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I bet the novello series are pretty sharp when they are young. Heavy tannins or not, I don't see them being very good in less than 6 months regardless of what's in them. I'd be very surprised if they weren't.

Just leave them in the carboy until the next time you rack or bottle. No harm. Removing them is pointless unless you absolutely want to do so. They will initially float, then sink to the bottom. They might swell a little but not enough that you will have issues removing.

Curious how you know the flextank provides micro oxygenation. Is there specific manufacturer data on this or is this an educated guess? Edit... just looked them up. Pretty interesting. Sounds like you got a winner!

Thanks for sharing. If all you do is flush with water after you use it and then drip dry, then most of what I do is a waste of time. I guess I like the idea of running sanitizer through it after use and using compressed air to remove any residual moisture. I also would like to get more...

@Rice_Guy how do you clean/sanitize your racking hoses/canes?

Recently read an article and I started using 3 tbsp citric acid per gallon of warm water to help clean racking hoses and other difficult to clean parts. Then following with 3 tbsp/gallon kmeta for sanitizing. I also recently cracked my first carboy using this method. The temperature...

What I've found that works... sanitize a towel and put it over the top and clip it to the bucket with paper clips. It allows it to foam up but the towel will keep it from overflowing. See pic.

I was curious if you'd figure out how to remove that cork. Towel trick. 😆

That is quite the conundrum. Were the corks wet? I normally have my corks in solution that might make them slide in easier. Can u take a pic of the tops of the bottles showing the cork tops? Are the corks dimpled on the two end bottles and not the middle bottle? Like is the plunger...

I would bet the floor corker is the issue. It must be slipping under force if the cork is not being seated fully. If it is locking correctly, the corker will install corks to the same depth every time. The only variation might be in having a dimpled cork if the force needed to seat the cork...

Assuming the new kits should be in stock soon since they are updating labels on a bunch of out of stock kits.

I viewed the thick (sludgy) concentrate of the FWKs as a pro, not a con. I assume the thickness was due to the kits being more of a grape pulp substance rather than just dehydrated juice. At least to me, it seems like a more authentic grape must- similar to orange juice with pulp included...

I wonder if they are getting any new offerings???

There might have been some sort of substance/residue that was in the carboy or was carried over when you last racked. As long as it doesn't smell/taste funky, I wouldn't worry. If you're super concerned, pull it out with a syringe, discard and top back up. I would take that opportunity to...

How long has it been bulk aging without being opened? At 3 months from the last time you racked, I would open, smell and sample/taste. If it seems fine, don't worry about it.

I made the comment that the Forte kits I made lacked flavor. I don't know that this is an accurate comment. Thinking more about it, I would rather say that I believe their flavors are more one dimensional and not as complex as I would've liked. I had big hopes for the super tuscan but it is...

I have a line on a local winery where I believe I'll be able to source juice this fall. A buddy is good friends with the head winemaker. I think they bring in most of their grapes and blend with their local grown stuff.

No. I notice kit taste with everything else- which i dont enjoy and neither does my wife. I have not made high end RJS or WE PR yet but the cost on those kits turns me off. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to tweak the FWK to eek out what's missing. I'm not necessarily disappointed as much as...

I'm just sharing my opinion- not looking for advice. I typically purchase in the $10 to $15 range, rarely going up to or above $20 unless we are in a restaurant. My drive for making wine is partly cost savings with the remainder being the enjoyment in the process and end results. If I get to...

accidently posted twice - and I'm not even drinking today! :slp