Posted: 1/25/2025 10:12:11 AM EDT
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I was a professional brewer for about 10 years. Some small places, one small regional, and a nationally distributed brand. I worked with crazy manual rudimentary stuff, and high end german automated equipment. I got out and work in water treatment now. I don’t want to make beer but I have an interest in making wine. I have some 1/2bbl sanke kegs I am considering having converted to a 4” TC top and 1.5” TC on the bottom. Is there any reason why I shouldn’t use sanke as a fermentor for wine? I figured I can do pressurized transfers with nitrogen to get off lees and not carbonate the wine. I have a sulfite sensitivity and would like to make the wine low/no sulfite added (I know fermentation naturally produces some). Where the best place to source juice/grapes? What’s the best way to oak at this point for the home winemaker? Are concentrated juices fine to use? I used concentrate grape juice for some beer hybrids in the past. They do have some sulfite added for preservation but also have the osmotic protection at like 70brix. I will have more questions, but that’s all for now. |
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Originally Posted By smokinghole: I was a professional brewer for about 10 years. Some small places, one small regional, and a nationally distributed brand. I worked with crazy manual rudimentary stuff, and high end german automated equipment. I got out and work in water treatment now. I don’t want to make beer but I have an interest in making wine. I have some 1/2bbl sanke kegs I am considering having converted to a 4” TC top and 1.5” TC on the bottom. Is there any reason why I shouldn’t use sanke as a fermentor for wine? I figured I can do pressurized transfers with nitrogen to get off lees and not carbonate the wine. I have a sulfite sensitivity and would like to make the wine low/no sulfite added (I know fermentation naturally produces some). Where the best place to source juice/grapes? What’s the best way to oak at this point for the home winemaker? Are concentrated juices fine to use? I used concentrate grape juice for some beer hybrids in the past. They do have some sulfite added for preservation but also have the osmotic protection at like 70brix. I will have more questions, but that’s all for now. Is there any reason why I shouldn’t use sanke as a fermentor for wine? I wouldn't. You generally rack from the top using a racking crane, and it's hard to know how much sediment you will have. You won't have any control over that if you use a keg, unless you remove the stem completely. Even then, I'm not sure it's a great idea. Many people ferment in 6 gallon glass carboys, although I hate them personally. (very slippery when wet, hard to clean). I like 7 gallon stainless brew buckets from SS Brewtech. Use the WineXpert brand wine kits. It's juice that is slightly concentrated depending on which one you buy. For oak use toasted oak cubes, never chips. American oak or my favorite, French Oak. The sulfites are added to protect from oxidation, so your wine won't be as shelf stable. I have a sulfite sensitivity I can't remember the name of it, but there is a company in Caifornia (Wine Grapes Direct maybe?) that sells buckets of frozen grape juice, you could use them. You'd have to thaw them out and then bring up to room temp and pitch yeast in a pretty tight timeline, unless you have a walk-in cooler. A couple things to note: If you used crushed grapes, you'll need a wine press Wine is WAAAAAY more expensive to make than beer There are some companies that make generic wines with flavorings added to them, try to avoid those, I think one brand is called "Island Mist" |
Proud millennial.
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Originally Posted By djkest: I wouldn't. You generally rack from the top using a racking crane, and it's hard to know how much sediment you will have. You won't have any control over that if you use a keg, unless you remove the stem completely. Even then, I'm not sure it's a great idea. Many people ferment in 6 gallon glass carboys, although I hate them personally. (very slippery when wet, hard to clean). I like 7 gallon stainless brew buckets from SS Brewtech. Use the WineXpert brand wine kits. It's juice that is slightly concentrated depending on which one you buy. For oak use toasted oak cubes, never chips. American oak or my favorite, French Oak. The sulfites are added to protect from oxidation, so your wine won't be as shelf stable. a lot of people think they do that don't. I'm not sure if there is a test for this or not. Some people are just sensitive to cheap industrial wine. I can't remember the name of it, but there is a company in Caifornia (Wine Grapes Direct maybe?) that sells buckets of frozen grape juice, you could use them. You'd have to thaw them out and then bring up to room temp and pitch yeast in a pretty tight timeline, unless you have a walk-in cooler. A couple things to note: If you used crushed grapes, you'll need a wine press Wine is WAAAAAY more expensive to make than beer There are some companies that make generic wines with flavorings added to them, try to avoid those, I think one brand is called "Island Mist" The sanke would get a 1.5” triclamp on the bottom, and a 4” triclamp on the top. It using for wine I would plan for a compression fitting for an adjustable racking height, or a rotating side racking port. A pretty close friend is a sanitary welder and I already have the kegs. The way I see it, if I am good with sanitation, do transfers under low pressure CO2 or nitrogen, I shouldn’t need to add sulfites maybe a tiny bit before bottling, but I can do that under nitrogen/co2 purge too. I am a former cellerman for national brand and am well versed in dissolved oxygen controls/exposure reduction. I am fairly certain I have a sulfite issue. I have purchased California Concentrates brand varietal wine concentrate for beer use and even that sulfite content got me pretty food with a histamine flush even as 42 gal diluted in a 500gal batch of beer. I have had my best luck with a few organic brands and “biodynamic “ wines. Its hit and miss, sometimes even the natural levels produced by yeast can get me, and a formerly safe brand/varietal can become an sulfite reaction issue. I might not go down this road though and just stick to bourbon/scotch since beer is such a gut bomb to me anymore. |