Recent content by WinoOutWest

I use my long spoon to pin the sock/grape pack to the bottom of the primary by taping the lid down. Still stir it every day but the grapes pretty much stay under the surface this way.

Works great - no sanitizing required. Easy to check as often as I want. Used it to adjust my filtered tap water temp coming out of the tap when I need to add.... tons of uses for this little tool. Use code EMCYTZT1216 @ checkout to get it for $19.99 delivered. On sale for 24 hours...

I did a "Tropical Pee" version last year. Added some Orange Peach Mango frozen concentrate to the primary and added some more of the concentrate as part of the finishing/backsweetening. It was a big hit and is quite an enjoyable alternative.

Born and raised in Sudbury - say hello to my folks for me if you see them. Now living out west in Abbotsford, BC. Enjoy the lovely Sudbury winter! :)

Welcome fellow Abbotsfortontian! :)

Jim, I agree with the home made taste you refer to. I started my home made wine quest almost 2 years ago. I come from years of drinking commercial wines and a fair number of higher end red wines. My I sought out through this board a local wino who was willing to sell/share/taste a kit wine...

I've been using SpringPad for all my notes, recipies and reminders. Its a free web based note/reminder app - its always backed up to the cloud and available on any browser, there is are great apps if you have a smartphone (Android/iPhone). It even has an offline mode so you can use it without...

Over in HomeBrewTalk.com forums it is suggested (in the context of the brewhouse kits) to leave them in a sealed primary for 3 weeks or longer. The theory is that leaving it on the yeast cleans up some off tastes vs racking it into a secondary. I can't speak from experience (yet) but I've got...

I just finished my own batch of Lychee Pee using the Skeeter pee recipie with some tropical juices including a significant portion or Lychee. I tried makin an FPac of Lychee but simmering it completely changed the color and taste of the Lychee. I ended up added the raw juice back in. Next...

Yes - its a really big deal out here right now. The excitement is palpable. Got my BrewHouse Pilsner chilling in the fridge. I'm ready! :) Is there much enthusiasm/excitement for the Canucks out your way? Our local papers keep wanting to debate whether or not we are "Canada's Team" yet?

I'm certainly no expert (having only done a handful of these kits) but I have read from others that some brewers actually recommend leaving everything in the primary for a month (assuming a proper seal). So I think you'll be fine. I've got one Brewhouse kit currently in the 2nd that has been...

Funny - I literally just opened up a cider taster before I sat down at my computer. I made it in the fall from fresh apple cider from our local orchards. I added some cinnamon sticks and backsweetened with some frozen apple concentrate. I wasn't overly fond of it when it finished but 8 months...

well actually I was referring to the conversations about the Brewhouse AG kits which is the only type of beer I have done so far.

I am new to this as well and if you head over to homebrewtalk many guys don't recommend the secondary - they just leave it in the primary for 2-3 weeks and then straight to bottle saying it makes a better beer. FWIW.

speaking of mortifying people I have "bottled" some of my wine back into their juice bags and then throw a spout on it, punch a little hole in the box it came with and voila - my own bag-in-box of wine. Mostly just for me but I do have a few carafes hanging around if I want a serving vessel...