Recent content by Handy Turnip

@Ohio Bob - yes maybe I guess, although only some kits have two, others one. Like you say, be interesting what winexpert says

@Ohio Bob interesting point on it acting as a nutrient for the first? But I still don't get point 1 - they use EC-1118 for that reason (rather than say a more interesting yeast) as a fermentation guarantee. And the majority of whites only have EC-1118 (and I've never had a failed fermentation...

Really interesting - although a couple of thoughts come to mind. For better quality winexpert whites, the second yeast added is normally (in my experience) K1-V1116 which is also listed as a competitive killer of yes. So which wins? Also if the standard yeast for winexpert whites is EC1118 -...

@blkcloud63 just to add another factor (having been stung by it) - make sure you have good quality corks of the appropriate size! In the UK, #8 corks seem to be preference but I've discovered that after 15mths my wine has gone - oxidised. It's taken a lot of searching but I've upgraded to #9s...

So I kicked this off today, I've got high hopes! It came with two yeasts - K1-V1116 and EC1116. Thought for second about only going with the K1-V1116 but decided to play it straight with the instructions.Got a nice opening sg of 1.092. The website description of this one is: "The fruity palate...

@winemaker81 yes I'm lining up this Albarino for next Christmas. I've only done a couple of kits over the last year, which wasn't a worry as I thought I had plenty in reserve - unfortunately (as per another thread) finding out my #8 corks weren't keeping my wine beyond 15mths has messed me up...

Thanks @winemaker81 @VinesnBines - great advice as always. Unfortunately I don't have a 19L carboy (only the 23L and 11L), maybe I need to add it to my collection! Apart from the Apres collection (which I bulk age longer), I tend to only do whites which are generally very good at bottling -...

I'm curious about the difference the extra 2 weeks makes between the more basic kits and the higher end kits. Obviously the juice is of higher quality, and in higher quantity, but am merely thinking about the time difference. Both kits will spend c.2 weeks in the fermentation bucket, before...

I've got this kit on order, and it's due this month at some point. It's a limited release so it's a new on me (not sure if it's been released previously). I'm a big Albarino fan so have high hopes, but just wondered if anyone else had done this one yet?

Recorked a couple of nice whites today with the nomas so hopefully they last a bit longer. Normally I store them upright for a couple of days to let the corks expand, and then add shrink caps and then store on their side. Do I need to do that with the nomas, or do they not need to be stored...

Fingers crossed! I'm not worried about leaking, as my #8's didn't leak so these should be fine. Just keen for the wine to last beyond 18mths, so it'll be a while before I find out if they've done the job. I've got a bag of 100, and will only use them on about 5-10 in a batch (as we get through...

So the noma corks arrived and I had a few bottles that needed recorking. Having only used natural corks, I found them a bit strange. A few creased ones, which when I pulled out were a bit of a mess. I got in a bit of a rhythm so am hoping they'll be okay. Big indentation on the top of all of...

Yes that makes sense, and I'm sure over time I'll work out which cork works best and then stick to that for everything. But while I've got a selection of corks to use, I might as well use them and get some learnings from them. And splitting the corking and storing differently is relatively...

I've ordered a batch of the nomacorc #9 (which cost a fortune due to the postage), and some decent quality natural #9s. I've also still got some good quality #8s. So I'll probably do a 3 way split - #8s for those that I know will get drunk in the first 6mths, the natural #9s for those that will...

Currently taking a look at this site - they seem to have a wide range of natural corks, with 4 different grades of quality (super, 1st, 2nd, 3rd) https://www.corkstore.co.uk/wine-corks-37-c.asp