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Paul . . . that plan is brilliant. At that pace you won't even need to bottle! If you empty a carboy in a week I don't think oxidation will be an issue. You may be on to something here. However, you may want to wait for the 3D liver printing option to become viable before going ahead with...

I have proper storage for about 400 bottles, but I'm currently sitting on closer to 500. And the carboys are mostly full (about 60 gal), at varying ages. I'm just now to the point where I feel like I can age a year or more in the carboy before going to bottle. My plan is to keep the pipeline...

I'm finding that I really like GSM wines and thought that this might be similar. I noticed that Winexpert offers this "flavor" in 2 different levels. The Selection kit at 16L and the Vintner's Reserve kit at 10L. Does anyone have an opinion on either kit and/or how they compare? The GSM I...

Not to change the subject, but how is the Vieux Chateau du Roi ?

Congrats! Sounds to me like you are off to a well above average start. And you have a great guide to assist. One of my early kits was a Fontana Pinot Noir and I had a similar reaction. A year later and it's improving, but alas, I have been sampling regularly and there's only a case left...

I would second Double A as a source. As long as you get your order in early they have a great selection. You might consider Leon Millot for a cold hardy red. I only have a couple vines, but they are growing as vigorously as the Marquette and this grape makes a good fresh wine with aging...

It's my understanding that much of the flavor enhancements that come from oak adjuncts is derived from the toasting of the oak. Thus, the untoasted Jack Daniels chips probably won't impart much flavor . . . likely more of a woodiness. I'd go with cubes or spirals designated for wine.

So far iI have only had to uncork and rework one case and that was painful enough. In the words of Bill Clinton . . . I feel your pain. Hope the 2nd time's the charm.

I split the batch into two 3 gal carboys. The standard batch got bottled this summer after only a few months aging and light oak and tannin additions. So far I have tapped 2 bottles. Both had good underlying flavor, but were definitely young tasting and rough on the finish. The 2nd half got...

After adding one of the F-pacs to the must and filling to about 6 gal the S.G. still only came up to 1.080. Not necessarily a bad thing as I prefer Riesling around 11-12% ABV and this should come in close. I'm just wondering how low the S.G. would have been without the F-pac. Anyhow, the...

Welcome and ditto AkTom . . . lots of sketchy info on YouTube. I think you will find this forum very helpful at all levels of winemaking experience. Don't be afraid to ask a question. Seems like there's always a host of knowledgeable folks standing by. There are no stupid questions. We all...

Totally agree with ibglowin . . . Gruner should be acidic and full of dry fruit flavor. We have a few local wineries that consistently do a nice job with it. I think it would be very difficult to find a kit that would come close to the real thing. However, I like the tip about reducing the...

Perfect info . . . I was thinking of a cooler ferment, but was concerned that it might slow the yeast down too much. Based on this post I won't worry too much about the temps being a little lower. Appreciate the post!

I just picked up one of the leftover RJS 2018 RQ kits - Virtue German Riesling. It's an 18L kit with 2 smallish F-pacs included, along with QA 23 yeast. The F-pacs are very jelly like which tells me that they are heavy on sugar. I'm leaning toward including part or all of one F-pac in primary...

You can find many reviews and testimonials to the AIO on this forum. Since it always works under vacuum no wine ever runs through the pump. Thus, it is easy to use and a snap to clean up. It's very handy for carboy transfers as with any pump it eliminates the need to need to get carboys in...

Johnd is right on the mark (as usual). Just a warning. The wine whip method is effective . . . sometimes too effective. If you go this route, it's a good idea to go slow at first and see how much gas comes off and how fast. If the wine is loaded with CO2 and the temperature is warmish...

We really like Gruner as well, but I have yet to find a kit in this varietal. If anyone has a recommendation there are at least 2 of us out here that would appreciate it.

GREAT! You can make it and give it away to me! I don't mind a little charity.

We are highly variable. Sometimes it's total abstinence (not very often!), frequently it's a couple glasses before/with dinner, but on a semi-regular basis the couple glasses stretches out to a bottle or two. I think it would be easier to show more restraint if I was pulling corks on $15-$20...

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2018/09/21/finger-lakes-best-wine-region/?fbclid=IwAR2ApAIDAKqRSldx31H7JGaOfpzAdjOvThXngpfxYr0Jvcjnp6J793uErV4 I don't know about number one, but certainly a great wine region.