StillSmart

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-24T05:46:04+00:00

Bit off topic i agree, but sound nonetheless.

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Thu May 24, 2018 5:46 am

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-23T23:20:16+00:00

Thanks guys for a proper LOL!
For a minute I thought it was bitchin', but when the penny dropped it totally made my night, Epic way to let it out.

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Wed May 23, 2018 11:20 pm

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-23T20:36:09+00:00

Most is oaked in stainless with planks but we do have somewhere around 2000-2500 barrels on site.

Statistics: Posted by Goog — Wed May 23, 2018 8:36 pm

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-23T15:26:54+00:00

Just finished - a nice time - very satisfying.

I used to be a 6-10 day chap, might be again. But Past 2 years, I have lated fruited from jus reserve and allowed alcoholic maceration to 30 days. Malo completed too by then.

To give you a bit of context I just finished a 14499 ton [less than you] vintage this year.

Oaked in stainless?

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Wed May 23, 2018 3:26 pm

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-23T10:52:13+00:00

Do you wait for the skins to sink before pressing ?

Normally no, once the baume hits 0 it is normally pressed out within a day or two. To give you a bit of context we just finished a 14500 ton vintage this year. Our grapes are normally crushed, fermented and pressed in 6-10 days depending on size, variety and wine makers.

Statistics: Posted by Goog — Wed May 23, 2018 10:52 am

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-23T09:37:14+00:00

Goog wrote:
Mash wrote:
I thought pumping over was pretty much the standard. Do many wineries board them? I end up visiting my FV's 3 times a day.

Not sure if many winery’s board them but we do to some of our small 10ton pot fermenters and have done for years. You are right with pumping over being the norm but we also use rotary fermenters that spin to mix the cap as well as a mechanical plunger to push the cap down like what you do. It depends on the wine makers preference and the type of grapes as to which way is used. The heading boards are used normally for about 6 or 7 days and get removed once a day to plunge the fermenter then put back, this reduces the plunging or pump overs which normally would happen 2 times a shift or 4 times every 24 hours. Guess all wineries/winemakers are different but this is how it happens at work
Cheers

oooo I do like the idea of rotary fermenters that spin. Thats a big bit of kit though - came very close to buying a 500l pressure fermenter that rolled over by crank. Have looked at the hydraulic basket more than a few times and wished it had a broader beam.

Do you wait for the skins to sink before pressing ?

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Wed May 23, 2018 9:37 am

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-23T08:40:11+00:00

Mash wrote:
I thought pumping over was pretty much the standard. Do many wineries board them? I end up visiting my FV's 3 times a day.

Not sure if many winery’s board them but we do to some of our small 10ton pot fermenters and have done for years. You are right with pumping over being the norm but we also use rotary fermenters that spin to mix the cap as well as a mechanical plunger to push the cap down like what you do. It depends on the wine makers preference and the type of grapes as to which way is used. The heading boards are used normally for about 6 or 7 days and get removed once a day to plunge the fermenter then put back, this reduces the plunging or pump overs which normally would happen 2 times a shift or 4 times every 24 hours. Guess all wineries/winemakers are different but this is how it happens at work
Cheers

Statistics: Posted by Goog — Wed May 23, 2018 8:40 am

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-24T05:41:59+00:00

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Wed May 23, 2018 8:36 am

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-23T05:46:34+00:00

Goog wrote:
Mash wrote:Myles - try it with grapes sometime. Ain't no stirred you gotta ram them back down

You could seal and rotate the fermenter or make a heading down board to hold the cap under the liquid. Anyway to keep the cap wet really. Grapes/wine are not to bad as I work in a winery but this distilling is a different game and I’m not fermenting 50 ton at a time lol. Would like to think that I am slowly learning though.

I thought pumping over was pretty much the standard. Do many wineries board them? I end up visiting my FV's 3 times a day.

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Wed May 23, 2018 5:46 am

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-22T23:26:01+00:00

You say Banana, and I say Banana..

The only important thing here is that the yeast is wet and alive, going into a wash with some dissolved O2, although a loose lidded bucket will serve that purpose.

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Tue May 22, 2018 11:26 pm

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-22T13:23:01+00:00

I'm a stirer, can't help myself! Even if it fermenting fine, I have to stir it and watch the bubbles lol.

Statistics: Posted by googe — Tue May 22, 2018 1:23 pm

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-22T12:49:03+00:00

Mash wrote:
Myles - try it with grapes sometime. Ain't no stirred you gotta ram them back down

You could seal and rotate the fermenter or make a heading down board to hold the cap under the liquid. Anyway to keep the cap wet really. Grapes/wine are not to bad as I work in a winery but this distilling is a different game and I’m not fermenting 50 ton at a time lol. Would like to think that I am slowly learning though.

Statistics: Posted by Goog — Tue May 22, 2018 12:49 pm

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-22T09:37:45+00:00

Myles - try it with grapes sometime. Ain't no stirred you gotta ram them back down

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Tue May 22, 2018 9:37 am

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-22T08:48:35+00:00

If you ferment with a lot of solids in the fermenter - fruit for example - then chances are that for the first few days at least you need to stir anyway.

The solids get pushed up into a thick layer and for the first few days I always stir it back in.

Statistics: Posted by Myles — Tue May 22, 2018 8:48 am

Re: Pitching and Stirring, I’m confused.

2018-05-22T01:14:21+00:00

Thanks for all the reply’s, think I will go with the sprinkle and leave. That’s what I have been doing so all good but handy to get other opinions. I put another 25lt kale wash on last night as just finish doing the strip runs on the last one. Ended up with 6 lt at 42% which will give me 2 spirit runs so happy with that. I also put on a 10 lt TPW to try out mash’s freezing strip run to see how that goes. Am really learning a lot on here best site for air stills on the net.
Cheers Goog

Statistics: Posted by Goog — Tue May 22, 2018 1:14 am