Recent content by Jeff D

Appleman, that card # isn't working for me, can you post the secutity code from the back please? Jeff

I have had some wine made from there grapes, I thought it was quite good. Jeff

This is hand's down the most friendly wine site.

Tepe, I see the same things here. There are some growers that aren't even going to pick. I think it's an insurance thing, why go to all the trouble when the insurance pays better if the crop is a total failure. Jeff

They must not have kids! Jeff

Welcome Allan, your in for the ride of your life. A friend of mine is plantinga block ofZweigelt. They ordered 2000 plants to be delivered last spring, only 20 showed up. The invoice said, ( the other 1980 will be shipped April 2010. ) He was a bit miffed. Zweigelt seems to be in short supply...

You can use a chip of dry ice to fill the head space. Drop a small piece in and apply the air lock, it will act like a run away fermentation for a few seconds. Jeff

Jerry, make sure they seal up tight! Mine have a tendency not to be as air tight as I like, plus I'm a worry wart. Jeff

Jim, all you need for CO2 is some dry ice. At the winery they have a ice grinder and fan or blowersystem. For the home wine maker all you do is drop a chip of dry ice in the carboy and put the air lock on. Or if your using a bin and plastic a few chips and cover with plastic. Jeff

Jim, it was 20 days after we started fermentation before pressing. I was a nervous wreck the hole time, have a good friend who owns a winery, he talked me down a couple of times. We have two stainless floating lid tanks. I pushed the cap down with the lid's and only opened them up on even days...

We did a Cab this way. It added color and tannin, the wine is an 05, it's drinking well now. We fermented at 85 degrees then dropped the temp to mid 60 for two weeks. Jeff

Jerry is this a floating lid tank? Do you plan on bulk ageing in the tank? I use mine for fermentation then transfer to something I can get a positive seal on. Jeff

The wine is going to ferment dry. I think there will be some kind of sweetener pack to be added after it's done. Just add the sweetener until it fits your taste. If you still don't like there are always the neighbors to experiment on. Jeff

I'm going to go out on a limb here. I find some white wines and especially sweetfruit wines to be more to my liking if there is some gas in them. I made a strawberry honey melomel, fermented cold and kept cold to hold the CO2, it's a winner in my book. Jeff

Not to hijack this thread, but I have to know when the Muscadines will be ready. We are headed for that part of the country on Thursday. KY, TN, AR. I would like to bring some home if there ready. PM me if you have some info. Jeff