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Our local supply shop wine expert said to use BM 4x4 instead since it's an "update" to BM45 and fixes some of its issues. We tried it in our Sangiovese batch.

An update from the barbera fermentation: we went with 3 different yeasts, fermented in separate bins, and pressed into a single barrel. When we pressed we ranked them and gave 3 points to first choice and 1 point to second choice: Avante/Andante: 10 D254: 9 Pasteur Red: 8 Interestingly, some...

Didn't notice Muse's max temp is only 77F -- good to know. I'll give Avante and D254 a try.

Been interested in finally trying some different yeast strains when we do a barrel of Barbera this year. We crush into 3 open barrels for fermentation so I may try a different yeast in each. I have heard good things around here about D254 and Renaissance Avante (ADT-36). But I haven't really...

Considering doing a field blend GSM this year. Does anyone have recommended percentages? I enjoy a good Chateauneuf du Papa, and have seen breakdowns ranging from 8-1-1 to 5-2-2

I did a port-style a few years back and pressed and wasn't disappointed with the results (though I didn't compare it to the free run)

They are #2 HDPE Ropak buckets. I also noticed today that the taste can be smelled slightly in the wine. Wonder if an aggressive racking might help dispel whatever it is?

It looks like Mosto Imperiatore is actually manufactured in Canada with Italian grapes/juice. I don't think it would be the grapes, considering that they were different varieties and different years, at least 5 years apart. So my suspicion is perhaps it is the buckets themselves or some sort of...

I'm looking to see if anyone has had a similar experience: Several years ago we fermented from juice buckets. I remember those wines had a strange taste to them that I would describe as a slight chemical or plastic-like taste. Whatever it was, it made the wines pretty much undrinkable (to my...

My brother bought a used 60 gallon barrel from a winery going out of business, about 3 years ago. He was told that a sulphur stick had been burned in it. Fast forward to today and we are ready to retire our current barrel. I was reading about sulfur burning (we use the citric acid+ sulfite...

This year I was pretty diligent in checking SO2 levels in our barrels. We use powder mixed in the topping off wine. Pour it in and give it a good swirl with a stirring stick. After malolactic I hit them both with 50 PPM. I checked it about every 4 months and the free SO2 level had dropped...

I'll give this a try and report back.

Yes they are saignee style. In fact I just went to a home winemaking event with some of the CA growers in attendance. When he tried my rose (made with his grapes) he said the same thing regarding brix and PH. I'll have to investigate more regarding Brett -- the taste was pretty evident...

This is my 3rd year making rosé. The first year, I pulled 5g of juice from freshly crushed Barbera at 26 Brix and fermented with 71B. I put the bucket inside a larger bucket in my basement utility sink and filled the outer bucket with cold water, and added ice a few times a day to keep the...

That's what I've read as well. The only confusing thing is that the two juice buckets are different grape varieties. Though I suppose there could have been cross-contamination since they came from the same brand and bought at the same time. But the conditions in my basement were pretty warm...

Here are the two batches that I'm comparing: 2013: Sangiovese and Lambrusco with RC212. No oak chips. No sorbate. Racked several times as normal while aging for at least 6 months in 5g carboys. Added 1/4tsp per carboy sulfite after fermentation and pre-bottling. 2016: Montepulciano...

This year we used EC-1118, in the past we used RC212. I believe for the buckets we've added a half dose of nutrient when pitching the yeast -- I think it was a blend from our local shop.

Very interesting...I wonder why they have this disclaimer though: "While 99% of our barrels are still watertight, we don't recommend or certify their use for any potable liquids." Because they might not be watertight, or because they're not storing them for use, and might be contaminated...

Been making wine from grapes and juice buckets. Every juice bucket we've made, for about 4 years, has this slightly odd and off-putting taste to me. I can't really describe it, and it seems like some people I ask don't even notice it. Last night, my cousin described it as a mild "smokiness"...

We ferment the crush, rack into carboys, and add ML. That first rack gets rid of all the "gross lees". Then we let them sit (stirring every week) until ML is complete, rack and sulfite. We also do a barrel. Crush, ferment, rack into a tub for just a day or two to let things settle out, then...