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Hopefully next year I may have enough roucaneuf to make a small batch of wine. I froze the grapes from this year and will add them to next year's crop. I have never fermented a rose. Is it recommended to ferment as a white or red (w/ the skins)?

As Jim said we can get a little lazy on keeping a tight schedule for such things as nutrient additions. The yeast are not that picky about when they get that "vitamin shower" as long as it happens sooner than later. Another thing regarding yeast hydration: I use well water to avoid the nasty...

I concur, vignoles are very much a PITA to grow here in north Arkansas. High humidity and tight clusters = bunch rot. I am swapping out the vignoles for the looser clustered vidal.

Were you replying to a specific post in this thread?

What is the adjustment mechanism that controls the fill level on the Enolmatic nozzle assembly?

It is best to start on the light side with oak additions According to my reference material around 2.5 g of oak per liter will get you to the "recognition threshold" and up to 15 g/L for a healthy dose. Small oak pieces can reach extraction equilibrium in as little as a week. I would check it...

Racking the must after it's been inoculated w/ MLF is not a problem AFAIK. If it is active it should just start back up after settling into the new vessel for a day or so.

A paper coffee filter is a good way to strain the raw juice but you have to be careful not to squeeze it too hard or it will rupture.

I have a vintner friend who has used 1 regular sized packet of yeast to inoculate up to 30 gallon batches of must. He's done it for years with never a failure. Research the number density of individual yeast cells per milliliter and you can see why he has no fermenting problems. Yeast suppliers...

You can run them through a table saw to where they are about .030 thick and then cut them up into strips. You can use a propane torch if have a deft touch or an oven somewhere under 200 degrees for 15-20 mins. I like a heavy roast or slight char. A barbecue grill can do a good job if you rotate...

I hope you get things figured out as I have a hive I plan on tapping into next year for my 1st mead experiment and you can "lead me by the hand" when the time comes. :h

Are we talking red or white? I don't open ferment anything. A lid with a one way vent is desirable. An S.G. of 1.020 is fine as a starting point to pitch the MLF. As long as yeast activity is apparent there will be a blanket of CO2 on top the must to act as a barrier to outside world, but a...

I hope you and your wife like that Vidal as you will have lots of juice to work with!!! You can start with fewer vines and use cuttings to propagate. I make about 15 gallons a year of Vidal for myself, plus a lot of other varietals.

Star San in an appropriate dosage level should kill the MLF bacteria. Don't rinse it after cleaning the vessel.

How many Ben Franklins will someone need for the whole "shebang?"

To be safe make sure your pH is over 3.5 and room temp is at least 70 DF. Once MLF starts it is wise to give it at least two-three months for it's life cycle before sulfiting. I suppose if your confident w/ the chromatography results you can add SO2 earlier.

That pH on the PG is way low! I wonder how green the grapes were when picked. I would definitely ask your source on the PG what's up with those numbers, if your equipment is calibrated and you have confidence in the analysis being accurate.

The MLF bacteria have a finite lifespan. So just because you add some MLF induced wine to your kit wine that does not mean it will cause the MLF cycle to restart, especially if the pH is too low (< 3.2) or the room temp not warm enough (< 70 DF) that can make the MLF sluggish to perform. One...

Rotten egg smell is created by the yeast producing hydrogen sulfide as a possible result of not enough nitrogen in the must. Since you started fermentation 4 weeks ago the primary ferment is probably over and it needs to be racked if you haven't done that yet. Your specific gravity will tell you...

Fining Stripper It depends on what you are using to "fine" with as to what it may or may not remove along with any detritus. There are dozens of fining agents available. I have only used bentonite and it works but not for removing pectic haze/enzymes from a peach wine. At least it didn't for...