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    cork life

    I just bottled a couple of batches of wine that I expect will be used over the next 3-5 years. Unfortunately, I used corks that LP recommends for 1-2 years. Will that be an issue, and should I recork all with the better corks? Thanks in advance!
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    RJ Spagnols RJS kits

    Looking to restart my home winemaking with some RJS kits. What are the recommended shops to buy from these days? My quick search brought up winemakingsuperstore. Any feedback on that store? - Thanks in advance -
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    fall wine buckets pricing

    I know the place where I bought from in the past has always been higher priced, but I see now they are $94 for California and $99 for Italian buckets. Both those prices have gone up by around $20 since 2017. What kind of price increase is everyone else seeing?
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    Blending commercial wine with buckets

    I've read on these forums the recommendation to top off carboys (when needed) with similar but not crap wine. Has anyone ever experimented with topping or blending with very good wine? As an example, if I take my Italian 6-gallon bucket of "Brunello" and add 3 or 4 bottles of "92 point"...
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    WineXpert How long to wait for better results?

    I started an Eclipse Ranch 11 Lodi Cab Sav in September 2016 and bottled December 2016. Has never really tasted that great. I still have some bottles left; is there a chance that it will still get better from here or is that pushing the limits of wine kit wine?
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    juice bucket prices

    I only know of one place to get juice buckets within driving distance and they charge between 75 and 90 usually, depending on whether Italian, Chilean, or California. I just got an email from Grape and Granary where they are 55 but they don't ship. Questions - are they all getting pretty much...
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    Off smell on white juice bucket

    I picked up my Chilean viognier juice bucket two months ago. I have racked it three times now using the all-in-one. The taste is good but it has an off odor that my sister-in-law says smells like sulphur to her. It seems completely degassed. Should I bottle it and hope the odor dissipates over...
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    Can I still use old chemicals to make Dragon Blood?

    I made a batch of DangerDave's 4 years ago and have all the additives still. All were purchased from a local supplier who has closed their location that was near me. They have been stored loose in small ziploc bags. Are all (any) of these still good to use - tannin powder yeast nutrient...
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    Can I blend kit wine and juice bucket wine?

    Example - I have quite a few bottles of Petite Verdot from a kit - 2 years old. If I make a batch of Chilean Carmenere from a juice bucket, can I uncork a few of the Verdots, blend into the finished Carmenere and (re)bottle it?
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    degassing done poorly, should I rebottle?

    It is clear to me that I did a bad job degassing some wine kits. Can/should I empty the bottles, run them through the all-in-one Santa got me (early present, I've been good this year), and rebottle? If I go that route, do I need to resanitize the bottles or add more meta bisulfite?
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    Stag's Leap opinion?

    I see a deal offered through my credit card - spend $300 at Stag leaps website, get $90 back. Part of me says "I can make 60 bottles versus buying 2-3 bottles of Stag's leap" while the devil in me says "That might be really cool to have for VERY special occasions in the future years". Assuming...
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    Anyone want to swap some bottles?

    I'd be into shipping 3 assorted bottles to anyone for 3 of their finished red kit product that's different than mine. People on this forum have stated it's okay to ship "steak marinade" through the mail, so here's a list of my available steak marinades: RJS Super Tuscan with BM4x4 yeast -...
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    varietal % in kits

    I spoke to Winexpert and was surprised and disappointed at how little of the kit name is actually in there. For example, the Eclipse Ranch 11 Cab Sav I made is only 25% as described with the rest Cab Savs from other areas and countries, plus some other varietals as well. Similar information was...
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    bag in a box

    Has anyone used bags for their finished wine? Example - I bulk age a top-end wine kit for a year. At bottling, I bottle a dozen or two for 1 year+ additional ageing, and place the remaining wine into 1.5 liter, or other size, bags for consumption over the course of a year. According to a...
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    Other Wife says some of my wines "burn" her throat

    I was reading another thread on this site, and AZMDTed said: "As for the sour or bitterness I don't know if we're talking the same thing, but I describe a 'bite' on my wines that are not sufficiently degassed. Whereas alcohol will give a mild 'warmth/burn/tingle' going down the back of my...
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    WineXpert How long to age my completed kit wines

    I'm about to shut down operations for awhile to prep for a move. I have done the wines listed below. All are Wine Expert kits except for the Super Tuscans (RJS). What kind of time range should I target for consumption on each? I'm thinking 1-3 years on most, with 1-5 years on the Eclipse kits...
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    Other Home Brew Supply - out of the wine kit business

    Just got an email, and confirmed with a phone call. Sale on all remaining stock of kits 25% off. Code is GIVEME25.
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    WineXpert Selection Int'l Chilean Malbec / oak spirals

    I just started today. I opted not to add the 2x30g oak powder that came with the kit. I'd like to use some spirals I have. Should I use American Oak heavy or medium? When do I put them in? Are 2 sticks sufficient for a standard 6 gallon kit? Thanks!
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    WineXpert Am I screwed? advice needed

    I have 2 Winexpert Selection International kits that should have moved on to "Step 3, stabilising and clearing", quite some time ago (Petite Verdot should have been 10/8/16, and Italian Brunello on 1/3/17). They have both been under proper air lock the whole time. I know some may just say to...
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    Other How important is it to get off the yeast/lees quickly?

    I've been really bad about transferring from primary to secondary on time, and also about doing the subsequent racking off the fine lees. How much of a negative effect on the taste do you think I've experienced if I were, say, 1-3 weeks late each time?
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