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Yes, I found most labels come off fairly easy with couple of day's soak. There are some stubborn ones but very few. I clean the label off with pretty much the same method as what everyone's summarized above. Quick dip in the starsan and let dry before I pack them in a box for the next time.

Fleischmann is a bread yeast. I use it all the time for baking. You've already pitched the yeast so not much you can do about it now. You should use wine/champagne yeast in the future. Bread yeast can 1) have trouble fermenting and 2) add off flavour to your wine. But there have been people on...

I think you'll be fine but the wine should be racked to a clean carboy sooner rather than later. The rule of thumb I've read somewhere, and generally abide by, is maximum of 60 days between the racking if the wine is still dropping sediments.

Doesn't sound like a very good idea to me. When the mentos starts a "geyser" in a carbonated drink, it's not only the CO2 gas releasing but also much of the liquid with it as well. The wine may be left with slightly less CO2 but so will your carboy end up with half the wine it started with...

The wine will clear its on its own eventually if you're ready to be patient. You won't be able to get away from having to add some chemicals (ie. preservative such as k-meta) or the wine will eventually spoil on it own too.;) Also some extra steps and "tricks" may be necessary to clear the wine...

I would highly recommend using the brew belt with a 24-hour timer outlet (http://www.amazon.com/GE-15153-Heavy-24-Hour-Mechanical/dp/B0035GF8NA/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lg_5) since the brew belt doesn't have a temperature control. It may take a bit of trial and error to get the right on-off periods to...

I think good rule of thumb is not more than 4 racks. At least 3 weeks but not more than 90 days between the racking. You'd probably want to rack on shorter periods (i.e 45~60 days) at the beginning of the aging (when there'd most likely be more sediments dropping) and then space out the racking...

No. But it looks interesting... And cheap

What's your temperature?

Like the doc says I think you will be fine...

What was your starting SG? And what temperature? You want to keep the temp between 70F~75F.

On your first issue - I follow the school of thought that the first time you "rack" from primary to a secondary is in fact a transfer rather than a rack (as preached by Jack Keller). Racking is done remove as much sediment from the wine as possible. The first transfer from primary to secondary...

I agree. It's probably still too early for the sulphur smell to be of a concern. If it is sulphur smell, which i understand is not the case here, it should clear with the aging.

I would leave it without topping it up until the must ferments dry, degassed, then the addition of k-meta/sorbate/clearing agent. Once the must is in stabilizing/clearing period then you can top up with water (or wine).

Sprinkle is typically called for in kit instruction, to my understanding, mostly for it's simplicity. It will take longer for the fermentation to get up to full speed - due to smaller surface contact between the dry yeast and must - but it's a fool proof solution for would-be-vintners of all...

I believe the kit makers discourage 5 gal batch being made out of the 6 gal kit as it can throw off the chemistry of the engineered-kit - If I'm not mistaken, the instruction in your kit says something along that line too (I'm currently doing a WE cab sauv kit).

Welcome! 1) What's the SG reading of your must? If it below 1.010 you can transfer to secondary. It should be based on your SG reading rather than the number of days fermenting. 2) If you are manually degassing, you want alternate the direction of stir rather than creating a big vortex by...

Topping up with similar wine should be done after the wine has been stabilized and cleared. My understanding is the practice of topping up is done to help minimized the exposure to oxygen during the aging period. You wouldn't need to top up after the first transfer from the bucket to a carboy...

My guess is you can let it settle on its own (without disturbing the lees anymore of course). Once it clears in a month or so, rack it off of the lees and let it age. At least that's my plan. I have a WE cab sauv kit that's been clearing for. About 2 weeks now. I suspect that it hasn't been...

Thanks Robie! I'll let the wine alone and forget about it for awhile then. I have an inkling of worry that I may not have degassed sufficiently (I'm starting to see a bit of stratification between the clear wine and layers of suspended sediment) but since the chitosan is already in I'll let it...