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I only used DAP once and then switched over to Femaid and Go Ferm. Steve pointed out that Fermaid and Go Ferm are US names and may not be available in Canada, not sure if that is where you are. Yeast nutrients are not chemicals. You could probably Google them to see what they actually...

You can't accurately measure brix or SG after fermentation has started. Even after 1 day their could be a significant drop in sugar (as much as 10-20%). I can think of two ways for you to measure the SG prior to fermentation. Simply wait until the next day to take your initial reading and...

The addition of sugar is needed when the natural sugar is not enough to make an adequate ABV (Alcohol By Volume) or if you want a higher alcohol wine. Often times with fruit wine (other than grape) the natural sugar is not enough. The only way to know for sure is by measuring either SG...

Steve, DAP (Diammonium Phophate) is a nutrient source as you stated. It can be used alone or with other nutrients. From what I have read, if using DAP with another nutrient it is best to use a nutrient without DAP as too much DAP is not a good thing. Fermaid does contain DAP.

Are you adding any yeast nutrients? Yeast nutrients go a long way in helping to prevent HO2 (sulfer) odors that can result from a sluggish or stalled fermentation. I recommend Go Ferm and Fermaid additions. Go Ferm is added when you rehydrate the yeast. Fermaid is added when the sugar...

Legs are an indication of alcohol content and not quality. The higher the alcohol content the slower the legs will evaporate. Here is a citation from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tears_of_wine

I have never made mellon or water mellon wine. However, from what I have read in other forums, water mellon wine is very difficult to make. First, there is not enough natural sugar in water mellon thereby requiring a large amount of sugar to be added at fermentation. Therefore, the wine has...

Adding extra sugar will not increase the body of the wine; it will increase the potential alcohol of the wine. Higher alcohol, to my knowledge, does not increase the body of wine. Too much alcohol can make a wine "hot". Meaning that you can get a slight burn when you swallow. In addition, too...

You can add more fruit to increase the Specific Gravity (SG) but sometimes the fruit is too low in natural sugar that adding more will not get you to where you need to be. Plus, it can contribute more tartness to the wine. The last batch of apple wine and the raspeberry blend wine I made had a...

Bananas are a very neutral flavor when adding to fruit wine for body. I added some to a rasberry blend to help reduce the acid.

Acid is important to wine, without it the wine will taste sort of flat. I am not aware of any formula for acid additions that will give you a balanced wine because there are other factors involved such as knowing the pH level. With that being said, acid should be between .65 and .90 g/l but...

Presque Isle Wine has a nice catalog available on line. You can down load it and print it. Go to http://piwine.com.

I won't be attending but if you know of a website for the festival I would be interested in checking it out.

I made apple wine for the first time and used Cotes De Blanc. I am pleased with how the wine came out. Very subtle apple flavor, which is what I was aiming for. I don't know if a different yeast would have given me more apple flavor though. My initial brix was 14 so I brought it up to 21 to...

Hi Todd, I like your labels. It's a nice idea to have a theme going. One observation, it looks like you are leaving a lot of air space between the cork and the wine. Ideally you really only want about a 1/4 inch or less of space.

Luc, sorry to hear about your experience with the dandelion wine. Thanks for sharing because in learning from others we learn for ourselves. I was cleaning my wine room today and had to get rid of 10 gallons of a 2005 Zinfandel. It had H2S, which I didn't correct in time. If I weren't in need...

Welcome to the board. Wine making certainly can become an addicting hobby. One of the best parts about wine making is having a place to bounce ideas by, ask questions, or to get some helpful advice. I have used this site, as well as others, extensively. Again, welcome.

It certainly is a preference. I like to bulk age my wine in carboys for anywhere up to 2 years. The important think is to keep the wine properly sulfited and to make sure there is minimal head space (air) between the wine and the cork. I keep the head space at about an inch. If you have...

Wine Facts Ok, so I have to much time on my hands. I came across this a few times so I finally copied it down. I am sure the grape variety will have some impact on the quantity but here goes: 1 grape cluster = 1 glass 75 grapes = 1 cluster 4 clusters = 1 bottle 40 clusters = 1 vine...

Steve, you just gave me a great idea. My wife and I have differing tastes on wine. I prefer dry reds and whites; she likes sweet whites. I didn't think of adding a few drops to a glass. This means that I can buy the type of white wine I like and add a few drops to a glass for her. Even if I...