Recent content by AJP

Johny99, Thanks. Yes, I have some Corn Sugar handy (should have mentioned that). I also have some Sorbate (which I've used for backsweetened wines). I stopped by the Cider Mill yesterday and they UV Pasteurize (I understand that this is much better for us than heat/flash pasteurization)...

I've never made a Cider (but I have spent 2 days reading the cider posts here and on other sites). I have a Cider Mill down the road that has excellent fresh cider, no preservatives (I don't know if it is pasteurized or not, I don't think it is). They have 2 types this time of year. They...

The Wine Making bug has definitely got it's teeth in me! Even though I've only got one kit under my belt (WE Ca Moscato) I'm trying to get my kits lined up. The following are already in line: WE Stags Leap Merlot in Bulk age WE Lodi Ranch 11 Cabernet Sauvignon kit on the way (will...

I bottled the Moscato last night . I racked to a clean carboy (with 1/4tsp Potassium Meta + 1/2cup cool water) first (leaving a little bit behind), then bottled 26 full bottles and 5 small bottles (wanted to give some small bottles away). I'd left almost a bottle of wine in the first carboy (...

Thanks, instead of topping up, I suppose it would be fine to put one of the oak spirals in. That would let the oak work while I'm away and I wouldn't need to top up with another wine. ?? Thanks, AJ

Thanks guys. Yeah, the kit instructions say that when sg<=.998 to stabilize/clear. So I guess the safe bet is to wait until the end of the week and just rack into a clean carboy. It should be near dry by then and be safe for a few weeks. Make sense? AJ

I need some help from the forum. I have the Merlot sitting at 2nd fermentation. The SG is .999, this is it's 10th day in 2nd fermentation (I've held it at 71F the entire time). The next step is stabilizing/clearing, then it says to wait 8 days and rack / clarify. Then wait 28 days. All is...

I'm a complete noob (but I read a LOT). By using a valve/faucet at bottom of slanted bucket and draining it that way every day into a sieve, the book says about 1/3 of the seeds will be removed during fermentation (I guess they sink below the cap and drain out with the wine). So a few seeds...

AJM, From my reading, you don't 'rack' to get the seeds out, you drain from a large valve at the bottom of a vessel (slanted bottom to assist in moving the solids/seeds to the valve). I'm thinking a bucket with a valve on/at the bottom and then use the bucket tilted toward the valve. I...

There is a great 4+ page discussion of Delestage masceration/fermentation in "Techniques in Home Winemaking" book by Daniel Pambianchi. A lot of the information in this book is well above my head, but it's well written and I'm learning a lot. For those of you that have done a wine with skins...

JG, thanks for the great input. I actually thought about doing the grape skins loose and even doing a delestage to limit the tannin extraction from the seeds. I know it would be a little extra work, but this is a hobby! If that isn't a good idea, let me know. I've been reading the...

Thanks for the input, I hadn't thought about that. Luckily it won't apply to this kit, as there is oak powder (used during primary and leads to a bunch of crud at bottom). And there are oak chips for after racking/carboy/secondary. AJ

I will be starting this kit in a week or 2. I've read this complete thread 3 times and have a couple questions that I need to get straightened out before I start the kit. 1) I will certainly leave out the Sorbate. 2) I'll put the oak powder in the mesh bag with the skins. 3) I'll change the...

Thanks for that! I guess once I decide to rack it again, I'll turn it up to 72F or so the night before, then with the AIO it should degas/rack in good shape. Correct? Thanks again, AJ

Quick question I should have asked at the top. I was concerned about the low temperature of my basement having a negative impact, I could see the temperature going down to 63F, I have a bottle of water I leave down there and it maintains about 63F temp. so I wrapped a FermWrap on the Carboy...