Recent content by eightysixCJ

I added the same as NorCal to my NY grapes (Frontenac, brix 21 pH 3.3). K-meta added after the crush, I noticed fermentation beginning at the end of crush day. I moved up my schedule and pitched yeast. So far, fermentation proceeding well although faster than I expected. Tom

That’s very cool! Thanks.

Thank you. I’ve been there and Jerry s a great guy. I know he gets Chilean and California grapes, I‘LL call and see if he does NYS grapes. Tom

That would be great! Red, no strong preference; Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Syrah Thank you!

Thank you. They don’t sell whole grapes but I’ll keep them in mind. Tom

Greetings all, I‘m in New York City and have been making wine from grapes from California and Chile for several years. I want to try some locally grown grapes, around 1000 pounds. Can anyone recommend vineyards in New York, Finger Lakes, Long Island etc. that will sell whole fruit to home...

Greetings all, Curious if most folks keep an extra VC tank to rack directly into or rack into another container, clean the VC tank and pump back into the original tank? Thanks, Tom

Greetings all, 16-lugs of Chilean Merlot from Gino Pinto. Very quick curb-side pickup but missed socially hanging around. Brix came in around 18.5 so added sugar to get it to 23.5. pH 3.3. Very nice looking grapes. Tom

Greetings all, Sorry for the delay in posting. Did the math and checked when racked. The large lines mark 10-liter increments and the full/100L level is the upper/last line (10th line from the bottom on the 100L tank) about 5-inches below the rim of the tank. Tom

Greetings all, Made the switch to VCT from glass. I have Marchisio 150L and 100L tall tanks. Can I use the sticker scale on the tanks to measure the volume of wine? What is the scale measuring/how is it graduated? How far below the rim is the 150/100L level? Thanks, Tom

Thanks John. This is very helpful. Tom

Will sorbate have the same affect if MLF occurred prior to adding sorbate? Same for white wine? I was told, but did not find it in any of my books, that the sorbate was needed to stabilize the wine prior to degassing. Thanks, Tom

Thanks John, I'll check. Is the yeast an issue to act on? I don't plan to backsweeten. A friend recommended stabilizing it sooner so I tried that. I'm guessing I did not need do that with reds? Tom

Thanks folks. I usually top off with store bought wine but had none the day I had time to rack. Just topped with about a pint in each but will use wine from here on. I did not plan to run through ML but prior to racking there was a period of tiny bubbles. I haven't tested yet to see if it...

My second year making wine. I have this grayish-purple stuff in the neck of my carboys. It appears to have risen from the wine, sliding up the top of the carboy and collected at the neck. Not seeing anything else weird in the wine. I crushed 6 crates of California Cabernet Sauvignon and...