Month: July 2013

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How to Make Mead

Mead is a wonderful beverage that is somewhat of a cousin to wine. While it’s not made from grapes it is made using the same process and yields similar levels of alcohol.

There are an infinite number of variations that you can make with mead.This recipe uses only honey and water however, you could add fruit juices, tea, or even baking spices from your kitchen cabinet.

Previously I outlined a recipe for making mead, however, I’d like to update that recipe as well as show you how to go through the steps from beginning to end. Continue reading “How to Make Mead”

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Glass vs Plastic Carboys

This debate has been going on since the introduction of plastic carboys made from PET. PET by the way stands for polyethylene terephthalate. There are very good arguments for going with either glass or PET, however, the right answer for you will depend on your own preferences. To help you out I have outlined the pros and cons of each here so that you can make an informed decision for yourself.

The Pros of Glass Carboys

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The First Winemaker’s Academy Wine Tasting

This past weekend (July 7th 2013) my wife and I hosted the very first wine tasting showcasing the wines produced during The Great Riesling Yeast Experiment (part i, part ii, part iii). It was held at our house with just one other couple we invited over.

The point of this wine tasting, and the point of the experiment, was to determine if you could produce distinctly different wines by fermenting the same grape juice with different strains of yeast. I split a six gallon World Vineyard Riesling kit into two, three gallon batches and fermented them separately, one with RHST and the other with W15 yeast strains.

The spread at the first Winemaker's Academy Wine Tasting

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Cold Stabilization of Wine

Cold stabilization of wine is a method used to keep tartaric acid crystals from forming after the wine has been bottled. This process is referred to as cold stabilization because it is the act of cooling the wine that causes tartaric acid to form tartrate crystals, also known as wine crystals or wine diamonds.

If wines are not cold stabilized there is a chance that these crystals will form when consumers place bottles of wine in the refrigerator or store it for long periods of time. While the crystals are harmless it can be rather unsettling to find what looks like broken glass in your wine if you don’t know what it really is.

Cold stabilization of wine can prevent the formation of tartrate crystals.
Tartrate crystals on a cork.

Why do Tartrate Crystals Form?

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