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Hi all, I think I've seen this discussed but I couldn't find the threads to reference. Is it common for racking a wine to have an adverse affect on the aroma and general flavor? I just did my final racking of a port that I started last fall. I sampled it after racking (done under vacuum with the...

I appreciate all the input here! I'll probably end up going with whichever floor corker that I can find used, since there doesn't seem to be a major difference. Also regarding the divots in corks, I tried to put a dime as a buffer between the cork and the plunger and it was a minor disaster...

Hi all! I've done some searching on the forum, but I haven't been able to find any discussion on the best type of corker. I just bottled half a batch a couple days ago, and I'm officially sick of my double-lever corker. Maybe it's user error, but I find it tough to get the corkers flush with the...

Hey all, what are your favorite yeasts to use for Sauv Blanc kits? I'd like to switch it up from the standard EC1118 that came with it. Thanks!

Thanks everyone for the input. I think I'm going to use some fining agents on the whole batch, then bottle half and rack the rest to a smaller carboy. I've been curious as to the difference of bulk and bottle aging, so this will give me a way to do a bit of test along those lines, as well as...

I appreciate the conversation here. Once I confirm the situation, I'll post here. It may not apply to every competition, but for future Minnesota State Fair entries.

I was recently browsing the competition information for the Minnesota State Fair, and I had a question. They have separate classes for "Dessert Wine" and "Port Wine." My understanding is that technically "Port" is made in Portugal, so I'm assuming the competition is referring to "port style."...

Hello all, I made my first batch from grapes in the Fall. I recently racked it for the first time since racking off the gross lees in Oct/Nov. Shortly afterward a noticeable amount of sediment dropped out. It didn't feel like I brought much of the sediment through the racking cane, so I'm...

Thanks for the reply, although I was afraid that was going to be the answer. I just picked up smaller carboys, so I think trialing a couple different sugar levels for my wine should be doable. Bench testing it is! haha

Hello all, I'm making a dessert wine this fall, so I bought a bottle from a nearby vineyard to get a feel for how they should taste. Is there a way to measure the sugar content of a finished fortified wine? Is it as simple as taking a reading with a hydrometer or refractometer? I'd rather use a...

Hi all, I'm making a port-style wine this season from Frontenac grapes. I will be stopping fermentation by adding spirits in order to preserve the sugar, rather than fermenting it dry and sweetening. I don't want to fortify the wine until it's pressed, so the alcohol doesn't get soaked up by...

I've got White Labs WLP675 (Malo-Lactic Culture: White Labs 675). I should have done more research on the effectiveness of the specific type of MLB. I assumed they would all be of similar quality. Hopefully I can get the better stuff before I need it.

Thank you both for responding. I pitched the yeast yesterday evening, and it's slowly getting rolling.

I added approximately 50ppm, so probably a bit overkill. I don't have a way to test for that either, unfortunately. My hope is that the sulfite levels will fade enough to allow for MLF.

Hello all, I'm making my first wine from grapes this season, and I've run into my first issue. I added K-Meta at crush and cold-soaked for 2 days. I'm realizing belatedly that the sulfites will interfere with malolactic fermentation. Does it make sense to add the culture even if there are...

Thanks for the input everyone. I'll plan on tasting both before I combine them, but my plan is to use the combined wine to maximize body. If I had more carboys and a larger batch size, I'd definitely do one of each. Maybe next year!

Hi all, I'm making a port-style wine with this fall from Frontenac grapes. I'm wondering on whether I should reserve the free-run juice for my port or if it makes more sense to combine it with the pressed juice to ensure the wine has appropriate body for the style. I'm assuming that I should...

Hi everyone, after tasting my second red wine kit, I think I learned what folks meant by "kit taste." To me, it's a deal breaker for kit making (with the possible exception of certain brands). I'd like to begin making from grapes this fall. @winemaker81 recently posted a thread with good options...

Very cool, I'll check it out. Thanks again!

Wow, that definitely looks like it. Did you use an app to find that, or is there an image search functionality on smartphones that I need to figure out? Thank you!