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Yes, that is a good plan

As for the fining agents, if you are just looking to clear the wine you can look at the "super-kleer" set of kieselsol and chitosan that will protein-stabilize and do a decent job of settling your yeast in your wine fairly quickly. If this is a recently fermented batch be sure to rack it to aid...

The so2 will drop over time and decanting it will also help when you can ready to drink it. Or just try running the wine through an aerator to get immediate effects rather than decanting. Adding too much so2 can bleach color from your wine and reduce the fruit on the nose, even after you've...

Once you are done with primary fermentation (and MLF, if you are doing that), you want to dose your wine with 50-75ppm sulfites to prevent spoilage (see chart link below). At all operations from this point onward, you need to minimize exposure to air by purging containers with CO2 (or another...

My bad. Sorbate to 1g/GAL (200ppm, under the legal limit). Thanks for pointing out the typo. Perfect example of why it is good to use a spreadsheet to do your calculations as a double check. I'm impressed if you can taste it at 150ppm. Regardless, it should be dosed high or you are risking...

It is likely still fermenting because either insufficient yeast nutrients were added or the temperature is too low. I'm estimating it is around 2-3% residual sugar now which is fine or even low for a pure blackberry wine. Depends on your starting brix and blend. Ive made a lot of blackberry...

My concern is with the oxygen permeability of the bag material itself and not purging or vacuum sealing the bag. Oxygen making its way past a cork with a surface area of <5cm^2 is much less impactful than the potential of going through an entire bag with a surface area of >400 cm^2. If the op...

The "aging" process refers to some combination of allowing the wine time to (1) settle particulates such as yeast, (2) absorb some oak flavors if exposed to oak, and (3) allow tannin polymerization in the case of "big reds". Aging is not a bad thing that should be avoided, but it should be...

Agreed. I made a bench trial of blood orange wine this year. Looked and smelled good as it started fermenting. But it ended up with a sort of rubbery nose to it (not H2S) with no notes of citrus or orange. Plus it never settled, regardless of the use of fining agents, time, or temperature. I had...

It is oxidized to death and you are smelling/tasting ethyl acetate (aka fingernail polish remover). Just dump it and move on to the next batch that is going to be drinkable!

You need to calibrate your pH meter with standards on a fairly regular basis. Calibrate and remeasure before you use the data to make any decision. A pH of 2.6 *may* ferment (very slowly) with the right yeast. I did a cranberry using D47 without deacidifying but it took a month or two and was...

I would try to remove the floating objects and then hammer the wine with campden tablets (say 1.5-2 tablets / gallon). By the time you dose it with more yeast at bottling, the free sulfite level should sufficiently low to not impede refermentation. The larger issue is the large amount of...

I don't foresee any issues with your plans. I've never used the hibiscus petals though, so it is possible that fermenting with the petals there could produce some unusual aromas but I have no idea. Pinot noir is low in tannin so you won't risk getting too much in the wine. Good luck and brew on.

All the hydrometer reading shows is that it is dry and long done fermenting. Be sure you keep your sulfites level up, which will help protect your wine from oxidation and spoilage (eg. becoming vinegar). Looks like you are doing a good job keeping your headspace to a minimum in your carboy...

You could check with Main Street Homebrewing in Hillsboro. I used to get grapes and supplies from them when I lived in the area. You are right that this is getting late in the season.

I split my marquette this year between BM4x4 and GRE. I find that BM4x4 gives good body, tannin and color (not that marquette really needs more color). GRE seems to enhance the fruit aromas and brings out the cherry notes for Marquette.

Unless you plan to do MLF, you can add your sulfites at the end of fermentation since there is no benefit to waiting and you only risk oxidation/spoilage without sufficient sulfites.

This is where your specific take on your wine can really shine and be unique. The question is: what do you like in YOUR wine? American oak offers more tannin and vanilla, when medium toasted. French oak could be a nice option for depth and finish. Cubes are better than chips which are better...

It is partially cosmetic that you don't want a cloudy wine in your glass. But the pragmatic aspect is that the cloudy wine means you have loads of yeast or other sediment that is muddying the flavors of your winemaking. The grape flavors, oak and subtle characteristics of your winemaking...

Sorbate is only going to be necessary if you are making a sweet wine that is at risk of refermentation. You can also get some refermentation if the yeast leaves a little sugar behind that it decides to finish off when the conditions are more favorable (eg. warmer). Given that it has been 3...