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    Store bought eating grapes??

    Kind of expensive too, when you consider good wine grapes are usually about a dollar a pound or less these days.
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    hello from lebanon

    Tom, you might find this very interesting: Lebanese wine industry Looks like Lebanon is the origin!
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    Guns

    I've never shot an aluminum frame 1911. My father has the heavy steal frame version which I found rather cool for a single action traditional style. Do you find it difficult to target multiple shots quickly with the recoil?
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    Can you help me ID these?

    By the small, sparse berries, it really looks like the original fox grape that grows wild all over the place here. Then again concord is a cultivar of fox grape, our native far northern grape vine.
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    Primary to secondary fermentation

    I never press before the wine is completely done. I let it go until the cap doesn't reform and just some seeds are floating. Then I press within 24 hours because of the danger of oxidation since the yeast have stopped and there will be no protective layer of CO2. Keep in mind this technique...
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    Campden Tablets

    I use the "basic gray" color "Brute" Rubbermaid cans, since they're 44 gallons. I have two of them filled with crushed grapes fermenting as I type. You can get them at Walmart, Home Depot, etc. Speaking of which, someone please remind me to punch down the cap a little later... :b
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    Oak chips

    If you have carboys and you don't mind your wine sitting in them potentially for months and months, I agree with Wade, sticks or larger chunks (1/8" thick) are the way to go. Another advantage is that you don't risk over-oaking your wine so easily because it picks up the oak flavor slowly over...
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    Guns

    I agree. My ol '06 cartridges can protect me from 800 yards! :r As far as .22, my uncle accidentally shot me once with a .22 short when we were out screwing around. Although it didn't penetrate my leather jacket completely, the darn thing hurt bad! So yeah, they can be dangerous.
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    Can REALLY HIGH acid be fixed?

    Did you actually get it to start fermenting? If the pH is less than 3.0, your yeast isn't going to be very happy. Cold stabilization of an unfermented must with grape skins might be a bit problematic. You could try and get your TA down enough to ferment with Acidex (never tried it myself)...
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    Can a 8 wk wine kit be made in 4 wks?

    I'm glad to hear the kit worked well for you. If you like it now, you'll find that aging will still make a huge difference. I don't make kits often, but I just started 2 kits that I'll be blending later in a 46L barrel to replace some Shiraz that must come out in a few weeks. One kit is the...
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    Elderflowers are starting to bloom

    Elderberry grows anywhere in Minnesota, but its distribution is formerly recorded for your state in this county map. These big pictures of the flowers and leaves on the USDA site will help you identify them. Elderberry grows where it can get some sun. Look for it in cut over areas, along...
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    early fermentation???

    If a vigorous fermentation is already happening and everything smells "normal", I wouldn't worry about adding more yeast. Even EC-1118 may have difficulty killing off the existing yeast at this point if most of the oxygen has already been used up. Just be on the lookout for H2S smells or the...
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    early fermentation???

    Juice buckets are often pre-inoculated with some yeast, especially those juices that are balanced. Then they keep them cool to prevent fermentation in transit and storage. You may want to ask your supplier (however in my experience half of them don't know themselves!). Most of the juice that...
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    Fresh juice instructions

    This is the way I do juice (20L buckets): I take my measurements and make my adjustments while the juice is still in the bucket. Keep in mind that many (most?) juice buckets have been preadjusted by the vendor or distributor. Some even contain yeast already. I keep records on each bucket...
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    questions about preserving and bottling

    I don't believe sorbate adds to shelf life, because if anything "bad" is going to happen in the bottle, it's more likely to happen in the first year rather than in year five. Sorbate in wine inhibits yeast reproduction, which is especially important as Wade mentioned with wines that have some...
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    Got my new barrel today

    More like $300 Canadian + shipping. I don't even know if they ship anymore or sell online, since they haven't updated their website in ages. The price I paid for my 12 gallon (46L) was $300. I know others have great luck, but I wouldn't chance buying a barrel online and having it shipped...
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    Got my new barrel today

    I got my new barrel locally from Musca. By the look of the "European" barrels, I'd be surprised if they can hold liquid the workmanship is so bad. I also checked out barrels at another local store - Preston Hardware, but their Hungarian barrels weren't as well made as the ones as Musca, and...
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    Got my new barrel today

    It's a Hungarian 12 gallon (46 liter) virgin barrel with a medium toast. Here is a pic. These JK Cooperage of Hungary barrels have mind blowing workmanship. The only way you can tell where one stave ends and the next begins is by grain and colour. Here is a closeup. There is literally no line...
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    Sediment in old bottles

    Bleach does a great job if soaked in the bottle to remove deposits and kill nearly all "germs". In fact, I used to soak around 200 bottles in the bathtub filled with water mixed with a half gallon of bleach for that purpose. That was the label removing stage. They would still be soaked and...
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    Chilean Juice

    Speaking of Canada, errr.. specifically Ottawa Ontario, does anyone know of a source for fresh Chilean juices here right now?
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