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John, your wisdom is always appreciated. I will update this weekend after finishing up this weeks work.

That is what Im hoping for!

Once again guys, I really appreciate all of you following this thread and helping me keep the course. Today's progress: Racked the lacrescent out of the primary buckets. Smells good but did not taste. FG: 0.992 so she's done. Ended up with 7.5 gallons Going to read the white wine making guide...

Status update. I have a full 3 gallon carboy of each variety and 2 or 2.5 gallons in an untopped 6 gallon carboy. I went with the larger vessel because I wrongly assumed fermentation would not be this far along. I tested SG of the 3 single varietal carboys and All are between .996 and 1.000. I...

a lot of people do them in half barrels or similar. I tried it outside and it was killed either because the roots werent protected from cold (use a vine much hardier than your zone) because its above ground, or the spring blizzard we had killed it after it left dormancy. Not sure if Ill try it...

I drove 5 hours round trip just for the grapes. After taxes come back next year, if no giant bills pop up I might be in the market for a 3-5 acre vineyard site. I badly need some experience with fresh fruit from regional varieties.

Im sure you noticed that I am winging it as well to an extent. I actually live in green bay.

What is your plan for marquette and how long do you let your cold hardy reds sit on the skins before pressing?

Im afraid its going to be to hot if I chaptalize it. Have you made it before? They dont us not to pick st pepin or prarie star on Saturday I had a similar plan and actually wanted saint pepin as a priority

We got there at 11 and hit most of the Lacrescent that was at least russeted on the side that got the most sun, and looking ok on the shaded portions. You didnt find anything ripe in the top field because I got there a day before you. lol

John, that was a great post. This thread has been very beneficial to me thus far. here is where I am now: chaptalized for 2/3rds total volume and added fermaid k whole dose 4 days into fermentation as Im working two jobs and have a few other obligations at this point. Im punching the caps 2 or 3...

Masbustelo, No doubt I will have extra small containers on hand. I often toyed with the idea of sweetening my last white kit with honey but did not do so, I might try that with the LaCrescent though. We will see. I might use sugar so Its as basic as possible and I have a baseline for comparison...

NorCal what I read online was to blend some red must to take a OG reading, my end product was basically milkshake density and not a readable liquid. My concern about chaptalizing before pressing is that I am not accounting for any sugars left in the skins and intact flesh of the grapes. So I...

More information and questions guys I am going to need to chaptalize the reds. I am going to need to calculate based on 66% volume retention after pressing the reds. Trying to hit 21-22 brix or about 1.090SG after adding sugar. Is this how you would go about it? Or should I just wait until...

Hey guys, really appreciated the feedback so far. Heres how the day went down. 8.5 gallons of Lecrescent juice split into two buckets 4.5 gallons of Saint Croix must 4.5 gallons of Marquette must 5.25 gallons of Foch must I sulphited all of the buckets and will test PH and OG tomorrow morning...

I'm having a really hard time finding a vendor for light or untoasted oak powder. Anyone have any advice?

Thank you for your reply you gave me a lot to mull over. I do have the other equipment that you listed from my adventures in kit winemaking outside the punch down tool. Just so we are on the same page, the grapes will be destremmed and crushed at the vineyard, and the whites will get pressed...

I will look into opti-red. I am deciding between RC212 and Lalvin 71b for the red wines and w15 or EC1118 for whites. I am debating doing a MLF at all. If I use 71b on the reds can I skip the MLF or should I do it regardless for stability purposes? I looked online and cannot find out if...

My wife and I are planning to pick grapes at Mitchell VIneyard in Oregon, Wisconsin in two weeks. Besides picking equipment I am looking at: Largest size primary buckets that fit in my trunk (19 inches) Stoppers for the airlock holes in bucket lids An extra hydrometer *refractometer *PH test...

racked it today. Towards the end of the racking I could not tell if it was disturbed sediment or gel like substance at the bottom of the wine. Once I finished racking and dumped the sediment outside I did not notice any rope like gel substance but it still made me worried I poured some store...