Setting up your stainless steel tank
Once the home winemaker has mastered the art of getting just the right amount of wine into dozens of different sized carboys, they may be wondering if there is an easier way to ferment and bulk age their wine. Enter the stainless steel tank!
While getting a stainless tank may seem like a big next step, it’s likely one of the best decisions you will make, assuming production levels are high enough. If you’re a home winemaker who has a couple carboys sitting in the cellar, your goal probably isn’t a larger tank. But if you’re making anything more than that, it may just make your life that much easier (and fun!)
A variety of sizes
Stainless steel tanks come in many sizes, from 100 liters (26 gallons) to 10,000 liters or more! Unless you’re looking to start their own large scale commercial winery, you’ll likely start your search in the 100L+ range.
Variable capacity or fixed volume
Part of the beauty of stainless tanks is that unlike carboys, demijohns, and barrels, they are oftentimes variable capacity. What does this mean? It means you don’t have to worry about constantly topping up, blending other wines into your batch to allow it to reach the neck of the vessel, the threat of oxidation, or employing inert gas to keep the head space at the top of the vessel blanketed. Some winemakers prefer fixed capacity tanks, but again, the downside is that you really need to stay on top of keeping them full the entire time you’re bulk aging.
A fixed capacity tank. These will usually have a hatch at the top rather than a variable lid that can be lowered or raised.
A variable capacity tank with floating lid
Time to set up your stainless steel tank
Setting up your tank is very simple to do. The basic setup will include a stand, valves, tasting valve, and maybe a thermometer and a thermowell. The tank may come with a stand or leveling feet which elevate it from the ground. Even the most simplistic, small tank may come with these, though some will only be basic enough that they get placed directly onto the floor or a pallet. The smallest tanks will not have a manway, since you can easily reach in from the top for cleaning or extracting the juice or must post fermentation. Some will have a valve on the bottom and some will not.
A thermometer gets inserted into the thermowell for constant temperature readings
What else might I need to set up on my tank?
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A manway
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1 or more valves
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Sight gauge (plastic tube on side of tank indicating volume in tank)
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Racking port and drainage port (higher and lower ports, respectively)
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Gaskets and clamps (most common are 1.5″ / 2″ / 2.5″)
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Gasket and pump (for variable capacity tank)
Musto Wine Grape is happy to offer a wide range of Marchisio stainless steel tanks, from 100L capacity onward. Come see us and we will be happy to speak with you in detail about what tank is the best for you!
Winemaker Lab Skills Class – October 9th
Musto’s Winemaker Lab Skills Class will be held on Wednesday October 9th at 7:00PM.
Want clarification on TA, pH, and Adjusting Your Wine?
Then this is the class for you!
Professor Frank Renaldi will go over the following lab skills every winemaker needs. It can be difficult to feel comfortable testing your wine. However, Frank has some easy tricks and tips of how to test and adjust your wine.
Class Outline:
- Equipment & Supplies
- Volume Measurements
- Sugar, Content, & Adjustments
- Acidity, Content, & Adjustments
- pH
- Sulfites, Need, & Adjustments
- Blending
- MLF
- Sugar Addition
Sign up today and start sharpening your Winemaker Lab Skills!
Sign up via the website HERE or give us a call at 877-812-1137 to sign up over the phone. We look forward to seeing you in class. Cheers!
Our Growers and thier wineries are winning awards!
We want to give a BIG Congratulations to our Growers for winning multiple prestigious awards at the San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition!!
Our Lodi Growers:
2016 Zinderella Old Vine Zinfandel – GOLD Medal
2017 Albarino from Mettler Ranch – SILVER Medal
2016 Zinfandel from Mettler Ranch – SILVER Medal
2016 Petite Sirah from Mettler Ranch – GOLD Medal
2016 Cabernet from Mettler Ranch – SILVER Medal
Our Suisun Valley, Lanza Musto Vineyards Growers:
2018 Wooden Valley Sauvignon Blanc – GOLD Medal
2016 Wooden Valley Zinfandel – GOLD Medal
2017 Wooden Valley Malbec – GOLD Medal
2016 Lanza Family Petite Sirah – DOUBLE GOLD Medal
2016 Lanza Family Cabernet – GOLD Medal
Click the link below to see the full list of winners. Great wine starts in the vineyard!
