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To anyone that tried the chocolate recipes, did you back sweeten? Jacks recipe doesn’t mention it but my chocolate strawberry is 5 months in and so far I’m not impressed. It seems tart from the strawberries but no strawberry flavor or sweetness.

I made a few reds this year and I really like the earthiness from Lalvin D80. The other posts have me interested in trying the Avante and Bravo for next year.

Also don’t forget that the way table grapes have been modified and are grown to be much larger and more juicy now than they probably were back then. That means theirs was a lower juice to skin ratio which probably added more flavor. Not to mention they may not have had seedless back then. I...

I’m glad its not all in my head. I’ve made 4 kits, all different types and they have all had it. Some stronger, some weaker. I noticed the same thing when I used to make beer. When I used malt extracts they all had a common flavor that didn’t make it bad or undrinkable. It was just always there.

I’m making a blueberry/ plum port and am thinking about what to use for fortifying. I had an idea and want to know if anyone has tried it and what their results were. If I fortify with bourbon will it impart some of the charred oaky vanilla flavor of bourbon? It sounds good in theory. I was...

New question about the same topic so I figure better to keep it in this thread for others to find easier. If you step feed until the yeast dies do you always end with a FG between 1.010 and 1.020? Is that the proper sweetness for a port? Or should I tap out early if fermentation slows so it goes...

I read if you put a wine with citrus acid through MLF it will produce acidic acid and taste like vinegar. I did a 2nd run wine through some merlot skins and used water and grape concentrate to do it and I’m talking about standard frozen grocery store grape juice concentrate not a wine specific...

Should I add yeast nutrients when step feeding? I mean after the initial. Should I add more nutrient when I add more sugar?

Wood, do u know what the final gravity was? I started a plum/ blueberry last night I was planning on step feeding up to port level (18+%). First attempt so I don’t know what to expect.

I talked to a pro wine maker near me in CA. He said he often adds multiple yeasts to add depth of flavor. But he ferments separately and mixes them after fermentation. I’m making a Zin right now and did Lalvin D80 and Lalvin VRB. I started them in August and switched to clean carboys last night...

I made a batch of merlot in September 2020 and after pressing the grapes I tried my first 2nd run batch. My question is when do I bottle? I’m new to grape wine making all together and have figured I’ll bottle my grape wines in the summer in time to use the carboys for the new year batch. But is...

I use the oxyclean soak method. Some labels don’t come off right away but I use the back of a butter knife to scrub them off. Secret for the glue afterward is a Mr Clean Magic Eraser. I’ve only had a few glues it couldn’t handle.

I was at the brew store during harvest season and got sent home with some WLP 672 Lactobacillus brevis instead of the malolactic bacteria I was after. I got the malo later but now have the 672 in my fridge with no plans for it. I like sour beers but am a fruit wine maker. Anyone tried this out...

I’m a new at the game and am thinking of making a Chardonnay from a kit but I like very buttery oaky chardonnays. I’ve heard the acids in kits are already balanced so there’s no need for malolactic fermentation. But if I want the flavor characteristics from malolactic fermentation could I add...

Tommy C, did you end up trying this out? It sounds great. If it worked out for you I’d love to hear the recipe and try it out myself.