Procrastinator? Then Making Wine is Your Hobby!

When a couple comes into our store and I start talking with them about making wine as a new hobby, I usually tell them that women make better winemaking hobbyists then men because there are only two simple rules: Keep your equipment clean and read and follow directions. Women are better at both!Another attribute that makes helps when wine making is the ability to procrastinate! The great thing about wine is that if it is good today, it will be better tomorrow. This statement is for the most part true but during the very initial stages in the winemaking process you do have to stay on schedule in the addition of the various additives and moving the wine to a clean vessel when necessary. Once the process is a few weeks on its way the calendar becomes more flexible and you can go through the various stages with quite a bit of variance in the timing of the winemaking steps. In fact, I have delayed bottling wines for up to two years but for a very good reason. Wine that is stored in bulk ages about 50% faster then which which has been bottled. Here is a time when dallying is a good thing!

BlueStem Winery carries both WinExpert wine kits and Cellar Craft wine ingredient kits and both make superb (even world class!) wine. We have had customers make various kinds of kit wines which they declare are the best they have ever had.

One of our special wine kits this year is one Cellar Craft‘s Limited Edition kits, the Super-Tuscan Rosso Fortissimo Reserve Cuvee. This kit provides twice the amount of Tuscan Sangiovese juice than Cellar Craft‘s Showcase Rosso Fortissimo. The crushed grape pack is 30% larger at 2.6 liters and the crushed grapes have been upgraded to Walla Walla Appellation Quality grapes.

This Rosso Fortissimo is truly special and would be a great way to start your wine making hobby.

In addition to the WinExpert wine ingredient kits and the Cellar Craft wine kits we carry, BlueStem Winery also carries its own line of homebrew ingredients kits known as BlueStems Best. BlueStem carries a complete line of wine making equipment, winemaking ingredients, and wine making supplies plus all of the homebrew supplies, home brewing ingredients and beer brewing equipment you need for these great hobbies.

Wine Clarification — Filtration

The final method of wine clarification for home winemaking that we will discuss is filtration.To filter or not to filter is a frequent debate among wine makers. Some believe that when wine is filtered that the process removes flavor and color from the wine and the fact is that high quality wines are most often not filtered and that wines will maintain a higher level of quality if they are fined and not filtered.

Lower quality wines are usually produced with the intention of bringing them to market quickly and the purchaser of this type of wine does not like sediment deposits in their wine. Purchasers of high quality wines realize that the wines which have been aged for a significant length of time will throw sediment.

When wine making and when the intention is to filter your wine, this process is typically done after the wine has been stabilized and has been aged. Filtration is the immediate prelude to bottling.

BlueStem Winery is a full-service wine making equipment, winemaking supplies and ingredients retailer located in Parkersburg, Iowa. Our inventory also includes homebrewing supplies, home brew ingredients and homebrew equipment. We also stock a very large inventory of WinExpert wine kits and also an inventory of Cellar Craft kits plus our own line of beer brewing ingredients kits known as BlueStems Best.

We would encourage you to visit us on our website for your next WinExpert or Cellar Craft wine kits or any of the brewing supplies you may need. We promise knowledgeable advice, friendly service and prompt delivery of any homebrew supplies, beer brewing equipment or any ingredients, supplies, or wine kits you need for making wine.

Wine Clarification — Liquor Quik Super-Kleer K.C.

Liquor Quik Super-Kleer K.C. is a 2-stage Euro-fining which BlueStem Winery has come to recommend to its wine making customers in most circumstances.This fining contains two pouches, one of kieselsol and another of chitosan. This fining works by creating both strong positive and strong negative charges in the wine. This creates larger yeast clumping and faster clearing.

The type of fining has been used successfully in commercial wine kits such as WinExpert and Cellar Craft wine kits for years and has been a staple at BlueStem Winery since we opened our store.

LQ Super-Kleer can be used when making wine and should also be kept on hand as one of your standard home brewing supplies as it can also be used to help clear beer.

Add the kieselsol packet to your carboy. It is recommended that this 2-stage fining be added to your carboy prior to racking. Stir gently and bring the sediment up from the bottom of the carboy. Dissolve the chitosan packet in one fluid ounce of warm water and then add this to the carboy. Again, stir gently. Attach bung and airlock and wait from 12 to 48 hours (or longer). This product may not clear pectin haze or wine or beer made with hard water (water high in dissolved minerals).

BlueStem Winery recommends the use of LQ Super-Kleer for use with any of the Cellar Craft or WinExpert wine kits that it sells and it can also be used with any wine made from concentrates or fresh fruit juices.

Are you looking for a good selection of winemaking equipment or homebrew supplies? We may be what you are looking for! BlueStem Winery offers everything in wine making equipment and home brew supplies that the amateur vintner or brewer needs. If you find a piece of homebrewing equipment or some brewing supplies or some WinExpert ingredient kits that we do not have we will be happy to accommodate you by ordering the homebrewing supplies or the kits you want.

In addition to home winemaking kits we also stock a complete line of winemaking supplies for the vintner who wants to make their wine from fruit or concentrates. Ditto for the homebrew enthusiast. We have our own line of beer brewing ingredients kits called BlueStems Best or you can choose a recipe of your own and purchase the beer brewing supplies and brewing equipment you need to make it.

Stop in if you are in the area or we are open 24 / 7 on the web and can have your purchase on its way right away.

