Recent content by chefken

In reading this thread I believe you are missing a few items, like oil changes every few months and tax incentives also some states offer rebates. I bought a 2013 Volt and have driven a little over 100,000 miles. I’ve done 4 oil changes in 9 years. How many have you done? Lifetime I’m at 157...

Oops. That’s Jack Keller.

Several years ago I made a strawberry chocolate wine following Jack Kelley’s recipe. After a year of aging it was terrific.

I use distilled water for the re-hydration of the yeast and spring water to bring the quantity up to the 24l mark. My city water (seems to me) to have at times plenty of chlorine. The first FWK I made was stored in a fridge about 2.5 weeks before starting without any problems.

I’ve only put cleared wines in my barrel. I had several wines in carboys when I started using the new barrel. Just kept racking in and out.

You may already know this, be prepared to pull you wine out of a brand new 20/23 liter barrel in a week or two. My first wine in a 20 liter barrel was just 10 days. Racked into glass, filled the barrel with a different wine which stayed for almost 4 weeks before racking out. The oak in a new...

I received my Merlot with double skins yesterday. Placed it in the refrigerator as I plan on starting this on Monday. I’m excited to try, have read the instruction booklet and watched their videos a few weeks ago.

They have all found a good home. Thanks for your inquiries.

I have an overabundance of Italian Glass Carboys I would like to thin out. They are all 6 gallons and I'll throw in a carboy handle with each. I have 5 for $25.00 each, or if you want all $100.

Another option for grapes is Collinwood Grape Company. They simply froze a couple of juice pails and crushed, destemed grapes and froze those also. No fuss no mess. Easy

I love your ideas. Last year I built a 4x8 wine cooler. At the time my wife said why are you making it so small. She is very wise. It's pretty full.

I have a new 40L Vadai barrel and my first wine was in for 7 weeks with a light oak taste. It may go back in later on. This new 40L turned out to be very tight as opposed to my 20L which seems to leak a little. A 40L should give you about 1.5gal. of topping up wine, or at least that is what I'm...

Today I degassed and racked the super Tuscan following Joe's tweaks and boy does it taste good. Tannins are sharp but it's only 4 weeks old. It will go into the barrel around September 1st to age for a few months. Thanks to Joe this will be a "best of show" wine.

I decided to start the kit. The juice bag did not have a bad odor or any other negatives that I could see. Before the tweaks as you suggest the sg was 1.068 and after 1.092. Pitched yeast a few minutes ago. Thanks for your help.

This is the response from Winexpert. "The kit has begun to ferment. Make the wine kit today and all should be fine."