StillSmart

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

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 ?

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.

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?

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

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.

Bit off topic i agree, but sound nonetheless.