Link: http://winejudging.com/medal-winners/
Timing your malolactic fermentation
You’ve decided you want your wine to undergo MLF. But when should it happen?
There are a couple different schools of thought on this. You can either add the bacteria so it happens simultaneously with alcoholic fermentation (“co-inoculation”) or after it has completed (“sequential inoculation”).
This image sourced from winefolly.com
What’s the purpose of MLF?
The process of converting harsh malic acid into the softer lactic acid is easy to do and can alter the wine significantly. It changes not just the amount and type of acid present, but how the wine is perceived overall. While this conversion can happen on its own without your intervention, it is highly recommended that you inoculate with a chosen malolactic bacteria in order to best ensure everything remains healthy and in balance from start to finish.
An example of a freeze dried sachet of MLB
Whether you choose to co-inoculate or do it sequentially is completely up to you – both are acceptable! Either way, you just want to be sure that your juice/must is balanced and undergoing (or underwent) a healthy fermentation, to better guarantee the health of the subsequent MLF. The preparation of the malolactic bacteria will be the same regardless of when it gets added. Some require a rehydration period and some can be added directly to the wine. Some are liquid and some are in freeze-dried form. Acti-ML nutrient and Opti-Malo are a helpful additives to use to help the conversion reach completion without any issues. Think of Acti-ML and Opti-Malo as the equilivent of Go-Ferm and Fermaid K, but for malolactic bacteria.
Why should I do co-inoculation?
- MLF generally completes more quickly with this method due to:
- higher temperatures thanks to alcoholic fermentation being underway
- lower alcohol levels at the onset of MLF
- higher nutrient levels
- You won’t need to use an external heat source
- SO2 can be added earlier on in the wine’s life since MLF is completing sooner
Are there any benefits to waiting until after alcoholic fermentation has finished?
- Some believe that ML bacteria and yeasts will be fighting for the same nutrient sources, adding a potential layer of stress
- Ability to focus on one conversion at a time
I’m deciding to wait to add ML bacteria because that’s what I’ve always done.
OK, that’s fine too! If you’re choosing this route, then wait until the Brix has dropped to about 5.
Are there any downsides to waiting to add ML bacteria?
- The wine is unprotected from SO2 for a longer period of time since you can’t add SO2 until MLF is complete.
- You will likely need to use external heat sources to keep the wine warm enough to finish MLF in a timely manner. This means more labor and energy expense.
- Higher alcohol levels can slow the speed of ML conversion or even stop it completely.
Overall, the benefits of co-inoculation seem to outweigh any benefits of the sequential method. Of course, if you have a preference and it works for you, that’s all that matters. As long as your fermentation and ML conversion are happy and healthy, you’re good to go!
What else can I do for a good MLF?
A chosen ML bacteria + proper temperature + good nutrition + not overadding SO2 = a recipe for healthy MLF. Whether you co-inoculate or add toward the end of AF is up to you and your preferences. Regardless of which option you choose, using paper chromatography to track the process is always recommended.
An example of a paper chromatography test
Are you used to sticking to one method and want to give the other a shot? Stop in and ask a Musto Wine Grape Company employee for some help making the switch over!
My wine is sweet and I don’t want it to be
I made a sweet wine… but that wasn’t my intention!
When a wine that was supposed to be dry ends up sweet by accident, you may find yourself wondering a few things:
A) Why did this happen?
B) Where did I go wrong?
C) What can I do now?
First, let’s get back to basics.
For a wine to have residual sugar (RS) remaining, it must have not completely finished alcoholic fermentation. The only exception to this is if you backsweetened it purposely after it finished fermenting.
