Cap Puncher - would mind in more detail outlining your use of either Bactiless or No Brett for me? I read the usage info for both, I'm not seeing how the level of SO2 in the wine determines the amount of Bactiless/No Brett to use. Also, after the addition and subsequent racking how to...
Hey Bryan,
Raleigh? I'm west of you, outside of Troy sharing a road with Uwharrie Mountain National Forest. Know anyone handy with Norton nearby? I used to talk some to Herb McIntyre but it's been years ago that he quit replying.
Yup, the calculator I use called for SO2 at 49. Have a couple family members who re touchy about SO2 . . .
Another So2 check is due, guess a objective sampling before proceeding is in order while the ferment tank is open.
Working with 30 gallons of 2023 Norton. The question is how much total tartaric addition is too much. The soil here is very high in K so pH coming out of mlf is usually high 3's. Having had zero luck lower pH by adding tartaric pre-ferment, this year it wasn't added until after mlf finished...
After posting I did a little internet trolling. While the rinse/soak/sulfur routine varied with the source one common thread was that if the barrel was properly treated to sit unused for a period of time, every month or so it will need additional attention to keep it up to snuff.
Due to...
Have two year old California barrels that held red wine available for ~$200 each. They're the larger size, I want to say 50 gallon but is rated in liters and actually holds what, 53 gallons? A local winery has them. The winery owner told me to talk to the winemaker with any questions...
Obviously I blew it and the wine is now in bottles, except for 10 gallons that'll stay in carboys. Is decanting in the future the best solution? Plan was to leave things alone for about a year with a bottle being sampled occasionally to see how the wine is progressing. Is there any chance...
When I first read about using oak chips the writer alluded to their use as being for those years when one is forced to harvest early to help with the green, herby flavors.
Nothing obvious. Started with a syphon wand that had the spring loaded tip (the type that always leaks) so some aeriation resulted in trying to get the tip depressed on the punt. Hard to say what was air or gas from the wine. Went to the Buon Vino bottle filler and once purged of air no off...
Opened one of about 250 bottles of Norton bottled a couple weeks back and found some residual CO2 still present. To be sure an airtight seal was installed on the bottle and 24 hours later when it was gently removed a definite poof was evident. Since fermentation last September the wine has...
Not sure what an earth anchor is but mobile home anchors work well. A T post may not have enough backbone to support a 200' row, you might want to consider yanking them and using 6-8" treated posts set 36-48".
In reading and asking others with more experience about co-ferment, my take away is that the chance for problems exceeding my skill set and available tools is too great.
Just finished pressing 47 gallons into secondary. Will let it set until late tomorrow then rack off the gross lees, will...