Recent content by J. Wesley

Thanks for all the feedback. Half gallon ice bomb and cooling the room down as much as possible got us over the edge. Temperature down to 80 this am...

Got a HOT batch of Petit Verdot going... what are the mechanics of using dry ice to keep things in check? My half gallon of frozen Ho2 will hardly hold me through the night...

Making a single varietal.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check out those strains before I order.

Have a couple hundred pounds coming with this harvest. Looking for yeast recommendations.

What is the formula for the addition of tartaric acid and resultant drop in pH? A grams/ gallon = -0.1 pH, A = ?

I have also used Enoform Alpha splitting the package (66 gallons worth) in half and then immediately vacuum sealing the surplus. So far the reserved bacteria has never failed to do the trick on the next batch (knock on wood).

Here is another option for "mail-order" grapes. Wine Grapes Direct I have vinified both their frozen musts (red) and their juices (white) with excellent results. They ship frozen with foam packaging and should arrive only partially thawed. Their quality control is very good and the tested...

Mail-order... here is the basic Aeration-Oxidation setup from More Wine

It sounds as if you are just starting into aging... it is amazing how much sulfite a young wine will bind up. Be sure to test the sulfite level before the next racking, don't assume you do not need to adjust.

As for topping off with box wine... you will never make good wine better by using a lesser grade. Use the good stuff and put what is left over in a glass. BONUS!

After Brix dropped to 0.01 on 6.5 gallons of Gruner Veltliner, we added 15 ppm So2 and then another 20 ppm two days later... Last night (five days later) we tested and found 6 ppm free So2 and pH of 3.4. Racked into clean carboy with an additional 30 ppm So2. Twenty-four hours later we have what...

Does anyone recycle oak chips or staves that have been in carboy? Barrels get reused... why not? If so, what kind of clean procedures do you follow?

Thanks for the prompt responses... Still a newbie, only the third white we've done and prone to get anxious. We'll stir it back in and lethe yeastie-beasties have a go at it.

Just started a fermentation using Phone 4600 yeast in 8 gallons of pressed juice. Within 16 hours the fermentation was not vigorous but had produced a light brown "scum" on the surface, a little over 1/8" thick. Stirred it back into the juice for now. Has anybody experienced this with Gruner...