I thought to myself, I'm actually writing about this delectable drink and as I was having this glass of wine, I started to remember a process called maceration.
Maceration and fermentation go hand in hand, then of course there's the cap.
First, we'll get fermentation out of the way. Fermentation is when the yeast converts sugar into alcohol, releasing carbon dioxide.
Second, is the cap; which consists of "must". Since the fermentation gives off carbon dioxide, it causes the must to rise, this creates the cap, leaving the juice underneath. Must will also create the tannins colour and texture of the wine. The cap can dry out if left unattended, so the process of maceration is a 24 hour, 7 day commitment.
Finally, maceration. There are a few ways in which the wine maker can tackle this process. Which ever way the winemaker decides, the process is simple - keep the cap moist.
There are three main types of maceration:
1. Pumping Over
Grab a hose -> connect it to the base of the vat -> pump the juices through the hose and spray over the cap, as if you where watering the garden.
2. Punching Down
Get some crazy guy or gal to stand on top of the vat, breath in all that carbon dioxide, while plunging the cap into the juice or you can also get a machine to do it for you. And lastly...
3. Rack and Return
This requires two vats. Empty half the the original vat into vat2. Then poor vat2 back into the original vat at high speed.
Peace,
Cristian Sepulveda
"…Hang on, its a drink, its only a drink. It goes through our kidneys and then it goes into the great sewerage system. Lets have a bit of fun with it, it wasn't built to be serious it was built for enjoyment and discourse and humour." Phillip White
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