Since starting your first batch of wine, what have you changed in the
way you make wine?

Here are a few of the things I'm doing differently.

- No longer using wine conditioner (sugar/sorbate syrup). I found that
too often fermentation started up again after adding it.
- No longer sterilizing oak chips. It was an extra step that didn't
appear to be necessary. I do, however, make sure to adjust sulfite
levels with the addition of the oak chips.
- No longer boiling the honey/water for my meads. They seem to turn
out just fine without this extra step.

What are you doing differently?

Greg

On Jan 10, 9:49*am, wrote:
> Since starting your first batch of wine, what have you changed in the
> way you make wine?
>
> Here are a few of the things I'm doing differently.
>
> - No longer using wine conditioner (sugar/sorbate syrup). I found that
> too often fermentation started up again after adding it.
> - No longer sterilizing oak chips. It was an extra step that didn't
> appear to be necessary. I do, however, make sure to adjust sulfite
> levels with the addition of the oak chips.
> - No longer boiling the honey/water for my meads. They seem to turn
> out just fine without this extra step.
>
> What are you doing differently?
>
> Greg

All of that to begin with, exactly the same. I have given up on
titrettes for reds, they are worse than useless in reds. Instead of
sorbate i am making a simple heat exchanger out of food grade tubing
that can handle 130F and will hot bottle by wines with any residual
sugar. I'll post the results. I got the idea from Bird.

Joe

I never work from recipes anymore.
Ok, wrong I, start with looking at the ingredients that
are used in a recipe, and next I measure acid and SG and
develop my own recipe from there.

I read so many books and articles by well known names
which were totally opposite to what other well known names wrote,
or to my own experience that I never
take anything that is written for granted anymore
and test what I can (without a lab) for myself first.

I write a web-log about my experiences.

I have learned that aging really makes a wine better.

I have learned that taste 'grows' in years.
At first I only made sweet wines. Now I make a lot
of dry wines too.

I have learned that it is indeed possible to make
some very bad wine and what differs from my first
winemaking years is that I am willing to admit it and even
just pour it down the drain (I had a really really very bad kiwi wine).

Luc Volders
www.wijmaker.web-log.nl

"Luc Volders" > wrote in message
...

<snip>

>
> I read so many books and articles by well known names
> which were totally opposite to what other well known names wrote,
> or to my own experience that I never
> take anything that is written for granted anymore
> and test what I can (without a lab) for myself first.
>

<snip>

Amen and Amen. Thank you.

Frederick

> I have learned that it is indeed possible to make
> some very bad wine and what differs from my first
> winemaking years is that I am willing to admit it and even
> just pour it down the drain.

I learned when that happens it's time to make a still.

1. Moving from carboys to stainless kegs and now to full-size oak
barrels allows for purchase of better quality grapes (grower minimums),
more flexibility with blending, and more/better wine
2. The slow but steady acquistion of test equipment now allows to me
accurately assess acids, SO2, RS, etc ..
3. The effective use of DAP and nutrients for fermentation, along with
a 1 week settling then racking after pressing, has eliminated H2S
problems

But most importantly ... patience. My first few years I was in too much
of a hurry to take action. Too often I adjusted or manipulated simply
because that's what some books suggested needed to be done. Now, I am
far more reliant on my nose and palate first, my test info second, and
am reluctant to manipulate wines except as deemed truly necessary.




On 2008-01-10 06:49:10 -0800, said:

>
>
> Since starting your first batch of wine, what have you changed in the
> way you make wine?
>
> Here are a few of the things I'm doing differently.
>
> - No longer using wine conditioner (sugar/sorbate syrup). I found that
> too often fermentation started up again after adding it.
> - No longer sterilizing oak chips. It was an extra step that didn't
> appear to be necessary. I do, however, make sure to adjust sulfite
> levels with the addition of the oak chips.
> - No longer boiling the honey/water for my meads. They seem to turn
> out just fine without this extra step.
>
> What are you doing differently?
>
> Greg

On 1/10/2008 9:49 AM, wrote:
>
> Since starting your first batch of wine, what have you changed in the
> way you make wine?

I now always pitch an active starter;
Always maintain sulfite levels;
If I back sweeten, I always use sorbate and sulfite;
I always age 9 months to a year or more before bottling;
Oak where style appropriate;

That's all I can think of. My hobby has become one of what not to do
rather than what to do. That has made it very much more enjoyable for me.


Cheers,
Ken

wrote:

> Since starting your first batch of wine, what have
> you changed in the way you make wine?

Just like "Make love, not war", I make Mead, not wine.
But the OP crossposted this to the Mead newsgroup so
I will respond.

I read alot before I started so I picked up some
good habits:
- Treat your hydrometer as though it is fragile.
- There is no such thing as too much oxygen in
the must prior to pitching.
- Find what you like and keep making it.
- It's your Mead so what if someone else
doesn't like it.


What I learned:
- Cleaning and sanitizing sucks, but if you
don't do it, your brew will suck too. This
means cleanliness is next to godliness.
- Forgetting to take hydrometer readings is almost
as bad as forgetting your wife's birthday.
- Kegging is easier than bottling.'
- Boiling is overrated; pasteurizing is all that
is needed.
- Buying yeast in 500 gram or 1 kg packages
means you save money and you'll make fewer
trips to your LHBS.
- Go Ferm does an excellent job of rehydrating
yeast.
- I prefer dry yeast to liquid yeast
- I prefer cool to cold fermentations.
- When in doubt, use a blow-off tube.

Dick