Search results

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
  1. I

    Rhubarb wine possible fail

    So it looks like my first foray into rhubarb is not going well. I think due to operator error. So here is where I am at: started with 17 pounds of chopped frozen rhubarb that I let thaw. Once thawed I added some k-meta and let sit. Tested pH with strips because meter is broken. First reports...
  2. I

    In praise of red blends

    Some time ago there was a great thread about some of the more experienced wine makers on this forum stating that they really liked blended wines as they elevated the wine in general. That inspired me to try to make my own blend. So in 2020 I set out to make my own blend. The goal was to use...
  3. I

    pH Readings

    I just picked up some merlot grapes that I am looking forward to turning into wine. The shop that I got the grapes from reported the pH was 3.4 when they picked them. I got them home and my pH meter is reading 3.9. I do not trust my pH meter and I am ordering another one. The question is should...
  4. I

    Brix and Blending Questions

    I have the opportunity to purchase small lots of wine grapes grown in WA. There are a lot of varieties so excited about that. I have two questions about making wine from grapes. (Okay way more than two, but two I would like help with immediately). 1. What is the difference between Brix and SG...
  5. I

    Alternatives for back sweetening

    Has anyone tried to back sweeten their wine with sweeteners other than sugar? What were the results. I was thinking of giving stevia a try.
  6. I

    Pomegranate Wine

    I wanted to share the results of my latest fruit wine journey. I just bottled a one gallon batch of pomegranate wine. It took 6 months to make but the end results are really nice. Synopsis: I started with 20 pounds of pomegranates. I peeled these and pulled the seeds away from the pith and...
  7. I

    Blackberry Port

    I am going to try my hand at port for the first time. I really love blackberry wine and so thought it could make for an interesting and I hope delicious port. I read several threads here about port wine making and I think I am ready to go. I started with 15 pounds of blackberries that had been...
  8. I

    Blueberry wines, two at a time

    So I have taken the plunge and have started two different blueberry wines. The first will be a dessert wine style, thanks to the suggestion by @Scooter68 and the second will be a regular blueberry wine. Both are aiming to be about 1.5 gallons at start of fermentation. I had thawed 7 pounds of...
  9. I

    Cloudy Riesling

    I started my first batch of wine from grapes. I got 25 pounds of Riesling grapes and crushed and destem mrs. The pH measured at 3.2 and SG at 1.100. I added k-meta and waited 24 hours and pitched yeast. I let primary go for a week and it stayed at lower fermentation temperatures. I didn’t see it...
  10. I

    General Principles

    So my freezer is filling up with various fruit that I am looking to turn into wine. I have in the past looked for threads on specific types of fruit to read what recommendations everyone has for that fruit. However, I don't know that I want a "recipe" for each type of fruit and would rather...
  11. I

    Racking question

    So after primary is done and racked into the carboy I notice fine lees settle out. When I go to rack off those lees I notice I am also leaving a thin layer of good wine behind in the old carboy. Is there a way to get this good wine without the lees? Or is this layer of wine a sacrifice to...
  12. I

    Specific gravity question

    So I have been making wine for a little over a year now and have a question regarding the relationship between specific gravity and alcohol percentages. I know that by measuring the original specific gravity and the final specific gravity of a wine you can use the difference to calculate a...
  13. I

    First time from grapes

    I found an LHBS that has access to a wide variety of wine grapes for purchase in 25# lots. They have both red varieties and white. This would be my first time making wine from grapes. I have made a couple fruit wines so know some basics. My question is would a white wine be easier for a first...
  14. I

    Other Grapefruit zest

    I was reading the tweaking cheap kits thread and there was a recommendation for putting the zest of half a grapefruit into the secondary fermentation stage for Pinot Grigio kits. I would really like to try this however I am currently bulk aging my wine. I am two months into that process. Is it...
  15. I

    Delayed racking after fermentation

    I recently started an apple wine and everything was going well. I make small batches and used 6 quarts of apple juice, 2 cups of sugar, 1 tsp of yeast nutrient and a packet of yeast. My first pH reading was 3.2 which I thought was too low so I added a tsp of calcium carbonate which raised it too...
  16. I

    Green Apple Reisling off smell

    I recently started a 1 gallon version of the green apple reisling kit from Master Vintner. I followed directions. However, it fermented to an SG of 1.000 instead of the 1.010 recommended. Additionally, it has a slightly rotten egg smell. I watched fermentation closely but it is likely that the...
  17. I

    Other Color of Pinot Gris okay?

    I am just finishing up secondary fermentation of a master vintner Pinot Grigio kit. The color is not what I would expect. I plan to add the kieselsol but skip the vigorous degassing step the directions call for. Instead I plan to bulk age for at least six months. Does it seem reasonable to add...
  18. I

    Pounds per Gallon

    So I have 6 pounds of peaches and 6 pounds of blackberries sitting in my freezer waiting to be turned into wine. I have read a lot of great information on the forum, especially for blackberry wine. The question I have is how do you control how many gallons you get from a given pounds of...
  19. I

    Clarification on a kit wine

    I am on my first kit wine as my previous posts will indicate. Secondary fermentation, according to the instructions, was supposed to take 12 days. I measured SG at about 7 days and found it to be 0.994 which is within the range stated by the kit. I moved to the degassing stage because I assume...
  20. I

    Other Clearing and bulk aging

    I have just started my wine making journey and am using a 1 gallon Master Vintner cabernet sauvignon kit. I have spent a lot of time on this forum and discovered really good advice about bulk aging kits for a better finished product. My question is where does adding the clearing and fining...
Back
Top