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I finally went out and got myself one of these. I got it for food storage (buy in bulk and break it down for the freezer, or to save the left over smoked brisket). But I'm just thinking about all the wine related things I can do with it - like keeping my tannin and oak fresh and dry - and it...

I used to buy kits one at a time and wind up with 30 bottles that may or may not last until their prime. These days, and my FOMO issues, I'm doing 2 of the same wines at a time. I figure 60 bottles will last me 2-3 years when the wine is really starting to shine. So far, I've done the...

I just got a soda stream and am mastering the art of carbonating my wine without blowing too much out in foam. And, it tastes pretty spectacular. So this has me thinking about ways to carbonate and bottle the wine for later. I saw a video using a pony keg, charging it with co2 and then using a...

After my first year of winemaking, I decided to make a "quick drinker" summer wine for my wife and daughters. I started with the Mist kits and have since moved on to rose wines. I shoot for something that's sweet enough that my moscato-sipping 30-something daughter will like it, but still...

This idea is a pulled from a thread on FWK, talking about what they'll be doing new for 2022. Instead of guessing what they're most likely going to do, though, I'm wondering what YOU would most like to see from them in the new year.

I have only recently started using solid bungs while bulk aging my wine. Up until recently, I simply used a stopper with an airlock. But, that created a greater possibility of a bad outcome (airlock drying out, oxidation, etc.). My problem is that I don't trust the solid bungs to keep a good...

This is only the second year in the new house. And, I live in a much more suburban neighborhood as compared to the old house. Maybe it's been the heat and the rain, but holy crap the fruit flies are really bad. I found two airlocks with so many dead fruit flies in them that they looked like...

I have barrel aged two wines and am working on my third right now. Used the same barrel. All three wines were reds. But this season I’m going on the hunt for some Chardonnay and am wondering if I could clean the barrel and use it for a white wine (without giving the wine a pink hue). anyone...

This is my 2020 Malbec. It’s been completely trouble free since crush day. I ran it through a new barrel (for two months) then racked it into clean carboys. I check the carboys periodically. This weekend I noticed a light colored film on top of the wine in one of the carboys. I’m going to avoid...

Going through the WE lineup to cross reference them to the old kits offerings, I keep coming back to this one - the French Bordeaux Style. I don’t recall this one being available under the old formulation. So, I’m wondering: Did I miss something? Who has done it? What are your thoughts?

My son has shown an interest in mead making. So we’re going to do a father-son in the wine room, making a variety of meads. I’m thinking three, no more than 4 recipes. Depends on the ratio of honey to spring water I need to make a 10-11% abv mead. So far, we’ve talked about just a plain mead; a...

The OVZ is about 2 years old In the carboy and is begging to be bottled soon. But, it tastes flat. Color is fine, body is good. I checked the ph with my cheap meter and it reads 4.0. I don’t know if it’s actually that high, but I’ll suppose it could be. I’m going to the home brew store...

I’m contemplating a little experiment. I want to make a champagne style wine from a wine kit. I’m thinking about the RJS Pinot Noir rose. But, I’d like to see what others think, what’s worked well, what didn’t.... im going to make the wine, skip the preservatives, let it clear, then carbonate...

Question for the barrel owning community. I have a Cab-Syrah blend that will be turning 1 year old. I hit it with 90 gr of French and Hungarian medium+ Toast oak cubes for each 6 gal of wine. I also have a 2 year old OVZin, which I think I dropped 60 gr of oak/6 gal carboy. The OVZ is a little...

Does anyone have the “old kit” to “new kit” conversion chart for WE? I got a glimpse of it a couple weeks ago at my LHBS.

Got this in my email. If you're looking to pick up an AIO pump (I swear by mine) or are looking to add to your arsenal of equipment, Steve just sent a coupon code (March2020) to get 15% off of anything on the site. I've been eyeballing a bottle washer for some time now. Knocking $30 off might...

It’s only Feb 29th, I know... And, Spring grapes are a big deal too, I get it. But, I’m getting antsy for Fall 2020 grapes from the West Coast. Not sure what I’ll put into the mix this year. So far, I’ve made: A Petite Sirah and a PS- Zin blend A three grape meritage. An OVZ A Cab-Syrah...

My sister messaged me yesterday and asked about making wine from elderberries. She has them all over her back yard. Anyone have a primo recipe to share??

I was cruising Craigslist “for sale” section, with the search criteria of “wine” and this popped up: It’s a 4 gallon ratcheting press. Used twice. I did a little research and these typically go for $350-ish dollars new. Got it for $80. Yay me! So anyone have an idea who makes this press?

It’s been a little while (about 8 months) since I made a kit wine. Since the “wine bank” had funds and the LHBS was running a sale that made their WE kits cheaper than what I could get online, I picked up three kits over the holidays: the Eclipse SLM and Limited run Three Moons Cab, and a...