Product Spotlight: CSM Yeast
Product Spotlight: CSM Yeast
CSM yeast was derived from Bordeaux and helps create a vibrant aromatic profile. CSM aids in adding complexity to the palate and pairs well with malolactic fermentation.
Why you want to use it:
It’s the perfect yeast for the Chilean fruit. It reduces vegetal aromas, adds complexity, stabilizes color, and helps increase the aromatic profiles of berries and spices.
Use Tips:
Fermentation starts quickly with this yeast. Be prepared to see Brix drop 24 hours after inoculation. It can stand up 14% ABV and can handle temperatures from 59–90°F. However, I highly suggest keeping your fermentation temps lower than 75°F. Once you hit 80°F you lose aromas and “burn off” flavors. Keeping your wine between 59–75°F during fermentation is a best practice.
You also want to use nutrients when using CSM; nutrients such as Fermaid-O and Fermaid-K. CSM tends to produce H2S (rotten egg smell) if there aren’t enough nutrients during fermentation.
Avoid cold shocking the yeast at inoculation. You’ll want to get the must and the yeast starter within a few degrees of each other before pitching the yeast starter. But without temperatures falling lower than 55°F. Temps below 55°F could stall fermentation and/or kill the yeast.
Goes best with:
CSM was cultivated to help ferment Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Merlot, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot. However, we have seen it used on Carmenere, Malbec, and Syrah from Chile with great results.
Dosage:
6gm/gals
Flavor Profile:
Cherry pit, raspberry, blackberry, spice, violet, bark, and sweet pepper
Ready to make wine? Musto Wine Grape Company is here to help you make the wine of your dreams! The Spring South African & Chilean winemaking season starts soon! Secure your winemaking grapes or juices and give us a call at (877) 812-1137 to speak with one of our Musto Crush Crew members. We can get you set up with everything you need and provide customer support along the way to ensure your success!
SOS: Sluggish/stuck fermentation
Many a winemaker has lamented the dreaded stuck fermentation. With so much to deal with during harvest time, the last thing you should be worried about is a ferment that has just up and quit. But sometimes it happens – knowing what to do when it does will be a life saver during an otherwise potentially unfortunate moment in a wine’s life. We’re here to walk you through how to handle this, what to do, and most importantly, how to do it.
Step 1: Think about why it may have gotten stuck
This is going to help you moving forward, both with this wine and with future ferments. Was there too much sugar in the juice or must to begin with? Was the fermentation temperature too cool or too hot? Did you choose a yeast that doesn’t do well with high sugar levels? Were nutrient levels too low?
Considerations before restarting
- Adding lysozyme can halt spoilage organisms which are often present in sluggish or stuck fermentations
- Resuke can lower toxin levels that have accumulated which will give you a better chance for a healthy restart. If you add this you will rack off of it 1-2 days later.
- Incorporate Go-Ferm and Go-Ferm Protect Evolution to ensure health of ensuing restarting fermentation
- Carefully choose what yeast you will re-pitch with. 43, 43 Restart, Fermivin Champion, K1 (V1116), Vin 13, BC, and DV10 are great choices.
Step 2. Add a complex yeast nutrient
This is going directly into the stuck wine tank. If you think you may have a spoilage bacteria problem, this is the time you would be adding lysozyme.
Step 3. Combine equal parts stuck wine and water in another vessel
This is known as the “mother restart tank.” At this moment it will be totaling 2% of whole volume.
Step 4. Rehydrate yeast nutrient + yeast as you would when pitching yeast the first time
This is the exact same process you did during the initial yeast pitch.
Step 5. Add the yeast to the mother restart tank
As always, there should be a <18F difference between the yeast mixture and the mother restart tank liquid temperature.
Step 6. Add 10% of the stuck wine to the starter culture
Wait 20-30 minutes.
Step 7. Add 20% of the stuck wine to the starter culture
Wait 20-30 minutes.
Step 8. Repeat until the remainder of the stuck wine has been added to the mother restart tank
Don’t skimp on waiting the 20-30 minutes at each of the following steps. Give it time to acclimate!
Temperanillo: A Spanish Grape Fit for a Queen
Temperanillo is an incredibly fruity and juicy varietal of wine grape that dates back over 2000 years in Spain. It is the most widely planted varietal in Spain, and the third most widely planted in the entire world (as of 2015). It is one of the oldest genetically traceable grapes in Spain and has been called the Noble Grape of Spain. Its grapes were often used in wine production for the noble class of the country, as well as for religious purposes. The conquistadores brought the grape to South America in their travels, further popularizing the varietal. While the name Temperanillo may sound unfamiliar to some winemakers, it is the primary grape in Rioja blends, a name often more popular to the consumer.
