Winemaker's DepotYour Trusted Source for Wine Making Supplies, Wine Kits, Beer Kits, Homebrew Supplies

Search Advanced Search

 

 

We get a lot of calls about foam so it seemed like a good topic for this month… Basically we get two questions, “the instructions with my wine kit tell me to stir until foamy and its not foamy…” and the other is “my wine is real foamy is that normal and what should I do about it…”. Bottom line is that how much foam you see or do not see during the fermentation process is primarily driven by the type of yeast you are using. If you don’t see foam when you think you should make sure your specific gravity is continuing to drop and you should be okay. In the case of lots of foam, foam is normal and again, the amount you see will vary, just make sure whether you are fermenting in a carboy or plastic fermenter you have left adequate room in the top of your container for foam. If you have more foam than you want you can always add an anti-foam emulsion.

 

Another question we get is “my wine smells like rotten eggs, what do I do?” The egg smell is hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and a small amount is produced by all yeasts during fermentation. Some yeasts, particularly the Montrachet strain, produce more of this aroma than others. This aroma is rare in kits and is usually a result of insufficient yeast nutrients. Usually the aroma can be reduced or eliminated by aeration/vigorous stirring. If this does not work you can add a product called Bocksin which is Silicum Dioxide.

 

Cork Recovery Time and What is it? After bottling and before inverting/turning upside down for storage a you should leave the bottles in the upright position for a period of time prior to turning upside down or on its side for storage and aging. The argument for how long to wait is widely debated with opinions ranging from five minutes to 24 hours. I have read nothing that said you will hurt your wine by waiting 24 hours and there are plenty that are concerned that 5 minutes is not long enough. So bottom line waiting before inverting is a must and the longer you can wait, up to 24 hours, is the safest bet.

 

Speaking of corks… Did you know Portugal is responsible for 52% of the world’s cork production, Spain for 30%, and coming in a distant third is Algeria at 6%.

 

This month we are adding Accessories and Gifts, this will include signs, cork screws, bottle tags, clever bumper stickers, and other items, check them at www.winemakersdepot.com/Accessories-Gifts-C10.aspx

 

Last month we added a whole host of pumps and filters to our website, you can check them out at www.winemakersdepot.com/Pumps-C56.aspx and www.winemakersdepot.com/Filters-C27.aspx

 

Spring is just around the corner, which means it is time for a batch or two of “Orchard Breezin” - Easy to make and easy to drink, these Mist Wine Kits provide a refreshing alternative to wine coolers. www.winemakersdepot.com/Orchard-Breezin-Mist-Wines-C101.aspx

 

MARCH MADNESS SALE! - During the Remainder of the month of March receive the following discounts

·        5% Off on Purchase Totals of $50.00 or More

·        10% Off on Purchase Totals of $85.00 or More

·        15% Off on Purchase Totals of $120.00 or More

·        To receive this discount simply enter “MARCH MADNESS” into the coupon code box during the Check Out process

For more information Click the Following Link - www.winemakersdepot.com/Promotions-W18.aspx

 

May 15 to May 16 2009 WineMaker Magazine will be holding a Winemaker conference in Napa Valley California. The conference will include 26 Seminars, Expert Speakers, a Wine Swap and Tasting Party, Amateur Wine Competiton Awards dinner, Winery Tours of Course. For more information click www.winemakermag.com/conference or Call 802-362-3981 Ext. 106.

 

DROP US A LINE at info@winemakersdepot.com for just about anything, especially the following:

·        Have a question about a product

·        If there is a product you need but can’t find on our website

·        If there is there is a topic you would like to see covered in our next or future Newsletter

·        If you have a recipe you want to share

 

RECIPE of the MONTH: (Sent in by Marv)