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An update for those who may be in a similar situation. I racked the wine to a carboy a few days ago. Fermentation was complete and the SG was right on target at 1.02 after 14 days. Degassed and added K meta, sorbate and clearing agents. It is clearing well and I tasted it today. Bouquet is faint...

Started the kit today. Juice tasted fine. Color was almost the color of light honey. Used new yeast as the one I had was expired. SG was 1.10 Only time will tell. JOHN

Well it looks like it may not be usable. I never opened it but the color is like a dark honey. I don't remember what it looked like when I got it but this is the darkest I've seen any white kit that I have had. I don't think I want to waste the time to find out. Thanks JOHN

Thanks for the response. What are the signs of oxidation. It has been in the box, never opened. Would there be color or odor changes? Thanks JOHN

I have taken a hiatus from winemaking as I moved from Loveland, OH to Columbus, OH in May 2010. I had purchased a RJ Spagnols bella bianco kit in December 2009 from George. After moving and retiring and setting up my golf club fitting business I have just now started opening boxes containing my...

I am ready to bottle this wine after 3 months ageing in the carboy. This wine is very clear after fining and the taste is excellent. I agree, this one will be hard to let age. It should get better and better. Very complex for a 12 liter kit. John

I have a Limited Edition Cabernet/Tempranillo that I bought in 2007 (I think). I followed the directions exactly and aged in the carboy and then in the bottle. It is now over a year in the bottle and I still smell this sweet grapey smell when I open a bottle. It may not be kit taste but it is...

If you want to taste the wine and see how it comes out sooner rather than later, I would suggest the VN cab. It will be ready sooner, the investment is lower and you get to drink it earlier to see if you like it. There is a thread by WhineMaker on the forums that describes his journey. If you...

Check with George, I think I read somewhere that your are going to get just about all of the oak extracted in about six to eight weeks. After that you get very little. John

Just bottled my Renaissance 16L Amarone after 4 months bulk aging. This is one awesome wine. Tastes good enough to drink now based on the little that was left over after bottling. I can't believe what it will be like after 6-12 months in the bottle. Good thing I have some other reds I can drink...

Recently started my AJ Mosti Pinot Noir. Starting SG was 1.086 which seemed a little low. But after secondary fermentation it was at 0.990. Am I OK? Are the AJ kits different than the other kits which use concentrate. It seemed like this was low on the starting SG but I have never had one go to...

With George putting the Mosti VN kits on special this month I was wondering if anyone had one or two that they had excellent success with out of the many that are offered. Thanks JOHN

I just got my first BB and have had no trouble with it. I also use the brew hauler and it does a great job of supporting the BB and it is easy to lift without deforming the sides. John

I started my first 10 liter Cellar Craft kit a Merlot with grape pack. I guess I misunderstood the directions and thought the wine needed to stay in the primary for 12 days instead of the normal 6-8 days before transferring to the secondary. So I now have racked to the secondary at day 12. The...

I just wanted to be sure I wasn't hallucinating. I agree, the videos are a great benefit. That's why I order from George, even though I am in Ohio and have to pay a little more shipping. John

Has anyone besides me noticed that the Cellar Craft video uses an RJ Spagnols wine kit? At least that is what shows up on my computer. Thanks JOHN

I just started the Chardonnay and added the same raisins. I hope it turns out as good as you say! John

Jackie, What kind of raisins did you add? Thanks JOHN

I ferment my wines in my basement. It generally is about 68 deg F. I found that if I wrap some towels around the bucket or carboy (secondary) that the temperature of the wine will stabilize around 72-73 deg F after about 24 hours until fermentation is complete. The fermentation process seems to...

I just finished two MM Renaissance kits, one a Chardonnay and the other an Amarone. I intend to age both a minimum of one year. Right now I am running low on something to drink late spring and summer 2009. Anyone have a suggestion on some MM kits that produce good drinkable wine after 3-5...