A sweet wine can be a purposeful and stylistic decision, or a result of a stuck fermentation.
Potential root causes
My wine stopped fermenting before I wanted it to
Sometimes a fermentation will not complete despite your best efforts. Check your process – did you do all of the following?
- Start between 22-26 Brix. If it was above or below these numbers, did you make any adjustments?
- Added SO2 pre- chosen yeast add to kill off unwanted wild yeast
- Added a specified yeast strain and followed proper rehydration procedure
- Maintained temperatures so they did not drop too low or get too high
- Added correct amount of yeast nutrient at correct points in time
I accidentally chapitalized more than I meant to
This is a bit trickier to maneuver. Whether you added too much sugar pre-fermentation (to increase eventual alcohol level) or post-fermentation (to backsweeten), you may be stuck with more sugar than your chosen yeast is capable of converting. You could try to restart the fermentation after it initially slows down, but this could potentially increase the ABV way too much depending on how much you added.
You can try to follow a fermentation restart protocol. Or, you can decide to SO2 and add potassium sorbate to the wine and keep it sweet, or you could do bench trials adding acid and possibly tannin to see if you can create a newfound balance within the now sweet wine. *Important note: do not add potassium sorbate to the wine if it has gone through MLF*
Winemaking goals : striking the perfect balance
I didn’t pitch yeast, I just let it spontaneously ferment
Without choosing a designated yeast that you can be certain will ferment your juice or must to dryness, you risk the possibility of wild yeast starting to ferment but not being able to finish, leading to a stuck fermentation.
I don’t want it to remain sweet. What can I do now?
- If you’re open to doing so, follow a stuck fermentation protocol to restart the ferment. See our blog post for a detailed protocol.
- Blend out the sweet wine with dry wine(s).
- Add acid to strike a balance within the wine – it may still technically be sweet, but by adding acid and/or tannin you may be able to create an enjoyable wine that doesn’t seem as cloyingly sweet as it may without additional acid or tannin.
Touriga Nacional
Touriga Nacional is a thick-skinned grape, considered one of Portugal’s premier grapes.
The grapes are rich in color and tannins, giving excellent structure and ageing capacity. Intense flavors, ranging from floral to fruity – ripe blackcurrants, raspberries – with complex hints of herbs and licorice create a party on your palate. If you’re looking for a new interesting wine to make this year, Touriga Nacional is a great contender.
Look for it on Musto Wine Grape’s dock in early September.
Keep track of wine grape and juice arrivals via MWG’s Harvest Tracker
2019 Amateur and Commercial Winemaking Competition
It’s that time of year again!
Musto’s 2019 Amateur and Commercial Wine Competition is just around the corner. Every year, home and commercial winemakers get the chance to show off their wines in a blind tasting judged by knowledgeable, seasoned wine judges in a series of blind tastings.
Click HERE to download all of your paperwork!
It’s hard work, but someone’s gotta do it!
Who can enter?
This wine competition is open to any amateur winemaker, commercial winemaker or winery. Wine entry must be made by a winemaker, not purchased and re-bottled and used as an amateur wine maker entry. Judge may not judge a wine they have submitted.
How do I enter?
Send Musto Wine Grape your bottled wine by the deadline of November 16th at 12PM.
What can I submit?
A wine entry is a still bottle of wine and submitted for entry in a 750ml wine bottle. Ice wines or late harvest wines may be submitted in a 375ml wine bottle, however if 375ml please send 2 – 375ml bottles. Sparkling wines must be submitted in a champagne style bottle with the proper closure. All bottle entries must be free of any labeling or identifying markings. However, each must be marked with category number, winemaker(s) name, wine ingredients, percentages & vintage.
What is the judging process?
Judging of wines will be performed on a 20 point award system. Each wine will be judged on its own merits and not compared to any others in its category. Gold, Silver and Bronze medals will be awarded within each category and based on the 20 point system. The Best of Show award(s) will be those wine entries that are superior within a given category. All award decisions made by the judges and/or sponsors, are final.