Temperanillo is famous for its direct and lush strawberry flavors. It has a bit higher level of acidity, really bringing out the bright strawberry and plum flavors. The grape has a thicker blue-black skin with a colorless interior. Limited skin contact at crush can generate a nice rosé, embracing the acidity and berry flavors of the wine. Prolonged skin contact throughout fermentation will generate the traditional, full bodied red. Temperanillo can stand as a full-bodied, fruity red on its own or can work well with other varietals in blends. To create a traditional Rioja blend, Temperanillo should be the largest percentage of the blend, coupled with varietals such as Grenache, Carignane, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines can either be blended at crush or post fermentation, the latter giving the winemaker more finite control over the blend. Using yeast strains CLOS or VRB, which are isolated from ancient Spanish wineries, will help to enhance the overall structure and mouthfeel of the wine, helping the winemaker to recreate a traditional Rioja blend. The VRB yeast specifically, will also help to promote those lush fruit forward characteristics that the varietal is known for. The use of Opti-Red and Booster Rouge as supplemental yeast nutrients will help to secure color and tannic structure. Oak may be supplemented at fermentation to help preserve the grape tannins and then also added later to add flavor during the wines’ maturation process. We always advise to use a complete nutrition program throughout fermentation, including the use of Go-Ferm, Fermaid O, and Fermaid K. This will help avoid any stuck fermentations and off aromas. Temperanillo, as most reds, will benefit from malolactic fermentation.
Temperanillo is a versatile, early ripening varietal with a long history of contributing to great wines. From its origin in Spain, to its travels and proliferation in the New World, its fruity legacy has carried on creating wines fit for royalty or for adventurous winemakers, like us.
Check out these Videos of our Tempranillo being Crushed & Pressed!
IMG_2640_Tempranillo Crush_Musto Wine Grape_Winemaking
IMG_2641_Tempranillo Press_Musto Wine Grape_Winemaking
by the Winemakers at Musto Wine Grape
Winemaker Spotlight Interview with Manuela Astaburuaga
Winemaker Spotlight Interview with Manuela Astaburuaga
How did you get started winemaking?
I’m the 5th generation viticulturist in my family so I was born between tanks and vineyards. When we were kids we played hide and seek in the tanks of the winery and we rode a bicycle among the vineyards.
When I finished the school, I decided to study Agriculture because I love the nature and live in the countryside, then in my last year of university I went to Australia to do my first vintage and I loved it. After I started to work with my family and I decided to go to France to do a Master in viticulture and Oenology.
What I love the most about Oenology is that most of the time there is a family tradition behind it. In my case my father founded the company Viña Correa Albano in 1991 but my grandfather, great grandfather, … also had their own winery Viña Astaburuaga.
Who were your wine mentors?
My mentors where my father and grandfather. My grandfather was one of the first to broker of wine in Chile and one of the first to export wines. We also have photos of the first exportation where you can see the boats with tanks full of wines.
I really don’t pay attention to the winemakers. I love to taste different wines from different wineries, valleys and countries, but I never pay attention who was the winemaker, for me is a team job.
What do you look for when you make wine? What is your general winemaking philosophy?
The most important thing is have good quality grapes. A healthy grape, free of disease, means we can start making a good wine.
In white wines the expression of aromas and acidity is really important, so we try to have long fermentations at low temperature.
In reds, the wine aging is the most important for me. It is necessary to have the micro oxygenation to soften the tannins and it is very important to limit the oxidation to preserve the fruity aromas that come from the grape.
What is the most difficult aspect of making wine? What’s your biggest challenge as a winemaker?
The first thing is to have good quality grapes, for that we have to work all year.
In viticulture/oenology we say that we never have two equal years so for me the biggest challenge is to know how to react quickly in different situations as a rain or excessive heat for example can cause challenges.
What bottles of wine in your cellar are you most excited about?
A few weeks ago, we were sorting out and we found samples of our first exportation of wine. We opened a bottle and it was really good so now that we found the bottles we take care of them the most. Also, I have a box of 12 bottles of my grandfather’s wine from my year of birth that he gave to my parents at my baptism and I’m waiting for a special occasion to open it.
