Recent content by Numa

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No idea Wade. It's some kind of greenish stuff with a white plastic plug which I assume is either non-toxic, or not as toxic as lead. They're made in France and there has been a big push within the EU to minimize lead exposure (RoHS). At the rate I break hydrometers, I should be able to tell...

I picked up one of these from Advantage in Hickory and I love it. Mine has the calibration temperature listed in tiny print at the bottom of the scale, close to the bulb. It's a 60F, but yours may be different. Using these is no different than using any other hydrometer, the big difference...

That sounds like a SG of 1.080 to me. Without knowing your initial SG there's really no way to know how much fermentation, if any, has happened. I'm not familiar with your recipe or Red Star's yeasts so I can't tell you if it's stuck... but it may be because of either dud yeast or osmotic...

Hi Paul, I'm right down the road from you and a recent member as well. You're dead on about Lake James Cellars - they make some absolutely wonderful wines.

Very cool - I see a lot of Tarheels on here!

Hi georges, I'm no expert but I'll try to answer your questions. 1. You are correct about lower fermentation temperatures giving a different flavor. Fermentation can be a little slower or more difficult to get started at lower temps, but the lower temps do help preserve some of the more...

Thanks for the replies. I'll have to experiment around and see which one brings out more aroma and flavor. The EC-1118 has been a winner for me but it's really the only yeast I've used, and I'm at the point where I want to spread my wings a little.

Thanks y'all. Unfortunately, there's not a college here in Rutherford College anymore as I think it closed in the 1930s. The old college campus was later converted to a hospital, but they've recently torn down the old buildings (and trees!) to modernize and expand the hospital. I'm about...

Hi all, I have been very successful making apfelwein using Lalvin EC-1118. I was looking at Lalvin's datasheets for their different yeasts, and was wondering if anybody has tried using something like 71B-1122 or RC 212 for making apfelwein? I am curious to see what differences going from...

Thanks Runningwolf! Yes, there are Muscadine around here as well as Catawba, Niagra, and others. When I was a kid I would make myself nearly sick eating Scuppernongs that grew across the neighbor's fence. I wish I had access to that vine today since I love the taste of them.

I have been a longtime lurker here and finally decided to register so that I can take full advantage of the wealth of information here. I live in a tiny town in North Carolina which is near several vineyards that produce wonderful wines. Although I have never been a really big wine drinker...