General Winemaking

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General Winemaking
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Jul 18
6 min

5 Common Mistakes New Winemakers Make

Turning a juice into wine is a remarkably simple process. Just add some yeast to some juice and boom... wine. Just leave some fresh...

Rick Haibach

Jun 14
6 min

When is the Best Time to Bottle Wine?

Deciding when to bottle your wine can be tricky. There is no one size fits all timeline, but there are some factors that should be taken i

Rick Haibach

Apr 13
5 min

Homemade Wine on a Budget? Skeeter Pee!

Making wine at home can save you a lot of money, is a great way pass the time while social distancing. Traditionally wine is made from...

Rick Haibach

Feb 1
5 min

What is Malolactic Fermentation?

Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is a microbial process that can play a tremendous role in the taste, smell and...

Rick Haibach

Jan 19
6 min

Common Wine Flaws, Faults and Problems

When making wine from grapes, you are often presented with many twists and turns. If the wine veers off course too far and cannot be steere

Rick Haibach

Dec 23, 2019
6 min

Managing Sulfites in Wine

Sulfur Dioxide, also known as "sulfite" or SO2 is a commonly misrepresented, yet critical component of wine. In nature, SO2 can occurs as a

Rick Haibach

Oct 23, 2019
5 min

How Often Should You Rack Your Wine?

Why do you rack your wine? Over time fruit particles and dead yeast cells will settle out of the wine and pile up on the bottom of your con

Rick Haibach

Aug 27, 2019
4 min

Things Needed to Make Better Wine

As the wine harvest approaches, I like to stock up on any items needed to get my fermentation off to a healthy start. You don't want to be

Small Kegging Systems for Home Winemakers

Rick Haibach

Jul 5, 2019
6 min

Small Kegging Systems for Home Winemakers

Kegging is generally associated with home brewers, but can also be incredibly useful to winemakers. For the home winemaker, Cornelius (“...

Rick Haibach

Mar 16, 2019
6 min

Selecting a Primary Fermenter for Wine

A primary fermenter does not need to be fancy or expensive, but does need to accommodate the style and the volume of wine that you will be

Target Sugar and Acid Levels for Popular Wine Grape Varieties

Rick Haibach

Aug 26, 2018
4 min

Target Sugar and Acid Levels for Popular Wine Grape Varieties

Deciding when to pick grapes for wine can be challenging. There are many factors involved, but luckily two of the most important are eas...

Potassium Sorbate vs. Potassium Metabisulfite

Rick Haibach

Jul 12, 2018
6 min

Potassium Sorbate vs. Potassium Metabisulfite

If you are getting started in winemaking, you may notice that nearly any set of instructions involves the addition of both potassium meta...

Step by Step Guide to Making Red Wine from Grapes

Rick Haibach

Mar 24, 2018
10 min

Step by Step Guide to Making Red Wine from Grapes

The process for making dry red wine from grapes substantially differs from that of other types of wines or ciders. Rather than pressing ...

Rick Haibach

Jan 27, 2018
4 min

Making a Rosé Style Wine

Like it or not, 2018 may very well be the year of Rosé style wine. Rosé wine is a pink wine that is made from red wine grapes, with the ...

Rick Haibach

Jan 14, 2018
3 min

Making Better Wine by Managing the Lees

The sediment that falls out of suspension in a wine is referred to as the lees. Managing these lees properly can have a great deal if in...

Rick Haibach

Nov 27, 2017
4 min

Best Gifts for Winemakers

Winemaking is a great hobby but like most great hobbies it involves a large amount of equipment. There is an almost unlimited range of g...

Improving Color Extraction and Stability in Red Wine

Rick Haibach

Aug 30, 2017
5 min

Improving Color Extraction and Stability in Red Wine

One metric that high quality red wines are often measured on is color. The ultimate goal is to achieve a deep, rich purple but this can ...

Rick Haibach

Aug 13, 2017
4 min

Proper Wine Storage

Many wines will improve with time, even in the bottle. Young red wines can be overly harsh but with some time in the bottle a pleasant e...

Oak Barrels and Oak Alternatives in Winemaking

Rick Haibach

Jul 23, 2017
5 min

Oak Barrels and Oak Alternatives in Winemaking

Winemakers have long been using oak barrels for winemaking, but in recent decades oak alternatives become widely used with some advantage...

Rick Haibach

Jul 13, 2017
4 min

Fermentation Temperature for White Wine

The fermentation temperature of your wine can have a tremendous effect on the flavor and aroma profile. Immediately after harvesting whi...

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