Recent content by JBP

Prepping for cabin season and evenings on the dock. Challenge - our cabin is across the border in Canada (barely - lake access from the US and can throw a rock to hit the border). While we bring up as much as we can tax-free (2 bottles/person - the rest, basically 100% tax), I am thinking about...

What a great hack! Tried it and was pretty impressed.

Thanks, @Rice_Guy - I didn't realize it could take that long for the bubble gum flavor to develop.

Okay - let's start by being grateful for a safe space that we can share our stupidities. :rolleyes: While wanting desperately to prove I normally keep exceptional records, I will confess that I wrote nothing down on this one. Was trying to get a quick batch made before DIL came to lake cabin...

Thanks - not in a hurry to drink (summer drinking at cabin for us), but need the gallon jugs the batch is divided into. :D Buy more glass or risk extra sorbate in skeeter pee...both cheap and easy answers, I guess.

Have a 6 month old batch of SP that I think I forgot to add sorbate, but am not sure. I back-sweetened it lightly (didn't not measure SG post-sugar) several months ago and while I never saw active re-start of fermentation, taste and SG indicate that it is basically dry. I left it in a carboy...

Assuming these fresh-dumped barrels are neutral (oak and bourbon/whiskey), what would be target times for adequate micro-oxygenation in a 5gallon? I know it depends on environmental conditions (humidity, temp), but curious about general timeline to expect results or to target barrel-aging a wine...

And in a slightly different turn to an alimentary tract story - recent story in WaPo:: This is Cecil. He has never done anything bad in his life until he ate $4,000.

Checked level after 2 weeks in barrel and tasted. No oak (none expected), no ashy flavor, but pretty significant bourbon taste. While I hate to pull it out so quickly, I do think at this stage the wine would round out and be a nicely drinkable 'bourbon barrel wine' with more time in a carboy. I...

Oh my - now I am getting nervous. I filled my fresh-dump bourbon barrel with a syrah a little over a week ago after swelling and rinsing out well (no Barrel Oxyfresh or cleaner). Looking forward to hearing @VinesnBines update on Monday. And suspect I will be checking mine sooner rather than later.

Thanks to both of you - planning to start this evening!

Thanks, Bryan - love the clear directions. Looks like I am unable to get Barrel Oxyfresh in anything less than 50 pounds at this time (except for one place that charges >$50 for one pound when shipping is added). If anyone has a better source, please let me know!

I am nervously starting the barrel journey with a fresh-dumped, 5 gal barrel from Midwest. Plenty of wine waiting to rotate through and top off, but nervous about ruining good wine instead of making it better. I still have a couple of first timer questions after reading as much as I can find. In...

Vin Brûlée (from my Italian DIL) - family favorite 750 ml red wine 1 orange zest peeled 1 lemon zest peeled 2 cinnamon sticks (small) 10 cloves 2-3 tablespoons sugar (I often use brown) Mix together - simmer for 10 minutes. Burn excess alcohol with butane torch - serve and enjoy Personal...

Just pulled a FWK Syrah (Forte) out of freezer to start and realized that I put the skins in the refrigerator when it arrived a couple of months ago. Given comments in this thread about always storing skins in freezer, I am looking for advice: - Toss them? - Smell test? - Other? I do have...