Dear Mr. Kraus,

We bottled 120 gal of wine and now how do we care for the barrels until the fall? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thank you.
Glen
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Dear Glen,

Once a wine barrel has been used it should always be kept full of liquid, whether it be with wine or water. Allowing the barrel to remain empty while not in use will cause the wood to dry out and shrink.

When wine is put back in the barrel it will swell up again, but this cycle of shrinking and expanding can potentially cause permanent leaks in the barrel. Putting the wood through these continuous changes will also accelerate its deterioration.

When you are between batches of wine just fill the barrel completely with water. You must also put in the water a mixture of Citric Acid and Sodium Bisulfite to eliminate the potential growth of contaminants in the barrel. For a 50 gallon barrel you would use 1/2 pound of Citric Acid and 1 pound of Sodium Bisulfite. For smaller barrels you would adjust the dosage accordingly.

It is important to keep the water topped-up. Every month or two the bung should be removed and and water added to replace any that has been lost through evaporation. We also recommend replenishing the Sodium Bisulfite every six months by adding half the original dosage. You do not need to add more citric acid.

You may also want to look over our "Barrel Sterilizing Kit Directions" on our website. It goes into a little more detail about caring for a barrel in general.

Hope this helps you out.

Best Wishes,
Customer Service at E. C. Kraus

Hi,

What is the procedure for getting as much of the fruit's flavor as possible in my wine. I'm wanting to try your recent strawberry recipe but would like a strong strawberry flavor.

Thanks!
Steven
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Dear Steven,

Getting all the flavor you can from the strawberries, or for that matter, any fruit, is really not the goal. You should be

concerning yourself with getting the right amount of flavor from the fruit. If you do not get enough flavor extraction, the wine will be light and "zestless". This matches up with your worries. But, if you get too much flavor extraction from the fruit then the resulting wine will be too bitter or harsh. There is a balance to be had here.

Most all country fruit wine recipes call for Pectic Enzymes, including the recipe you are referring to on this blog. [see April 28, 2008 entry] These enzymes help to break down the fiber of the fruit for proper flavor extraction. Various enzymes are also produced by the yeast during the fermentation that will help the extraction process even further.

With that being said, if you follow the recipe's directions you will have the optimum amount of flavor extraction with the right balance of flavors coming from the fruit, but if you start deviating from the directions and start doing things like: over-processing the fruit in a blender; or leaving the fruit in the fermentation longer than recommended, you will risk ending up with a bitter failure.

The safest way to get more fruit flavor in a wine is to use more fruit, however there is more to it than just throwing additional fruit into the recipe. Adjustments need to be made to other ingredients in the recipe as a way of compensating for the extra fruit, other wise the wine won't taste right.

More specifically, when you add more fruit not only are you adding more fruit flavor to the wine. You are also adding more sugar and more acid. Because of this you will need to add less sugar and less acid (Acid Blend) than what is called for by the recipe. "How much less?", is the big question.

In the case of the sugar, you would want to rely on hydrometer readings to tell you how much sugar to add to get the alcohol level you want. To know how much Acid Blend to add you will need to use an Acid Test Kit to get it to a proper tasting range.

Best Wishes,
Customer Service at E. C. Kraus

Dear Kraus,

My husband asked me to write you and ask about which kit he should get to make wine with. He does not really know the difference between them and would like you to advise on how to get started.

Thanking you in advance
Brenda
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Dear Brenda,

We offer 3 different starter kits for making wine. We refer to them as Necessity Boxes because that's what they really are: a collection of the necessities you will need to start making wine. The equipment in these kits are the same quality items we would sell to you individually anyway, only this way they are packaged together at a reduced price.

"Your Fruit"
Necessities Box

SunCal
Necessities Box

Each of these three kits are designed with simplicity in mind. They give you exactly what you need to get the task at hand done whether it be making wine from fresh fruits or from concentrated juices.

You can find more information about these three starter kits on our website.

Best Wishes,
Customer Service at E. C. Kraus

Niagara Mist already has a sensational selection of winemaking concentrates for the home winemaker. Now they've added two new great flavors: BluePom White Merlot and Sangria Zinfandel Blush.

BLUEPOM WHITE MERLOT
This hot, exotic new blush wine combines the rich aromas and berry flavors of the Merlot grape with the tangy Blueberry and tart Pomegranate. The resulting wine is an eruption of sweet and juicy flavors that leaves you wanting more.

SANGRIA ZINFANDEL BLUSH
This sweet and easy drinking summertime wine is a medley of fruits blended with the jammy flavors of the Zinfandel grape. Your nose will be enlightened by scents of orange, lemon and lime that marries with the flavors of berries and cherries on the tongue. A sensational sipper with well balanced sweet, fruity flavors! A great brunch beverage!

Niagara Mist wine kits make uniquely refreshing wine beverages with a bold splash of fruit. Niagara Mist combines famous wine varietals with sassy fruit flavors. Delightfully light and refreshing combinations that are perfect for any occasion. Ready in as little as 28 days.

Getting wine bottles ready to use is a task that can make some beginning winemakers nervous. "Am I preparing my bottles correctly?", they might think to themselves, "And, if I'm not, what is it going to do to my wine?". These are legitimate concerns, but they are also concerns that can be laid to rest fairly easily.

There are two overlying rules that must be appreciated when preparing wine bottles for their task: bottles must be clean; and bottles

must be sanitized. Follow both rules and you will have no problems; ignore them and you'll be rolling the dice with the potential spoilage of your wine.

THE BOTTLES MUST BE CLEAN
What this means is the bottles must be made clear of any visually detected dirt, grime, etc. In the case of new wine bottles this is taken care of for you. Except for a little dust that may have collected on the outside of the bottles, they are clean and ready to go.

If you are reusing wine bottles, then they must be cleaned with dish soap. To use an example, you want to clean them in the traditional way you would think of cleaning your dishes. Use a bottle brush to get inside the bottle and scrub in the bottom corners of the bottle with soapy water. Use a wash rag on the outside of each bottle.

BOTTLES MUST BE SANITIZED
When you sanitize a bottle what you are doing is eliminating almost all of the germs that are on and in the bottle.

If the bottles have been previously used, we recommend using a strong cleaner such as CleanPro SDH to sanitize the bottles. CleanPro SDH is a bleach that rinses away very easily with cold water. Just soak the bottles for 20 minutes in a solution of water and CleanPro SDH as directed on the label and then rinse.

If the bottles are new then using CleanPro SDH is not necessary. In this situation you will want to use Sodium Bisulfite. Just mix up a solution with water as directed on the label and then pour one or two inches worth into each bottle and let sit for 20 minutes. The gas from the solution will do the sterilizing. After 20 minutes just drain the bottle--no need to rinse--and it is ready for the wine.

USEFUL ITEMS
A couple of items we offer that helps make sanitizing your wine bottles easier is our Bottle Sulphatizer and Bottle Tree. The Bottle Sulphatizer is used to spray Sodium Bisulfite solution into each bottle and the Bottle Tree is used to easily drain the bottles.