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Finally pressed Syrah and Merlot. 21 days on skins, 18 day ferment, SG 1.008. 20 gal syrah, 17 gal merlot, 3 gal each saignee rose, also 10 gal blackberry. But here's a question. Of 6 carboys of reds, only the free run is pushing airlocks, 3 days after press. Is pressed juice slower to continue...

The longer I do this, the more complicated it gets! I use hydrometers. On the scale, 5 brix = about sg 1.020. I just like to use the brix scale because it's 2 digits as opposed to 4, less computing for my brain. Is brix on a hydrometer not accurate? Whatever the number, we are not close to dry...

Hydrometer vs refractometer? True brix? Please explain more. My SG is at 1.020

I have two wines at 5 brix, was hoping to press today. They've been on the skins for 17 days so that should be plenty long enough. By what I'm reading here it won't do any harm to press today, is that correct? Actually, I thought of a possible scenario. Ferment has been slow due to cool temps...

Like Brant, I don't have a lot of kit experience but do have a lot of wine drinking experience. My wife and I drink red wine almost every day. So I'm not just comparing to other kits, but to all wines in general. I short the water because I prefer higher concentration, not necessarily higher...

I did not measure pH, trusted the kit would be balanced, but yes I would say it definitely lacks acid. I tried winemaker81's suggestion of adding a pinch. That didn't do the trick by itself but in combination with some tannin it is improving. I'm really starting to believe in Tannin Complex...

Good question, here's a few reds My fav is En Primeur Chilean Malbec. I shorted the water, 4 week EM, 16% abv. At 22 months this one is good. For the price it should be. At the cheap end of the scale I made a MV Weekday Merlot. Also shorted the water, 2 week EM, added black currants per...

I have 7 carboys of CS from last year's harvest. Tasted 2 days ago, so bitter I was ready to send them to the brandy factory. I came and read this thread for ideas. Using what I had in stock I tried sugar, egg whites, tannin riche extra and tannin complex. Tannin complex wins so far. After one...

My honest evaluation of FWK I was an early buyer. I have 2 kits aged 18 months, a CS and a merlot, both double skins. Both are very flabby, bland. Doubtful that additional aging will improve taste. Not drinkable by my family's standards. I also made a syrah, now one year old, also double...

Well if it's all for marketing they're doing a poor job. They don't mention it on their website and they're not doing it in a public area. If I hadn't been walking past their back door I never would have known.

I walked by a winery in downtown Seattle yesterday and saw people in bins stomping grapes. I've lived here 10 years, been to dozens of wineries. I did not know this was still a thing!

Well since you asked... At crush the juice looked quite pink almost immediately, so inside of half an hour I siphoned off about 5 gallons. Then I started reading how others make rose and decided it was too pale. So I added a bit of inky juice that had sat on skins for 2 days. I like my rose on...

OK I did not add Lallzyme. No opti-white because I don't have any and didn't want to make a trip. Rehydrated yeast with Goferm. Ferment started slow but sure. Interesting, the MoreWine bible recommends Fermaid O, then K, so that's what I've been doing all along, might as well continue the...

Making my first rose from saignee process, trying to understand what additions/nutrients are beneficial. I have a basic understanding of what to use in reds, but what from this list would you use for rose and at what stage? Lallzyme Goferm Opti-white Fermaid O Fermaid K

250 lbs each merlot and syrah from Lonesome Spring Ranch WA. Pulled about 5 gals for saignee, first time trying this method. This is my second year using grapes. Last year was all CS from same region, different farm. I'm not pleased with the product yet but can't point to any user error so don't...

I am a fan of splitting batches to try different processes. Then you can do side by side comps. So far I have only fermented dry, fortify, age, then sweeten with sugar. For 2021 I fortified one batch with brandy, for the other I increased abv by step feeding sugar, aged, sweetened. So far the...

Good thread, great ideas! My favorite recent experience, the winemaker showed up in his tasting room, randomly invited all guests present back to his barrel room for a tour, brought his wine thief and gave us all a couple barrel samples of current projects. Taking pride in his craft, being...

Yes he's strongly opinionated against seeds. I know others have different opinions but I don't have a lot of experience and I enjoyed the finished product so I stick with this recipe for now. One thing I don't agree with is expensive cognac. I've tried several brands but always come back to...

This is the port recipe I've been using for a couple years Making Blackberry Port - Saanich Sommeliers Like David's recipe, it does not call for dilution, which is why he's not getting much mileage out of his berries, but intense flavor. Last year I picked 124 pounds, ended up with 11 finished...

I lived 15 years in AK. Every year we stocked up on reds (salmon, not wine) in the Copper river and silvers in Valdez. Miss those days. Tullamore, any favorite BC wines? I discovered Sandhill a few years ago and now I look for it every time I visit.