My Zinfandel Wine

My Zinfandel wine has gone from the primary fermenter to the wine press and now to the carboy.

Before I put the wine in the carboy I still added a small amount of yeast nutrient to make sure the primary fermentation comes complete.

In about 4 to 7 days I'll rack the wine off of the rest of the solids. No matter how careful you are in the transferring of the wine from the press you'll have some solids as well. It's best not to let the wine sit with those solids for too long because it might pick up some "off" tastes.

I used 4 boxes of Zinfandel Grapes each weighing 36 pounds. As far as I can figure out I've got about 39 liters of wine after the pressing. With my next racking off the solids I will have a little less wine.

My Zinfandel wine to date has a nice dark colour and a wonderful aroma. Stay tuned for more on this wine.

Crush Those Grapes!

Well, finally our Zinfandel grapes came in from California. Of course in the meanwhile I've had surgery and couldn't do much with them. Fortunately my wife came to the rescue, picked them up and did most of the stomping.

Yep, we crushed them by stomping and not with a wine press. It's amazing how much fun it is to stomp them. I'd say it's even therapeutic.

I added a little pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient and yeast to the must. The grapes look great and taste great. I can't wait to taste the final product.