Vini 2: Fermentation Flashcards
Equation for fermentation:
C6H1206 -> 2C2H5OH +2CO2 + energy
Sugar needed to create each 1% alcohol by volume:
ca. 16-18g/L
Sugar preferred by most yeasts:
Glucose
Main by-product of fermentation:
Glycerol (glycerine) - colourless, viscous.
Other woods used as vessels:
Chestnut, cherry, acacia and walnut.
Main difference between wood and stainless steel:
Wood retains heat more readily.
Lining for cement tanks:
Epoxy resin, tiles, wax or glass.
Percentage abv. by which Saccharomyces yeasts will normally dominate:
4%
French for starter culture:
Le pied de cuve
Why use a starter culture?
To allow Saccharomyces to dominate immediately, to start fermentation quickly and to kill off other indigenous microflora. Slow fermentation is risky.
Measuring must density:
Keeping fermentation rate uniform is key. France: relative density/Baumé. Aus, NZ, USA: Brix/Balling. Germany, Switzerland: Oechsle (hydrometer). Italy: Babo. Austria: KMW.
Substance responsible for banana/pear drop aroma at low temps.:
Isoamyl acetate
Substance responsible for high levels of VA at low temps.:
Ethyl acetate
Pumping over, punching down and rack and return in French:
Le remontage, le pigeage et le délestage.
Level of unfermentable sugars even in driest wines:
Up to 2 g/L
Getting a stuck fermentation started again:
Increasing levels of nutrients rich in nitrogen: di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) or thiamine (vitamin B). Oxygenation early on is also key.
Yeasts deprived of nitrogen:
They break down amino acids releasing hydrogen sulphide (H2S).
Typical fermentation temp. for white wine:
Between 14-20 deg, though can reach up to 25 in small barrels.
Cooling of newly fermented white wine:
Down to 12 deg to aid yeast settling.
Addition of SO2 to avoid MLF in whites:
40-50mg/L.
Temp. of white wine if MLF desired:
17-20 deg. Lees stirred once a week.
Reduced hydrogen sulphide can produce…
Mercaptans - onion-smelling substance.
Treating severely reduced wine:
Pass through a copper pipe or add copper sulphate.
Aim of using rollers for bâtonnage:
Stirring in less oxygen.
The three rosé winemaking techniques:
Drawing-off/saignée, direct pressing and blending.
Drawing-off/saignée:
Most common. Destemmed, crushed, sulphited grapes. Mild colour, treated as white must. Cool temps. with no oxygen. MLF blocked. Young consumption.
Direct pressing:
Direct press of freshly harvested grapes. Care taken to reduce tannin extracted. Pale colour.
Blending:
Rosé Champagne and New World rosés. Not allowed in EU.
Two kinds of phenolic compounds:
Non-flavonoids (simpler) and flavonoids (catechins and anthocyanins).