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I use a 4 gallon fermenter for 3 gallon batches and a 7.5 for 5 gallon batches. Air space in primary is a blessing as you get more oxygen available. it is best practice to have very little headspace. at this point oxygen is not your friend I have a buddy who uses buckets and squirts nitrogen in...

I would rack again to get it off any lee's then let it settle a few more weeks before racking one more time and starting the aging process

I do have a few questions, first, do you adjust the reading to how the temperature level is? Second, how long was the first fermentation before taking a reading I am glad you are taking so many notes Fermentation can take different times for the temp of the must. the warmer the faster, it also...

This has been a great discussion, I have refrained from posting as I was thinking of each response. OK, in my experience, I do better with 6 to 9 months on a grape wine, 3 months on a fruit IS it tannins? I am not a scientist, is it my knowledge, on aging I am just a glass carboy ager so I can...

I do buy frozen must online. I get it because I can not find a local place to buy grapes from of that type. I am lucky that I live in Oregon and can buy locally sourced grapes of many types. I understand many places in the USA do not have that option so they must buy from sources that may...

I can break it up and try both thanks for the idea

My local store sells the Wine Expert kits, there base line kit seems to be what I will use, that way I can have enough for the blend and possibly enough for a few bottles of each

truer words have never been spoken

I just got hold of a lot of Sangiovese grapes from eastern Washington and I plan on doing a nice batch of Chianti the blend will be 80% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon I am picking up the grapes 2nd weekend of October, the Cab and Merlot will come from wine kits, I am going...

I have made some low alcohol wines for summer spritzers and bottled them in beer bottles, the light taste and low alcohol are great on hot summer days when you can quaf a few and not get sloppy

I think jug wine can be cheaper that 1 gallon jugs at the brewer store

I have to agree with winemaker81 on the question of What is leftover wine. I actually plan a bit ahead to have extra to use when racking. I use Speidel fermenters and secondary and age in 3 or 5 gallon carboys. the Speidel fermenters I use are just over 5 gallon and just over 7 gallon. This...

Once you have been in the hobby a while you will realize that having other finished wines around can help with a lot of things that happen ok let me explain that, if you need to top off a carboy it kind of matters what you use. If you use water then you are watering down the wine, Using a wine...

there are years I make a lot more wine than I can drink, and years a lot less as far as consuming, there are weeks I can consume 4 liters, and others one, and all combinations in between. But my average is nowhere near the high end. As far as healthy lifestyles, I have seen that definition...

I have had wines slowly ferment and with little air lock activity there are a few reasons I can surmise, but if the SG keeps lowering I know fermentation is going on

Winemaker I think everclear was invented to teach us who do not learn easy

one thing I have not seen here is SG readings, or if sugar was added I do a lot of fruit wines, my recipes I use average 3 pounds of fruit per gallon, and then sugar. Sugar varies a lot according to the fruit Ok now you ferment, and the effect of the wine yeast used will apparent. In other...

As Winemaker81 mentioned there is a lot of control given up to not knowing what yeast you are using. We buy yeast according to the properties we want out of the strain we choice. that can be how much alcohol it tolerates before stopping fermenting or some other thing such as side note taste it...

You should be fine. Campden is usually added to stop wild yeast from getting started as you did add some campden with your pitched yeast, a good portion of it may be affected and there may be a slow start to the fermentation. If in doubt, pitch more yeast. if it is already started then you will...

Add Pectin destroying enzyme and let that work for a week thinning out the must. allow the primary to finish and then rack into a new carboy a lot of wild style fruits have a lot of pectin good luck