We’re doing something different this year!
This year, in order to allow winemakers a more thorough and individualized analysis of their submitted wines, Musto Wine Grape Company staff will be personally judging and performing sensory analyses on each bottle. This year’s competition format will allow for more time, thought, and comments to go into each individual’s submission, yielding a more comprehensive understanding of each wine. Because of this, entries will be capped at 300 bottles.
What are the categories?
Wine entries made from grapes and juice based wines will be judged and awarded in their own category. Wine entries made from kits and fresh processed and concentrated juices will be judged and awarded in a kit category.
Is there a deadline?
There sure is – have your wines sent to Musto Wine Grape, 101 Reserve Rd, Hartford CT 06114, by November 16th at 12PM.
Is there a fee?
Entry fee for a single wine entry will be $11.00 and $9.00 each for 2 or more entries submitted at the same time. Make checks payable to Musto Wine Grape Company in U.S. dollars only.
Can I send in a labeled bottle?
No. All bottle entries must be free of any labeling or identifying markings. However, each must be marked with Category number, winemaker(s) name, wine ingredients and percentages & vintage.
How can I get it to you?
All shipments are the entrant’s responsibility therefore packaging must be able to withstand considerable handling and shipping costs are the entrant’s responsibility. COD’s or postage due will be rejected. If an entry bottle is received damaged, we will make every effort to contact the entrant and notify them of the damage. Check with your shipper as to requirements for shipping wine, we suggest shipping via FedEx.
When are results announced?
There is an awards ceremony held every year to reveal this year’s results, which will be held in Spring 2020 (exact date TBA) and of course you can also see the results announced on Musto’s website, www.juicegrape.com. All entrants will receive a copy of the judging worksheet and a copy of the winning results.
Enter the contest and you could go home with the gold in this year’s winemaking competition!
So what do I do now?
Send us your wine ASAP! Since entries will be capped at 300, we won’t be able to accept any after this. Look out for an announcement on Facebook and our website that lets you know when we have received our maximum entries.
Don’t make these mistakes this harvest season!
Avoid these all too common mistakes this harvest!
With all the planning, excitement, energy, and potential money you’ve put into preparing for harvest time, the last thing you want to do is make a silly mistake that may put the quality of your wine in jeopardy. The following is a list of pitfalls to be aware of. Heed these words to the wise and save yourself a headache in the future.
1) Inadequate space for your volume
Overflowing, bubbling, fermenting wines can make an absolute mess. You want to fill any vessel no more than 3/4 full pre-fermentation unless you’re both physically and emotionally prepared for the cleanup. You will also needlessly lose volume, yeast, and nutrient, in addition to your mind. Multiple tanks or carboys of various sizes will be your saving grace here.
2) Not cleaning properly
Clean, sanitize, repeat.
The importance of proper cleanliness and sanitation practices from the get go cannot be stressed enough. B-brite, One Step, soda ash, and Proxycarb are all cleaning agents. Potassium metabisulfite + citric acid is a sanitizing solution.
You want to clean and then sanitize, not sanitize and then clean. Don’t let anything with residue of fruit, juice, or must sit out for longer than necessary. That means that before you finish up for the day, your work space should be nice and clean and ready for the next day. Otherwise you will attract fruit flies, which can lead to VA issues in the wine. (Not to mention they’re a pain and difficult to get rid of anyway.)
Cleaning the inside of a carboy
3) Underestimating the need for nutrients
Adding yeast nutrients may seem like an optional add on, but why wouldn’t you want to ensure that your yeast have all of the nutrients that they need to be happy and healthy and get your juice to become the wine of your dreams? Some yeast strains almost require the addition of them to work well. There’s no harm in using them, but there can definitely be harm in choosing not to.
Lack of nutrients can lead to stressed yeast which can produce off odors (H2S, the smell of rotten eggs or cabbage) that are very difficult to get rid of.
