Recent content by BlueRidgeBilly

I am getting ready to make a 5 gal recipe of peach wine. I called today and found out that fresh peaches are selling for $40 per bushel ( ouch!). I am planning on making 5 gal of wine out of 5 gal of steamed juice and 1 gal of water. I want to make sure there is 5 gal in the secondary when I...

He died with good intentions!

Thanks for the feedback. I have been rinsing with an Iodine based sterlizer that I bought at the wine store. I will definitely use the B-Brite.

I worry about everything but I am trying to make an excellent wine. Today as I checked all my airlocks, I found a dead ant in the water inside the air lock. These are in bulk storage so the airlocks are completely still. The type of airlock that I am using is the one with the floating plastic...

I am currently reading a winemaking book where the author says that one should never use any dishwashing detergent when washing up the primary fermenter and secondary fermenter, Or any wine making equipment that touches the wine. He says to use hot water as hot as one can stand to work with. He...

I have been making my Wines from fruit juice that I obtain by using a steamer Juicer. My question is how many times and at what intervals in the winemaking process should I be using sulfites? thanks for your response.

Ditto Roy. I have not lost one yet either.

I was about 1/2 gallon short Wade. I added one quart of water and the rest I added strawberry wine that I bought. I was scared to add more then a quart of water. After I did it, I started thinking about the Sorbate that might have been in the wine I added but it was too late to do anything about...

In Mr. Berry's book on Winemaking he makes the following comment when he talks about going from the fermenter to racking the first time into the carboy. He says that if you come up short you need to add water or additional must to top up the carboy after the first racking. He said that he second...

I did almost identically to FTC's instructions. Mine is still bulk aging.

Only one regret. When I racked into the carboy today I was about 1/2 gallon short of filling my 5 gal carboy up. I added about a quart of water and then I stopped. I am going to go to the wine store and buy me about 4 bottles of strawberry wine to top up the rest of the space in the carboy. I...

Strawberry turned out great. I have good flavor and very dry. Went from at 1.090 to a 1.000 in 8 days. We sampled it today before racking and for a new wine it was good. According to my calculations that give me about 13-14% alcohol. Thanks for all the tips. I am going to put it to bed for about...

I grow: several varieties of Muscadines including scuppernong Delaware grapes Cherries Pears apples peaches Elderberries Blueberries figs rhubarb wild blackberries but you have to watch out for timber rattlers Thinking about strawberries but there are so many strawberry farms around here and...

I just added 3 pounds of raisins. I hope that is not too many.

Testing for acid.....I did not test for acid but the recipe that I followed recommended 5 tsp for a 5 gallon recipe. Do you think I should still test? what should it be now ( has fermented for two days already) Bananas and raisins... Would you recommend that I go ahead and add the bananas now...