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Fermentation my be completed. The only way to know for sure is to use a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity or brix. This will tell you how much sugar remains in the wine. If the brix is at 0 or below (or SG of 0.996) then your fermentation is completed.

If you can't control the humidity or don't want to try, try using synthetic corks as they will not dry out. I have wine in my basement that I bottled with synthetic corks 4 years ago and they are fine. For full disclosure, I do have a dehumidifier in my wine room but only have it on a setting...

I forgot to address the issue of storing wine in areas with fluctating temps. In my opinion, if you are storing wine for a relative short time, 6 months to a year, I wouldn't be so worried about temp fluctuations. Temperature fluctuations of 10F over time will have an effect on aging, in...

Is there a place in your house that has a somewhat constant temperature? That would be the ideal setting. What you really need to focus on is not so much the ambient temperature of the room (although it will be a factor) but rather the temperature of the must (fermentation). Yeast produce a...

I don't believe it is hydrogen sulfide. H2S is the rotten egg or sulfur smell. If you are sterlizing or sanitizing with potassium metabisulfite then it is the sulfite you are smelling.

I only use synthetic corks and have never experienced problems with them other than the occassional misfire. I am just about through a 1000 count bag. Just currious, is it possible that somehow the inside part that squeezes the cork got damaged?

Bob, Thanks for sharing the idea and photo. I have a bottle tree for the 750 ml bottles but always encountered problems when trying to drain the 5 gal carboys. Nice idea. What is the diameter of the hole for the 5 gal carboy?

A mix of bottle sizes is fine. This way when you have friends over you can just open one of the 1.5 L instead of 2 of the 750 ml.

As long as the wine is going through primary fermentation an airlock is not necessary, simply cover the hole with a wash cloth to keep any thing from getting into the wine. I don't ferment in carboys, if making wine from fruit how are you going to press the cap that forms? During fermentation...

There is a video on youtube that shows how to remove a cork from a bottle using a plastic bag. Try this link. If it doesn't work type Removing Cork from Bottle in the search. I did and it was the first video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL1ovAYtKuQ Edit: I tried the link and it worked.

I have a few 30 gal American oak barrels. When making enough wine to fill the barrels with my "reds" I usually let the wine age in the barrel 4-6 months. The oak flavor will lessen overtime (2 years) so it is important to check the wine often to see if the oak flavor is at the desired level.

You can get by with the native yeast but that can lead to problems. For example a stuck fermentation where the yeast is not strong enough to finish the job. Thereby leaving you with lower than expected alcohol and a sweet wine. Commercial yeast is so widely available that I am surprised that...

I didn't see the mention of yeast being added. Did you add yeast?

Sorry but I cannot be of help here as I am only on my first kit.

As Luc said, you can top off with water if you are only topping off a few ounces. Remember, at each racking you will lose some wine. For this reason, I like to top off with wine purchased. I use a similar style or varietal, this way I don't have to worry about diluting my alcohol content and...

If they are new bottles a simple rinse and sanitizing is all they need. I use a sanitizing solution of 1.7g (roughly 1/4 tsp) potassium metabisulfite to 1 liter of water. I have a bottle tree that has a tray you fill wilth the sanitizing solution. You simply press the bottle over the part that...

If you are not seeing any air bubbles on the one gallon jugs then the fermentation is completed. Do you have more than say an 1/8 on an inch of sediment in the one gals? If so, I would rack the wine, sulfite it, top it off and put either a rubber or silicone bung on the jugs.

I think you are going to have to wait until your fermentation is completed before you can determine if the acid is too high. Are you abe to test the pH? To raise the TA by .12 for each gallon the dosage is approx 1 level teaspoon per gallon of tartaric acid. Next time, and I don't know think...

Definetetly put air locks on the single bottles otherwise 1) the wine will most certainly oxidize, or 2) if you have caps on the bottles you will get a build up of pressure if the fermentation is not finished thereby resulting in cracked or exploding bottles. You can buy rubber stoppers with...

The only way to know if you really have a stuck fermentation is by measuring the brix or specific gravity with a hydrometer.