Recent content by marquettematt

What's the best way to get maximum tannin extraction from Baco? What's your opinion on the tannin content associated with the ripened stems of this varietal?

Did you fertilize this year? with what? Supposedly Itasca is resistant to mildews. At least that's what Double A and U of Minn claims. Was there any black rot this year? How recent are those pics? For this time of year, the canes look way behind on hardening off.

I wouldn't just because of all the complications. It is possible. I've done indoor starts to plant outside but it was very rough and I didn't have much success.

Absolutely, but mine get plenty of sun also. the only proper conclusion, I think, is nutrient intake or simply soil type itself. One of Frontenac's parents is a pure Minnesota riparia. I'm sure that soil type in northern IL is closer to that than south-central IN.

Thank you for the input. I tried treating it like wine. Maybe a beer approach is better. I used EC1117 yeast and it stuck with a good deal of residual sugar. I was going for dry. I had nutrient packs left over from a Presque Isle kit that I used but it didn't help

The title says it all. I tried making some recently and even though it didn't turn out bad, but I'm not impressed. Any idea's on east selection, proper pH and acid adjustments?

For me its usually early-mid August. When I made wine from it I harvested too early. It tasted like fresh-cut grass smells.

Definitely wouldn't hurt. That is very early. Not even the native riparia here are changing. Where are you located?

Good to know. My one shot at making wine from Frontenac was pretty rough. Just looking to the future for ideas on how to manage mine.

That's no surprise about the round-up. Hemstad did say that resistance to herbicide was a deciding factor in selecting the vine. I never see any damage on it. It's very reliable in that regard. How do you feel about oaking it? How did you oak it?

It will push new leaves. OH man! That's an atrocity! I thought I had bad beetles this year. I'd pull clusters. That's a HUGE hit to vine health and how it'll harden off. Leaving clusters is too great a risk.. For the sake of experimentation, I might leave some clusters on early ripeners just to...

Definitely fungal. I hardly ever see any issues on mine except for botrytis but that's on mature clusters. I'd say DM.

I looked it up and I stand corrected. Still, with a 66 day PHI, Its obviously very residual.

AS far as vinifying goes, I can't give much advice but growing Frontenac is a different story. I usually get 3 cluster shoots. In their 5th year I pruned them down to 2 cluster shoots with 7 or 8, 2 bud spurs on 2 arms. It was relatively disease-free, but I could see the over-cropping effect the...

Mancozeb is a systemic. I wouldn't mess with it but if you're starting verasion, you got another month, app. Might be ok.