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If you let the bulb dry out you may need to soak it for some time in potassium chloride solution or you may need a new one. Check with your manufacturer to see if they have a recommended storage protocol. Cheers! -johann

This is awesome and thanks for sharing! Interesting that no concern regarding TA was indicated. Was there an upper TA limit discussed at all WRT getting pH down to 3.6 range pre-AF? Cheers, johann

The Carignan is racked off gross lees. 12 gallons and 3.5 bottles for top up. 2nd use of skins with Aussie PV needs to be pressed tonight (down to almost 1.000). I’ll be using the skins a 3rd time with 10 gallons Aussie Cab Sav. I moved two carboys of Sangiovese out of the cold room (had...

There are lots of very functional DIY approaches for small batch wine pressing. The bucket press is great and incorporating a hydraulic jack with some bracing can make it pretty easy to work with. This press is $100 and i’ve used it for a handful of seasons doing multiple pressings of batches...

Whoa! That barrel drinks almost as much as I do :) Cheers! -johann

Anyone make some carboy racks? I believe that book has plans for those as well - at a slight angle to leave room for the airlock and racking cane access. Cheers! Johann

That’s great news. Looking forward to reading your notes. Cheers! -johann

Colavita estimated maybe about $400 for an LTL reefer delivery to Nashville on a pallet of grapes which doesn't sound unreasonable to me. Another option to pick up at a winery may save a little on shipping but probably close enough to a wash for me. Cheers! -johann

I'm also planning a shipment to Nashville from Colavita for next season as we approach. I believe that if they have a distributor in the area they'll send you through the distributor for small orders. If no distributor they can ship via LTL. I figure I'm spending a couple G's give or take each...

Almost three weeks to complete AF on the Carignan. Pressed and moved to glass. I’ll rack in a couple days off the gross lees. I didn’t mlf this one. Too cold in the cellar. I degassed a small glass and this will be a nice lightish red. The skins were rather mucky - I expect from the ExV and...

I've got two buckets each of the Australian Cab Sav and Petit Verdot that I will be starting soon once my frozen must is pressed. May need another carboy or two Ha! I've got buckets from another vendor in AF but have never done juice buckets before. Looking forward to seeing how they do this...

Supply and Demand is where the market transactions actually happen otherwise it's speculation. You're not even allowed to sell it so it's a $17 bottle to produce and also known as "Unobtanium". You can gift it and they'll probably ask for more. Cheers, johann

The natural yeast was moving along pretty slow so I pitched the RP15 starter after it had sat in the fridge for several days and was still nicely active. The Carignan must temp ranges from about 50-55*f and is fermenting better now too. Cap formation is more solid. I got about an additional 10...

Same! Unsubscribe. -jb

Absolutely and I'm not too worried about it. These wines in particular were wines that I had made a decimal error in my Ex-V dosing and as a result they received upwards of 10x the Lallezyme ExV enzyme and became very mushy during AF with lots of precipitate falling out over the bulk aging...

I have a batch of three wines from grapes I started almost two years ago. Racked off sediment a number of times and finally bottled a couple months ago after also filtering through a 5 micron filter and then letting sit for another month. Drinking some of them now and there's still sediment in...

Here's some notes on Diactyl production via MLF. Less time on the lees recommended because the yeast metabolize the diacetyl. https://scottlab.com/manage-diacetyl MAXIMIZING DIACETYL PRODUCTION STRAIN CHOICE: Choose a strain with a high potential for diacetyl production (Beta and PN4)...

Happy New Year! Ambient temp this am is about 50*F and cap temp is similar. Brix dropped further into the upper 22’s so confident that it’s an active ferment. Certainly nit as active as it would be in higher temps and with commercial yeast. I have three other wines fermenting in four carboys...

Thanks! I’m punching down the cap a couple times a day and this is fermenting nice and slow. Ambient temp was up to maybe 60F the last day or so and dropping back down now. Brix is dropping. Cap formation isn’t as robust as other must ferments I have done with commercial yeast. I fed it with...

Last night I added a second cup of must to the RP15 starter and it’s going very well this morning. My ferment cellar (aka: the dungeon) is about 58*F this morning and the temps are dropping later this next week so I might move the fermenter if it gets too cold. The starter is ready to pitch so...