Smart Dog WineryTM
a smart dog can sniff out a good wine
CRUSH 2025 is here!
2025 is a red year so the main wine is a Lodi Zinfandel from Delta Packing. Also go some Chardonnay primarily for brandy and to make a very good chard.
24 September 2025
On 24 October I got 2 Zinfandels and 4 Chardonnays.
Smiling Baby is an indication of Lodi Zinfandel, as the printing on the pail says.
At 13:00 measured the temperature using an infrared thermoter in work area juice temperature is from 41 to 44 oF. Will allow juice to warm up over night.
25 September 2025
At 7:00 the juice temperature is up to 63 to 64 oF. Will start work after breakfast.
9:00 Mixed throughly using a drill mixer, and then measured the juice,
| Z-1 | Z-2 | C-1 | C-2 | C-3 | C-4 | |
| pH | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| SO2 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| SG | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.09 | 1.09 | 1.09 | 1.09 |
| Temp oF | 64 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 64 |
The juice looks good, and now to start the actual process.
From previous experience have found that certain additives help make good wine. I buy myine from More Wine and any identifiers are from their site.
9:45 added to Z-1 & Z-2
• AD351 — Lallzyme EX (0.8 g)
• TAN220 — FT Rouge - 10 g
• AD355 — Opti-Red - (8 g)
• AD343 — Go-Ferm Protect (10 g)
to C-1, C-2. C-3. & C-4
• TAN250 — Tannin FT Blanc Soft (3g)
• AD356 — Opti-White (15g)
• AD343 — Go-Ferm Protect (10 g)
11:45 pitched yeast
to Z-1 and Z-2 pitched • DYW70 Dry Wine Yeast - Syrah - (13g)
to C-1, C-2, C-3, and C-4 pitched • DYW54 Dry Wine Yeast - EC-1118 (5 g)
26 September 2025
Fermentation is proceeding well.
7:00 Added AD345 — Fermaid K (8 g) to each and stirred in.
29 September 2025
Four days in and decuded to do a formal check.
| Z-1 | Z-2 | C-1 | C-2 | C-3 | C-4 | |
| pH | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| TA | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| SG | 1.03 | 1.03 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Temp oF | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
Measurments seem good and fermentation doing well.
Decided this year to do malolactic fermentation. There are several ways to do this, from adding the bacteria when you add the yeast, to waiting untill all fermentation is done. In the past, when I have done MLF is usually waited until primary fermentation was complete. This added extraa time to the process.
People who add it at the begining some times report issues. So I am trying a third approach after most of the primary was complete. So today I added • DYM70 — Viniflora® CH16 Malolactic to each
3 October 2025
Measured wine status and the Chardonnay is through fermentation, the Zinfandel needs some more time.
| Z-1 | Z-2 | C-1 | C-2 | C-3 | C-4 | |
| pH | 3.57 | 3.57 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| SG | 1.004 | 1.004 | 0.998 | 0.998 | 0.998 | 0.998 |
| Temp oF | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 |
| ABV | 13 | 13 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 |
| MLF | 75 | 75 |
Decided to turn the Chardonnay into brandy so did a double distallation on the four pails.
6 October 2025
Remeasured the Zinfandel, primary fermentation is done and malolactic is in progress.
10 October 2025
Racked the the zinandel to two 6 gallon glass carboys, and added oak cubes. Now to let it settle and age for a few months.
Also the approximately 24 gallons of Chardonnay have turned into 4.8 gallons of 160 proof/80% ABV brandy and is aging on oak chips and cubes.
More to follow
Or my excursion into winemaking
