Cold soak + oak + dry ice?
Each day since I started the cold soak I have gone out to the vineyard where the juice is soaking,and replaced my milk jug of ice. I have set a stainless bowl on the top of the must, and I put the ice container into it, then put the lid on. I should probably put a blanket over the top also.
The 20 gallon tub is in a cellar at the house that stays in the 60’s throughout the summer. It is a lot easier to cold soak there than in my garage.
I would like to mix in dry ice, which is what the pros do. But this cellar is not vented. How much CO2 do you get from 1 pound dry ice? I got the numbers from a dry ice MSDS…
- Density of dry ice = 97.5 lbs/cu ft
- Expansion ratio of dry ice, solid to gas = 554
- 1 lb / 97.5 lb/cu ft = .0103 cu ft dry ice
- .0103 cu ft * 554 = 5.68 cu ft CO2
It only takes about 1% CO2 in the air to start making you drowsy. If I used 10 pounds, that would be 57 cu ft of CO2. The room is maybe 1400 cu ft. That is about 4% CO2. I don’t want to take any chances…so no dry ice.
The must is currently at 60 F, which is a little warm, but no ferment has started, so I think I am OK. I added three medium toast French oak staves to the juice. I am going to leave them in for the rest of the cold soak, and the entire ferment. I can’t really do a barrel ferment, but putting in oak staves is as close as I am going to come. Wine makers say that you get better oak “integration” if you do a barrel ferment, in addition to getting better color stability, and the removal of “green” or vegetal flavors. I have not made Pinot before; I have no control; so I am just winging it!