Re: small batches

Dave, I would love to have a selection of glass jugs smaller than a gallon - I would use them all the time for when you end up with more than a gallon, or for your sweet reserve. My suggestion would be to start with 1 gallon glass containers (here they cost about $2 each) for your batches, and save the other ones: you'll end up using them. I'm in the process of collecting odd amount wine bottles which will accept a bung and airlock.

I only do 1 gallon batches of wines. Believe me, 5 bottles is not all that much. Some day, I may go to a 3 gallon, then I would end up having more of the wines I like. I've heard bulk aging is better in larger containers, the wine is not affected by air temperature or other things.

There's been discussions on splitting yeast packets. Yeast is cheap, just use the whole packet. Now, I have split my packets, so that I use 1/2 packet for a 1 gallon batch, but I started using a whole packet for a 1 gallon batch. Darlene

AS is not unusual with Scot, he beet me to the punch. That is exactly what I was going to say. Smaller the batch the larger the loss.

Also, if you are doing an experimental batch, one of the things you need to determine is how long to age it. (and if it is not experimental why are you making only one batch?) You really need to try it at maybe 9 months (some wines need to be drunk young), one year to 18 months, 2 years and then maybe

3 years. I had a 1.25 gal batch that did not mature until 8 years. Fortunately I had lost a bottle for a long time or I would never have known it because it was still harsh at 4 years. You need a minimum of 4 bottles after all your racking. It is hard to do that with even 1 gal because you are probably not going to end with 4 full bottles.

Ray

One other thing I just picked up on in your post. Don't ever, ever, ever use a pickle or vinegar jar for anything in winemaking. I swear that no mater how well you clean it, if you seal it up for a month and then open it you will still smell pickles. That stuff just doesn't was out and that means that if you put wine in it you may well be starting a batch of vinegar. There are plenty of other jars to use.

Ray

Nothing wrong with getting vinegar. Just as long as that is what you are trying for. Got a good batch of that going. Just goes real well with my home made wine. Always seem to have a tiny bit left in the bottle, fermentor, etc.

Greg

(sigh) I hate my news server.. this is the only response to my post I got. I had to figure out google to read the rest of them.....

That's what I will probably do. I had kinda figured on it not working, but not for the reasons listed... I figured there would need to be a "critical mass" for the yeast to do it's thing etc... A friend of mine drinks lots of apple juice.. I'm going to try and switch him on to a brand that comes in glass jugs and get the jugs from him... or just buy them and give him the juice....

Also, thanks for the note on the pickle jars.. never even gave it a thought.... I guess I always figured glass was inert enough to be fine...

email: daveallyn at bwsys dot net please respond in this NG so others can share your wisdom as well!

Speaking of these apple juice bottles, what's a brand that comes in glass bottles now? I'm in MD and haven't seen apple juice in a glass bottle for a a long time. Been trying to find them, but no luck yet this year.

Greg

I've been looking to (Wisconsin), they all went to plastic is seems. Unless you can find an apple orchard who sells apple juice - they may still bottle in glass. Darlene

Try looking in the health food stores. HTH