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THE STOMPER
The Monthly Winemaking Newsletter of grapestompers.com
September, 2001 Issue #14
http://www.grapestompers.com 1-800-233-1505
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Welcome to the latest issue of "THE STOMPER", a newsletter
of winemaking hints and other wine-related articles.
You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a
subscription and have an interest in home winemaking.
Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter.
Feel free to pass along this newsletter to your winemaking
friends; we only ask that it be sent in its entirety.
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IN THIS ISSUE
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=> Feature Article - Show Us Your Stuff!
=> New Products
=> Bonnie's Bin - I Wasn't Finished with August Yet!
=> This Month's Specials
=> Tom's Cellar - Your Invitation to our Wine Tasting
=> Feedback from Our Customers
=> Guest Column - Sulphur Dioxide in Winemaking, part 2
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Columnist
=> Corky's Winemaking Definition
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
*^* Hot Tips are sprinkled throughout the newsletter
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FEATURE ARTICLE: Show Us Your Stuff!
By Brant Burgiss, Editor
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Several of our customers have remarked that they would like
to send us photos of their home winemaking exploits... and
have asked if it would be possible to post them online.
Our response is: "Why, certainly!"
I remember how proud I was of my first batch of wine when I
made it nearly three years ago. I still have a couple of
photos somewhere that testify to my crazy escapades.
In fact, Monty and Brenda Combs of Wilkesboro, NC have done
more than threaten to send us photos of their winemaking
experiences: they've actually done it... and we've posted
two of their pictures!
Now that the ball is rolling, we'd like to include your
winemaking / wine enjoying pictures online as well.
Find out how to contribute your winemaking pictures by
going to the newest page on our web site:
http://www.grapestompers.com/customers/wine_photos.htm
We hope you'll want to contribute your photos and help
this page grow. It'll be proof positive that winemaking is
one of the best hobbies around!
Here's to you... and Happy Winemaking!
You can write to Brant at webmaster@grapestompers.com
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NEW PRODUCTS
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Here is a list of products recently added to our catalog:
- Item # 2320 grapestompers.com cork, #9 X 1.75" $0.12
The new grapestompers.com signature cork is similar in
construction to the famed Altec cork... at less than half
the price! Check out workmanship - see a large detailed
picture by going to the supplies and equipment page in
our online catalog and clicking on the image of the new
grapestompers.com cork.
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BONNIE'S BIN: I Wasn't Finished with August Yet!
By Bonnie Brown, Manager
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Well, is it September already? I hear that some of you are
concerned that you are lost in our files because you didn't
get the STOMPER yet. Give us time and we will arrive. It's
been kind of hectic around the Bodega lately. Lots of
things are happening. The latest being today. It was the
first day back, for me, after a rainy Labor Day weekend.
Tom is off again for a few days. Will we EVER return to
normal? Or IS this normal???? Oh, NO. please tell me it is
not so!
Anyway lots of orders, customers arriving, customers due
in to bottle some wine and our incoming order arrives at
the same time! The semi came in the driveway blasting his
horn as usual so I can get out there and have the loading
dock cleared and ready. But before he can back in I have
to move the wheelbarrow that is full of water and sitting
smack dab in the way. Golly, I even think that wheelbarrow
belongs to me! Used that one a few times over the years.
My husband is building grapestomper's new warehouse and
didn't know that we do have to use that space! Hahaha...
He is going to be SO mad when he reads this! Oh well!
Also, along with the wheelbarrow I have to move a couple
dozen 2x4's of various lengths he has so nicely gotten out
the way, HIS WAY!! Again not knowing that we do have to
use that space... There was plenty of help unloading
though. My husband walked up from the Dance Barn where he
was fixin' on something for Tom. The customers stopped the
shopping and pitched in. In no time, all the "stuff" was
inside! Whew! That is a nasty job on a hot day and it was
so nice to have all the help. Thank you all, it was much
appreciated! But I now know why they helped: they wanted
to get on with the shopping and didn't want to hang around
waitin' on me to get it all inside. Would you believe it
is all still sitting in the main room of the Bodega and I
have not even checked the invoice! The rest of the day went
pretty much the same way. BUSY! This was not even a
Monday! Thank God for humor, husbands and good customers!
