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I'm thinking the same thing. Did you ever find a printer? How's it working out for you?

Yes! That must surely be it - before I saw any responses to this thread I went up to the vineyard and sprayed Sevin, under the assumption that it was some kind of cutworm. I didn't see any worms, but I did encounter a few little black beetles. Everything is just as described in the article...

Numerous young shoots mysteriously disappeared from my otherwise healthy vines in the past few days. At first I thought it might be deer nibbling, but we haven't seen any deer and also, some of the shoots are partially, but not completely chewed through and I can't imagine how or why a deer...

Regarding bubbles: True confessions, I haven't bought any AllinOne products yet, but I probably will soon because I need a better bottling setup. However, I do already have a filtering system that I pieced together myself which I believe is very similar to the AIO. I've seen the bubbles...

Awesome - I'll add this to my project list, thanks!

We finally have been granted all our permits to become a winery! Just waiting on the COLA and then we'll finally be able to sell. So now, since this is getting real, so to speak, I guess it's time for me to start thinking about a better way to manage our growing winery. Right now it's all...

Anybody ever tried converting a manual crusher destemmer into a motorized one? It's usually pretty easy to find old electric motors that people are giving away or selling for cheap. Seems like it should be possible (with the right size pulleys) to adapt it to a manual crusher...

I've raised chickens for most of my life. I've thought many times about integrating them with the vineyard and one day maybe I will. If I ever do it, I'll build a "chicken tractor" for a dozen or so hens. Basically just a portable cage that would fit between the rows. Drag it a few feet...

Here in the Northeast we're not going to get quite as cold as those of you in the upper midwest, but I'll keep you all in my thoughts and prayers. I hope your vines (and people!) come through it OK. I find it all a bit frustrating. It seems like the new norm is that, generally speaking...

Thanks KevinL, that was extremely helpful and reassuring! Your theory is a thought that was roaming through the back of my head but I couldn't put into words. OK, I'm gonna submit it as-is. Much appreciated!

Question about naming one's enterprise "XYZ Vineyards" vs. "XYZ Winery." So we're finally in the last stages of being able to sell to the public. LLC business has been created, we've got our permit from the TTB, state, FDA, etc. etc... the LAST step on the list is to get a COLA. So now that...

Check your acidity. I'm no expert, but I have observed that when I detect that off-putting medicinal flavor in must or fermented wine, the problem is usually that there is not enough acidity. My advice would be to check pH and TA then do some bench trials with a bit of tartaric acid addition...

That's encouraging, thanks MB wino!

Long story, but I think I need to use VP41 malolactic bacteria, each packet of which seems to cost upwards of $35 and treats 36 gallons. I only need enough for 6 gallons, so I'm wondering if A) Anybody knows of a way to buy it in smaller quantities, or B) A way to store the unused portion for...

For me, oaking would definitely be first and filtering would definitely be last. But blending and back-sweetening could be a little more tricky. It would seem to make sense to blend first and then adjust final sweetness, but I don't think I've ever blended a wine in which one component was...

We're not too far from you here in central MA. I would second the suggestion of Aromella. As was mentioned above, it is highly aromatic, starting with powerful grapefruit aromas, then the grapefruit fades after a few months of aging and you get more honey, apricot, and other flavors. I really...

It's really hard to say without knowing the specific gravity - both current and original. Do you have a hydrometer? If not, you'll want to get one. Making wine without knowing the specific gravity is like flying a plane at night with no instruments.

Yeah, re-calibrating is probably a good suggestion. It has been a while. It's all the crystals on the sides and bottom of the fermenter that still have me scratching my head. It tastes good so far though, so I guess I'm not going to panic just yet.

I was very happy with Double A's soil test service. It was pretty cheap and they got back to me with recommendations specific to grapes. I'm in a similar situation as you, masbustelo - low K, Petite Pearl and other hybrids. In my case though, the Mg was also low. The soil doctor at Double A...

Loopline, I see your point that a bubble burping out an airlock doesn't seem much different than trickling out a loose lid or bung. The thing is though, I'm not so concerned about the occasional macro bubble coming in or out. I'd be more worried about what happens when the pressure is...