Cap Management
Intermediate Winemaking & ViticultureDefinition
Techniques for mixing floating grape skins with fermenting juice.
In Depth
During red wine fermentation, CO2 pushes skins to the surface forming a 'cap.' If left alone, extraction stops and bacteria can grow. Cap management techniques include punchdown (pigeage), pumpover (remontage), rack-and-return (délestage), and rotary fermenters. Each method extracts color, tannin, and flavor differently.
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Details
- Category
- Winemaking & Viticulture
- Difficulty
- Intermediate