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No worries, it's not just this. It's a combination of this and my available time, space, and equipment, etc. I will get there, baby steps first though I think is best for me now. I'd enjoy playing with fresh and frozen skins and maybe some fresh crushed juice from them as a substitute for part...

Thanks Craig. Interesting. Maybe this spring I will start with baby steps. Get a couple lugs of grapes, squeeze and focus on the skins as an addition to my kits. After I get my hands dirty I can judge better for the fall harvest and what I may want to do with US grapes and juices. I'm...

Thanks John, good input.

This isn't giving me any confidence in buying Chilean juice buckets or grapes this spring.

I'm taking @johnd lead and am going to let my next red kits settle naturally. I want to see if the use of clarifiers is another way for kit companies to help sell 6 or 8 week kits at the expense of dissolved solids that may increase body and nose if left alone. Just a thought and something I'm...

There's plenty of oxygen in the air for wine yeast, no need to do anything special. Just a good stir when you mix in the water with the juice and a gentle daily stir during primary.

Mid December to Valentines Day is a tough time on my wallet. Those two months cover her birthday, Christmas, our anniversary and that Cupid dude. On a trip between Christmas and her birthday we found a black pearl necklace which she has wanted for some time. I couldn't deny her, so that was an...

If it's a typical 1 gal jug that you got at your LHBS I think that you are very safe. I use a 1 gal jug as an overflow vessel connected to my electric vacuum when I use it for degassing. It's my understanding that a vacuvin will not generate nearly as much vacuum as an electric one. That...

Craig, thanks. I'm looking forward to our chance to get together, hopefully with the others, so that I can get some experienced thoughts and suggestions on the EM Cab as well as my other wines.

Sounds like a problem and a solution all wrapped up together. Give it a shot and see if it works for you as well as it seems to be working for me. Tim Vandergrift said he would update his progress this month so I'm anxious to see his report when it comes out.

Don't forget to send a bottle to everyone who replies :) Have fun, best of luck in the State Fair.

Thanks, here's the link: http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55098

This afternoon I did a blind taste test with my wife on 5 WE Eclipse Lodi Ranch 11 kits we’ve made over the last 26 months. Here are the kits and some notes on their making and aging: 3 month old LR11, made with 6 weeks Extended Maceration (EM), currently bulk aging in carboy. Added 1 cup...

You should be fine. Bungs will pop if not dry and seated properly. It may not be gas. Dry the bung and inside neck of carboy if needed, then seat the bung and give it a hard half twist. The half twist will seal it good.

I do two things. First I soak the skins bag in hot water for 10-15 minutes. That really loosens them up and they squeeze out much easier. I cut a corner, creating about a 3-4" opening and squeeze it out through there. Finally I put in a cup or two of water and swish it around to get the rest...

I can live with my cellar not being listed, but not listing Johnd's is a crime. Thanks for sharing, those were beautiful. I was a little surprised by the modern industrial look of Chateau Margaux.

Good point, no fear in this Canadian commercial :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uniqmkPeaZ4

Jim, Craig, I'm counting on you guys to make some this spring so that I can tag along and follow your lead as I learn a new phase of wine making. Reading your past posts I see that you guys have done juice buckets with a lug or two grapes as well. I'm going to shoot for doing that this...

That would be a good idea. My 'balloon' split at the seam on one of my headspace eliminators so now I need to fit the valve to a single hole bung or just let it sit around.

I'm glad it worked for you. Degassing is the bane of my wine making.....