I just tested our 2011 syrah batch #1 for malic acid levels, and it’s finally done! I’m still baffled why this one batch, out of four total, took 2 more weeks to finish MLF than the others. The particular yeast used (ICV-D80) must have produced something that was slowing down the malolactic bacteria. I’m curious […]
Tag archive: syrah
It’s almost 6 weeks after initiating malolactic fermentation on our 2011 Fallbrook Syrah. I tested malic acid levels today with the Accuvin quick tests. Batch #1 (fermented with ICV-D80) is the one batch that didn’t seem to be progressing at all, but today it seems to be below the max value on the scale. […]
Today I’m finally getting around to taking care of the 2010 Syrah we just brought down, plus I need to stir and check the progression of the MLF on the 2011 Syrah. My Hands-on Winemaking class did the initial test for lactic acid in all four batches of the 2011 Syrah last Sunday, and all […]
Paul and I are not happy with the way the 2010 Syrah is tasting. It has been hanging out in the Flextank for about a year now, with oak cubes, but it just tastes kind of closed up. Supposedly the Flextank “breathes” like a barrel, but right now I’m not buying that. We both agreed […]
After our pressing class last night, the wine has settled out. Now it’s time to pump off the cleared wine and start secondary fermentation: malolactic fermentation. This process sometimes happens naturally, but it’s always safer to inoculate with fresh malolactic bacteria to be sure you know what is working on your wine — it could […]
Our syrah finished fermenting in about 7 days. Average fermentation temperatures were 80 to 82 degrees, though the bucket with Pasteur Red got up to 88 degrees on day 2 of fermentation. It was progressing smoothly so we did not add Fermaid K this time. Now it’s time to press out our wine! We decided […]
We did a 3-day cold soak on our 2011 syrah, mostly out of convenience. I get a little nervous doing more than 2 days, and I don’t think I’ll soak this long again before pitching the yeast. Besides the cost of putting 10 pounds of dry ice into the buckets every morning, the must does […]
Time for another syrah harvest at Live Oak Vineyard in Fallbrook! I was the first to arrive, just as the sun broke over the mountains to the East. The weather this year was perfect so far. I did smell a nearby wildfire as I drove up to the vineyard, but nothing threatening to interfere with […]
Today I took a group of people in my Hands-on Winemaking class at Curds and Wine up to Fallbrook for a preharvest Vineyard Visit. We picked a perfect day (read as sarcasm), as a heat wave recently hit and it was sweltering. But, it’s always a lovely, if not hot, day at the vineyard. Mike […]
Got an email from Mike Hoffman yesterday. He took several random samples from his upper vineyard “Cima Sur” and the lower vineyard “Este”. As usual, the upper vineyard has a slightly higher brix reading average of 19 brix, and the lower vineyard is currently at average 17.6 brix. We are shooting for around 23-24 brix […]