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No worries. Could be co2 lifting sediment, piece of lemon pulp, sorbate that didn't immediately dissolve etc. get it next time is right. I allow 6 weeks to clear. Most allow 4 weeks. Your choice.

Growing up on a farm we had to deal with them buggers. We kept the grass around the home and orchards cut low. Ticks are just searching for a host and like thick grass and woods. The worst part of my summers. Ticks.

You may get some acid reduction with a cold stabilization. Check the tutorial section on how to manually reduce acid. Blending is another option

Most yeasts can't survive that high an alcohol %. Don't know why it tastes dry at 1.020

Yes trim back excessive leaf growth and keep the grounds clean. Air circulation is important. It can be difficult at first knowing what to trim and where but once you start you can go pretty quick. Basically get rid of those extra cordons and keep your cordons about 3 feet or just above the...

Excess CO2 in your wine will greatly slow down the ability to clear. You should either splash rack once your wine is fully fermented, or transfer using a vacuum pump which will also degas the wine. I will add to my carboy the potassium metabisulfite and then add my wine. Then I will add...

Could be oxidized. Hard to say how long the bung was loose. Did you get any tartaric acid drop out. You may with a kit get some which would reduce the acidic level. Did you back sweeten at all. That would help the flavor. Even if only to .995-.998

You can. It will help to release the juice from its cell structure. Simmer the juice if you want to remove excess water and increase flavor. Toss in a few pears to add flavor too. Lalvin EC-1118 will work very well.

Potassium Metabisulfite stuns wild yeast giving your commercial yeast a chance to gain a foot hold. If the concentration is high enough it will slow the growth of the commercial yeast too. Potassium Sorbate surrounds yeast (all) and prevents them from breeding. They can still eat sugar and...

Potassium metabisulfite is fine, if it contains potassium sorbate don't bother. Idea, sample the juice, if it's a little thin simmer awhile on the stove to evaporate the water out of it to increase the flavor a bit. This is a good thing to do with apple juice too. Just a thought.

Yeast can survive in a dormant state either in the wine while aging or frozen. Upon adding sugar the remaining yeast will feed upon the new food but not be able to reproduce if the sorbate is still good. Both potassium meta bisulfide and sorbate do not kill yeast.

I always age my wines then when it's time to back sweeten I'll add sorbate. Keep sorbate in a cool dry area, not on the floor and it will last longer. I keep my chemicals in small Rubbermaid containers in a cupboard in wine cellar.

Lalvin's D-47 or EC-1118 are great yeasts. Doug has made numerous elderberry batches. Excellent. I have made an elderberry and just bottled an elderberry blush (used sediment and added sugar water). It too turned out good.

Wines will get better over time before losing quality. Reds tend to peak @4 years, whites earlier. Sample a bottle every few months and see.

Normally you would rack off of the crystals after aging and back sweetening. This would leave the tartaric crystals behind. If you allow the wine to rest a few months in a cool area they will dissipate out of the wine. Cold stabilizing can also be done. No problem.

Not knowing your recipe or procedure it's very difficult to diagnose the problem. There is a Tutorial on basic juice fermentation in our Tutorial section. This should definitely help you. Read that and see if it answers some questions for you.

Shipping wine via the USPS is a federal offense. Just letting you folks know.

If it's at .998 it's not thru fermenting. .990 or below is fermentation finished. Add a teaspoon of super ferment to a 6 gallon batch and stir it good. It should finish up in a few days.

It helps to have a back up hydrometer or one you can borrow.

I have 12 gallons of skeeter pee going. It's almost thru fermenting after 4 months. I have kept a lid on it the last few weeks with an airlock. Chugging along slow and steady. Smells great. Will be 6 gal. reg. skeeter pee (Thanks Lon) and 6 gals. Cranberry Lime S. P. (Thanks me). As long as...