Recent content by Wooden

Hey - just started winemaking here and I am really liking it. Something came into question though the other day, when I was telling my mom I had started making my own wine. She said that a few years ago on a ski trip, she had a glass of wine that was made at our local winemaking store. She...

Dayummm girl! I checked out your list of what you have made - WOW! That's kinda like me with beer lately. But I ran into 2 problems - no wine (and I now hate having to buy commercially, esp. due to my situation right now) and running it then pretty soon I will have like 30 gal of hoppy...

Ok. Thanks for clearing that up. I got worried for you that you would end up with some kind of fig hard liquor since you said you "measured the OG". Calculated. Got it! Let us know how it turns out! Sounds interesting and Good Luck!

Hi, doing my first RJS kit right now and considering buying another. Currently I am doing the Cru International Malbec (12L w/grapeskins & oak) My question is, how do kits at each of the levels, compare with commercial wines of a similar style? What price range of commercial wine do the...

Hi guys, just getting going with winemaking and realizing I will need a way to store soon 100+ bottles on their sides... For now, I am looking for EASY and CHEAP. Durable too I guess. Anyone have a link to something that is utterly utilitarian, cheap and easy to build? Trying to find this...

I think you got OG mixed up with SG! OG = Original Gravity (of the must before pitching yeast) SG = Specific Gravity (of the must, at ANY time, but I use this term when I am mid-ferment FG = Final Gravity (after the yeast is done) If I understand correctly, you just measured your SG, NOT the...

Update: Maple Wine Update on my Maple Wine: SG is at 1.011! Thanks to all who suggested stirring, energizer and warming it up! It is now definitely into wine territory, and I am enjoying a glass of green maple wine! The acidity is a little more obvious now, but I think will be alright...

What yeast are you using, and is it a kit or a recipe? What are you making (Red/White, Dry/Sweet, or something unusual like mine?) Also, regarding the temp I am assuming that is the temp of the house not the temp of the wine. When the ferment gets going really crazy, it is an exothermic...

What was your OG? What is your SG now? What yeast did you use? Did you use yeast nutrients? (How much/when) What temperature are you fermenting at? These are kind of the vital signs and background we need to be able to help diagnose it. There may be more but knowing these 5 things...

So, update: Checked the wine and a healthy layer of krausen had formed. SG: 1.04-1.045 Taste is more wine like. More noticeable acid bite. Not sure if this is because it is becoming more acidic, or the acids in it just show through more because there is less sugar left. Had not been...

So, an update: the wine is currently at 1.055. Not as much as I hoped, but it did improve! While yesterday the fermentation was clearly going nice and strong, it has subsided a lot today...*I attribute that to the temp falling in the past 24 hr (20 deg cooler, windy). So where it is sitting...

Did this yesterday around right after I last posted, and woke up today to a pleasant layer of bubbles, and the biting vapor of co2 production! @heather - looks like I am back in business again now, with the warmer temp! But I am glad you mentions it because I was wondering if that would work...

So, just after my last post, I checked the SG. 1.062. But still, that's not super significant. I stirred like mad for a couple minutes, then decided to move it to a lil warmer part of the house. If it is still not changing by morning,, I will put it in the "lager" box (75F) and give it a...

Thanks guys, Gave it a shot of the energizer yesterday. Have been stirring couple times a day as well. Along Arne's lines of advice I might stick it in my "warm" box (styrofoam lager box recently donated) where my red wine is fermenting and my IPA is dry-hopping, and throw the maple wine in...

Thanks I will. The one point of confusion I have is if I need to add yeast energizer as well (as I did not do this initially either). I have read on this at some point in the past and have heard that it matters how far along you are in the ferment (relative to OG/FG) as to whether you need...