Tom has a good point. In order for the cap to "fall", the cap must be
fairly free of trapped CO2 bubbles. I practice extended maceration and use
cap fall as the point where I protect the headspace with Argon (you could
use N as well). As Tom pointed out, you may not observe cap fall as it
depends on your cap managment practice. I practice rack and return with a
good stirring in of the cap twice a day through the duration of primary
fermentation. This allows me to see the point of cap fall easily since I
purge the cap of trapped gas regularly. If you decide to try extended
maceration, make sure you protect your wine with Argon or Nitrogen in a
covered container. Also, aeration during primary fermentation is critical
if you are going to use extended maceration since H2S problems can become
mercaptan problems during EM.

Cheers and Good Luck!!
Aaron

"Tom S" > wrote in message
om...
>
> "Dan Emerson" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I have just a few red wines under my belt (in more ways than one) and
> > I have a question on pressing. I have heard that it is best to press
> > when 'the cap falls'. What does this look like?
>
> When the cap falls, the surface of the fermenter will be clear juice. I
> have rarely observed this phenomenon, and concur with Lum that it's risky
to
> wait for that point. Unless you're conducting extended maceration (and
know
> what you're doing), you should press at or near dryness.
>
> Tom S
>
>