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I could not resist a gallon of peach cider the other day (especially since it was being sold in a reusable glass jug), but I couldn't find a recipe for peach cider wine so I put one together. I'm guessing there's no recipe because peach cider is so often made with cane sugar and additives (as in...

There is probably no "easy" way to do this, but I have a big mess to clean up so any suggestions would be very welcome. I just discovered that a container of malt extract (dark, of course) has been leaking. This extract was (of course) kept on the top shelf of my supply shelving, so it has...

Okay, I've fallen a little behind in minding my wines. I usually do the first rack within 7-10 days, but I have two batches now (fruit wines) that are around three weeks in (never racked over). I am planning to rack over this weekend, and I'm wondering if I should add K-Meta? I wouldn't...

Okay, I bottled a peach chenin blanc about a month ago that turned out GREAT. It was properly degassed, very clear, and I'd let it bulk age for several months. When I bottled it, I added K-Meta and just a bit of wine conditioner (about 2oz per gallon) and the wine conditioner had potassium...

My 5 gallon pail of strawberry juice is coming in today (I missed the picking season this year so I ordered juice from Walkers). I've been told that the acid level is .79 and they adjusted thebrix adjusted to 18. From what I understand, it would be better to start withthe standardbrix of 22. To...

Okay, I am usually a fairly consciencious wine-maker. However, I got really jammed up for time last fall and I sorely neglected a mead. I started to make the "mambo mead" recipe from "The Compleate Meadmaker" in October - I added all of the first round ingredients (about four gallons of fairly...

So, it's the first season I've had a steam juicer and since we don't have air conditioning in the house I am thinking that using it inside would probably kill us all (it's in the 90's outside today). At the same time, all of this fantastic fruit is in season and my freezer is getting full...

Okay, I finally have some time to brew and I have two recipes on deck. The first is a porter (of course!). The second is one I've never done before - an apple ale that includes a gallon of cider in the must. I'm brewing from an extract recipe for time's sake, so there are some specialty grains...

Well, I had a productive holiday weekend: I bottled three six-gallon batches and three one-gallon batches (and of course started a couple NEW batches). But I found myself noticing once again that, between sterilizing everything and actually bottling, the process forbottling a one-gallon batch is...

Has anyone ever ordered custom glassware with their own home winery name/symbol on it? I think this would be fun to have around and also to give as gifts (perhaps with a bottle or two of homemade wine), but there are so many companies out there - I was wondering if anyone had any tips on...

I just thought I'd share this little revelation I had today. We have three little mulberry trees in our backyard! We have lived here for FIVE YEARS (although I wasn't making wine when we moved in) - DUH! The yard is just a typical city plot so it's not like I have acres to investigate. In...

I branched out from kits to fruit wines and meads within the last two years. I typically follow recipes so I've had consistently good results, but last night I bottled what I feel was just a fantastic cherry dessert wine and I wanted to share the recommendation for this recipe if anyone is...

I've just started using a vacuum aspirator to rack and bottle, and I'd like to add a whole house filter to filter the wine. When I look for these online, what typically comes up (at least in the under $100 price range) is usually called a "whole house sediment filter." Is this the same thing...

I'm hoping someone out there can give me some tips on using an aspirator with the Buon Vino Super Automatic Bottle filler! I've been practicing with water (thank goodness) and trying to adjust the suction from the aspirator and the fill level for the bottle. I'm getting better at minimizing...

I'm hoping I can benefit from all of the experience here. I will have some black raspberry concentrate left over after adding some to a melomel, and I'd like to make the rest into a black raspberry wine. The original concentrate (1/2 gallon) is marketed for making 5 gallons of what I imagine...

I was just getting ready to go to the Bourbon Barrel Mead release tonight and I thought I'd mention this neat meadery in the Detroit area. They are really creative folks and they make good stuff - they have also been consulting a lot with Ken Schramm of "The Compleat Meadmaker." I enjoy...

Has anyone here made wine using Festa juice? It's from a Canadian winery/wine juice supplier in Ontario called Magnotta. I ask because I'm in Michigan (close to Canada!) and I met a local wine guy this past weekend who's going to be opening a store here and selling this brand of juice. I...

This was my first cranberry mead (melomel), which I ended up aging with a vanilla bean for a month and then back-sweetening a bit. I had a fun time bottling! Somehow, calling it "The Liquid Pie" sounded even funnier in French... Thanks for the labeling tips! These are coated...

Other than people lucky enough to have black raspberries growing near them, has anyone found a good source of black raspberries? Concentrate, frozen, puree - anything would be helpful. I'm trying to do a fruit-loaded melomel recipe and I don't have the black raspberries for it. I thought...

Okay - this is a more generic restating of a previous question that I'd really like feedback about. I've made wine kits, wine from juice, meads/melomels, and various fruit wines. I've become curious about the various possibilities of making a blended wine from the combination of a grape juice...