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    Spring Chilean grapes

    Anybody else do grapes this spring from Chile? I got Cabernet and Malbec and the Cabernet were the worst in years… Malbec were OK. General yield was poor. My grapes came from Sagrada Familia area, about 200 miles south of Santiago. What were others’ experience?
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    Sour tasting wine, but not vinegar

    Last spring I made a Chilean Cab/Merlot blend with a 6 gal CabSav juice bucket and 36lbs of Merlot grapes. Initial readings were pH3.7, sg 1.094,brix 22.5 and TA 4.5. I adjusted TA up slightly and added RC212 and yeast nutrients. I added VP41 mlf bacteria with acti-ml a day later. 5 days later...
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    New 2.5 gallon oak barrel

    I got a 2.5 gallon oak barrel for Christmas and I’ve read about prepping it, etc. I have 20 gallons of cleared wine ready to rotate through it, and I know it will be a juggling act so that I don’t over-oak, but still get most of the wine through it. Having only used carboys in the past, I’m...
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    Drilled press bucket question

    I’m doing my first all grape batch. Usually I do a juice pail and grape combination that I can crush and then press by hand. So I drilled my gazillion holes in a juice bucket, and jigsawed a circle for pressing. But how do you all clean out the plastic fragments from the drilled holes? I plan...
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    Fermenter requirement to be raised up 3-4 feet

    Is the requirement in a kit instructions to place the fermenter in a raised position 3 or 4 feet high just to allow for siphoning it into a carboy later without having to move it? I see this also when you are advised to age wine off the floor, why is that? I’ve started using a box with a...
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    Carboy and racking cane sanitizing

    I just finished racking a carboy and wanted to share a few things I’ve learned with other newbies like myself. I am a small time winemaker, a few carboys a year, so this is for small-timers like me. For sanitizing before racking, I fill my new carboy with about an inch of starsan solution and...
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    Recycle cabinets as wine storage

    We recently remodeled an old kitchen that had wood cabinets with fixed solid wood shelves. I’m big on repurposing things so I pulled off the doors and am using them for wine storage. With bottles across the top as well, this cabinet will hold 100 bottles. Just posting as an FYI in case anyone...
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    Can I save extra from primary for topping off

    I’m making a Cab Sav from a juice pail and 18lbs of grapes (Gino Pinto). After primary I moved the wine into a 6 gallon carboy and a 5 liter jug (mostly filled) to let the gross lees settle. Today I racked off the gross lees into a new 6 gallon carboy, topped off from the jug, and started MLF...
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    Easily remove labels from commercial wines

    I’ve found a super easy and quick way to remove labels from many (but not all) commercial bottles. Keep the label dry, if you want to rinse out the bottle, do so carefully. Heat water in a tea kettle to boiling. Use a funnel to carefully pour water into bottle(s). Only fill to the top of the...
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    Will MLF help my acidic wine

    I just pressed my chilean cab sav grapes (one lug in a 6 gallon juice pail) after the primary fermentation seemed stalled at -1 brix. pH is 3.35 and TA is 8.25 and the taste reflects those values. The first sip is very acidic, but with the second sip you can taste the fruit and the smell is...
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