Recent content by botigol

Winexpert Eclipse Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel

I have the WE California Moscato on tap. The CO2 definitely adds a tart bite to the wine, but I wouldn't make adjustments for this. Everyone has enjoyed it so far!

Even if the gloves are breaking down from exposure to something or a combination of a number of things, it seems doubtful that anything could leach out of the gloves given the small amount of time that it is in contact with any one element. That said, "after a while" is ambiguous. Are you...

The use of non-fermentable sugars seems to be pretty subjective in that from my reading different people pick up different flavors from each of them, which you may or may not find objectionable. Secondarily, I haven't tried Redd's, but have read that it is pretty sweet, so depending on the...

Just for clarity, it sounds like you're talking about JAOM, not BOMM on your first batch. Based on my two experiences using orange, backsweetening will be required, because as Bernard mentioned, it will turn out tart. Contributing to this, D47 will make a dry wine, compared to the semi-sweet...

I have followed the recipe in the following link several times with good success. I've used different yeasts and added blackberry puree to one batch; quite flexible: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=117117

I haven't tried this, but I recently read that almond makes cherry flavor stand out, so some almond extract or a shot of DiSaronno could help.

I recently opened a 3+ year-old bottle of Coastal Red and it is still fruity and tasty. I didn't expect this kind of longevity out of a relatively cheap kit, but I'll take it! For sake of disclosure, I don't have this batch in a temperature controlled environment, but my basement generally stays...

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At 15-16% abv, I say that you should give it at least a year to mellow before judging. Secondarily, at 15-16% abv, I have doubts as to if the apple flavor will ever return; too much alcohol masking the flavor properties.

My experience is that apple-based beverages don't taste much like apple for at least a few months after fermentation completes. Additionally, the higher the abv, the longer it takes for those apple flavors to come back. That said, I have an apfelwein that after two years still doesn't taste like...

15 mins of boiling temps should be enough to not only sanitize, but sterilize the nutrient addition. As an aside, I recently perused a Founder's clone and read that some of those that had brewed it recommended to cold brew the second coffee addition. Someone also posted that the head brewer...

Winexpert™ Eclipse Washington Columbia Valley Riesling

Do you have a separate sensor to control the temp or just the built-in thermostat? If you have a separate sensor I would recommend placing it against the side of your fermenter, covering it with an insulator (bubble wrap, cloth, shelf liner) and then tape the insulation into place. If not, a...

Offhand, it wouldn't seem to be a good idea: Demerara - This is a type of cane sugar with a fairly large grain and a pale amber color. It has a pleasant toffee flavor and can be used in place of brown sugar. However, it depends on what you are trying to accomplish with your flavor profile...