Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/131907
W I NEMAK I NG the partially fermented juice will erupt and eject the contents up through the top manhole toward the winery ceiling. The mess on the ground does look like you lost a lot of wine, but it is usually not that bad. Trust me. Beware of spontaneous fermentation Don't overfill your closed-top fermentors with freshly crushed red must that was picked at 4 p.m. on a hot day. You might think it won't ferment on native yeast overnight, but you'd be wrong. In the morning the tank will have started to ferment, pushing skins to the top of the manhole, resulting in the tank bottom looking like Humpty Dumpty. This happened to me one time, and all of the anchor bolts were pulled out of the concrete pad! I know that if we had pushed hard enough on the tank's side we could have toppled it over. Rule of thumb: Plan on no less than 275 gallons per ton to allow for expansion during fermentation; 300 gallons per ton allows you to sleep better between truckloads. Avoid solo transfers Don't let anyone work alone in the cellar during lunch break doing wine transfers. Well-intentioned customers who want to experience the 'romance' of the wine business quickly lose their enthusiasm when they find out how hard the work really is. You will return to hear yelling from someone whose behind is pushed up against the bottom tank valve as they reach with their foot for the valve that is just out of reach. Wine will be fanning over their head and going down the drain. Moral of the story: Take the wing nut off of the tank side of all of your valves and replace them with hex nuts; if someone takes this one off, it's time to look for another cellar worker. Similarly, if your fermenting Cabernet Sauvignon tank overflows while doing routine pump overs, you can bet your Merlot tank is down to mostly skins. At least it was the same color that time. Copper haze Ever heard of a copper-induced protein haze? I hadn't. It took three wine labs and two universities to solve this mystery. Know your copper levels before you go to the bottling line. Pump over from same tank Make sure your red wine pump over staff checks connections at both the top and the bottom to be sure that they are on the same tank. Filtered and bottle-ready Chardonnay is unrecognizable after Zinfandel juice is added to it. What's worse: The Zinfandel was from a different vintage and a different owner than the Chardonnay. That was a tough week. Launch grapes over tall buildings When an 8-inch must line connected to a positive-displacement pump starts to plug (and is visibly swelling), it will eventually blow if someone doesn't stop the pump. Train your crush staff to keep an eye (and ear) out for processing sights and sounds that are abnormal. I can tell you that when the hose ruptures it will "Wow, you're exactly the same as I remember you!" "Actually, I've aged quite a bit… on the inside." They say a fine wine only gets better with age – and at Barrels Unlimited we make sure of it. Whether it's making a good wine great or a great wine legendary, our air-dried American oak casks and barrels infuse complexity and character into every batch. Available in 5,10, 15, 20, 30, 59, 70, and 80 gallon sizes. Corporate Office | Jackson, Wyoming 1.800.875.1558 www.barrelsunlimited.com | West Coast Cooperage Fresno, California Win es & V i n es JU NE 20 13 69