We got the wine bottled, customers all taken care of,
phones answered and questions taken care of. As for the
orders, well, we'll tackle them next! Sure hope yours is
not one of them. Hang in there. If it is not one thing
this summer it is MORE than one thing! Being busy is a lot
of fun but it makes the days go too fast! But we'll be
there tomorrow to give it another go 'round! Life is never
boring around the Bodega and I have never had so much fun
either!
Can't you almost see this made into a comic book? It's
almost like the "ER" of winemaking. "What do I do - I am
going away, but my grapes are ripe?" Does this sound like
home? Yup, just freeze 'em and go have fun. That is the
best thing about winemaking - you can freeze the juice or
fruits and make it when YOU have the time. Don't let the
wine rule you, YOU rule the wine.
And here I was, not sure what I could write about this
time...
With that, I am going to go get some rest. See y'all next
time. Keep on making wine, ya hear?
'Tis a wonderful day in the mountains. . .
Life is too short... to drink bad wine... so make your own!
You can write to Bonnie at bonnie@grapestompers.com
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THIS MONTH'S SPECIALS
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grapestompers' specials for the month of September 2001 are:
Save 10% on FOUR different Wine Kits
AND
Save over 14% on our popular Portuguese Hand Corker
AND
Save over 17% on Montrachet Wine Yeast
AND
Save over 17% on our most popular Wine Recipe Book
AND
Save over $70 on the purchase of a
Complete Winemaking Starter Kit
which includes a RED or WHITE Concentrate
(see wine kit selection below)
Item # Description Regular Price SPECIAL Price
3234 CC Gewurtztraminer Wine Kit 70.68 63.61
3230 CC Chamblaise (Chablis) 58.85 52.97
3134 CC Pinot Noir Wine Kit 77.00 69.30
3277 Grand Cru Zinfandel Blush 46.75 42.08
2801 Wine Recipe Handbook 3.03 2.49
2262 Portuguese Hand Corker 15.13 12.95
2701 Montrachet Wine Yeast 0.34 0.28
3200 Complete White Starter Kit 246.68 175.00
3100 Complete Red Starter Kit 259.79 185.00
Here's what you get with the COMPLETE Starter Kit:
If choosing the Complete WHITE Kit, your choice of either:
Fume Blanc, Piesporter, or Chenin Blanc VDV concentrate
If choosing the Complete RED Kit, your choice of either:
Valpolicella, Shiraz, or Cabernet/Merlot VDV concentrate
PLUS ALL THESE GOODIES:
Tom's Winemaking Video Bottle Rinser
Fermenter Bucket with lid Three-Piece Airlock
6-Gallon Glass Carboy Carboy Brush
Bung (stopper) Bottle Filler
Five feet of vinyl tubing B-Brite Sanitizer
Portuguese Hand Corker FermTech AutoSiphon
2 Cases of 750-ml Bottles Spoon or Paddle (our choice)
Bottle Washer Adapter Brass Bottle Washer
Bottle Drainer, 45 station
AND YOU GET THE FOLLOWING ITEMS FREE ($16.59 value):
- Free Wine Labels (text of your choice)
- Free $5 coupon towards your next concentrate purchase
- Free Corks (30 corks, enough for one batch)
Just think: This complete kit offers EVERYTHING a brand-new
hobbyist would need to begin making his own wine. All you
need to decide is which wine kit you want!
And don't forget... you can always return your winemaking
video and receive a credit for $19.95 on your next
purchase... that's like getting the video for free! All
we ask is that you return it in good condition.
This is the best deal we've ever offered on a complete kit,
so don't miss out... order one for yourself or a friend
today. Ask for RED Complete Kit # 3100 or WHITE Kit # 3200
and be sure to let us know which wine concentrate you want.
NEW! Now you can "personalize" your Complete Kit -
Let's say you don't need or want some of the items that
normally come with the Complete Kit... just give us a call
at 1-800-233-1505 and let us know which items you don't
need, and we will adjust the price of the equipment kit
accordingly. Likewise, if you'd like a different wine kit,
just let us know and we can adjust the price.
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TOM'S CELLAR: Fourth Annual Wine Tasting Event
by Tom Burgiss, Owner
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grapestompers.com, in conjunction with the Alleghany County
Arts Council, cordially invites you to join us in Laurel
Springs, NC on Sunday, October 7, 2001 at 2:00 PM for our
fourth annual Wine Tasting Festival at the Burgiss Barn.
We're looking forward to seeing you, and hope you will
enjoy the wine tasting, food, and live music. Admission
is free, but you must BYOG (bring your own wine glass).
