Recent content by Midway Island

Well as soon as I saw the word soap that was the clue, to sanitize vessels and equipment you should use bissulfite or a peroxide base never soap or bleach bases. If you want yeast to work properly metabissulftite and 26°C are the 2 key words in winemaking I also use powder free medical gloves...

I agree, I went from 2 carboys a year to 6 due to the habit of opening these too early, I do 2 rackings, 4month then 4 months.Bentonite is a go to at 2nd racking It is worth adding as it made my cloudy diamond crystal clear.

My catawba turned out tart and had some sediment after 1 year and 2 rackings, I post sweetened with 2 cups of sugar before bottling, it looked clear at bottling, I should have hit it with bentonite prior to bottling. I won't make catawba again,

Some kits that are up in the $150 range are delicious when finished, I usually go a few more weeks between rackings on kits, if proper sanitation techniques are being practiced the rackings will assist in the clearing process, bentonite is added at the beginning stage so if the wine is what I...

The apple flavor may be diminished, when racking I would add a 64oz. Jug of motts apple juice to the 5 gallons that will bring out the apple and balance out the dryness.

I would rack it. Check SG and add 1/8 tsp of S02, let sit for a month and observe airlock activity. I have an apple mead that I have a similar issue with and will do this at racking.

I oak every dry red that I make, I toast 6 gr. of red oak in the oven, 275° for 1/2 hour then toss in carboy on 1st racking. Oak will drop after 4 weeks, 8 more weeks then 2nd rack.

That is part of the fun. I am getting ready to 2nd rack my cider batch, it is a little cloudy so I am going to do a taste test and decide what I want it to be, either a white wine or apple mead, adding toasted oak and or honey to 2nd rack, if it hasn't cleared in 4 months I will add bentonite...

I made a chocolate port blend 4 yrs ago, added 1/2 cup of Hershey syrup to the juice at startup, brix was 24, after primary added 6 gr. of cocoa nibs at first racking. 2nd racking in 4 months. Added bentonite 2 weeks before racking. After 4 more months bottle

I fired up an unpasteurized cider from a mill that uses U/V light to kill off bad bacteria. The brix content was 15 so I added 3 cups of desolved granular sugar, After pitching nutrient and 71B it started great. I racked at .910 SG and added sorbate. racked after 3 months will add 4 gr. of oak...

I would try to cold crash this for a day or two to slow down the action, eventually it will slow to a manageable fermentation.

Bentonite surprised me. A gray paste added to a carboy of fermented liquid could clear the suspension in 2 weeks is unbelievable. I had an unpolished diamond I was ready to bottle but decided to pitched some bentonite 2 weeks later it had cleared and looked fantastic.

I would try cold stabilization for 2 weeks, then rack, check brix count ensure 21 brix is present, pitch nutrient then yeast, keep ambient temp at 23 C.

I discovered apple cider is only 15 brix I added 2 cups granulated dissolved sugar to get 22 brix then starter nutrient and a packet of 71B, started up nicely, racked after 3 weeks, cant wait until March for 2nd racking