Grape Wine Making | Forum profile

I can't speak for others but I adjust my SO2 constantly after MLF then check free SO2 about every 4 to 6 months using A/O. I adjust to the minimum required as needed and keep an accurate account of how much sulfite has been added over the course of aging. I try to follow the standard and keep my total SO2 additions to less than 150ppm over the 3 years I age the vintage. Due to micro oxygenation and the size of the barrel used the SO2...

QUOTE (Howie @ Nov 25 2009, 08:28 AM) The main uses for cream of tartar in cooking are for stabilizing foods with lots of sugar, like meringue, some cookies, syrups and candies. I'd be using it to make food for the bees: 15 lbs of granulated cane sugar 3 lbs white corn syrup or glucose 4 cups of water ½ teaspoon of Cream of Tartar heat to 242 degrees remove from heat and stir until the temperature is 181 degrees pour it...

Thanks for the link - it is expensive - but at least the colour change looks very obvious unlike identifying colour changes in dark red wine sample itself. Besides most of the tools would be useful for many other lab related activities I might do with my wine. I do appreciate the video's put out by valley vintner and others they are a great help. Now what we need is a scratch and sniff card for identifying faults!

Yikes!!! How did I miss this, Hey this is the link I was searching for Thanks Drunk Skunk. I'm about to print all eight pages and have my own book This is really promising. IOU Red

QUOTE (Hammered @ Nov 24 2009, 11:09 PM) Dry the potassium bitartrate crystals, crush them to a powder and dump them down the drain... I'm with you. --------------------

QUOTE (gregorio @ Nov 26 2009, 11:36 AM) If it is fermenting, there is no (very littel anyway) oxygen on the must. An active ferment produces plenty of CO2. That being said, given the condition of the fruit, pressing a little early might be a good choice. If you think it will reach 1 or 0 in 3-5 days, wait and press then. Remember, 0 is still not dry. If it is moving slower, press around 3. Do not rack it off the gross lees...

If it is fermenting, there is no (very littel anyway) oxygen on the must. An active ferment produces plenty of CO2. That being said, given the condition of the fruit, pressing a little early might be a good choice. If you think it will reach 1 or 0 in 3-5 days, wait and press then. Remember, 0 is still not dry. If it is moving slower, press around 3. Do not rack it off the gross lees but keep them stirred up every day. This is where the yeast...

QUOTE (sapdog @ Nov 27 2009, 02:19 PM) thanks for the replies - I appreciate the comments and the complexity of this. Actually I have found SO2 tracking to be perhaps the hardest lab related activity with respect to making wine. I have tried Titrets kits, Accuvin SO2 test, and a "Sulfikit" test kit. I did see the link to the A/O kit and perhaps need to go consider it as well. Luckily I am not very sensitive...

Alright, so I had a low alcohol level in my Niagara (8%) post-clearing and wanted to boost it up to 12%(ish). So, taking the easy way out I added a bottle of vodka instead of starting up fermentation again. My question is, in time (in the carboy) will the vodka taste mellow out? It just has a bit of a bite to it... Thanks!

QUOTE (bbutler11 @ Nov 20 2009, 01:39 PM) Alright, so I had a low alcohol level in my Niagara (8%) post-clearing and wanted to boost it up to 12%(ish). So, taking the easy way out I added a bottle of vodka instead of starting up fermentation again. My question is, in time (in the carboy) will the vodka taste mellow out? It just has a bit of a bite to it... Thanks! Yes, the alcohol will mellow out, but you will never...