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Mrs. WM81 got home from work and asked if she'd like any of the beers she gave me. She was in the mood for a beer, which is not typical. She doesn't drink the porters and stouts I like, but there was a Kolsch, so I opened it. Had to taste it -- it's a good one. When she tasted it, her eyes lit...

Huh. That seems way too wide a variance, but I'll trust the vendor's description for their yeast. That said, I'll keep using my method as it works, and it's possible other vendor's yeast may not be so open.

Last night I decided to have a second beer and snagged a can from the collection my wife gave me. Oddly, this one is a Pilsner, which isn't my typical beer, but it was also good. Today after work I went in the opposite direction: If you like a serious stout, this one is on the menu.

K-meta and fining agents are completely different entities with completely different purposes and effects. K-meta is an antioxidant, anti-microbial, and preservative. It neutralizes contaminants (including O2) by combining with them and rendering them harmless. It kills or stunts many hostile...

When taking a sip, swirl it around your mouth, hitting all parts of your tongue, cheeks, and gums. Suck in some air, and swallow. A lot of the flavors are subtle and the words used to describe the flavors are the closest available descriptor. I have a pure Grenache and 2 Grenache blends -- I...

Welcome to WMT! No, your question is not foolish. NOT asking the question? That would be foolish. ;) I backsweeten at bottling time, racking from the secondary storage (in my case, potentially more than 1 container) into a primary to leave behind any remaining sediment and to homogenize the...

I purchased a 3-pack at Costco about 10 years ago. One of these days the first one will wear out and I'll use the second one ... :p

Silicon sheets that rest on the grates to provide a solid surface. I like 'em for fish and things that might break up as they cook.

I look at reviews when getting ready to buy. I don't buy top end, as the prices are ridiculous. I also don't buy bottom end as they rust out too fast.

I agree. I have a regular propane grill and a collection of toppers / griddles that I use as needed. I've also got some silicon grill mats that cover a large portion of the grill which work well.

Yeast can be surprising due to variations in how a given batch grows. For me, it's risk management. By ensuring the starter and must temperatures are close, I eliminate a potential problem with minimal effort.

I haven't read anything firm on the subject, but my impression is that 10 degrees F difference between the starter and the must could cause shock. I don't have a certain answer on how much is too much, so I get it as close as possible. Given my experiences, once the must hits 62 F it's good for...

Mrs. WM81 gave me a couple of 6 packs of beer for my birthday. Her gift is very thoughtful. She went to a local wine & beer store that sells only by individual bottles & cans, and chose 12 beers (well, 11 beers and 1 cider) from around the world, focusing on dark beers. She picked out things...

From what I've read, any significant temperature difference can produce problems, and your differential will be 4 to 6 F, which is not (IME) that much. I have a few ideas: 1) since the must temperature is warmer than the starter by a bit, I suspect that will be less of a problem, so it should...

Do other bottles line up correctly?

Welcome to WMT! I looked at the bottle you mentioned, and it appears to be a typical Bordeaux style bottle. When you put the bottle in the corker, look down through the jaws to ensure the bottle mouth is lined up with the hole. I've been using my corker for 30+ years and have noticed that some...

Nothing that's not already been said. I'm not a grape grower, so anything I know is second hand.

A couple of years ago I started compiling my own yeast table, reviewing numerous published tables and collating the details into a single table. I let the project slide as I was finding inconsistencies, e.g., one table said RC-212 has 14% ABV tolerance whereas most say 16%. At some point I may...

Ask a question of 10 winemakers, get at least 11 opinions. Ask a yeast question of 10 winemakers, get at least 101 opinions ... 🤣 There are dozens of wine yeast, and all do the job. Some are better for a given wine than others, but all work. EC-1118 is a workhorse. High ABV tolerant, high SO2...