Our musical guests will be Wayne Henderson and Helen White
from Virginia. Wayne is the best flat-picking guitar
player in the Southeast, and has appeared in Carnegie Hall.
He's cut numerous CD's and makes his own instruments; it's
no wonder he's the most sought-after guitar player around.
Helen plays a great fiddle, and together this duo will have
you tapping your feet before you can shout "bluegrass"!
If you plan to come, please RSVP by calling 800-233-1505 or
sending an e-mail to tom@grapestompers.com. Let us know
how many are in your party, so we'll be sure to have enough
wine and food for everyone.
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
A good source for bottles is an espresso
bar. The labels come off easily and they
are all the same, just like wine bottles
with screw caps.
Get your espresso bar to save them for you.
Our thanks to Bill Dewar from Grangeville,
ID for this tip.
Have a tip you'd like to submit?
Send it to tips@grapestompers.com
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
To allow the staff of grapestompers a chance to mingle and
chat with fellow vintners, the retail store will not be
open for direct sales that day. However, if you place an
online order before September 24, we'll get your wine-
making supplies together and have them ready for pickup at
the wine tasting.
It's a great way to save on shipping costs!
If you'd like to arrange this pickup service on the day of
the wine tasting, just let us know you want a 'Wine Tasting
Pickup' when filling out the comments section on the online
order form.
Should you desire to order anything while you're at the
wine tasting, blank order forms will be available. We will
pack and ship these items as soon as possible in the week
following the wine tasting.
We appreciate your understanding and support, and look
forward to seeing you on the Laurel Springs mountaintop
soon!
You can write to Tom at tom@grapestompers.com
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FROM OUR CUSTOMERS
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As you might imagine, our office receives quite a bit of
correspondence - mostly through e-mail - here are some
comments we've recently received:
Hello,
I just received my first order from grapestompers.com.
I must say I was very impressed with the service, the
products and the staff recommendations. You will be hearing
from me again.
-- Phil Smith
Oklahoma City, OK
Bonnie,
You guys are great!!! Everything arrived right on time.
You not only did a super job with shipping my order, but
the labels are just great also (as usual). You really have
an awesome memory.
That's why I enjoy shopping here, not only the price, but
the friendly fast service.
Thanks again,
-- Rick Schroeder
Antwerp, OH
Thanks! I just made my first batch of wine, and I wanted
to let you know that the video is an incredible help.
Have a great day!
-- Suzanne Gava
Jackson, WY
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GUEST COLUMN - The Use of Sulphur Dioxide in Winemaking
by Charles Plant, Vancouver, BC
PART TWO of TWO
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TESTING FOR FREE SO2
The test procedure that follows works well only for white
or rosé wines. Some of the colouring matter in red wines
reacts to the test chemicals in the same way as SO2 making
the results pretty well meaningless.
It should be noted that SO2 testing kits may be available
at your local winemaking supply shop. Since they will
contain all the necessary ingredients, instructions and
measuring vessels, you will save yourself substantial
effort by buying one. What follows assumes you wish to put
together your own kit.
You will need the following chemicals, which you might need
some help with. The chemistry teacher at your local high
school might be receptive to a contribution to his or her
science department's petty cash fund.
0.02 molar iodine solution:
Accurately weigh out 2.54 grams of iodine. Roughly weigh
5 grams of potassium iodide. Add a few millilitres of
distilled water, barely enough to cover the chemicals, and
agitate until the iodine is completely dissolved. This may
take a bit of time. Finally, add enough distilled water to
make an accurately measured 1.00 litres of solution.
Dilute sulphuric acid:
Add about 250 millilitres of concentrated sulphuric acid to
about 750 millilitres of water. Unless you have previous
experience handling sulphuric acid, don’t even think of
doing this dilution yourself.
Starch solution:
Add about 1 gram of starch to about 100 millilitres of
water. Stir and bring to a boil then cool.
To do the test:
First fill a clean dry 6 or 10 mL syringe with the iodine
solution. Next, accurately measure out 50 mL of the wine to
be tested. Add 1 mL or so of starch solution and about
10 mL of dilute sulphuric acid.
Immediately start adding iodine solution to the sample,
swirling it as you go. You will note a purple-black patch
which disappears as you swirl. As soon as the purple colour
persists, stop adding iodine, and note how many mL you've
used. Multiply this by 12.8 to give you the number of ppm
of free SO2 in the wine.