I don’t have any favorite wines but for me the history behind the wine is very important, we cannot compare a big Chateau of Bordeaux with unlimited means with a small producer with all the adversities of nature.
In general, I enjoy more a wine from a small producer with a tradition behind them, than a wine from a big winery.
What’s your philosophy on Oak and Wine?
For me the most important is oxygen in aging the wine, the barrels have porosity so they give a micro-oxygenation to the wine which is very important to the complexity and the maturation of tannins.
I use barrels, but I always try to not exaggerate because I prefer to preserve the fruity aromas over those gave from the oak.
Are you filtering your wines?
Yes and no. We have a tangential filter which is very good in preserving the quality. For our premium line, which has a minimum of 8 months in the barrel we will not filter.
Are there any new winemaking techniques or tools you’d like to experiment with?
We are thinking about implementing the pulsair system in our winery, so we don’t have to us the remontage method and limit the oxidation.
What’s been your greatest challenge as a winemaker?
The generational change.
Any advice for a new home winemaker?
Have patience. We cannot rush the aging and to have complexity, sucrosity and soft tannins are important and take time.
Also, you have to have in mind that the oxygen can be the best friend or the worst enemy in the aging. Is important to have micro-oxygenation to help the maturity of wine but if it is not controlled, he can oxidize some components and be harmful to the final quality.
If you had to pick one wine to drink for the rest of your life what would it be?
I cannot pick only one wine, for me the wine depends the occasion and is important to change and try different wines.
What’s your favorite wine region?
I don’t have a favorite region but I loved the whites of Alsace and the Cabernet Franc of Saumur Champigny.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I am shy and I have a very bad memory, that’s why I can never remember the names of the winemakers and wineries I have tasted (that’s why I always write my tasting notes).
If you weren’t making wine what would you be doing?
I really have no idea!
The Winemaker’s Think Tank: Vol 35 – How do I know if fermentation is complete?
What’s the Winemaker’s Think Tank?
Every Thursday we will post about a few frequently asked questions that our winemaker has answered. If you have a winemaking question you would like to have answered, please email us at support@juicegrape.com and we will try to get into next week’s post. Cheers! 🙂
How do I know if fermentation is complete?
It is often easy to see visual signs of fermentation: from activity in the airlock, bubbles, and the formation of a cap to the aromas of yeast and carbon dioxide, the wonders of fermentation are succinct observation. But how does the home winemaker know when the fermentation is complete? The simplest way of seeing if fermentation is complete is to taste the wine and observe if there is any sweetness to it. If there is still sugar that you can taste, the yeast have not yet completed their job. The most accurate and scientific way of seeing if fermentation is complete is to take a measurement of the Brix via a hydrometer. A hydrometer is a glass instrument that reads sugar content via the hydrometers buoyancy in wine juice. The juice sample should always be placed into a sanitary, cylindrical shaped vessel. As the wine ferments, yeast consumer sugar and excrete alcohol, making a thinner, less dense liquid. At the beginning of fermentation, the hydrometer will not sink very far into the wine. The sugars within the juice make it thicker and the hydrometer will float on top of the juice. As fermentation progresses the new wine becomes less dense and sugary, allowing the hydrometer to sink down into the liquid. When the fermentation is complete, the hydrometer will sink down into the liquid to the 0 mark, if not farther. When reading the hydrometer, spin it slightly in the cylinder to dislodge any bubbles that may cling to the sides of the hydrometer. Observe where the meniscus of the wine falls on the gradients of the hydrometer. This will give you your sugar level in degrees Brix of the fermenting wine. When the hydrometer sinks to zero or below, the fermentation is complete and you can rack the wine.
We hope this information helps with your winemaking. If you have any follow up questions or winemaking questions in general, please email us at support@juicegrape.com.
Wine Class Schedule
We have a bunch of classes coming up! Make sure to RSVP via Facebook or Sign Up via the website!
Saturday September 23rd: Common Winemaking Mistakes (FREE) at 10:00AM – RSVP by clicking HERE
Saturday September 30th: Winemaking 201 – Winemaker Lab Skills ($75.00) at 10:00AM – sign up by clicking HERE
Saturday October 7th: Winemaker Bootcamp ($150.00) at 9:00AM – sign up by clicking HERE
The Winemaker’s Think Tank: Vol 30 – How do I test for pH?
What’s the Winemaker’s Think Tank?
