Recent content by Heavywalker

I won't be filtering, I don't mind a little sediment and IMHO I think unfiltered wine tastes better all else equal.

It was at .992 at the racking, no backsweetening

I am making a Winery Series Amarone, I just racked and added the K-meta provided in the kit. I plan on bulk aging this wine at least 6 months probably more (I'll taste as I go). Anyways I decided that since I was going to forgo the bottling instructions and bulk age that there was no real...

That is what I like in a wine as well the black pepper or a little bit of spice in the wine. That comes from American Oak? What flavors do French and Hungarian impart?

To be honest I don't even know the difference between the taste of American vs. French or Hungarian. It is just what my LHBS had on hand. I do have some oak chips about 2oz so maybe I will go that route instead.

Just finished the clearing process on this kit and I am going to rack into a carboy this weekend for bulk aging. I was wondering if anybody has done this kit and added additional oak. I used the provided oak dust and one package of chips in primary and then 1 package of chips in secondary. I...

OK thanks guys.

Looking at the Winery Series Italian Amarone on the website and the specs say 15 Liters and 1.93 Gallons..... Which is it? I checked a few of the other kits in that series and they say the same thing. I am pretty new at this stuff so.....

Well thanks everyone for the advice, the fermentation seems to be going a little better now, the SG is now down to 1.050 so that is progress even if it is slow. I'll pick up a package of EC-1118 just in case the fermentation stops again.

Yes I added 3 camden tablets crushed and disolved then waited 24 hours and pitched yeast. The smell goes away after the cover is off for a few seconds but when I first take the cover off of the bucket I get a rush of air that has a strong smell, that "kind of" burns my nose.

I did not test either PH or titrate. I do not even have the equipment to do so at this point as I just started making wine a little over a month ago. The must has always smelled like cranberries to me but, more recently, since I pitched the yeast the last time, when I take the lid off the...

The recipe called for yeast nutrient and I added that per the recipe. It did not however call for yeast energizer but when I pitched my yeast the second time I added some energizer. Would it hurt at this point to add more of either or would that give me off flavors if the wine does take off?

On 6-28-2011 I started a 3 gallon batch of cranberry wine made from vintner's harvest fruit puree. Followed directions on the label and also made a yeast starter using red star Pasteur Champagne yeast. My fermentation room is temp controlled and stays at 72F. Starting SG was at 1.088 things...

Suggestion from someone who just found this place..... I had been looking at this site for quite a few days adding stuff to the cart then taking it out trying to decide on what kit to get. After quite a few visits to the main site I finally noticed that there was a forum. If there was something...

From Washington State, on the wet side. Hello there new to the forum and wine making. I got into wine making because a co worker of mine is the winemaker for a small local winery. I have had the benefit of being able to ask him questions as I go along and learned quite a bit before I actually...