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I'm in favor of lab analysis, so long as it leads to specific actions that produce better wine. If I follow the conventional wisdom of @winemaker81, and add 50ppm every 3 months, the absolute most I could have in the wine would be 100ppm (50 from the prior dose + the current dose). In reality...

I want to resurrect this thread to ask a question. How necessary is free SO2 testing? I add SO2 every three months in accordance with the pH. I assume 0ppm and calculate accordingly. If my wine has more than 0ppm at the time, then I am over-sulfiting maybe 20-30ppm. That's hardly a big deal...

Do you ever add acid? I see a lot of folks adding "acid blend" but I'm not sure if this is necessary.

I plan on starting a batch of mead this week. I want to use this time to sharpen my fermentation/analysis skills for grape harvest later this fall. Is it safe to assume a starting YAN of 0 and calculate nutrient additions accordingly? I know honey is low on nutrients, so I want to get the...

I agree with Rice_Guy that switching to Renaissance yeast and Fermaid-O for nutrients has been a game changer. While there's many reasons for H2S, I suspect that low YAN is a likely culprit for many of us. Determining your starting YAN can guide your yeast choice as well as the exact nutrient...

I encountered this last year with D47. In my case, I speculate it had to do with leaving the lid on too long before racking to secondary. I did 2 splash racks with K-Meta and then added Reduless. A week after adding Reduless, I racked again with another dose of K-Meta. Two months later the wine...

The regulations are very high in California. If you're purchasing fruit from a commercial vineyard, you may need to get a license in order to do so.

OP, it seems you have made up your mind that you want to make the acid adjustment. I understand that you are asking about the correct measurements for the pH adjustments. The previous replies are helpful in answering that question. I would caution you against "chasing numbers" when it comes to...

I purchased R. Fresco from The Beverage People out of Santa Clara. It's definitely more expensive on a unit basis ($4.78 for 10g) but is still better than buying a 500g brick. https://www.thebeveragepeople.com/products/yeast/10-g-fresco-cider-wine-yeast.html

I bumped up the cellar temp to 70F and have seen a significant increase in bubbles in the carboy. I’m thinking I will recheck a chromatography in a week or so.

How does my headspace look to you in the photos? Could it use a top-up? It’s about 1 1/2 inches of space in the carboy. It does appear to have undergone some evaporative loss.

Good point. The cellar is 62 degrees. I may bump it up to 70 or so and stir periodically. I don’t have to complete MLF, but I believe it would best match the flavor profile I am seeking from the batch.

Here is a side-by-side progression of the wine since it finished fermentation. I'm so glad I have kept photos and notes because this makes me think I'm headed in the right direction.

I would like to check-in with those on the forum to get some opinions on how my Chardonnay is progressing. This is a juice bucket from Wine Grapes Direct. Fermentation - Began: 12/6 with SG - 1.100 - Ended: 12/19 with SG - 0.094 (ABV of approximately 13.9%) On 12/19, I pitched CH35...

Fascinating! This is the type of data I am curious about. Did you do a rack when you added the 50 ppm?

That's such a tough thing to experience, Eric. I am so sorry! If it's any consolation, everyone I have known who lost their sense of taste and smell eventually got it back. For some, it took a few months. Others, it only took a few weeks. Hope your recovery is swift!

Thanks! I will recheck MLF in a month or so. I get nervous letting time go by without so2, but I guess this is what others do as well!

I am working on a Chardonnay from WGD. Primary fermentation was completed on 12/19, and I inoculated with CH35, added opti-malo, and racked to carboy. I did not inoculate a small bottle and set it off to the side. The carboy and bottle are currently in a 60 degree cellar. Today (1/6/24) I ran...

So sorry! I was in no way trying to disparage FWK or other kit wines! I have a totally drinkable (and rather nice) riesling in my cellar as a result!! I guess my expectations were just a little off. I was hoping for something more technical than what I received. In hindsight, that is a bad...

I am happy to report that this FWK Riesling is now in bottle. Reduless and a couple of splash racks solved the issue of H2S. It is a good riesling that should be even better by the summer. Overall, I am pleased with the product. However, I really have no desire to do a kit again. I disagreed...