First off, let me say thanks in advance for any answers or suggestions I'm given. I'll probably be on here frequently with questions since I'm so new at this... Well, i'll just fire away.
1. I've gotten recipes, how-to, instructions, etc. from books I've bought and online recipes. The ingredients are so inconsistent. For example, I started my first batch of wine last week (nectarine). One book I have said use 2 tsp of peptic enzyme per gallon, one book said 1 tsp per gallon, and the peptic enzyme bottle said use 1/2 tsp per gallon. Every ingredient was this inconsistent. I guess winemaking isn't an exact science? What's a good rule of thumb or proven online recipes?
2. My books say (which they may be wrong) I need to keep it between 70-75 degrees during the primary fermentation. That's not possible. I can't keep it in the house (wife hates the smell), so I keep it in the garage (closer to like 90 degrees). My friend that makes great wine, which got me started in this btw, says he keeps his in the garage/shop every time and has no problems. What's the deal there? What to do in the winter?
3. I used fresh nectarines on my first try. Would using frozen berries be acceptable? I would like to try a batch of raspberry wine and frozen berries is pretty much the only way. Would that taste any different than fresh?
5. Can you stir too much in the primary fermentation stage?
6. I'm making a 5 gallon right now, if I decided to make a 1 gallon batch, would I still use one packet of yeast? Does it matter?
I'll post more questions as they arise. Again, thanks in advance for any assistance, I'm new to this.
1. I've gotten recipes, how-to, instructions, etc. from books I've bought and online recipes. The ingredients are so inconsistent. For example, I started my first batch of wine last week (nectarine). One book I have said use 2 tsp of peptic enzyme per gallon, one book said 1 tsp per gallon, and the peptic enzyme bottle said use 1/2 tsp per gallon. Every ingredient was this inconsistent. I guess winemaking isn't an exact science? What's a good rule of thumb or proven online recipes?
2. My books say (which they may be wrong) I need to keep it between 70-75 degrees during the primary fermentation. That's not possible. I can't keep it in the house (wife hates the smell), so I keep it in the garage (closer to like 90 degrees). My friend that makes great wine, which got me started in this btw, says he keeps his in the garage/shop every time and has no problems. What's the deal there? What to do in the winter?
3. I used fresh nectarines on my first try. Would using frozen berries be acceptable? I would like to try a batch of raspberry wine and frozen berries is pretty much the only way. Would that taste any different than fresh?
5. Can you stir too much in the primary fermentation stage?
6. I'm making a 5 gallon right now, if I decided to make a 1 gallon batch, would I still use one packet of yeast? Does it matter?
I'll post more questions as they arise. Again, thanks in advance for any assistance, I'm new to this.