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I am on my second batch right now, bottled weekend before last. Everyone who has tried it liked it. It has been a big hit. My daughter always leaves with a couple bottles. My wife says she actually prefers the Peach Chard, but the Watermelon is a close second. The only thing I did different...

It is generally preferred to ferment on the fruit as it brings out more flavors and tannins and such. If you are concerned about the amount of sediment, the fruit can be placed in a straining bag to minimize the sediment and ease removal. You can get cheap paint straining bags at your local...

Congrats! That looks like a really nice batch. How does it taste?

Yes you can. But just because you can, doesn't mean you should. I guess I am more risk averse than some on here but I'd rather err on the side of safety. If screw tops were all I could get my hands on, maybe, but I am finding it pretty darn easy to find corkable bottles, so really not an...

Hey Elmer! Every journey begins with the first step. It sounds like you have your direction set. Go for it and good luck!

Yeah as Rocky says, a little more information on what you are doing would be good. I can think of several different answers to your question depending on what you are doing, at what stage, and how you are doing it. For example, I have a malbec that is bulk aging with an airlock. There are no...

LOL, OK I'll be right over. Leave the light on!

Tess, We have done the Watermelon White Merlot and the Peach Chardonnay. They were both excellent. I actually have a second batch of the watermelon in the carboy now. Wife says she likes the peach the best so far. I also have the lemon tangerine sauvignon blanc kit, but as yet I haven't...

Happy to be on board. Do we get membership cards? :h

Sounds great, Beardy. The weather forecast is looking pretty iffy right now, so I am kind of sitting on the fence as to whether I will make the trip to the mountains. Besides my daughter just moved and she needs dear old dad to come over and fix up a few things...I think she really just wants...

After 30 years of marriage I know this answer. The wife is always right. Green it is! (no, it really is!)

The spigot bucket I have came from one of those starter kits. Whoever drilled the hole for the spigot did a botch job of it and the plastic was really rough on one side. My first batch had a small leak. After that I did some repair on it and it is fine now. I have since picked up the All in...

Tess, I had a few of those floaters going on in my batch too. Not sure what that was all about, but yeah, easy enough to eliminate them when racking. Didn't seem to affect the outcome as this batch is yummy!

OK, I am in...first batch bottled! The DB was clear and I decided to do a mid week bottling. I usually wait for the weekend for something like this, but it was calling, LOL. We put a bottle in the fridge and chilled out with some Peach Chardonnay to give it some time to chill. I will be...

I've done it both ways. 4 lbs of sugar will dissolve in 5 gallons with enough stirring. But it is better to do like Sammyk and dissolve it on the stove. It is easier to mix that way and if the sugars invert they will ferment easier as well.

I think diluting down with water makes sense if you think it's too hot and too sweet. Just mind your acid balance and I think you will be fine. As others have said, give it some time and see where it comes out. You can recover this!

Yeah, I think racking first is the best idea. You will have more control over how much if any sediment you pick up. I always bottle after I've racked off the fine lees (by this time gross lees should be long gone). And because my technique sucks too, I always filter to remove what little...

Yep, two cups are about a pound of sugar...close enough for winemaking anyway.

Rocky, Yes! And that is why I would also caution against sanding! No need to make that bottom any thinner than it already is! I am so paranoid I keep my bucket in one of those plastic container thingy's that are designed for under-the-bed storage. It gives me some insurance against a leaky...

Spent the weekend moving my daughter into her new apartment. None of her friends showed up, so it was all up to the Mrs. and I. All I can say is thank God for furniture dollies and hand trucks! I will have a word with a few of these jokers when they show up for the house warming party... I...