Search results

The inside diameter of the neck may be different. I just compared two that I have - the opening of the screw top is 20 mm across and the opening of the cork bottle is 18 mm. Also something I never noticed before - the inside walls of the screw top bottle, right where the cork would end up, are...

You should use a leaf blower - it's faster lol

I don't think you're supposed to use a rake.

Given how long it takes to make wine, personally I would do more research and find a tried and tested recipe and process to follow, for anything. Two issues I have with this: 1. He doesn't tell us how it turned out - because it's fairly recent so he doesn't know yet 2. In the comments someone...

Yes, it's probably ectoplasm

Never seen that myself, but I remembered reading somewhere about weird things that can happen - and here it is: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/problems.asp See if "pectin haze" about half way down, or "Uncommon Problems" at the end, describes what you have.

I agree - 5 kg of sugar added to 25 litres of water alone would have SG approximately 1.07, so likely the sugar was not completely dissolved when you got a reading of 1.045. The fruit would not account for such a big difference. Have you re-measured the SG after a good stir?

Hope you figured out what to do about the campden - seems we've given you three different opinions! Yes people are all from over the world on this forum. I grew up in the north of England myself. Hence the user name.

You've missed the first addition, but you can add campden tablets at every second racking and at bottling. I add potassium metabisulphite (which is basically the same thing) initially and at every second racking. The first racking is after about a month in the carboy, then subsequent rackings...

That is interesting. Maybe because the manufacture give the optimal fementation temperature and the chart shows a broader tolerance range? But they don't say where they got the data for that chart.

Here's a yeast strains chart: https://winemakermag.com/resource/yeast-strains-chart Very useful - it shows temperature range and alcohol tolerance.

Did you add any Campden or potassium metabisulphite at the start? It's supposed to prevent wild yeasts from doing peculiar things in the 24 hours before you add the yeast. I've had a couple of bad smells in the primary fermentation that eventually resolved themselves - a pulp mill smell* from...

Lol mine just might be - I sprinkle the yeast on top right from the packet, and I never did get around to ordering that pH meter so I'm still relying on taste. Also I tend to listen for fermentation rather than looking for it, so as not to let the fruit flies get in.

More than 12 hours - give it 24-48 :)

Definitely - and if Timothy then used 6 lb strawberries and no extra sugar, to sub for the 2 cans of fruit base, that would add to his problem, no? I think you could add the additional ingredients now, add some EC-1118 because it's an enthusiastic strain that ferments anything anywhere, and it...

Looks like maybe it originated here: https://blog.eckraus.com/strawberry-rhubarb-wine-recipe which involves using 2 cans of commercial fruit wine base or (in the comments) substituting 12 lb of strawberries plus enough extra sugar to get the SG up to where it should be, using a hydrometer.

Are these six-gallon batches you're making? Sounds fantastic!

Maybe the question should be - is the wine ready to bottle yet? If it's clear and not producing any lees whatsoever, then yes. If not, then no. The sky will be fine whatever you do, but if you bottle too soon you might get gunk settling in the bottom of the bottles and causing off flavours. Or...

I do put my fruit in a mesh bag, but it's not to steep it like tea - rather it's to make it easier to remove the fruit pulp after several days, while leaving behind the juice. Racking or siphoning are not effective or efficient ways to separate the pulp. When I take the bag out I squeeze it a...

I've never boiled any of the fruit I've made wine with, including peaches. But there is a lot of conflicting information that comes up when you search online. The best resources I've found are this forum, the winemakingtalk forum, the eckraus website, and Jack Keller's website.