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I read that a few times... even tried to make out an acronym. Then remembered what day it was. Nicely done.

Sounds like your meter is working fine (the probe on my Milwaukee went bad and I only have my pen meter anymore... need to get another). Maybe take a sample and try to drop that pH to 3.6-3.7, then taste it again. What's the worst thing that could happen?

I ascribe to the "what do I gain?" method of wine making... With kits, I have adopted a process that involves racking my wines three times before bottling to ensure that it is entirely degassed (once from primary to secondary; once three months later; and, then into a clear carboy for bottling).

This is something I've often wondered and thought to be true. So maybe you can tell say: Do wines go through cycles of dormancy - peaks and valleys - with their taste and smell? Can they exit bottle shock and taste great, then after a while hit a valley where the flavor is obscured; only to...

Interesting. I've been on the FWK bandwagon for a while now because I found them to be closer to wine from fresh grapes and juice with no kit taste. Are there folks on this thread that can comment on the comparison between the New WE kits against the FWK kits?

When your wine will be able to sit undisturbed for the length of time you plan to oak it… that’s when. 👍🏻 Here’s an article on parking that might be useful: https://www.midwestsupplies.com/blogs/bottled-knowledge/how-do-i-use-oak-chips

Oak chips give it all up in a couple weeks. That’s why you’ll see them added to the primary in most wine kits. For longer term aging in a carboy, think oak cubes, spirals or balls. They take about 3 months to give up all their oaky goodness. I’m sure there’s a chart around somewhere to guide...

Agreed. Additionally, increased temperature means a faster burn with your fermentation. I tend towards cooler (in the 60's) temps during fermentation to extend it past the 7-10 days it typically takes to ferment to zero in a 70-75 degree room.

Same here. I listen to music while working in the cellar - like from the moment I walk down the stairs until I shut the lights and walk back up. Early on in the process of winemaking, a song grabs my attention (e.g. I named a Malbec All Along the Watchtower because I heard it on the way back...

You may also consider punching up the oak a little if you like added smoke, vanilla, or coffee flavors to your wine. In addition to the included cubes, I usually add a spiral of M+ toast Hungarian oak to my PS. Finally, to answer your question directly - yes, you can add finishing tannins to...

I spent a little time in the cellar on Sunday afternoon - cleaned up from Saturday's Cab Sauv racking, then capsuled and labeled three wines - the Grenache, a Merlot and a Petit Sirah. I fought the urge to bottle the Luna Bianca and the FWK Forte Bordeaux. Maybe in a couple weeks. Sampled the...

I started my Grenache Rose in October 2022. Bottled last month. Had a bottle or two so far. It's good even young. It's finishes with a beautiful salmon color.

I left the wines on the skins an extra week and a half (schedule was really bad the last two weeks). Racked today. Looks and smells great.

I have a FWK chard in bulk now. Got another month till I rack and bottle. I’ll post up here with a tasting before it hits the bottle. I still buy WE Chards. To me, they don’t suffer the kit taste problems that the reds do. Ymmv.

Yep. I'm going with @cmason1957's option 2 - I'm thinking you're done. Rack and top up, dose with KMeta and leave it be for three months. After that, give it a taste. I added a spiral of medium toast French oak and let it sit another three months. Then racked and bottled. Delicious. (I...

I use just regular glasses.

She says it's better than last year's RJS French Rose (made this one two years in a row because it was very good).

I make a rose for my wife and daughters every year for summertime drinking. This year I got an early start with the Grenache rose. It’s been in the bottle a couple months now and, according to my wife, already delicious.

I don’t think Joe is saying that he had a bad experience at all. Start your wines and follow the directions. Bulk age for 9-12 months, then bottle. What I got from Joe’s post - These FWK will take longer to mature than the traditional, ultra-pasteurized kits. So, we’re not there yet...

I’d be interested to hear from @Matteo_Lahm on the growth at FWK. To me - Three spots after just 2 short years in business is pretty impressive. RJS, WE and Mosti are names that have been around forever, so I’m not surprised that the list is dominated by them. Time will tell. But, I think the...