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Just got my FerMonster in local store and about to kick off my RJS EP Amarone. Just watched Tim's Utube Videa, Found that is exactly the same kit Tim V did. No worry about the result now. Haha. Planning as follows: -1 week cold soak and 8 weeks total on skin -1 wk soak w pectic enzyme -1 wk in...

My strategy is to start with cold soak for a week with pectic enzyme and then use the normal fermenter with skin and oak chips loose for 6~7 days until the volcano is subdued. Collect solids with kitchen strainer into the bag and drop the bag into the fermonster with a big glass marble. Rack the...

agree.

I will join the EM group soon with a RJS Amarone. Still looking around for fermonster.

The difference it can make is that you can identify the dead yeast and save a few frustrating days to wait and wait for a fermentation that never starts. I experienced once and from then on i always rehydrate the yeast.

Not sure why very few people make orange wine. I am doing a blend fruit wine with orange juice and mango/pineapple juice in aging period (almost 2 months). Smells very mangoy now but no sign of getting clear. Thinking about hitting with a dose of pectic enzyme followed by bentonite and...

Agree. Superkleer consists of two part, negatively charged part helps to remove protein and the positively charged part helps to clean up the rest. Just like some clarifier comes with the kits. I did some reading after my last post and I am guessing that the fluffy sediment is coming from...

That was really a pain. It happens in every bottle of my fruit wine using sparkoloid as clarifier. I suspect sparkoloid is the trouble maker. I am still struggling to figure it out how to deal with it. I am trying a couple of 1 gal batches with bentonite/sparkoloid combination and Chitosan...

Sur-lie is a nice treak to try. I setup a side-by-side test with one Chard kit early this year, 3 gal normal crisp version, 3 gal sur-lie with oak. The normal one was bottled and almost 80% gone while the sur-lie is still sitting in the carboy struggling. A challenge for patience. Haha.

You said it. Agree with u 100%.

Almost ruined every batch of the fruit wine I used Sparkolloid. At the beginning, I thought it was re-fermentation due to the sugar I used for backsweeten and was in big panic and opened quite a few bottles to avoid explosion. But I found that was not the case, not sign of gas release. Then did...

I hate sparkleod so much. It ruins almost all my fruit wine (even it is still drinkable). The wine kit store recommended to me. When I bottled them, every time it looks crystal clear. However, after a couple months in bottle, fluffy sediments showed up. The clarifier comes with kits doesn't...

Unfortunately for American folks. I did quite a few this year. Double W Zin, double Cab/Merlot, and one singe Shiraz. Pretty happy for the finished Zin and Shiraz batches. A good volume (7L) and so cheap to play, no pressure to tweak. I guess it should be better than Fontana as well as the...

so i will try a double pg cosco kit next spring. keep an eye on the sale from now on. 84 cad for a double (60 bottle) kit, each with 7 liter juice. will be fun to tweak.

not yet Joe. Planning to do a couple of white kits next year, not sure which white fits the cocnut flavour, GERVERTZ or Chard? u r expert on the taste profile, any suggestion?

I add coconut shreds (typically used for baking) in bulk aging period. It settles easily. Little by little. Add some, stir, taste in a few days, add more if not enough. So far used a big dose in a tropical DB. Works great!

I do this way too bus use polish powder and steel wool to remove the sticky stuff. For water soluble glue, just soak and wool. Very easy. No chemicals.

Enjoying tweaking cheap kits with the great ideas from this thread. Making wine like cooking, Haha. Mind opening. Thx Joe for sharing.

Good to know that. About to rack tomorrow. Should it be too late to try this in the current batch (in secondary)?. How about dark roast ground coffee bean? Big fun of the dark roasted coffee smell. Not sure if it matches the Cab/Merlot profile.

I would use BM4x4. I did two reds with it without big problem. Just found it started slowly but once it starts, it goes smoothly. My yeast was bought from amazon and is a little bit old (close to expire date), that might be a reason. RC212 was originally from Pinot but should also be good to...