TESTING FOR TOTAL SO2
You will need some 10% sodium hydroxide solution in
addition to the chemicals required for the free SO2 test.
To make this up, add enough water to 10 g of solid sodium
hydroxide to bring the volume up to 100 mL. Great accuracy
here isn’t necessary. Mix thoroughly.
To do the test:
Accurately measure 20 mL of wine and put it in a narrow
necked container such as an Erlenmeyer flask. Add roughly
25 mL of 10% sodium hydroxide solution. Immediately cover
the container and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Fill a clean
dry 6 or 10 mL syringe with 0.02 molar iodine solution. At
the end of the 15 minutes, add 10 mL dilute sulphuric acid
along with about 1 mL of starch solution to the sample
and immediately start adding iodine solution. Stop when the
purple colour persists. Note the volume of iodine solution
used in mL, and multiply by 32. This is your total SO2 in
ppm.
STABILITY OF CHEMICALS
The dilute sulphuric acid and 10% sodium hydroxide
solutions are very stable and will last for years. The
sodium hydroxide should be stored in high density plastic
in preference to glass. The starch solution will get
mouldy. It should be replaced as soon as the slightest
bit of discolouration occurs. Iodine is highly volatile.
The iodine solution should be in as small a glass container
as is convenient, and kept tightly closed and in a cool
place. An alternative method of managing the iodine is to
make up a 0.20 molar stock solution (10 times working
strength). From time to time make up as much working
strength (0.02 molar) solution as you will need for a
month or so by diluting one volume of the 0.20 molar stock
solution with 9 times that volume of distilled water.
ADDING SO2 AT RACKING
When racking red wines, depending on pH, the addition of
from 20 to 30 ppm SO2 each time should do the trick nicely.
For the first couple of rackings, when the total SO2 added
since the beginning is less than 50 ppm or so, about half
of what you add immediately gets bound, leaving half as
free. After your total additions over the life of the wine
add up to around 60 ppm or more, most of any additional
SO2 you add remains as free.
Be sure to pour the SO2 solution into the bottom of the
receiving container first and then rack the wine. This way
the SO2 is around all the time to suck up unwanted oxygen.
If you have started a malolactic ferment as well and you
are not certain it has completed, you could go with less
SO2 at racking — maybe 15 ppm, maybe only 10. In this case,
your pH is likely to be pretty low anyway and as we're
going to see later, that makes the SO2 much more effective.
You are, of course, keeping a good record of your SO2
additions, aren't you? A reasonable rule of thumb for red
wines is to keep the total addition of SO2 from crush to
bottling at less than 150 ppm.
With white or rosé wines, test before racking, and add
enough SO2 to bring the free up to 20 or 30 ppm.
Once again, if there is a malolactic ferment involved
and/or you are going to do a bottle ferment later, for
champagne method sparkling wine, you want to keep the SO2
down. Since under these conditions, the pH is going to be
low, you are probably okay adding only 10 ppm or so.
A reminder about racking techniques is in order here.
Always make sure your syphon tube is down to the bottom
of the receiving container. Don't splash the wine. If you
trying to get away with minimal SO2 and you have a carbon
dioxide cylinder, purge the receiving container of air
with CO2 before adding SO2 and racking.
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
When racking or bottling, I use a baking
pan with a 1/2 inch lip around the edge
to catch the spills.
Our thanks to Robert Klaus from Houston,
TX for this tip.
Have a tip you'd like to submit?
Send it to tips@grapestompers.com
*-----------------HOT TIP------------------*
SO2 AND pH
I have made several references to the connection between
the effectiveness of SO2 and pH. It is about time to
explain how this works.
What is really protecting your wine is molecular SO2.
When you add SO2, depending on circumstances, some of it
immediately becomes bound. What remains is called "free"
and is in two parts. The larger, and relatively ineffective
free part is "bisulphite" (HSO3-). The smaller part of the
free is the active molecular SO2. The amount of molecular
SO2 in your wine depends both on the level of free SO2
present as well as pH. For instance at pH 3.2 the amount
of free SO2 for 0.8 ppm molecular SO2 is 22 ppm. At pH 3.5,
you will need 43 ppm free – essentially double. In most
situations, 0.8 ppm molecular SO2 during bulk storage and
at bottling will provide you with adequate protection from
oxidation and bacterial action. This includes prevention
of ML bacteria as well — important if you've blended ML
affected wine with non-ML affected and require stability.
