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I plan to do a blackberry port with berries I hope to pick this summer. This will be my first attempt at a port.

I will be pitching the yeast on this one in a few minutes. Does anyone have experience with it? Suggestions?

We had a serious flood in the area where my old family home and our wine cellar are located. The result, about 10-inches of water flooded the cellar for a couple of days and the wines located on the lowest shelf were submerged. They were well-corked and, in my opinion, ought to be fine, but I...

I have a pineapple wine made from Dole Frozen Pineapple Juice Concentrate that is clearing. It was back-sweetened with 2 cans on the concentrate and now has an obvious pectin haze. How much pectinase do you recommend be added per gallon to remove this haze?

For years I have used a brake bleeder to degas my wines. Fortunately, my brake bleeder broke a few weeks ago and I bought what turned out to be a new Invacare pump off EBAY. I am using it to degas a pineapple wine that has to be the gassiest wine I have ever made! It has taken a long time to...

I just received the subject pump which I purchased through EBAY. The pump has obviously never been used and came complete with the pressure gauge and overflow container (new). Unfortunately, the plastic air filter assembly was shipped attached to the pump and was broken in shipment. The plastic...

I finished steam-juicing some pears and now have 22 quarts juice ready to go. I would appreciate thoughyts/suggestions regarding the following recipe: 20 qt juice 2 cans Welch's Frozen White Grape Concentrate 5 ripe bananas (boiled; strained) 5 1/2 t pectic enzyme 1 t grape tannin 3 t yeast...

What a mess! Foam and scum from a blackberry wine made with steamed-juice entered the airlock last night and spread a mess around the carboy. This was my first such occurrence and I hope the last.

I want to plant in the mountains of Virginia (Zone 7)? Which should I order? How many plants for 12 gallons wine from each? Thanks for your help.

Finished steam-juicing 2 bushels of apples yesterday. Produced 20 quarts of excellent looking juice which is now canned and awaiting its turn.

I steam-juiced 37 1/2 lb plums which yielded 18 qt plum juice. I have tentatively planned on the following recipe (this is my first plum wine). Please offer comments: 18 qt plum juice Water to 6 1/2 gal 6 1/2 teaspoons yeast nutrient 3 t yeast energizer 6 1/2 teaspoons pectic enzyme 10 t...

Finished steam-juicing some blackberries, plums and cherries. Results: 24 quarts blackberry juice 18 quarts plum juice 8 quarts cherry juice All are in sealed canning jars and will be used to start wines this winter. Next up, elderberries and apples. Perhaps a few pears.

I couldn't make it to the mountains during the time coinciding with the peak of the picking season so two old friends did some picking for me. Obviously they are true friends! They had picked 41 pounds when I finally arrived. We went picking again yesterday and, although the season is almost...

Has anyone steam-juiced elderberries? Thoughts/recommendations?

Any suggestions on which plants to select for Zone 7? A reliable source of quality plants? How many plants needed to make approximately 5-6 gallons wine each year and allow the critters to have their fair share? Your feedback will be appreciated.

Just finished picking and freezing 23 pounds sweet cherries and 37 pounds of plums. Wild blackberries are next on the agenda. I love to pick those darn things but I dread removal of all the fine thorns that must be picked from my hands afterwards!

Recently I racked a cranberry wine for what was to be the last time prior to bottling. I added 2 Campden tablets to protect against oxidation. Campden had been added several weeks previously, along with sorbate to stabilize the wine. A couple of days following addition of the Campden the wine...

I would appreciate if you would share a tried and true recipe for a blackberry port and, preferably, one made with juice obtained by steam juicing. It won't be long until I am shedding blood to the briars and ticks once again!

I was thumbing through the Midwest Homebrewing And Winemaking Supplies Catalog (16th Edition) and noted this statement: "Do not add this enzyme (pectic enzyme) with bentonite, as this will negate the effect." Since bentonite is commonly added to the primary of many fruit wines, as is pectic...

I just started a fruit wine using sliced frozen strawberries and chopped dates. The recipe said to make 5 gallons and to add 13 1/2 lb sugar. I added water to 5 1/2 gallons, including the fruit, and only 9 lb sugar. The initial SG was 1.1 so I increased the water to 6 1/2 gal and it still has an...