Recent content by farmer1

Thanks for pointing out the article. It has given me a much better understanding of SO2 and oxygen. It took a bit more research to figure out that 1/4 tsp contains about 800 mg of SO2.

Yes, I'm in Massachusetts - and has rained here for 3 days - a couple of inches - and a very wet August as well. Flash flood warning now. Oh well - there is always next year. Glad I'm not in North Carolina.

Rain rain rain for a few days! I have not checked pH or TA yet - if the brix hits 23 this weekend, I'll harvest and check then. I have a very small vineyard, so I don't check pH/TA until I've harvested all the grapes. The main part of the vineyard is only 2-3 years old (about 45 vines) - next...

Thank you for your suggestions. I will wait a week or 2 more. My clusters are in light cloth bags - the best way I have found to limit damage from birds. I found netting way to cumbersome - a nightmare to pull off at harvest time.

My Marquette grapes are at 21 brix - I would like to get to 23-24 before picking. If sunshine and 85F weather were predicted, I would certainly wait. We have a week of damp/not so warm (70-80F) weather on tap. I have made the decision to wait another week. The grapes look OK for the most part -...

Thank you for your thoughts. I am assuming by your post, that you DO add PM to your kits. Mr. Cox discussed making wine from grapes, and DOES indeed add PM to the must initially to kill naturally occurring yeast - then adds the yeast he WANTS in the must. But after that, he seems against it...

I have not been using sulfite/sorbate or the clearing agents with the RJS Cru Select kits for about 2 years - for 5 years before, I DID use all the stuff that came with the kits. I have not noticed ANY problems in clearing nor in contamination/spoilage since NOT using PM/PS/chitosan/kieselsol...