Recent content by Mike Parisi

I just started an En Primeur Super Tuscan. I took the initial SG reading after the grape skins had been in the must for 24 hours. The SG was 1.110, which should end up giving it an ABV of 14.7% or a bit higher. And that is right in line with what RJS says on their website. The RJS website...

My brother-in-law really likes the WineXpert Old Vine Zinfandel. He has made it 3 times and says it is his favorite.

Welcome! We got back home a week ago after visiting friends and relatives in Scotland and Wales. Our last visit was to Pembroke and one (cold and windy) day visited Tenby. Really nice, picturesque old walled town.

Don't lock the lid on, just let it rest on top. No oxygen can get in as long as the must is fermenting and producing C02

OK, thanks. I must have misread it because I made a WineXpert Argentine Malbec kit a few years ago and it included oak cubes, not chips.

Well, not really that I forgot to add the oak chips, which were supposed to be dumped in at the start of fermentation. I misread the label and thought they were Oak CUBES, which would be dded when fermentation is finished. So, to get some oakiness, I will have to add the chips after I rack and...

When I rack into the carboy, I splash rack. That seems to eliminate a lot of C02. Then I use the drill-mounted whip for 2-3 minutes, changing direction every 30 seconds. I have only been making kits for just over 3 years and have never had a problem with gas after bottling.

I have made several of the Mosti Mondiale All Juice kits and have been very happy. Nero D'Avola is my favorite, but the Nebbiolo is also very nice. I have made the WineXpert Nebbiolo when the juice was from Italy, but the current offering (hasn't shipped yet) is from Cali grapes. I have also...

I don't know exactly what the 4/8 brings it down to, I just think it is around 30% ABV. I just kind of tweaked a recipe someone else gave me until it tasted best to me.

Thanks for the replies. I am kind of perplexed, since he mentioned only one bottle fizzing. And that one wasn't just "sour", he said it was undrinkable. But I did pass along the advice. One question -- should he open the bottle, then put it in the fridge for 3 hours, or put it in unopened?

My brother-in-law made a Master Vintner Nebbiolo kit last winter. Bottled it in January or February. We tasted it in June and it was really very drinkable. But he just told me it seems to be going "sour". He said one bottle fizzed when he opened it and was undrinkable. Other bottles are...

Here is my recipe. Brings it down to around 60 proof: LIMONCELLO Peel from 2-3 pounds lemons, yellow part only (use vegetable peeler) 750ml Everclear 190 proof (Can order it at Total Wine in 1.75 liter bottle) 4 cups sugar 6 cups water Steep the lemon peel in Everclear in a covered glass...

Same thing happened to me on my first batch of kit wine. I just put something over the hole in the lidand let it ferment away. After I racked to a carboy for the "secondary" fermentation, I just retrieved the grommet from the bottom of the bucket and put it back onto the lid. Still using the...

Agree, don't seal the lid. Everything is going through the airlock because there is no place else to go. Leaving the lid just sitting on top of the bucket lets gasses escape. I don't think you will have to transfer any out unless you have it filled really close to the top.

I use Star-San and dip my hands in it whenever I am doing anything with the wine that requires the lid off (fermentation bucket) or airlock off (carboy). I haven't noticed any hand/skin irritation.