to probably two or three bottles of wine, as that amount of juice sprayed all over the kitchen floor.

We were unable to get all of the juice bottled due to the dead yeast particles at the bottom of the fermentor. That, coupled with the lost juice, was the reason that I was only able to produce 24 of the predicted 30 bottles. Once the juice was in the bottle, I used a corking device to shove the corks in the bottles. I tasted a small amount of the wine and also tested the specific gravity. The wine tasted decent, though I hoped that it would taste better. Hopefully it will taste better as it ages. Unfortunately, the specific gravity was rather low, meaning that the alcohol content was below a typical wine. I still need to figure out what went wrong, and hopefully re-test later on.

I'm a little disappointed with the way that this first batch turned out. Thought I keep telling myself that it was only my first try. Thing will get better as I continue to experiment. Even though I'm disappointed, I'm still extremely excited and proud to have finished my first bottles. Look for a post later this week on labeling the bottles as well as one in the near future on "lessons learned" and exciting plans for the future. I am officially a wine maker!

 

Zschoche Cellars first glass and bottle. 4 April 2011

 

Zschoche Cellars first glass. 4 April 2011

 The first two cases of Zschoche Cellars wine.

Day Nineteen

The wine finally had a constant specific gravity today, which meant that I was able to clear and stabilize it. Clearing and stabilizing means that I stop the fermentation of the juice, it it hasn't already stopped. It also forces anything floating in the juice to fall to the bottom of the fermentor. That will ensure that in two weeks when I go to bottle the wine, it will no longer be cloudy like it currently is. It will only be a matter of time before I bottle the wine!

Day Fourteen

It has been exactly two weeks since I first added the yeast to the juice. Today, I checked the specific gravity of the juice once more. It was 0.996. If the reading is the same tomorrow, I can begin the final step before bottling. Either way, I am only 14-21 days away from bottling the wine.

I also tasted the wine for the first time today. It actually tasted much better than I expected at this point. It definitely has the potential to be a very good wine. At this point it tastes like a young wine. Imagine eating a grape that isn't quite ripe yet. That is how the wine tasted today. Hopefully in another month or so it will have matured to the point where it can enjoyably be consumed. 

Day Five

I was greeted late this afternoon with a surprise in the mail, when my hydrometer arrived a day earlier than expected. It's been five days since I introduced the yeast to the juice. The specific gravity of the wine should be below 1.010 on the fifth day of fermentation. I was planning on checking tomorrow, as that I expected the hydrometer to arrive then. With it coming a day early, I was able to start the next step ahead of schedule.

The specific gravity of the juice was just within the suggested limit to begin secondary fermentation. After cleaning and sanitizing my equipment, I transferred the six gallons of juice into the secondary fermentor. It will sit in there for another ten days before the juice will be ready for the third step in the process. If all goes as planned, it should be ready next Wednesday night, so check back then!

Day Two

Today was a big day for my wine. While I didn't do anything, the yeast definitely did. I checked my primary fermentor after I got home from work (about 24 hours after adding the yeast), and saw that CO2 was escaping through the airlock. That means the yeast has begun to ferment the grape juice. In five to seven days, I will check the specific gravity of the juice. If it is within limits, I will move it to the secondary fermentor and begin the second step in the fermentation process.

Unfortunately, because I broke my hydrometer yesterday, I had to order a new one. I need it in just a couple days, because I can't move onto the second step without first checking to make sure the numbers are within the window. Because of that, I had to select expedited delivery of the device, meaning that shipping was more expensive that the piece itself. But the success of the wine is dependent on having the correct specific gravity at each step, so the investment was necessary.

Day One

At approximately 1pm CST today, Zschoche Cellars began the fermentation process of our first ever batch of wine. I started work around noon, when I organized, cleaned and sanitized all of my supplies. Unfortunately, during the cleaning process, my hydrometer dropped on the ground and shattered. I will need it in a week in order to check the specific gravity of the wine just before I begin secondary fermentation. Luckily, there are several online dealers where I can order one for a rush delivery. It also wasn't the most expensive pieces of equipment, it is just a nuisance that easily could have been avoided.

I added approximately 3.4 gallons of spring water to the 2.6 gallons of Cabernet Sauvignon grape juice, bringing the total quantity to around 6 gallons. If things work out properly, that will equate to near 30 bottles of finished product. The fermentation of the yeast will begin sometime tomorrow evening or early Friday morning. Because I am fermenting the juice in a food grade plastic 6.5 gallon container, the only way that I will be able to see that the yeast is doing its job is by looking at the CO2 escape through the airlock.

The wine likely will not be ready for secondary fermentation for another week or so, which puts the bottling process sometime in the month of June. After that, it will need to age at least another three months before considering drinking it, though it likely will be one or two years from now before it is in it's prime. I guess that this venture will show me patients.

Now, just because I have added the yeast to the juice does not mean that there will be nothing for me to write about for several months. I should see the signs of fermentation sometime in the next 12-36 hours. Also, I will discuss in more detail my future plans dealing with this hobby. This is just the beginning. Big things are yet to come.

And so it begins...

Welcome to the Zschoche Cellars blog! I will use this as a way to update my supporters as to where my wine is at in the fermentation process. Growing up, I read hundreds of articles about starting a business, and always had one small question - why there was such a long period of time between the founding of the company and the first day of operations. It all makes sense to me now. I decided back in December that I wanted to start making wine. But with the necessary research on how to go about achieving such a fete and procuring the necessary supplies (not to mention learning how to fly a plane and moving 600 miles in the same time-frame), the months seemed to stack up.

Now, after over two months of planning and several weeks of staring at my wine making supplies, I have initiated the beginning steps of my first batch. Tonight, I completed several of the steps needed to begin the wine-making process.

First, I organized all of the supplies so that when I begin the fermentation, everything I need is at my disposal. Next, I measured the capacity of my primary fermentor to be just under 6.5 gallons, which is just within the limits of my kit. Finally, I checked the specific gravity of water in my hydrometer, which I found to be 1.001 at 67 degrees Fahrenheit. If all goes as planned, I will begin the primary fermentation of my juice tomorrow.