Recent content by Jim Welch

Generally , my personal experience in both shipping and receiving shipments is that UPS is the BEST I’ve used with FedEx being a distant second. Don’t even ask me my opinion/experiences with USPS or Lasership, they are tied for a very distant last place. Typically for me when a shipper offers...

I use it but not “with” Fermaid O. It is a yeast rehydration concoction that, according to the maker, helps yeast during rehydration. I believe you’ll find many here use it. It is not necessary per se for hydration but, again according to the maker, especially helps in must over 24 Brix which is...

It could be sugar that has crystalized too. I’ve not stored any FWKs long enough for that to happen but I buy Coloma Frozen Zinfandel concentrated juice in quart bottles that get stored in the freezer and the sugar crystallizes in them after a month or two. But Bob is right, I’d reach out to LP...

I concur with others that it’s not ideal to bottle from that. I use ported Better Bottles as a secondary/bright tank. I transfer to them from my Brute buckets at 1.010-1.000 and let fermentation finish in them then transfer again after about a month to glass carboys. Doing this I generally have...

Put me down for a 40L barrel Fred. If the buy goes through I’d prefer to drive down and pick it up rather than have it shipped to me if you’re ok with that. Edit: medium toast if there’s different toast options

Well if that will cover the property taxes and you’ve no near or mid term plans for the property it sounds like a win/win. I’d have a clause allowing an increase in the event property taxes go up though. I’d retain hunting rights though, you may be able to make some money from that even if you...

I’ve no idea what agricultural land goes for but hunting rights used to be equivalent to the property taxes where I hunted in southern Delaware. Then out of staters discovered the great whitetail genes in the area and last I heard it is several multiples of the property taxes depending on the...

I buy the 500g bricks. I use old sanitized prescription bottles to “decant” some so to speak and vacuum pack the remainder and store in a deep freezer. Have bricks that are 4-5 years old and still viable. The prescription bottles go into a zip lock bag with several desiccant packs and get...

My thoughts… I wouldn’t want to dump the bottles. I’d calculate how much Potassium sorbate is needed for all 25 bottles and then add enough cooled boiled water to make a small measured amount of solution , maybe 25 or 50 ml total solution. Prior to this I’d uncork all the bottles and cover them...

Hard to tell without seeing it in person but looks like free iron. If it is it can be removed by passivating it which can be done at home by making a 10% by weight solution of citric acid in distilled water and soaking it. I have done this at home with stainless weldments I’ve done. It is time...

This may be an April fools joke but this IS a real thing. The Siegel Institute sells them. https://shop.siebelinstitute.com/sensory-training-kits?gad_source=1

I’ve seen video of very large vats, about 25’ in diameter with a motorized 4 bladed stirrer stirring the must

I bulk age my wines for one year, 6 months in glass on oak cubes then 6 months in cornie kegs and seal them with 25-30 psi with argon and bottle directly from the kegs at just a 3-4 psi after relieving the storage pressure. I have decanted directly and have never seen outgassing. I would not...

Look for used equipment on the various online sites, there’s always someone getting out or downsizing. You can save a lot that way. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to find everything you need but likely you’ll be able to find a lot of it.

I too reconstitute my kits to an SG of 1.100, I’d buy 5 gallons of spring water, it’s more than you need but it’s better to be looking at it than looking for it imo.