Recent content by pproctorga

I've made several WE Eclipse series kits and none have been impressive thus far. My oldest is the Lodi Ranch Cab Sav that is now 4.5 years old. It is just now starting to turn towards what may be outstanding... if it continues. I'm going to give it another year before opening the next bottle.

When I get a crop I freeze them. I haven't checked their SG but I imagine it's too low for wine. I have used mine in the secondary added to beer (wheat) and it turned out nicely.

As for CO2 I ferment in my cellar and was concerned about high levels. I have ventilation fans I can turn on so I put an O2 sensor in to ensure proper air quality. As an example I just finished 3 five gallon batches and the O2 never got below 20%. The cellar has a tight seal with concrete floor...

I've been brewing beer and making wine for 30 years but just started making wine from kits within the past 5 years. One thing I learned is to not count on the instructions. With the kits I started out just following them and not adhering to my knowledge, thinking the manufacturers knew best...

I make persimmon wine along with other varieties. The answer is never as best I’ve seen. Ive used super kleer and cold crashing for long periods and it’s still hazy.

I made one last year after strong recommendations for this kit. My OG was 1.121 following the instructions. My initial yeast was RC-212. It only got down to 0.999 FG after sitting a couple of weeks and adding some EC-1118 to try to get it down further. I have learned now not to blindly...

I've tried different methods for my muscadines over the last 20+ years. I don't have a crusher yet, but have settled on this as my current method. I put about 4-5" at a time in a 5-gallon bucket and have a five foot 2x4 (pressure treated for extra weight) and smash them in the bucket. It...

I've been using $13 this one for several years and still spot on for measurements. It lasted longer than my expensive one. https://www.amazon.com/High-Precision-Suitable-Accurate-Aquariums-Hydroponics/dp/B091SKXTXD/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=ph+meter&qid=1622812223&sr=8-3

Cold crashing is a common method for brewing beer. Chill it to 40 F or below for a day or two. Wine should take longer, so I let wine sit at least a week.

The prior comments are all good. I smash my persimmons then add water and sugar as the sugar content is not high. I leave it all in the primary about five days before racking to secondary. I haven’t had any problem with high solids.

Coming from making wine from my own muscadines for years and then adding on kits: I'm now applying what I've learned in this forum and making detailed measurements for my grapes. Number one thing I've learned so far: Measure everything and adjust -- don't trust the kit instructions. People...

I just did my first MLF on a white. I kept it at 70F and after two weeks its about done. It did take several days to start. It made a big improvement to the wine, which was a bit harsh with a high TA and now is much smoother.

For scuppernongs my favorite is Pam. I have several other varieties: Fry, Darlene, etc that aren't nearly as good in my small vineyard. It's a heavy producer and I love the taste. For the black muscadines I have Ison's and Nobles. Ison's is a good producer and has good flavor. The Noble...

Thanks for the account tip. It’s better now. FYI this what I was getting before So you can see why I brought this up.

I typically use this web site on my iPad with Safari, many times by clicking a topic from the daily email. The site has gotten almost unusable recently due to the ads covering everything up. I had to switch to my Mac with Safari where the ads are now in a less invasive space. Is anyone else...