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Thanks, im still in the experimental phase of my winemaking so I need to try a lot of different blends to see what I like. My goal is to find out what works well and what doesn’t. The crusher destemmer is a manual Enoitalia from Winemakers Depot that was supposed to be all stainless steel, but...

I almost forgot that the pump came with that mason jar and cheap filter that always got wet. This vaccum trap was $100 but makes the pump so much better: https://shop.gastmfg.com/aa672k-vacuum-trap/ It works great and Ive never had liquid enter my pump since getting this trap. I have 2 of these.

Interesting idea. Are you going to remove the skins by lifting them out of the fermenter? If the juice is drained from the bottom, I assume it would bring the seeds along with it. Or, are you saying that the seeds will settle to the bottom and be left behind when racking? It could be useful...

2024 winemaking kicked off for me this weekend. Early Sat morning, I picked up 1,000 lbs of grapes that I had ordered a few weeks prior from a local supplier. On the way home, the pallet shifted a little in my truck and I almost lost some precious cargo. My father-n-law generously helped...

Curious when you do whites, are you running your grapes through a crusher / destemmer first or going straight to press?

This sounds like it will be a good blend. Let us know how it turns out.

Install is correct on pressure plate. Are you using the Blichmann vacuum pump? What pressure reading are you getting? Mine is modified slightly, but I typically get at least 600 mmHg on gauge when pressing. Also, are you including stems with grapes?

4 gallons is alot. My pomace is fairly dry whenever Im done and I rarely go more than 2 presses. Something doesn’t seem right about that. Honestly, sounds like something may be wrong with your pump. Another issue could be if the false bottom was placed upside down it would prevent your press...

I have 4 of the wine easy presses and the vacuum pump was designed for 14psi, or 1 bar of pressure. A bladder press will typically go up to 2 bar. And a basket press can go up to 5 bar. Working within those limitations, you can wait between presses with the wine easy, with low risk since its...

The finishing product that made the most difference in my trials was Royal. The wine I was testing was loosely based on Tignanello. However, my blend ended up being more like 85% Sangiovese and 15% Cab Sauvignon. Originally, I did not think my acid numbers were too bad with a finish pH of 3.40...

Estate seemed to improve my Merlot & Cab Franc based blends with ‘roundness’ and ‘smoothness’. I also got hints of coffee and caramel from it, which added depth. However, with my Sangiovese & Cab Sav blends, I noted ‘turned wine flat’ and ‘enhanced flaw’ where I had a perceived acid...

Got it! I dont have a vineyard, but i’ve read that you want to be very random when your sampling. Or, as you said pick at 23 to shoot for 25. Enjoying your post. I pickup my grapes this weekend. Ill try to post some pics of my process.

Color looks great! What low brix? Mid to high 20’s is on the higher side, but should be good for those wines. Should get you between 14%-16% alcohol.

Enjoyed watching these. Was a reminder to keep it simple. I hope my kids appreciate tradition like the Grandson. Thanks for posting.

I recently purchased the Scott Labs Finishing Kit and did some trials on last years wines, which are ready to bottle. Generally speaking, Im looking for smoothness with no bitterness. For me, a premium tasting wine has a start, a middle, and a finish that provides upfront fruit flavor (acid)...

Brix are good but may need some acid. Do you have a pH meter? Also, with the higher alcohol you may want to add some yeast nutrients.

Im also making a Zin this year. I should have about 17 gallons. My plan is to co-ferment approx. 10% petit syrah to start. I also have a little extra petit syrah in case I'd like to add more later. I also use 'sacrificial' oak chip tannins at fermentation on all my reds along with color pro...

Makes sense. Never had this issue before because I take good care of my equipment and clean after each use. I suspect the original owner let stuff sit without cleaning, perhaps for years. Thanks for your input.

Took suggestions from the group, but Ohio Bob may be correct that carboy is permanently etched. Tried 'chlorine free' oxyclean with the 'mark II' carboy pump cleaner. Ran pump for 45 minutes with a steady stream of cleaner rolling down the sides of the carboy. Used my drill mounted rotating...