Search results

I have been making wine from juice buckets for 2 years. I use carboys to bulk age and considering taking the leap to barrels. The concern is that I think the wine is usually consumed before a barrel age would be accomplished. So here are some questions: When do you transfer into a barrel -...

is there a fitting to put on the end of a 3/8 tube to assimilate a racking cane

the pump from harbor freight is oil based. I took JohnD's advice - placed the pump far enough away from the wine (I ran the tube outside my basement window) and used two wine bottles as a catch all between the pump and the wine to catch any fumes. Tried water first and it works fine. Just sucks...

when using this pump or allinone pump - does anyone use it on their first rack. The 2.5 from Harbor Freight seems like it would just suck up all the lees from the bottom. I think if I use the filter it will clog up pretty quickly with the lees. Or is that the reason why people are using the...

do you use 1 or 5 micron

Just received my Filter Fast whole house filter with 5 micron filter. I am using it with a Pittsburgh 2.5 vacuum pump from Harbor Freight. Is the 5 micron sufficient or do I switch to 1 micron when bottling? How many gallons do the filters usally last for? I buy buckets of juice and usually...

Masbustelo: interested in your post. Did you use 20 lbs of elderberry to the 4 gallons if wine? What does honey to 1.095 mean?

Has anyone used elderberry in their primary fermentation of red wine. I was told it is very sweet with a nice berry taste. It also claims to have some health benefits.

I bought a 2.5CFM vacuum pump at Harbor Freight and want to try using it for racking. My concern is the smell of oil. Has anyone used this pump? Will it compromise the taste of the wine?

Stressbaby mentioned backsweetening. What do you folks use to do this. A local wine juice vendor told me to be sure to use fructose and not table sugar (sucrose). Has anyone tried other additives to backsweeten?

OK thank you - I'm going to try to calculate my ph meter again and add Sodium Hydroxide to sample until I reach 8.2. If it works I don't understand the math and cc units. For example, if I add three drops of Sodium Hydroxide to get to 8.2 how much calcium carbonate do I need to add. Oh...

I have tried two digital PH testers to no avail. I can not get an accurate reading and from what I see in reviews online the consensus is they are not dependable. That being said my wine just taste like there is too much acid. Gives me acid indigestion and my daughter says it taste a little...

When using a finishing tannin like this is racking sufficient or do you need to add a clarifier.

From the previous post adding tannins - I went with Tannin Riche Extra. Do I need to use a fining agent like bentonite when I'm ready to rack.

Maybe its just high abv I'm tasting. Trying to tone it down with Tannin Riche Extra

thanks to all. Vodka seemed like a good idea at the time. Next batch I will try some Star San in the air lock and see if it makes a difference.

I went with Tannin Riche Extra. Do I need to use a fining agent like bentonite when I'm ready to rack.

Juice buckets.

I was wondering if anyone tried putting different liquids in their airlock. I have made a few different kinds of red wine now and all are coming out with a distinct taste - kind of chemical is the only way I could describe. The only common denominator is that I use vodka in my airlock. Next...

According to the Scotts website and EC Kraus, it appears that a finishing tannin is tannic acid and not oak additives.