Recent content by verdot

This was a great read, thanks for sharing!

Good info, thanks! This is what I’m looking for. I was curious if you can tell a wines character or potential a couple months in barrel/carboy or if it takes time to “lock in.” I will check again at the six month point. I didn’t detect flaws more so than aroma not being very present and the oak...

It gets two rackings after fermentation then goes into a flextank, usually. I was short of 15 gallons this year so the wine is aging in glass.

Oops. I should have said reds. Whites are done as soon as possible.

I’ve usually let carboys sit for a year before tasting at all, but I just sampled some Cabernet franc I made from my vineyard that was sitting in carboy since November and I really didn’t know what to make of it. It was pretty reduced and disjointed. Is that normal for wine at this point? How do...

Something to consider with cider trees also is when they ripen. You might be pressing multiple times if you have early and late ripening varieties. It’s important to get apples that are known for their ability to make hard cider. Dessert apples don’t really cut it. Russets and crabs are good...

Is Open Office (free) a no go for you? I use it for writing but it may not need your needs for spreadsheets. Edit: or maybe it will?

DAP can (and should) be added to Fermaid K if YAN is below 125 mg N/L. I’ve had H2S issues in the past just using Fermaid K. So far no issues with Fermaid O, however. If Reduless is not effective at first, you can rack and add an additional dose. Do a bench trial if possible. The reaction is...

In my experience, rainfall can lower 1-2 brix if there is rain drops still on the grapes. A little rain adds up.

Unfortunately, he didn’t add enough YAN in my grapes so so2 and nitrogen were in my regimen.

It’s unlikely you’ll have any change in your sugar levels until you choose to add sugar. As a general rule, 1.5 oz (per gallon must) will raise 1 brix. It’s a good idea to add half the amount of sugar you think you’ll need and measure, then add the second half with any adjustments.

I would measure the juice with a hydrometer to validate the prior reading.

I’ve recently read about adding sacrificial tannin at the onset of fermentation. I had a bottle of LD Carlson liquid wine tannin (chestnut extract, water, propylene glycol) that I added as directed. But the stuff smells quite ripe of chestnut, and I’m concerned it’s showing up through the must...

Welcome :)

My ph with this wine was 4.0. This was a wine I did with a few rows that I let hang longer than usual to see how extended hang time would turn out, but this is beyond the subject of the thread.