Sunday "Wine Work" (Strawberry and Traminette)

Today I racked the Strawberry wine off the gross lees. This is to get it off the fruit pulp, which can turn and start to go bad, and make the wine taste bad at the same time. It both smells and tastes fantastic. The wine now resides in a 3 gallon carboy and a 1 gallon jug. I added a little bit of lysozyme (to prevent malolactic fermentation & prevent any bacterial growth), and some potassium metabisulfite (to prevent oxidation). It will now sit for several months before needing any further work (besides the occasional potassium metabisulpite addition).

It was time to start using the Traminette juice I ordered from Walker's Wine Juice. After enormous effort, my wife and I were able to open the cap on the container. It was really sealed air-tight. I measured the specific gravity, which came out to 1.09, which goes right along with the 21^o brix (actually 21.54^o brix) rating they have on the side of the container.

I put the Walker's Traminette juice in a 6 gallon carboy, added some yeast nutrient, potassium metabisulphite, and some lysozyme. Then I placed the carboy into the freezer, where I have a thermostat keeping the temperature about 65^o F. I added EC-1118 yeast, and then closed the lid. I'm fermenting it in a carboy because it is white juice, and I am attempting to prevent oxidation. The juice is a little over 5 gallons, so in a 6 gallon carboy there will be plenty of room for any foaming as it ferments. As the juice ferments, it will create CO₂ and push a majority of the oxygen out the airlock. I am keeping it in the freezer at 65^o F because with white wine, it is better to ferment at lower temperatures. That way you keep the fruit aromas and taste more intact. The fermentation will probably go for a little over a week, since it is at a low temperature, and then I'll rack it into a 5 gallon carboy.