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You just gave me an idea! Maybe the best approach would be to consider the ambient temperature of your fermenting space for how long you should let the starter go before inoculation. If you’re working in a warmer space, shorter. If it’s November or December and your basement is cold, let it go...

As for the larger quantities, I think there is less risk of stuck fermentation because of the volume. One of the difficulties with making wine at home in small batches is that you don’t get that internal temperature that you achieve with hundreds of gallons. That’s another reason why higher...

Hello all, this is a really interesting thread. Like I always say, as the founder of the company I don’t like to chime in because I think it’s best that people who make our wine kits get to discuss them here. I like to avoid the opportunity for promotion on what should be purely an academic...

Hello all. I don’t chime in often but I read everything you guys write about our wine kits and I really appreciate all of your insights. I’ve been especially interested in your feedback about the starters. Allow me to clarify why we use them. Fermentation starts like a rocket and ends like a...

I proceed with the assumption that how much I know about winemaking will never exceed how much I don’t know. I’m a wine geek and I’ve been reading about some ancient Roman and Greek winemaking techniques. Some involve using seawater and things none of us would ever thing to do. It’s a practice...

In my experience, the most common problem is sanitation issues. That’s been the culprit of every batch I have lost. The little details can be sneaky and all you need is one tube or funnel that’s not cleaned properly and it’s over. Losing batches is a rite of passage for every winemaker in my...

The winters are the issue. How cold does it get? When I was first learning about grape cultivation I noticed an interesting pattern. The vast majority of vineyards are on the west or southern coast of a landmass. It’s interesting how the Bordeaux region is almost identically positioned to...

This is a tough one. It’s not just the soil, it’s the weather. I’m also Italian and I’ve spent a considerable amount of time there. Most people don’t realize that Rome is on the same parallel of the map as Boston. The light circles are really different. There’s also the issue of Italy being a...

You are absolutely right and going forward, I will chime in when it is necessary. In the end, it is about you enjoying the wine and we will continue to do whatever is necessary to keep improving our products for you, our customers. Your feedback is essential which is why we follow these threads...

That’s very kind of you to say. Thank you so much.

We at Finer Wine Kits are big fans of this Forum. It is a great place for both Beginners and Advanced Winemakers to share ideas. It is for this reason that we prefer not to interject in these threads to not bring any promotional input about our products and instead let it be a give and take for...