It is important to remember that the amount of free SO2
in the wine depends on three things: how much you added,
how much was present before the addition and how much of
your addition promptly becomes bound. In the case of whites
and rosés, the best thing to do is a free SO2 check. In the
case of reds, you need to do some good estimating, based on
previous SO2 additions as mentioned elsewhere in the
article.
The level at which molecular SO2 can be detected by the
human senses is about 2.0 ppm. This is also the level which
is needed for maximum protection of your wine. This is
particularly true in the case of sweet, and most notably,
botrytised wines.
USING POTASSIUM SORBATE
Sometimes one wishes to finish a wine with some residual
sugar left — Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Muscat Canelli and
Chenin Blanc are among the grapes that lend themselves
particularly well to this. In order to prevent renewed
fermentation after ferment has been stopped, 200 to 250 ppm
potassium sorbate is often used. The effectiveness of
potassium sorbate is pH dependent. To get close to the
same effectiveness from a given dose of potassium sorbate
would require around 55 ppm of free SO2 at pH 3.6 as
opposed to only 28 ppm at pH 3.3.
It is essential when using sorbate to have effective SO2
levels high enough to prevent a malolactic ferment from
happening. If ML occurs in the presence of sorbate, a
peculiarly revolting geranium-like smell is produced for
which, alas, there is no remedy. The wine is a goner.
BOTTLE RINSING WITH SO2
I often find it useful to use an SO2 bottle rinse when I
am bottling. The rinse solution is 50 mL of 10% potassium
metabisulphite solution made up with water, to about 750 mL
in a wine bottle. I have tested the effect of this several
ways, and consistently find that after rinsing, and
draining the bottles for about a minute, the free SO2
added is close to 8 ppm. Curiously, this is true for both
750 mL and 375 mL bottles. This is a useful way of adding
a touch of SO2 at bottling time, particularly if the carboy
you're bottling has a bit of sediment and you don't wish to
stir it, or subject it to one more racking.
The use of SO2 started with the Romans, and I'm sure there
isn't a self respecting winery in the world today that gets
away without it.
Copyright 2001 Charles Plant
ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Charles Plant has been making wines
since 1966, when he crushed his first grapes (Zinfandels)
from California. Since that time, he has experimented with
just about every kind of basic winemaking ingredient known,
and virtually every style of wine. He now works pretty
much exclusively with grapes, fresh or frozen, from the
Okanagan Valley of British Columbia; from Washington,
Oregon and California - including Napa and Sonoma Valleys.
He joined the Vancouver Amateur Winemakers Association
in 1967, and helped found The British Columbia Amateur
Winemakers Association in 1972. He is a past President of
The Amateur Winemakers of Canada.
Over the years he has enjoyed some success in competition
in these and other organizations. Lastly, he helps with
the production of "The Grapevine", a newsletter serving
the amateur winemaking hobby in B.C.
You can contact Charles at cplant@dowco.com
Be sure to check out the home page of the British
Columbia Amateur Winemakers Association at:
http://members.home.net/bcawa/
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How To Be A Guest Columnist For STOMPERS Newsletter
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If you'd like to be our next guest columnist, simply
send your three- or four-paragraph article to
articles@grapestompers.com. If your article is selected
for use in a future STOMPER newsletter, you'll receive
the attention of thousands, a coupon good for a discount
on your next grapestompers.com order, as well as our
heartfelt thanks. So what are you waiting for??
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CORKY'S WINEMAKING DEFINITION
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Corked
- An expression meaning the wine has gone bad. Implies an
unpleasant, musty, moldy smell imparted by a flawed cork.
Look for other wine-related definitions by clicking on
the 'Glossary' button from our home page at
http://www.grapestompers.com
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NEXT MONTH'S HIGHLIGHTS
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- More Winemaking Stories from Tom's Cellar
- Another Surprise from Brant
- More Specials
- The next article from Bonnie's Bin
- Our Next Guest Column
- More Customer Testimonials
- New Winemaking Products
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LIST MAINTENANCE
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Past issues of the STOMPER can be found at
http://www.grapestompers.com/newsletter/archives
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Copyright (c) 2001 grapestompers.com
Boring Legal Stuff: Content is gathered from sources
considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of this info
cannot be guaranteed. Opinions expressed by guest
columnists and customer letters are those of the authors
and not necessarily those of grapestompers.com
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