4) Skipping steps/guesstimating
Eyeballing an SO2 add, rounding up on Brix levels, or having a “eh, it’s more or less correct” attitude when making wine can really complicate your life down the road. Sure, some people see winemaking as only art and some see it as only science; but the wise see it as the perfect blend of both.
We all know the feeling…
Bear in mind that measurements are used for a reason; the order of operations for certain nutrient adds are not arbitrary, as adding one with DAP before the right point can actually hurt the yeast; too little SO2 and the wine will suffer, too much and it will also suffer. The list goes on, but be sure you:
- do not generalize
- do not come to conclusions without taking all variables into account
- do not guestimate unless you know for a fact that a “more or less” mindset is applicable in a given circumstance
Don’t guesstimate on your math – it may cause problems down the road
5) Forgetting that there’s a difference between US and metric system
Freshen up on your middle school math conversions so you can quickly maneuver between gallons and liters and ounces and grams. Some labels include g/L and lb/gallon. Double (or triple) check your math to be sure you’re consistent and working with the same unit of measurement. These early stage additions very much set the tone for the wine throughout its whole life so you want to get it started on the right foot. Online calculators like WineMaker Mag’s sulfite calculator and winebusiness.com’s conversions caulculator can be really useful because you can toggle back and forth between these systems depending on what you are most accustomed to.
In Stock as of Thursday September 5th at 9:06AM
In Stock as of Thursday September 5th at 9:06AM
GRAPES:
| Variety | Label | Brix | Cases | |||
| Ruby Cabernet | Cry Baby | 25 | 192 | |||
| Albarino | King’s River | 26 | 54 | |||
| Alicante | O’Caprio | 24.5 | 252 | |||
| Muscat | Cry Baby | 26.5 | 162 | |||
| Pinot Grigio | King’s River | 26.5 | 50 | |||
| Pinot Noir | King’s River | 26.5 | 108 | |||
| Sauvignon Blanc | King’s River | 26.5 | 50 | |||
| Syrah | King’s River | 27 | 54 | |||
| Thompson Seedless | Cry Baby | 26.5 | 126 | |||
| Barbera | King’s River | 162 | ||||
| Grenache | Cry Baby | 42 | ||||
| Mixed Black | Cry Baby | 0 | ||||
| Teroldego | King’s River | 54 | ||||
| Zinfandel | King’s River | 270 | ||||
JUICES:
| Variety | Label | Pails | ||
| Barbera | California Select | 108 | ||
| Sauvignon Blanc | California Select | 72 | ||
| Alicante | California Select | 72 | ||
| Cabernet Sauvignon | California Select | 72 | ||
| Riesling | California Select | 108 | ||
| Merlot | California Select | 108 | ||
| Mixed Black | California Select/Bella California | 36/36 | ||
| Pinot Noir | California Select/Bella California | 72/72 | ||
| Sangiovese | California Select | 72 | ||
| Thompson Seedless | California Select | 72 | ||
| Zinfandel | California Select | 72 | ||
| Syrah | Bella California | 36 | ||
| Muscat | Bella California | 36 | ||
Lodi Wine Grape Harvest Update (as of 9/3/19)
Lodi Harvest Update:
- Lodi Gold Pinot Noir – at 24.5 Brix, harvesting Thursday 9/5
- Mettler Sangiovese – at 21.5 Brix
- Mettler Petite Sirah – at 22.2 Brix
- Lodi Gold Chardonnay – at 23-24.5 Brix, harvesting Wednesday 9/4
- Costamagna Contra Costa Italian grapes are at 21-22.0 Brix, harvesting around 9/16
- Smiling Baby/Lodi Gold Petite Sirah – at 21.5, harvesting around Monday 9/9 of next week
- Lodi Gold Grenache – at 23.5 Brix, harvesting Wednesday 9/11
- Zinderella – at 22.8 Brix, harvesting around Monday 9/9 of next week
- Valley Beauty Zin – at 24 Brix, harvesting Wednesday 9/4
- Valley Beauty Barbera at 22 Brix, harvesting late next week
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