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scurry64 - Great idea on what looks like single-serve portions using the juice-style containers (12 or 16 oz?). I've been re-using sanitized V8 Fusion plastic bottles (64 oz) which is nice for a crowd but suboptimal when I want to enjoy just a single serve of Dragon's Blood on a random night...

Thanks for the quick reply Steve. So that explains it. The other RJS kits I've used have had grape packs. I guess I'm just used to racking once below 1.020 which is where I would normally oak it. So shall I wait until it ferments dry, then when doing the first rack per the instructions, add...

I've got an RJS Toasted Caramel Port in primary right now. The weird thing about the instructions is that there is no racking into a carboy for secondary fermentation for a few more days. Basically all of the fermentation is spent in the primary ferm bucket. Then instructions say at Day 10-14...

Just one more note of thanks to Steve for superior product and customer service. I had been using his pump for the past year for bottling, but not to degas my wine. Steve called me up and answered a few questions and my degas was a snap with the pump. By the way, not only is the pump great...

So after reading the Wine Maker Mag article, it left me wondering if storing my excess k-meta solution in the refrigerator would help maintain its strength and effectiveness? Anyone?

Do a Google search for "Wine Capsule Fast Seal Tool" (without quotes). It's a 2-in-1 tool that holds capsules on bottle for a quick dip into boiling water to shrink it. Keeps you from burning your fingers and capsule shrinks tight in 2 seconds flat. I've never had it discolor any of the foil or...

Wade - are you inverting the sugar for this or just adding the sugar directly at the start of primary fermentation? I make WE Selection Estate German Mosel Gewurztraminer every year and would like to bump up the ABV level. I know that Riesling and Gewurz usually come out to around 8%. But I...

Thanks guys. Understood about the bottling without any sediment. That's why I did one last racking of both the SP and Cab Sauv before bottling. I hit the vacuum release toward the end of the rackings as I saw some of the sediment kicking up. It was only a small bit as I had already racked twice...

I put my new pump into service this past weekend. First to rack and degas a batch of cran-lime skeeter pee. Then to rack, degas and bottle a batch of WE CabSauv. First, some filling advice for first timers and then a racking question for the long-time pump users. It took my first three...

So I’m basically ready to pull the trigger on this kit as I have ~18 gallons that will be ready to rack during President’s week. I have both 6 gal and 6.5 gal carboys which have different diameter spouts and thus I currently use different diameter rubber stoppers. I’ve never used a universal...

Cran-Lime SP is turning out pretty good. Clarifying nicely courtesy of sparkleoid. There was a bit of cabernet and oak coming through in the sample I tasted. Although to be honest, it probably would have gone largely unnoticed had I not been looking for it. I had my wife test it too (without...

I've got some cranberry-lime SP currently clarifying for which I used a slurry from an cabernet sauvignon that had both oak powder and oak chips. I had been occasionally tasting throughout fermentation as I was concerned about how much flavors would be imparted by the cab slurry. The oak was...

For those who fortify, is there a general rule as to when to do so or not to do so? Such as before, during or after clarification? If after, is it preferred to continue to let it bulk age for a while or is immediate bottling OK?

So this past weekend I finally got the SG on primary fermentation down to 1.018. It took 10 days after adding the dextrose as opposed to the 5-7 indicated in the instructions. I added the dextrose in one-third increments over three days. I sitrred things pretty good for about 30-60 seconds each...

Did I goof? So now I think I see why some people use wood shims with their heat bands (which I didn't). I got home tonight and my temp was up to 86 degrees. I guess my heat band is geared towards keeping 5-6 gallons of juice up to mid-70s temperature as opposed to half that volume. SG was at...

So after day number three, my kit seems to be moving along nicely. SG started at 1.132 and is down to 1.040 tonight. Air lock is puffing along nicely. Each night I've been giving it a stir with the drill mounted mixer, only 20 seconds on low to med speed. Also, turned on the heater band tonight...

With regard to the point about differences between the WE kits, last year I made the WE Gewurztraminer Selection Original and this year I made the WE Gewurztraminer Selection Estate (German Mosel). Although difference wasn't what I would call night and day, the Estate series clearly had more...

Hi, I'm new to the forum. I will post a more thorough intro shortly. In the interim, I've made a number of WE kits, but this is my first CRP which I will start this weekend. This thread has been a tremendous help. Thanks to everyone who contributed. Just one point of clarification about...