Recent content by MarkSC

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

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  1. M

    Sanitizing bottles

    Not likely. StarSan is about the same pH as wine and a little bit left in a bottle is not going to make a difference to overall acidity. Most of us rinse with StarSan, let dry a bit and bottle. Rinsing with tap water defeats the point by introducing new contaminants.
  2. M

    Chlorinated Water to Clean/Prep Barrel

    corks or wood barrels. I am using a wood barrel for storage/aging. This is the article that alerted me to the TCA issue with barrels: Wine Barrel Care Guide for Home Winemakers | The Beverage People
  3. M

    Chlorinated Water to Clean/Prep Barrel

    For those interested, I found this helpful article form the brewing world: Water Filters | MoreBeer It seems that K-meta will remove chlorine and chloramine in just a minute or two. The usual dose is around 1 campden tablet per 20 gallons. I assume that any mold in the barrel cannot produce...
  4. M

    Chlorinated Water to Clean/Prep Barrel

    So, I am new to the barrel club and planning to hydrate and use my first barrel soon. My city water contains chloramine, and I have read a bit about "cork taint" concerns with commercial wineries, which leads them to use filtration on their water lines. For those of you with chlorinated water...
  5. M

    20 L Barrels Out of Stock in USA!

    Thanks. I emailed them today and waiting to hear back. Good to hear a positive review.
  6. M

    20 L Barrels Out of Stock in USA!

    I cannot locate a single 20 L wine barrel that is available for shipment in the USA (lots of charred whiskey barrels are though). I would like to order one for Christmas, so please let me know if you have a source.
  7. M

    60 Minutes: Effects of climate change taking root in the wine industry

    But only in one direction: higher temperatures
  8. M

    Portable AC for wine cellar

    Pretty tight. I caulked the stair treads, insulated walls and ceiling, etc. I'm not worried about excess moisture in the wine room since the A/C will presumably take care of that, but the side room/garage where the A/C vents is a bigger question. A post in the @NorCal thread mentions that his...
  9. M

    Portable AC for wine cellar

    Thanks, that was spot on.
  10. M

    Portable AC for wine cellar

    I just completed a project in my garage. I have a storage room under stairs that is within the garage. I insulated the room and added a window a/c unit that vents to the main garage (there is also a nearby screened opening to the outside). Has anyone tried this setup with a window a/c? I’ve seen...
  11. M

    Finer Wine Kit Finer Wine Kits

    Thanks. I plan to give it one more day to see if any change. Otherwise, on to the carboy. I did steal a taste. It was slightly sweet but certainly promising.
  12. M

    Finer Wine Kit Finer Wine Kits

    My Forte Cabernet is not quite ready at day 14 after pitching--despite a vigorous ferment for the first week. Only 0.998 SG. This is the first time I have had a ferment of any kit go past 14 days. I attribute it to the cooler weather conditions, as the room averages 69 degrees.
  13. M

    Finer Wine Kit Finer Wine Kits

    I had 0 visible CO2 when I racked my merlot to the carboy. It was surprising and welcome that I did not need to degas. By comparison, I usually need to degas Winemaker kits for at least 15 minutes. Any idea why these kits produce so little remnant CO2?
  14. M

    Finer Wine Kit Finer Wine Kits

    Not rushing, just following my usual course and the wine kit instructions. I will certainly wait longer if needed. It's curious that the instructions call for 1/8 even though they also suggest two rackings if not filtering. I will follow your advice and use 1/4 at the second racking. Thanks.
  15. M

    Finer Wine Kit Finer Wine Kits

    I am doing a merlot kit. Really liked the initial taste after racking to carboy. Anyway, I plan to rack twice over a 4 week period and then bottle (no bulk aging). The instructions call for 1/8 teaspoon of kmeta if the wine will be aged, which mine will. However, the instructions also seem to...
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