Barrel Aging Process
A question was recently posted on WineMakingTalk, asking about the process folks use for their barrels. I wrote a reply, which formed the basis for this post. Following is my general process: Crush &...
Category: White Papers
This type of blog post is a technical paper regarding wine or beer making.
Determining Initial Brix / Specific Gravity
A common question on WineMakingTalk is “What should the initial brix / specific gravity (SG) of a wine be?” The short, but totally unhelpful answer is, “Whatever you want it to be?” This is...
What’s in a Wine Kit?
updated 01/01/2023 I see a lot of questions regarding what is in a “wine kit”. I’m offering my take on subject, both in terms of description and why each is necessary. First — what...
Comparison of Oak Adjuncts
Updated 10/27/2022 Winemakers typically want to flavor their red wines, some white wines, and occasionally fruit wines with oak. It’s common to add oak adjuncts (products made of oak specifically for winemaking) to carboys...
Making a Big Red
Updated 04/20/2022 On WineMakingTalk, a lot of folks ask about making a “big red” or a “100 point red”. This makes sense — every home winemaker wants to make an amazing wine that is...
How to Make a Yeast Starter
Standard instructions for wine yeast say to sprinkle on top of the must, and possibly to stir it in. This works, but the fermentation actively taking off is often 24 to 72 hours. The...
When to do the second racking?
Following “When do I do my first racking?” the next common question is “When do I do my second racking?” Following are my thoughts on the subject. The main purpose of the second racking...
Sanitizing During Winemaking
A conversation with a new comrade on WineMakingTalk prompted me to record what I do for sanitizing during a winemaking session. In this context, a “session” is any time I touch my wines. This...
Fixing Fruit Wine Recipes
I read old fruit wine recipes and one thing jumps out at me — the large amount of sugar often specified in some of these recipes. Largfe amounts of sugar produces wines with very...
Making Quick Wine from Commercial Juice
There are numerous YouTube videos that explain how to make wine from commercial juice in the original bottle, using no special equipment. The claims are the “wine” is ready to drink in as little...