Every Thursday we will post about a few frequently asked questions that our winemaker has answered. If you have a winemaking question you would like to have answered, please email us at support@juicegrape.com and we will try to get into next week’s post. Cheers! 🙂
How do I test for pH?
Testing for pH is a reasonably simple process for your wine. Based on your budget, you can obtain a variety of pH measuring implements. There are pH test strips that will give you an approximate level of pH in your wine. They give a color reaction that when compared to a chart, indicates the pH of the wine. The next level up in sophistication as well as price is a basic pH meter. Musto wine grape offers a simple handheld pH meter that can be calibrated in a matter of minutes and gives precise and accurate pH readings. The probe must be stored properly in a storage solution to ensure that it does not dry out. The probe lasts from 12-18 months, depending on its care and must be purged after this time frame. With the most basic model, you throw out the entire unit and buy a new one. With the more sophisticated models of pH meters, the probe is replaced separately from the unit (which should last indefinitely).
We hope this information helps with your winemaking. If you have any follow up questions or winemaking questions in general, please email us at support@juicegrape.com.
Winemaker Spotlight: Greg Ambrose
My wine passion started 17 years ago when my father officially started to teach me to make wine. He had tried unofficially in the early 70’s but I was a reluctant 7 year old with other things on my mind. I began making wine from grapes with a friend and we started with a single 30 gallon barrel. We picked up grapes from a local distributor and worked out of my friends single car garage (half full of lawn tools).
We spent the next 9 years trying to source better grapes, each year looking to step up in quality. And then the Musto team contracted with the Lanza family which made a tremendous improvement in the quality of our wines. I still search for higher quality grapes but have come to the realization that we are now working with the best possible fruit available.
Our coop now consists of 7 families and we have outgrown the single car garage. We moved production to my double car garage which has been converted to our crush pad and fermentation room. The garage has been insulated, painted and new lighting and an exhaust system installed. The Musto family now ships us over 5 tons of grapes each fall.
We receive grapes and clean all our equipment on day 1 and crush the grapes on day 2. Crush day is filled with music, great food, wine, more food then more wine. It’s truly Christmas, New Years and the Super Bowl all rolled into one! With a lot of hands to help, we run a sorting table to clean the grapes and then load the crusher destemmer. We ferment in 15- 500 liter tubs and produce around 350 cases of wine. The tubs completely fill the garage and after a short cold soak they ferment for about 10 days. We usually order 6-7 varieties with each family making their own blends we end up with 10-15 wines styles.
Mid day the 30 of us stop working and sit down for lunch. It’s always at a single long table and we eat as one big family. This has become an important tradition with family and friends and includes toasts and short speeches and plenty of laughter. It’s a very special day and it actually gets me emotional even to write about it.
Pressing two weeks later is another story. It’s takes us two full days to press and then deliver the wine to each of the seven homes. Using pickup trucks, food grade drums, pumps and long hoses, we deliver wine to each house in the same way oil deliveries are made. We pump the wine down into each cellar and fill the barrels at each house. It’s more of a working weekend than crush day but we still mange to fit in great food and great wine. After making delivery runs we assemble back at the crush pad/garage for clean up. The day always ends up with a post event review. With more food and wine, we talk about how things went this year and suggestions for improvements to our process that we might make next year. Usually there is robust conversation about who stood out as an MVP and they receive an ovation.
The Musto and Lanza families are fantastic partners and we consider them part of our family.
Want to be featured in the “Winemaker Spotlight” series? Send Christina an email with a description about your harvest traditions and photos of your winemaking cellar to cmusto@juicegrape.com to be featured!
The Winemaker’s Think Tank: Vol 29 – How do I test for Brix?
What’s the Winemaker’s Think Tank?
Every Thursday we will post about a few frequently asked questions that our winemaker has answered. If you have a winemaking question you would like to have answered, please email us at support@juicegrape.com and we will try to get into next week’s post. Cheers! 🙂
{refractometer used in vineyard for brix levels}
How do I test for Brix?
There are two ways to test for Brix in your grape juice and/or must. Prior to the addition of yeast and fermentation, one may use a hand refractometer to measure the sugar content (Brix) of the grapes. First the sampling method must be discussed. Simply taking one grape and squeezing it on the refractometer is not an accurate measurement of the entire batch, it is only reflective on the sugar content of that grape. The most accurate way to measure Brix would be to crush and process the grapes into a fermenting tub, punch down to thouroughly mix the must and allow to sit for 24 hours. This will create a more homogenous product from which to draw a sample. Using a hydrometer is simple, place a drop of grape juice on the lens of the hydrometer and lower the plastic coverslip. Hold the refractometer to your eye and look towards a bright light source. The light gets refracted by the sugar and will form an indicator line on the lens inside of the refractometer. This lens has a marked measurements column which will then give you your initial, pre-fermentation Brix level.
