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RJ Spagnols En Primeur Winery Series Australian Shiraz Winemaking Kit https://www.homebrewsupply.com/rj-spagnols-en-primeur-australian-shiraz.html You have great prices, but shipping costs are a killer. I did order a kit from you that my LHBS did not carry, and I had a great experience with...

I switch from an airlock to a silicone vented bung after degassing, or the 2nd racking using the all-in-one wine pump. https://www.morebeer.com/products/silicone-stopper-breathable-carboy.html Although it is vented, it can get pushed out if the wine is significantly degassing. After another...

Don't fill it up more than 1/2 way, and you should be fine. Set the 6 gallon buck on top of concrete blocks. You don't have to fill the bucket.

For red wines, I avoid it all. I let time do the work.

Pitched last night, and nothing today? ... Pretty normal. Even a new batch of juice can take 24-48 hours before seeing anything. If nothing in 48 hours, next time try making a yeast slurry - where you take your yeast, and let it grow in progressively larger jars of juice. Then pitch it...

9 months is about the minimum to bulk age and clear without agents. IMHO, just keep racking every 2-3 months until you don't see the dust anymore. The Merlot probably should be 18-24 months before you start drinking it. So that gives you a few more rackings.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51741 Or, if you use synthetic corks, you can store the bottles standing up. Then you can easily stack cases of bottles on top of each other. Or, you can keep the wine stored in 6 gallon carboys. A carboy takes up a lot less space than 30...

Welcome. How did your first harvest taste? I am in Milwaukee and have thought about buying some local fresh grapes.

Seems like you are reducing the pressure of the transfer. If I had not sold all my PET carboys, it would be useful. Will it work on water carboys from the grocery store? That might be useful for my smaller batches.

Here is what you do: 1) Mix kit according to directions, but DO NOT pitch the yeast. 2) Remove 1 gallon, and store in the fridge. 3) Return to your normal programming and pitch the yeast. 4) About day 4, when fermentation has subsided, add back 1/2 of the reserved juice. 5) wait a day or two...

As long as you are bulk aging for at least 9 months, you can skip the clearing/fining agents. Time will do the work. I have skipped everything but K-Meta for reds that are not backsweetened. Shorter stuff, like Island Mist kits, do not have the time in carboy to clear before bottling. Ditto...

With natural cork, you run the risk of Cork Taint. Since you now have a floor corker, use only #9 cork. They are bigger (wider) than #7 and #8, and thus give a tighter seal. Label Peelers says: NomaCorks are synthetic, and have the least risk of cork taint. IMHO, buy the best cork (other...

Mid range kit for a first-timer (something in the 12L range). The wine is decent, but if you mess up, you limited your loss. Regarding the fast fermentor - spend your money on the All-in-one wine pump first. Much more useful than the fast fermentor. When you make the sweeter wines (those with...

First of all, you should minimize drawing any liquid into that line. The Overflow bottle is to protect the pump against accidental sucking of liquid into that line. Ideally, you never draw liquid, other than vapor, into that line. I run water through the line (hold one end up to the faucet, and...

A must have for winemakers. Great for beer makers too.

You can't. The more simple the juice, the quicker it is ready. The more complex, the longer it takes for time to do the work to integrate the flavors. IMHO, the pails manufacturers are not targeting the 45-day crowd. By the time someone upgrades to fresh juice, they are expecting more than what...

The water level in the airlock shows a pressure difference (different water height on each side). That is a good sign. Wait another day to see more activity in the airlock. no.

Stirring keeps the yeast suspended and helps to keep it from stalling. It also releases CO2, which reduces the likelihood of foam escaping from the pail.

Using an on-line Brix calculator, if you started at 26 Brix, and ended at 1, then your implied ending SG is 0.941. I would say that you are finished. The alcohol in the wine throws off the Brix reading. At 7 Brix, it would have an implied SG of 0.978. Take an SG reading, and see where you are at.

Does it come with a Crusher and Destemmer? That would be a deal breaker for me.