Recent content by mcorey

Thanks for the reply. How much head space? 2/3 or 3/4 full? Correct, I won't be putting a kit in there afterwards. I'm using the chardonnay to break the barrel in for red wine from grapes.

This April/May I will be getting 24 gallons of Chilean Chardonnay. I want to barrel ferment it in a new 80 L (20g) Vadai Barrel. Does anyone have instructions on how to barrel ferment Chardonnay juice? Start process in my 63F basement. I assume I would pitch yeast in buckets. After 1 day, I...

I have 80 liters of a Malbec (88%) and cab sauv (12%) blend from Chilean grapes in a Hungarian oak barrel. The wine is thin/light colored - I think because I cold stabilized it. I also have 80 liters of petite sirah (85%) and red zin (15%) in carboys. I'm thinking about blending 40 liters of...

Actually I just figured it out. Very complicated procedure....changed the batteries. Sent from my iPhone Mixttibsk

I bought my SC-300 about a year ago. Was working fine but now it won't read SO2. I test the wine, go through over 5mm of SO2 titrant and nothing happens. I've tried a few times on different wines. I'm not sure if the solution is too old or if the meter isn't working correctly. Anyone have...

I have a 2014 Old Vine Zin that is currently in an oak barrel. I thought MLF was complete prior to putting the wine in the barrel but I just tested it via chromotography and it's only half way done or so. The ph is 3.69 I thought about racking into glass carboys, put in warm area and then put...

I just bottled 100 bottles of 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State. I crushed and fermented these grapes last October and they were in a new 80L Vadai barrel for 7 months. I opened 1 bottle and it tasted pretty good but it's a bit more tannic than I'd like (I assume because it just...

It lowers the T/A (which is what I want) but I think it also has the potential to lower the PH (not what I want). Sent from my iPhone Mixttibsk

They taste a bit tart. Hoping to get them both around 3.5 but that may not be possible with the batch that's currently at 3.1 Sent from my iPhone Mixttibsk

I made 2 batches of wine from grapes last spring. I measured the PH for both prior to fermentation and they were in the 3.5 - 3.6 range. I also measured the T/A and I thing I got a faulty reading (they were around 3-4g/l). I panicked and took the T/A reading into considerations and added...

I don't have much experience with petite sirah either. However I tried a few bottles I bought from the store and was impressed. So this year I ordered 8 lugs from MM. I wanted them from Lanza vineyards but they were sold out. So they are coming from paso Robles. I intend to blend with 10% zin...

Hello, I will be purchasing grapes from Lanza-Musto vineyards this year via M&M. I intend to purchase red grapes and enough to fill my 44gallon Brute & my 32 gallon Brute. I want each blend to contain a blend of something else but I'm not sure what to blend it with. Help needed - Batch 1 (44...

Here's an update on my Chilean batches: 324 lbs of Malbec - pressed this week and yielded 26 gallons (12.5lbs/gal) 180 lbs of Carmenere - pressed this week and yielded 15 gallons (12lbs/gal) 72 lbs of Cab. Sauv. - pressed this week and yielded 5.5 gallons (13lbs/gal) This the highest...

I processed Chilean grapes last weekend as well. Here's what I got (via Vinmetric SC-300): Cab Sauv: PH 3.55; T/A 5.2 (I adjusted to 6.0 via tartaric) Malbec: PH 3.25; T/A 4.8 (I adjusted to 6.0 via tartaric) Carmenere: PH 3.65; T/A 3.4 (I adjusted to 5.0 via tartaric and will adjust again...

Heather, Yes, I'm gonna ferment seperatly then blend 77% carmenere with 15% cab Sauv and 8% Malbec for a total of about 12-13 finished gallons of wine. I'm also going to make a 21 gallon blend of 89% Malbec and 11% cab Sauv. I pick up the grapes tomorrow. Mike Sent from my iPhone...