{hyrdometer testing brix levels}
Once yeast has been introduced to the must and begins to excrete alcohol, the refractometer loses its accuracy. This is when the hydrometer becomes more useful in this instance. To use the hydrometer, you will also need a cylindrical container; a graduated cylinder works well (the cylinder must be taller than the hydrometer). Pour a strained sample of the must or juice into the sanitized cylinder. Put the sanitized hydrometer into the cylinder and spin it slightly to dislodge any bubbles that may cling to the sides of it. Allow it to come to rest in the juice and observe the meniscus of the liquid and where it falls on the gradients of the hydrometer. This will give you the Brix level of the fermenting wine. As the wine ferments, the Brix level will continue to drop until it is at zero.
We hope this information helps with your winemaking. If you have any follow up questions or winemaking questions in general, please email us at support@juicegrape.com.
The Winemaker’s Think Tank: Vol 28- What are the best ways to get maximum extraction from red wine grapes to create a dark red wine?
What’s the Winemaker’s Think Tank?
Every Thursday we will post about a few frequently asked questions that our winemaker has answered. If you have a winemaking question you would like to have answered, please email us at support@juicegrape.com and we will try to get into next week’s post. Cheers! 🙂
What are the best ways to get maximum extraction from red wine grapes to create a dark red wine? And does a large primary fermenter make a difference in extracting color etc. from red wine grapes as opposed to a small primary fermenter of, say, 5 gallons?
There are many factors that can assist in the extraction of pigmentation and tannins from red wine grapes. A combination of some of these methods will ensure the best extraction of pigments in the red wine. The first method that will help ensure a deep bold color in red wines is a cold soak. After crushing the grapes into a fermenting tub, add 50ppm of potassium metabisulfite to prohibit microbial growth. After 6 hours, add pectic enzyme, specifically Color Pro, to help break down the grapes and assist with the color extraction. Now comes the more challenging part, the cold soak. The goal is to get the grape must to 40°F to extract the tannins but discourage bacterial growth; you may do this by bringing the fermentation tub into a cool area such as a walk in fridge (if you have that luxury) or a cold garage. If it is getting nice and cold at night, this may work fine for you. Otherwise you will have to chill down the must by adding frozen containers of water. You can fill up gallon jugs with water (that have been sanitized with potassium metabisulfite) and freeze them. Submerging quite a few of these in the must will chill it down significantly. However there is a risk of the jugs leaking. Another method would be to obtain 4inch PVC tubing and caps for the end. The PVC tubing will need to be as long as the height of your fermenting vessel. Place a secure cap on one end of the tube and seal it. (Always sanitize anything that will come in contact with your must with potassium metabisulfite first.) Fill the tube with ice and place standing upright (to the best of your ability) in the must. The solid skins and thickness of the must will help keep this upright. Then place another cap on the exposed end but do not seal it. You will have to replace the ice every 8 hours. If using 4 tubes per tub of must, this should keep the grape must around 40°F. If you can keep the must at 40°F, cold soaking it for 3 days will bring out deep pigments and provide dense color saturation. You will need to warm up the must to 65°F before setting yeast.
There are a few fermentation aids that will help with color securing. Opti-Red and FT Rouge are excellent products for this purpose. Opti-Red is a yeast derivative nutrient that helps to secure color and provide smoother tannin integration. FT Rouge is a blend of tannins that will also secure color pigments throughout fermentation. Using both of these compounds will greatly enhance the depth and richness of your red wine color.
Lastly, the shape of your fermentation vessel will mildly affect the color of your wine. If you have a tall cylindrical shaped fermentation bin, the cap will rise up and maintain less contact with the fermenting wine. Regular punch downs will be more critical. If you have a wider fermentation vessel, the surface area of the cap will increase, giving it more area to come in contact with the wine. These are subtle differences that won’t greatly affect the outcome of the wine and will not replace the incredibly important punch downs that should occur every 6-8 hours.
We hope this information helps with your winemaking. If you have any follow up questions or winemaking questions in general, please email us at support@juicegrape.com.
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