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I'll never use Everclear again! YUCK!! I tried to make my coffee extract with it, and while it did a fine job of extracting the essential oils and flavors, the final product was absolutely disgusting. I threw it all away and make a new batch with a reasonably good 80 proof Vodka. The end result...

They are single celled plants... they don't "know" anything. However their chemistry is inhibited at certain alcohol toxicity levels (dependent on strain). They go through 3 phases; the aerobic "lag" phase where they mainly reproduce, the anaerobic phase of mainly consumption and conversion...

IMO they are all voodoo approximations because we aren't microbiologists with a complete lab and a complete understanding of every strain. A more accurate statement is that yeast will not assimilate as much YAN as the alcohol toxicity rises. The fact is, they do continue to consume some YAN...

I just checked my measurements. I was using ~6 grams of DAP at inoculation and ~3 more grams on the 3rd day.

This is another good read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeast_assimilable_nitrogen It states that FDA regulation limits the use of DAP to 8 lbs per 1000 gallons, which translates to 22 grams per 6 gallon batch. That's a lot!! About 3/4 of an ounce. A 2 ounce container lasts me through 6+...

This is a good simple read on the subject http://www.nanaimowinemakers.org/Winemaking/General/AddingNitrogen.htm

I was over to a friend's place and tried some of his 1 year old Stag's Leap Merlot. It was pretty tasty, but I could detect acetaldehyde (green apples) and a hint of vinegar flavor. Since it's a year old, I think it's safe to say it's not infected. He said he's never used any nutrient/energizer...

Yeah, my first 3 kits finished @ 0.994 so I tasted the base. It's surprisingly good! Full bodied and firm tannins.

Chlorine is bad, MmmmKay

Use oxyclean for the cleaner. Just make sure you get the one that's unscented and no bleach. Oxyclean is alkaline, so when you follow up with starsan, you really annihilate the germs. Not one single issue in over 15 years. (knock wood)

In my experience, it's going to keep slowing down. If you want 1.010... you might get there, but you might have to be really patient. EC 1118 is well known for fermenting for MONTHS after a wine is in a bottle. It's the terminator of yeast.

All I can say is that as long as I wind up with 6 gallons in primary before it's done, my wines are coming out great. I don't like to fill my primary with 23L of juice and then add the grape pack because I've had some of the fermentations foam up into the airlock. I also use a bag for the grape...

You definitely want 23L of liquid in primary. That's how the yeast gets the FG down to the right numbers, too. What I do is fill the primary (with the grape pack) to 6 gallons, and after 1 week remove the grape pack and top off with more water (about a quart, just guessing). Again, not all...

I don't have a problem with the grape pack being included... but that's not what started this discussion IIRC. People are adding 7L of water to a WE Eclipse kit to make it to 6 gallons in primary. If it says 18L and you actually get 16L, that's messed up. I just weighed an RJS WS Rosso Grande...

Do they have much flavor after primary? Or is it all in the f-pack?

My mom did it by accident.

Those bottle caps can become projectiles... people have been seriously injured by champagne corks. I've heard of the bottle caps from Belgium beer (highly carbonated) getting embedded in sheet rock ceilings. There's a reason champagne corks have wire baskets plus heavy foil over them.

Be careful of the pressure limits is all.

I just ended up with 3 more kits. It turns out I accidentally doubled my order. So... now I'm working on the Holidays of 2015, too.

I've never tasted a port with toasted oak. It sounds like a good addition