Recent content by Allen

Just started my 2019 wines! All 6 gallon batches of California frozen juice: Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Zinfandel Pinot Noir Merlot Pinot Grigio Chardonnay.

I can't tell the difference between the taste of sugar & xylosweet when its in this drink. Many people like this recipe, but I quit making it & don't drink it anymore. The reason is because my wife & I renamed it...We now call it "Divorce Juice"!

I know this is an old thread, but I did successfully carbonate skeeter pee, and wanted to share. I took a lame 42 second video with my cell. Sorry it's sideways! http://www.youtube.c...h?v=j6SpDNaQjug I made it just like beer. I added XyloSweet, which is Xylitol, made from plants, and is a...

I used Lavlin 71-B. The reason is, cherry's dominate acid is malic acid, and 71-B is known to lower the malic acid level. One small packet will be more than enough for the size you are doing.

Since you "revived" this post, I'll have to give a report: I ended up getting 62 pounds of cherries off my 3 trees :br. I pitted, then froze for about a month. I added sugar to 1.085 SG, then fermented just the pure cherry juice, with no additives. With a little bit of back sweetening (10...

Not exactly. You want to get the SG up to the desired level BEFORE you add the yeast. If you let it work for a couple of days, then try to get the level up, you are not going to have an accurate reading, because it will have already started to eat some of the sugar, and will end up with a...

I was also told if you ferment Concord at 65-68ºF, it will not be as likely to develop the foxy taste. I emptied my wine fridge, took out the shelves, and set the thermo at 67º for the primary fermentation.

10 days ago I started a 6 gallon batch of Chambourcin, grown locally. Yesterday I started MaloLactic Fermentation on it, and added 4 oz of Med toast french oak. I will let the MLF go for about 6 weeks, then rack off the oak & lees, and stabilize. Pre MLF it already tastes decent. I know, I...

If you look at your hydrometer, an Original Specific Gravity of 1.076 gives you a Potential Alcohol of about 10.25%. Take the starting potential alcohol number & subtract the final potential alcohol number to get your actual ABV. If your wine completely stops fermenting at 1.000, your...

Honestly, I was a little dissapointed when it wasn't round like every other wine comp medal I've seen.

My second mead ever, my first competition ever. Double Gold, & Ametuer Honey Blend Wine Of The Year! I didn't even thik I'd get a medal:)

You know Tom, that's kinda what I was thinking. This recipe was touted to be a VERY CHEAP wine recipe, but is more expensive than some kits.

I will look into those. Here's something a little peculiar; in the RJS section of the website, the "Winery Series" list the kits as 16L, 4.2 gallons:http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdListCCWS.asp 16 litres / 4.2 US Gallons, Yields 23 litres / 6 US Gallons. Ready to bottle in 8 weeks...

Any brand recomendation?

Thanks for the tip admiral. I have never tried an "Amarone", so I am a little reluctant to try a kit of it. I should have said in the post above, that my prefered wine styles are: Merlot, Cab, Zinafandel, & Shiraz.