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Experiment #3 I created a nutrient broth with 1g Opti Malo in 15ml distilled water. I inoculated this with each of the various pathogens which grew from my hands and from the counter top in the first two experiments. This was a mix of bacterial and fungal bugs which seems as reasonable as...

Agree with both Scooter68 and Johnd. Would add that both blueberry and blackberry are likely to yield pretty acidic wine. My blueberry is in the range of 6#/gallon like Scooter and to give you an example, the last two batches started at pH 2.85 and 2.86. That's a tough environment for the yeast...

Podcast https://winefornormalpeople.com/ has fairly interesting "Wine pairings for Thanksgiving" episode I just listened to last week.

Not sure about this but as H2S results from a reductive process, wouldn't you need oxygen for splash racking to work? I'd try Reduless.

https://morewinemaking.com/web_files/intranet.morebeer.com/files/oakinfopaper09.pdf I normally just toss mine in without a rinse.

Why are you soaking them in vodka?

Yeah that's my post and my thread.

I'm z6 a little west of St Louis. I think you will struggle with those varieties. I agree with @salcoco, you don't need that much space between vines. Most everyone around here spaces vines 8' apart (4' cordon each way) with TWC system. Don't try for any grapes year one and don't count on...

Interesting. You're scaling down to a Spiedel and I'm scaling up to a Spiedel.

OK. I've made blueberry wine a few years now. The first year or two I used Concord grape concentrate. Now, I don't have the best nose or palate, I'll admit that. But I'm pretty sensitive to labrusca aromas and to me the labrusca completely dominated any blueberry in those first batches. Ruined...

Concord frozen concentrate will make your blueberry wine taste and smell like...Concord.

Thanks. The proof of concept test plate for experiment #2 didn't work out. Grew one colony on each section, so that is not sufficient numbers. Will need to redesign that. Considering actually inoculating the straws. Stay tuned.

Re: lime, just wash it and zest it and put it in. It's easier to get out if you remove the zest in large strips with a potato peeler rather than using something like a microplaner. Given your pH reading that would be the first thing I'd check if fermentation doesn't get going.

@RadRob, are those Japanese persimmons?

Can't comment on starburst jelly bean wine. Could this be an ABV problem? 15% sounds pretty high for pear/grape/apple, which to my mind should be more 11% range. I'm wondering whether any of these wines can stand up to 15% ABV.

@Oyarsa, a couple of things... First, you do not need the prefermentation doses of Campden tablets. The pulp is simmered which would take care of any native yeast or other bugs. You should dose with Campden at or near the end of alcoholic fermentation to prevent spoilage, whether you dosed...

Update on experiment #1: All four quadrants grew lots of colonies. In this experiment, there doesn't appear to be any lower counts using the StarSan on the hands. The quadrant with the rinse looks worse, but the colony count isn't really that much different; some other bug showed up here and...

I have not made prickly pear before. However, I've made other pulpy wines. I'd leave it; the pulp may break down further. Make sure you have plenty of pectic enzyme on board.

Noblesse is supposed to help with off odors as well, might be another thing to try.

Perfect, thanks everyone - it's settled nicely, will probably rack tomorrow and let it finish up.