Recent content by sluff

How did the FWK Petite Sirah work out? I might place an order for this soon.

I did purchase the Color Pro, put it in the fridge for storage (out of sight out of mind), and forgot about adding it to the must before I added the yeast. Do you think it is too late to add it after fermentation starts? I am making a FWK Syrah with skins. TIA!

Thank you. Where do you source your Colorpro?

Thanks again Barry! I bulk age my wines for at least a year - so I completely agree that time will not always work to clear wine. What are your thoughts on using bentonite during primary fermentation on a FWK red (even though it is not called for, or included in the kit)?

Thank you Barry! I now know that I have been fermenting my reds at too low a temperature and I have not left them on the skins long enough. Have you had any issues with the FWK wines clearing? Even after a year of bulk again I have to hit them with a 2nd dose of Kirsosal & Chitosan….

Thanks! I have done a lot of FWK’s and have always pulled the skins and racked about 7 days in. I have also had mixed results… I am going to let this one go for another 7 days (out to a total of 2 weeks). This is a winery series kit (big investment) so I am hoping for the best..,

Thank you! Do you keep the must at 72-74F temp after the lid is locked down?

A couple of questions: 1.) At what temperature are you fermenting the FWK reds? 2.) The FWK instructions say to wait for 2 weeks after yeast is added to do the first racking. I know that after the lid is snapped on, CO2 will protect the wine. My concern is the floating skins bags starting to...

I am located in NW Wisconsin. Do you know of a good source for juice in buckets - who will ship. I know it is very heavy! Thanks!

Thanks for your reply! I am located in NW Wisconsin. Unfortunately, no decent grapes are grown anywhere near here... And, I don't have the equipment or knowledge needed to deal with fresh wine grapes. It would be nice if I could find someone who sells juice concentrate - it doesn't have to...

I am looking for ideas on making 16 - 18 gallon batches of wine. I am mostly into grape wine / dry reds. I have tried the FWK Winery Series kits - however I am looking for other ideas. Has anyone tried a "Winery Series" kit from any other manufacturers? Or - does anyone know of a source for...

Yes! I recently purchased three new Italian carboys from two different suppliers that all have this “crack“ on the bottom. None of my older carboys have this “crack” on the bottom. I asked Matt from Label Peelers to look into it - here is the response from his Italian supplier: —————————————-...

Thanks for all the details!

Thanks for the info! I have found a few available at good prices - but I am wondering what to watch out for and what questions to ask. Can these be cleaned up and used no matter how old / nasty they are? Of course broken, leaking, or previously used for petroleum or nasty chemicals would...

I have been making wine for about six years. I started out making all 5 - 6 gallon batches. I then made a few 11 - 12 gallon batches. I am now considering making a few 26 gallon batches. I always bulk age one year before bottling. I am looking for bulk aging alternatives for these larger...