I made my false bottom for beer tun out off stainless steel tubing jacket, its long enough to go from one side to the other of my primary bucket. Was wondering if any one would think it might do same thing to remove pulp. Was thinking about putting it in so that when must was at 1.040 - 1.030 I could just rack from one bucket to another or I could just leave it till 1.010 and rack to secondary. Do you think it would just get stuck?

Once I went to a 22 gallon primary I have been thinking of different ways to remove the pulp. Although I am not quite sure exactly what a beer tun looks like (have never seen a picture) I have been thinking of a nylon mesh bag the same size as my primary, instead of the false bottom idea. I could still stir the primary. They don't stir beer primaries. Then remove the bag, or run my syphon tube between the bag and the primary container. I could get most of the must out, then squeeze the remaining amount in the bag. It seems it would be easier to handle once some of the must was out of the primary.

I had a few problems racking from the primary with my latest gooseberry wine. The must was quite thick and my hose way too small. (3/8 inch dia) I ended up dumping my primary into several carboys. Jack Keller mentions you can just transfer to the secondary instead of racking. I have done that on several occassions in the past. This time I had no choice. Now I have been thinking of different ways to seperate the pulp. My wife is sewing up a 22 gallon nylon mesh bag and I am going to give that a try with my grapes that will be coming up shortly.


The last refractometer reading on the Frontenac grapes was 17.5 Brix degrees about 3 or 4 days ago. I would like to wait until they are about 22 or 24 so the acid will be lower.

this is what its like in the bucket

i got a nylon paint strainer bag from the hardware store, it has an elastic band at the top and fits into a 5 gal. bucket. works good for containing the pulp in wine and works real good for aeriating your wort and separating trub in your beer fermenter. throw it in the washing machine and sanitize and use it over and over.
gary

I have been using the paint strainer bag that I got from Home Depot when I make 5 gallons. This year I went to the 22 gallon primary. They don't make the paint strainer bags that large.

I had twitted with jack on the crabapples he said to just crush lightly and not to worry
about the seeds so I crushed and dumped boiling water over them for extraction, today
was time to strain them. Decided to experiment. The auto siphon would give me an idea
if it would work, the hole is larger and not as much surface area as the false bottom
has, but as the pulp began to collect around the auto siphon it started to filter the must and kept
seeds at bay, of course there is the problom the hole was to big and did get stuck
a few times, a pump or two allowing a little pulp through and it would start working again.
So my next must I will have to try this I think it will work. I should have muskidine coming
soon.

My Frontenac grapes were 24.5 Brix so I picked them yesterday. Got the wine started.

Everyone jelouse about the hops on beer side, this is what Im jelouse of, wished I had a place to
grow grapes. Maybe one day!!!

Last year was our first year for the grapes. Didn't get enough grapes, then they were high in acid. Partly because we harvested them too early. This could be a good harvest year for us. It is a little difficult raising grapes in this area. Too much wind and too cold in the winter. We use a double layer of snow fence to block the wind. We get wind chill of 60 below sometimes. Winds upward of 80 to 90 mph. We don't venture out too much in the winter time without 4 wheel drive, heavy clothes and a cell phone.

Having a problem getting my yeast started in the Frontenac grape wine even with a starter. Measured the acid and it was 1.5%. Way to high and seemed to be killing off the yeast before it could get a good start. Added 16 teaspoons of potassium carbonate and it looks like the fermentation is getting started now.

I dont understand measuring acid like that 1.5% ,how does that equate to grams per liter, is that 15 g/l if so wow

It should have been half that acid amount. Northern grapes have real high acid because of short growing season and not warm enough temps.