Recent content by fuse

Thanks for the feedback!

There is a nice stainless steel steam juicer in my neighbourhood that is begging me to grab it. The thought of not having to pick my grapes off the stems, but rather shove the whole bunch in the juicer, is very appealing. Has anyone used one of these to make wine? I'm making concord wine so I...

The perks of teaching music privately - tonight I m drinking a Chateau Pontet-Canet 2012 Pauillac! A Christmas gift from a talented student. And something I could not usually afford!

Tim Vander WHO?

Kit taste is real. It is a result of the concentration process the kit companies use to make the juice. "Bazooka gum" flavour is an excellent descriptor. That candy probably uses a similar technique to acquire its flavour! Kit taste is NOT a result of sitting in the plastic bag (how many...

Grand Cru International Sangiovese was very good. I mixed half of that kit with a Concord wine from backyard grapes (OH THE ACID) and that is even better - no kit taste at all. I am looking forward to the blend, but regret not keeping any of the straight Sangiovese to age and compare. Another...

I make red wine from grapes in the back yard, premium kits and cheapo kits. IME, all kits are low in tannin and acid, compared to actual fresh grapes. Having said that, I really can't drink my grape wine until at least two years, because of the high acid especially. But it is this high acid...

I just opened a bottle of Nebbiolo made almost a year ago - Dec. 2014 - to which I added a fair amount of elderberries. I think it was 20 g. It was a Heritage Estates kit, made as an early drinker while my better wines (grapes from the backyard and premium kits) aged to maturity. The bottles...

Hmmm, I don't know about your statement: "However, all a kit consumer can do is take the kit manufacturer's word for it which is something we do anytime we buy just about anything." Here in Canada, food regulations are fairly robust - although currently being weakened by the Harper Government...

Leather and cedar - I know, right?!? And tobacco. I would love these notes in my wine. Spanish wine can have them, too, I find.

Thanks Kim!

Does anyone know a good internet source to recommend for purchasing high quality powdered grape tannin? I'm located on Vancouver Island, in Victoria, BC, Canada, and my two local HBSes don't carry it, and other stores haven't returned my emails in over a week. The only stuff I can find on...

I brew a lot of things; beer, wine, tea...and biodiesel. This may be a bit off-topic, but I have a problem with foodstuffs containing glycerin. This is the by-product of biodiesel production, and the world market is saturated with the gooey stuff. I have been noticing it showing up more...

I've recently started adding oak staves to my Concord wine and wine kits, during either the secondary fermentation or the bulk aging phases. Does anyone know how many times you can use them? Any potential problems from overuse? They have been used about three times. Sanitized with Potassium...

Thanks Mr. Grapes. That helped a lot. Now to figure out which kind and brand of tannin to add! I'd like to try adding it to the kits I have going as well. Two cheapos: Grand Cru International Italy Sangiovese Style (why the added "Style"?!?) and a Cellar Masters Cab Sauv Style with added...