Recent content by AMEugene

hmmm. Well without the test kit, which is not in the budget, then I guess I will just go with two months MLF and then just add sulfite and what ever happens happens.

Thank you John. I was unclear at what point the MLB should be started. speaking of MLB I will be OK not knowing when the MLB is done if I am just going to keep it bulk aging for 6 months anyway right?

Oh I am not going to give up. It is going to get pressed this weekend, put in a 5 gallon carboy and will do a MLF for some time. I have no test equipment so will let it sit in MLF for a couple of months and then rack off the gross lees and let it sit for three more months. I will be adding oak...

Hello, I received some red grapes from a friend. I have no idea what kind they are but they did taste like what I think a wine grape would taste like. For sure it was not a table grape. The vines were not kept care of like a typical wine producing vine would. Anyway I thought I would give it...

Hi, I have a question. I recently made a wine using Italian Plums. I put the plums in bags and left those in the primary until primary was done (about two weeks.) I then took and squeezed the bags. Well the question is about the color and how to add some. This dried all the way out. Tastes...

Please clue me into what a splash rack is. I assume that you mean that when you rack to a different carboy that you just let it splash when you transfer it? I also must assume that you bulk age for a year and then bottle? Is that for whites and reds?

I like to be on the low side of the ferment temp. It is OK to take a little bit longer. Shoot I am making lagers this winter and that is how low can you go. ferments at 50F. I may have gotten the terminology incorrect. I plan on using a wine whisk on the end of a drill. Any recommendations on...

Thank you for the clarification. The directions that came with the kit say to aerate the wine to release the CO2. I will follow the directions and see how it comes out. Thank you again.

Thank you. So it is normal to continue to produce cO2 even after fermentation is complete. I will take my sg and rack into secondary this weekend.

Fab, I do have a lid locked down on my bucket. I did take an sg as well. MY OG was 1.095. I will check my sg tonight. I guess as long as it is around the 1.00 then I will rack into the carboy for secondary.

I have not taken a gravity reading yet. I just figured that with that much action in the air lock then it must not be down to 1.01 yet. I will take a reading tonight and see where it is.

I am an avid beer maker and trying my first wine with a kit. The reason I mention my beer experience is because when I make an ale my primary fermentation is usually over in 4 -7 days. Well when I put my wine in the fermentation bucket the air lock took off in less that 24 hours. OK that was a...

Interesting thoughts. Oh I am going to go forward and try these. The only think I am not excited about is the wait time. At least with my beer, ales not lagers, I can be drinking in a month some good beer. Of course it too gets better over a few months but from I have been reading on here it...

Thank you for your input. I appreciate it all. I will go with the kits instructions this time around until I have better knowledge of all the ins and outs. This is fun stuff, wine making. Oh and it is much easier and quicker than the 6 hours it takes to get a beer into a fermenter :-)

I have always heard that sulfites are what contribute to the head aches some wines can inflict. That is why. As a beer maker I do not use any chemicals what so ever. I practice crazy strict sanitation practices. I probably over do it but I have yet to have an infected beer. Wine is a different...