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I find that many of the tools used in institutional kitchens work really well for larger batches. I use a king size tater masher to crush fruit. Here's a stir paddle that looks to me like it would work just fine...

I go really simple. I print labels about 16 to a page using a simple word processor software on regular colored paper, cut the labels into strips, wrap them around the neck of the bottle, and then glue or tape the label to itself. This makes a neck band that tears right off when the wine is...

I agree. Apple cider press. The top hopper should have a cylinder at its bottom with a couple of long knives in it. The flywheel is cranked to chop the apples which drop into the basket before pressing. The wooden tray has a hole in it so that the pressed juice can run out into a collection...

I always package bottles in leak proof bags or containers. If a bottle should break or leak in transit, and your wine stains someone's valuables, you could find yourself in a bit of hot water. You don't need to lose more than the wine to Murphy's Law.

No pits in the fruit? IF you have pits, I'd try to remove them before leaving. Cherry pits are often bitter and can impart a bitter flavor to your wine.

Whooooopsie!

1st place: Dandelion. Runner up: Stinging nettle. 2nd runner up: corn (field) Honorable mention: carrot wheat

I use about 1 cup per gallon. I still go by taste. The more tart the lemon, the more sweetening it can handle. 1 cup per gallon sounds like a lot, but it's half the rate of kool-aid which is made with 2 cups per gallon. If you're unsure, you can always go light on the sugar and add more at...

3112 + 44 = 3156

My apple wines are loaded with flavor. Getting a good tasting somewhat tart juicy apple helps. I press the apples and make it with pure juice, no water. Sweetening the finished wine a bit helps push the flavor to the front. People love it.

Birds seem to communicate. Once one finds the grapes, they come by the flock. We started netting and find that if you can stop the first bird, the others don't come either. The flickers have long beaks, so they will still reach through the netting and get the grapes closest to the net.

Could be that the bottle you used wasn't completely clean and sanitized. A bit of dried crusty wine at the bottom of a bottle doesn't rinse out very easily and could harbor the bacteria that turns wine to vinegar. It's possible that if the bottle caused the problem, it may be the only bad one...

Just make sure that the wine is fully dry. Your S.G. should be below 1.000. If you were to mistake a stuck ferment for a finished wine, you could have a ferment take off in the bottle later on.

If you make wine, you gotta try making your own vinegar too. Salads with the punch of natural undiluted vinegar take on a whole life of their own.

I'd say there are pros and cons to each. I do both and I also do some blends. As for natural, there is something satisfying about growing or collecting your own fruit and turning it into a creation of your own. It is truly yours. In all likelihood, even when it turns out perfect, you can't...

For the verticals, I just got a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" particle board. Cut it into pieces that are 9" x 22.75". The bottle rests are 9" deep and 1/2" square. I did rip a small 45 degree angle on one corner of the rests so that the bottles have a flatter surface to rest on. If you cut a spacer...

This is my favorite style of rack and can be easily made with scraps and salvaged wood. It is a bit more labor intensive, but stores bottles nicely. You just cut your verticals and then glue/tack with nail gun, the short horizontal pieces for each wine space. A small spacer "jig" makes it...

I keep all my carboys (both full and empty ones) covered with a bump guard. I use old sweaters because they are provide cushion and stretch well around the glass. My wine making room has a cement floor, so I always keep a few carpet samples and cardboard pieces for when I need to set a carboy...

If it were mine, I'd split the batch into two primaries, double the batch by adding more of everything except sugar. I think you'll find the lower alcohol batches will be twice as much and twice as nice.

When I get a batch that won't clear, I find that pectin haze is often the problem. In fact, I made a 32 gallon batch last summer that was started in a single primary, and then split between two 17 gallon demijons. One demijon cleared quickly, while the other did not. Bottled the clear one and...