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It’s hard to say from the picture but it looks harmless, possibly residue from the pressing. If it’s an active fermentation, what was your SG?, then CO2 will attach to particles and float them to the surface.

No that is incorrect. Diffusion occurs when there is a concentration gradient between two environments.

I sanitize the stoppers, then give a final dunk in vodka or Everclear. Usually solves the problem for me.

The bag changes nothing about extraction, but makes it much easier to rack the wine. Keep doing it your way.

I seem to remember the instructions say to add bentonite at yeast pitching. The bubbling activity helps keep the bentonite suspended, as opposed to immediately forming sediment. Frequent stirring will also do that. In general I’m opposed to adding fining agents, unless forced to. Time will...

There technically is no second fermentation, it’s just a term people have applied when transferring to a second vessel. CO2 is being generated during the entire fermentation and it stays dissolved in solution unless forced out through manual whipping/degassing or slowly over time.

Use gallon jugs. Buy them new at your LHBS, or buy jug wine at the store and use the wine for cooking.

Immediately. You don’t need to wait unless you want to.

What was unsaid was that I assumed he would be topping off with a similar wine. And also a calculated risk that he would not be able to taste any difference. I believe we are in agreement.

I don’t think it will affect the final. And a blend of a different wine into your Merlot is not necessarily a bad thing. I would use a Cab or Syrah, unless you have a Merlot on hand. Me, I wouldn’t mess with trying to save the opened bottle of wine, just drink it. Get another bottle ready for...

I’m with you! Just waiting until the wife says I’m spending too much on wine supplies. OK, my new hobby is going restoring vintage Porsche’s, I’ll need a complete set of metric tools. No wait, I’ll get back into cycling, first thing is to get a $10k titanium bike. No too strenuous, I’ll go back...

I’m picking up a Brunello juice bucket Thursday morning. I expected it next week. Unfortunately this weekend is family day at the university where my two daughters attend. So if I pitch the yeast Friday, I won’t be able to do any punch downs or stirring until late Sunday. So this may work out...

I would call it 3.0.

Winemaker magazine has a recipe for rose hip wine. Says to crush fresh rose hips and put in a straining bag. Let it ferment, then lightly press. I’m guessing as long as you don’t crush the seeds you won’t get an overly bitter wine.

You did not mention what yeast you used, was this a wild ferment? Also, malolactic is very sensitive to Kmeta, so you likely killed the bacteria when you added the Kmeta after 7 days. After it fermented dry you bulk aged for 7 months, I’m guessing there might have been some gross lees still around.

Hit that screw that sticks out with a grinder. Same for the nut on the other side.

Brandy will impart the brandy flavor to the wine, now dessert port. If you use Everclear, it has no flavor, and will not change the flavor of your port. So another question, if you are able to get 20% out of your yeast, then I assume it’s fermented bone dry, or is it just a tad back sweetened...

I try not to let the tubing sit around uncleared for more than an hour, especially for reds. I have a jet blaster attached to my sink faucet. It’s meant for cleaning bottles but it works on tubing as well. Then hang it on 2 hooks so it drains. When I have several carboys to clean, I get out the...

Kit manufacturers write the instructions expecting customers to have zero experience. If they wrote the instructions to say to bulk age for 1 year, they would sell fewer kits. First time kits probably get made in the kitchen. Imagine telling your spouse you need the kitchen counter for the next...

A tilt will work with white wines, just not with any ferment that has skins, or fruit that interferes with the action of the tilt.