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Wondering aloud if there's a "scientific-adjacent" way of testing if it's a mix vs pure CO2....

I'm with you in that I've never fined my wines [or had to]. Especially if you're bulk aging for that length of time I don't see the need for fining. I think they put that stuff in the kits to make the wines look more drinkable sooner.

Also on the flip side, if there is a very large headspace make sure it's been purged. CO2 won't dissolve into the liquid if it's already full of ambient air.

Some of my entries from the past year.... - Pumpkin Wheat Ale -- "Peter Peter Pumpkin Wheater" - Czech Premium Pale Lager -- "Jaromir Lagr" - Pinot Noir -- "Peto Noir"

I can truly appreciate the art of all of the mentioned vessels in both form & function, but TBH as an equal opportunity destroyer of all beer, wine & spirits, I would prefer to see what & how much of my product is in my "cupeth". To that extent, is there room for a hybrid? Pottery with still a...

Temperature datapoints can be useful for reference for repeatability but keep in mind you cannot run a still by temp. I assume you are running a pot still, but regardless, you run a still by power[watts/BTUs] to achieve the output rate you are looking for. It also depends on the wash/mash and...

J4 please ...and hopefully both teams lose

Check the juice concentrate container for added preservatives - sorbates, benzoates, etc

I've had many infections [fermentation-wise] mostly on rum washes & bourbon mashes. A pellicle is a generic term for what as IslandLizard described as another microbe coming in to feast. Often the smell or taste will give away what it is... - if it smells like pineapple and tastes sour it may...

No flames here - I completely agree. $20+ for a 4-pack of mediocre beer that all taste the dam same. Add distilleries to that list. Charging $100 for a 3yr old bourbon because it's "CRAFT". Sorry - ain't nobody gonna miss ya. I think winemakers have upgraded their production capabilities &...

Table sugar is 46 PPG [points-per-pound-per-gallon] so you are looking at 2 lbs sugar / gal water giving you an OG of 1.096 or roughly 12-13% potential ABV. If you are using an SG hydrometer and you are measuring 1.022 you already have about 9-10%ABV currently. All things considered a pretty...

My go-to is www.winegrapesdirect.com they have a pretty good selection of frozen grape musts[red] & juices[white] from various west coast vineyards & vintages insulated packaging is high end customer service is quick There's a few other similar outlets if you check the googles.

While yes the water is an important consideration, it would have to be pretty bad to outright prevent a fermentation. And even with no nutrient additions the yeast will still convert a fairly significant portion of the sugar. So let's also look at the rest of the recipe.... - how much sugar did...

I worked for an owner who used to say 'If you want to make a million dollars in the restaurant industry, you better start with 2 million'. I think maybe it applies here as well... I've worked in various restaurants for nearly 20 years. From server to bartender to bar manager to working my...

OK soap box time. Whether beer, wine, cider, wash, etc there is no more misleading term than "secondary fermentation". I freaking hate it. Drives me f'n ****-house. It is NOT a separate or additional fermentation!!! [ok unless MLF sets in] I see & hear of more newbs take it so...

What was the wash temperature when you took your gravity readings? Most hydrometers are calibrated to about 60F -15C. There are calculators out there on the interwebs to correct for different temps

That's what we all learned in HighSchool chemistry class but in real life the methanol comes out during the entire run and has been proven to come out slightly stronger in the tails portion of the run due to its strong affinity to hang on to water molecules. [hydrogen bonding] The...

It's not just the TTB that cares about home distillation - and in fact I don't think they even give a crap cuz they are so understaffed to deal with the legits, never mind hobbyists or bootleggers. But look at who else stands to lose out even more... the Diageos & Pernod Ricards, etc. They are...

To start, Moscato[Muscat Blanc A Petits Grains] is not the same as Muscat of Alexandria[aka Zibibbo], they are cousins but distinctly different grapes. The apple juice is roughly 5ish% of the total must, so probs not enough to give the TA and pH a huge bump. Plus Renaissance yeasts[bayanus...

Just curious - what was your mash bill? Could it be an ingredient contributing to a very fine krausen or particulate layer? TBH it looks exactly like my rum washes in the first 48hrs!!