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Yep, a vacuum is pulled on the receiving vessel. :ib Never tried bottling wine in plastic. Although...a good way to tell if you have potential bottle-bombs due to incomplete or restarted ferm w/ f-pac would be to fill a small soda bottle with wine, squeeze out all of the air and twist on a...

I'm thinking of pitching a packet of Enoferm Syrah yeast I've had in the back of the frig. From the pairing guide it looks like it works well with Grenache and should with the Shiraz as well. Hopefully it's still viable...rehydrating first should help sort that out. As they say, nothing...

Yeast Strain vs. Ferm Temp? Interesting article, however the missing bit of information regarding the various temps employed and the end result is the strain of yeast used. If wine yeast strains are anything like those used in brewing, there's a strong relationship between strain and temp on...

Don't drink a lot of white but do prefer chards slightly oaked. Since the Eclipse kit didn't include oak, I added 1 oz of chips to primary. Came out spot on. Also went with the ICV-D47 yeast. Might try BA11 for comparison next time.

Not sure when the grape pack may have changed but the the pack from last year was packaged separately, quite large (i.e. use a large fermenter) and seemingly the "wettest" of all the grape packs I've used. Using BM4x4 is a good choice and given past problems with clearing agents in MMM kits...

Just bottled a batch yesterday from last year's release. Used the all-grape pack along with BM45 and FT Rouge. Also aged on some extra Hungarian oak cubes. Really like how this one's progressing and looking forward to sampling again in 12 months, but looks like a winner so far! :b

Yeah, I always got a chuckle from one of the member's tagline: "Carboys are like Gremlins...if you get 'em wet they'll multiply." :) Sorry, I don't recall their handle to give proper credit.

Spot on! Bulk aging longer is better for a number of reasons including the ability to make adjustments along the way, although if you believe the "experts" referenced in the article, bulk aging beyond 24 months purportedly yields diminishing returns. Generally for logistical reasons I've never...

This article may help clarify a few things for you: http://www.finevinewines.com/Bottle-Aging-versus-Bulk-Aging.htm I prefer to bulk age my reds at least 6-9 months and add 1/4tsp kmeta every 3 months during bulk with the last addition at bottling time.

I really like the supplied Hungarian oak, particularly with Italian style wines. Nice vanilla and pepper/leather flavor. French oak adds mouthfeel and allows the fruit to move forward. The great thing about making kits is that you can tailor to your likes! I've often substituted the supplied...

Never added tannin to a white and probably wouldn't recommend it. But that's just me. Scotts makes a Tannin FT Blanc for whites but I believe this is intended for pre-fermentation only rather than post. In the Eclipse Chad I've done, I add 1oz of Am oak chips to the primary. Since I prefer a...

I too prefer an oaky cab and in addition to the supplied oak I soaked an Am Med+ oak spiral in the Lodi cab for a few weeks. I like to use a piece of fishing line tied between the spiral and around the neck of the carboy. Just when I think I've over oaked the wine I'll pull the spiral and...

The BM4x4 is a good yeast but as previously mentioned can be a slow starter at 70F. In addition to temp, the length of the lag phase is dependent on oxygen content as well, but since you've been stirring well this should add enough oxygen to the must for the yeast, although it's generally best...

Should be fine. Although, I'd install an airlock before departing rather than going with the draped towel or loose lid approach. If fermentation is too vigorous for a simple airlock, a hose into a bucket of sanitizer works well.

Fairly open-ended question but assuming you're looking to stay with the high end kits, in the WE Eclipse line the Stag's Leap Merlot would be an excellent kit to consider. Depending on your location (i.e. availability), in the RJ Spagnols line you might look at the Cellar Classic Winery...

Hey trucknut, couldn't help but notice your thirteen kits in two months. Very impressive! :br

Yes. Seriously, more often it refers to Cellar Craft (Vineco) but sometimes it depends on the context of the discussion. Generally the "Cellar Classic Winery Series" kits (RJ Spagnols) are simply referred to as "Winery Series" or "WS". However, as you've noted you'll occasionally see "CC"...

When omitting the clarifiers, how long does it typically take in bulk aging for a red to adequately clear? Are we talking 3 months or 6-12 months? I've recently acquired an AIO w/ 5 micron filter canister and plan to use this for polishing at bottling time but of course don't want to use this...

Good to know. Look forward to hearing how it turns out.

It may not be quick given the weekend, but I'd try contacting Winexpert to see what they'd recommend. Don't know if they'd be able to send out another f-pac but may be worth a call. Their contact info is: 800-263-4790 or [email protected]. I'm certainly no expert on f-pacs since of the 18 or...