Recent content by photoactivist

I haven't checked out my sparkling wine for a while; but I have been wanting to make a trip to my wine storage and take out the last case and check it out. I'll let you know when I get it and how it turned out.

Anyone still making this method of sparkling wines? The ones I made last year are still still, with only a hint of effervescence after a long stay in a glass. I think proelif would've worked better than the prorestart I got. I'm totally disappointed about this.

So, I see you said you did not submit your wine to mlf; have you considered it? MLF softens the acidity mouthfeel, and may be what you want to do. Also, I read you macerated your fruit during primary fermentation. With fruit wine, maceration isn't always best. I believe small berry clusters...

That sounds delish; both the wine and fruit cake. I made a wine based on the fruit cake ancestor, plum pudding. Dried blueberries, cranberries, dates, raisins, cherries, candied ginger, cloves, and allspice... I think it's been bottled for about seven months, maybe nine. It's smelled...

My initial reaction would have thought you may not need as much acid since the onion and garlic would have a lot of their own. How about an update, Robert? Sounds most fascinating! Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making

PS- so you don't think that maybe you did something wrong, one of my first vintages (and one i was very excited about) was a wine I made from ocean spray 100% cranberry juice. Well, it turned out so horridly both times I made it, (the first time when I didn't measure enough liquid to make the...

Well, it sounds like you're more advanced than we may have thought by your post. And I might give you a bit of an ego boost and suggest you may be further along in your winemaking than you may think. This forum is a great source, but I suggest you get a second hand winemaking book. (Backyard...

I would tend to agree with johnT about the comparison of tasting prior to fermentation completion. It's probably fermented completely to dry, leaving no sweetness left to taste. Did you use a concentrate and water it down or did you use ready to drink concord juice? The problem with some of...

Aww... I just moved from Arlington back home to Southern California. I was so sad that I'd miss grapefest, I'd gone every year I lived in dfw. I hope you enjoy it! Unfortunately, none of my friends back there were really wine drinkers, so never really had anyone to join me either. But there's...

Holy smokes!! I cannot wait to hear about this well age-ed vintage! Any way I can get in on that goodness? Come on, you'll have fifteen whole bottles, what's one little ol bottle lost to your dear Californian friend that you've never met or probably spoken to before? I mean, come on. }= )...

Maybe it should be "reinboom"... Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making

Finally bottled after one year of bulk aging, and tried a bit left over. I was pleasantly surprised, it was right along where the taste should be! No longer the disappointment it had been months ago. I've made ten bottles, kept two or three for myself and distributed the rest with implicit...

Amylase enzyme and super-kleer will fix what ails ya. Check out my method post on page 16. No need for difficult gravity racking or anything. I think I only used around 1/4-1/2 tsp amylase enzyme. But check it out; it's fool proof. I recently multiplied the method to a six gallon vintage, and...

This sounds fascinating! How is it coming along now that fermentation seems to have subsided? In cheesemaking, you separate the curds and whey; would that maybe be helpful here? Like to separate first, then ferment the whey alone? I my just try this, it really is captivating! Sent from my...

From June 22-July 4, we will be hosting a kickstarter fundraiser to open the Vintage Raelity Winery in the mid-cities Dallas-Fort Worth area. www.kickstarter.com/projects/68569147/vintage-raelity-winery-a-local-winery We are offering great incentives to all donations, and look forward to...