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What would you say is the ideal timeframe for this wine. I'm a bit confused as to how long a shelf life it might have. I did not add any k-meta before bottling. Thanks Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

Hi guys, Enjoying a bottle of our Stags Leap Merlot, three months in. Very good! It seems like it has a very high alcohol level. My wife and I both notice it. Not sure what I'm expecting in the way of feed back, but is this a common experience? Thanks, Bob Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

I'm confused regarding the amount of time before my wine is properly aged. I made an Eclipse Stags Leap Merlot. I've read that if you intend to age it longer than 6 months you should add k-meta. I decided not to as I also read that gives some people headaches. So, does this mean the wine is...

I decided to bottle my Stags Leap Merlot rather than age in the carboy for a few months. I purchased a hand corker but the corks would not go in completely on all 30 bottles. I fiddled with the adjustment, but it did not make a difference. The corks are anywhere between 1/8 of an inch to 1/2...

Hey guys, great advice. I'm going to rack and save that one bottle. Let it age for a year and start another kit this summer. Hmmmm....what red should follow the Stags Leap???? Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

Thanks for the insights. Should I transfer the wine to a different carboy if I age for a few months? It does have sediment at the bottom, but the wine is clear. Not sure if it's harmful to age with that in there. Will it affect the taste? Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

Hi ShaunDanz, Thanks for the tip. Did you add extra metabisulphite as the instructions say for ageing longer than 6 months? I did not, so wonder what I should do now, if I bulk age for 6 months and then let it age in the bottles for a year? Is it OK to add it at this stage? Or did I miss my...

Thanks for the feedback. What is the benefit of bulk ageing over bottling? Especially if the instructions say to bottle. Keep in mind I'm a 2 batch newbie :) Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

Hi guys, My Eclipse Stags Leap Merlot is ready to bottle. As far as I can tell it is very clear. I poured a bit into a glass to test it and it seems ready. I compared to a similar amount of another wine I had opened, a Petite Syrah, and the Merlot looked clearer to me. Are there other things I...

Yes, 28 days and then bottle.... Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

Topped up with 2 1/4 bottles of Napa Valley wine.

Topped up with about 2 1/4 bottles of Merlot. Instructions don't say anything about temps needing to be 70-72 degrees, so just going to keep a blanket on it. Right now it's at 64 degrees, which is what the room stays at pretty constantly.

Thanks everyone. The overwhelming advice seems to be to top it up or rack down. I don't have any smaller carboys so I guess I'm topping up. Our favorite everyday drinking wine right now is a blend called Dialed In, so I'm thinking about adding a few bottles of that....but weighing it against...

Put this comment on another thread about topping but wanted to place it here also. I'm unsure if the amount of space in my carboy is excessive or normal...and wondering if I'm ok to follow instructions and not top up with wine. I wouldn't use water.

Step four today with my Eclipse Stags Leap Merlot...racking and clarifying. I only have one carboy, so I racked into the primary bucket, stirred for about 5 minutes, no bubbles whatsoever, and then racked back into the carboy. Instructions say "do not top with water, as it will change the...

Hmmmm...I had the wonderful smell of wine fermentation for the first 5 days or so, but then had a bit of sulfuric smell near the end of the first week. I didn't know that wasn't good, as this is only the second batch I ever made. Hope it's going to be ok now.

I am brewing an Eclipse Merlot. During fermentation I attached the lid and placed an air lock on fermentation bucket. Each day, for a week, I detached the lid, stirred the grape skins as instructed, then reattached the lid and air lock. The fermentation progressed perfectly. Is it usual practice...

I will be racking again this weekend and am wondering about best practices regarding cleaning and sanitizing. This will be 8 days since I racked. Afterwards I cleaned everything with one step. Do you guys clean with one step, or other cleaner, and then sanitize before every step, or can I just...

Hi again, I followed the suggestions about slow drill speed and reversing the direction, and the bubbles cleared in about 10 minutes. Thanks so much for everyone's feedback. Magnetic Man PS learning the craft and the lingo!

Thanks very helpful....back to the wine!