Wine Clarification: Pectic Enzymes

Pectins present in wines can cause the wine to remain cloudy. Excess pectins are removed by the addition of pectic enzymes and this treatment is effective for red wines, white wines and for fruit wines. The addition of pectic enzyme prior to fermentation will, in addition to clarification, increase juice yield.The pectic enzyme powder should be dissolved in water and added prior to fermentation when used to increase juice yields and and as a haze prevention. It can also be added after fermentation to reduce existing haze. Pectic enzymes are most effective at a minimum temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

If the haze persists you can test to see if the wine still contains excess pectins by adding your wine to methanol at a rate of 1:4. If a heavy, off-white precipitate forms the wine contains excess pectins and it should be treated again with pectic enzymes. If the problem continues it will most likely be necessary to filter the wine.

BlueStem Winery is your full-service supplier for winemaking equipment, wine making supplies, WinExpert ingredient kits, Cellar Craft kits, and all of your other home wine making needs. BlueStem also provides its home brewing clients with a complete line of homebrewing supplies, beer brewing ingredients, and brewing equipment plus we are your exclusive supplier of our own BlueStems Best brewing ingredients kits.

Whether you are making wine from backyard fruit, a WinExpert or Cellar Craft kit or brewing your own beer, we can help you with homebrew supplies or wine making advice. We look forward to being your source for home winemaking ingredients or home brew supplies.

Wine Clarification — Gelatin

Powdered gelatin finings is a good red wine fining agent. If red wine has excessive tannins gelatin finings make an excellent fining as it will reduce tannins in addition to clearing the wine. Dosage for gelatin finings can vary considerably based upon the concentration of suspended particles and on the amount of tannins present. Gelatin exhibits good less compactness traits (see December 8, 2007 blog article regarding lees compactness).

BlueStem Winery has operated a wine making and beer brewing supplies store since mid-2003 at 305 Third Street in Parkersburg, Iowa. Our website became operational approximately a year later and has given us a large gathering of new friends from all over the USA and Canada and from many countries all over the world.Our speciality is wine as we are a licensed winery and we specialize in WinExpert kits and Cellar Craft kits for our home winemaking customers. We started from square one with the brewing supplies end of the business as I had never brewed beer previously. My first experience was making an Amber Cerveza Brewers Best kit. We carried the Brewers Best line for quite some time but found it a better fit to clone the Brewers Best line with our own BlueStems Best homebrewing ingredients kits.

We stock a complete line of winemaking equipment, homebrew supplies, home brewing ingredients and beer brewing equipment. For making wine, our wine making equipment is first rate and we pride ourselves on prompt service and professional packaging. Our homebrewing supplies are fresh as are our homebrew ingredients. BlueStem has recently implemented a great new discount program for whole line of homebrew supplies and wine making ingredients for everything purchased from our website. That plus free shipping on everything on our website including brewing equipment and beer brewing supplies.

Wine Clarification — Isinglass

Isinglass is a super pure form of gelatin which is made from fish bladders. Isinglass is a very quick acting fining agent which is most effective on white wines. Is is very poor as to lees compactness as it creates a heavy deposit (see December 8, 2007 blog article regarding lees compactness).The Isinglass sold by BlueStem Winery is in liquid form and is in a 45mL packet. At the recommended rate of 1mL/L this packet would be adequate to treat two 6-gallon carboys. Isinglass is also marketed in a powdered version.

After fermentation is done, mix liquid Isinglass with a small portion of wine and then stir this mixture into your carboy. Allow wine to clear for two or more weeks and then rack to a clean carboy.

BlueStem Winery is into making wine but we do home brewing as a special hobby! Our retail store at 305 Third Street in Parkersburg, Iowa offers a complete inventory of brewing equipment, home brew supplies, homebrew ingredients, winemaking ingredients, wine making equipment, winemaking supplies, BlueStems Best homebrewing ingredients kits, Cellar Craft ingredient kits and WinExpert ingredient kits.

Today was the last day to pre-order WinExpert kits for their Limited Edition lineup for early 2008. If you missed the deadline, BlueStem has ordered several extra kits and will have these available on a first come, first served basis until they are gone! Cellar Craft limited edition kits will continue to be available with deadlines for each type of wine expiring monthly from December, 2007 to March, 2008.

If you need brewing supplies, beer brewing equipment, homebrewing ingredients, or wine making supplies, winemaking ingredients or wine making equipment for your home winemaking or homebrew hobby, look to BlueStem Winery for all your needs.

Wine Clarification — Egg Whites

One common household item that works well for fining red wines is egg whites. Egg whites are not suitable for fining white wines. Egg whites provide good lees compactness (see blog article from December 8, 2007).The use of egg whites for fining wines is usually appropriate only for wines made from grapes. Egg whites help alleviate astringent flavors from your wine.

The procedure for using egg whites as a fining agent is as follows:

1. Separate the egg white from the yolk (use 1 to 2 egg whites per 100 liters of wine).
2. Add the whites to salt water (dissolve a pinch of salt in 100mL of water for each egg white used).
3. Add mixture to wine and stir thoroughly.
4. Rack wine not later than 7-10 days after addition of egg whites.

BlueStem Winery is your winemaking supplies source! BlueStem also stocks a complete line of home brew supplies. Our homebrew ingredients line features our very own line of partial mash ingredient kits called BlueStems Best. Some of the ingredient kits offered include Amber Cerveza, American Amber, American Cream Ale, American Light and American Micro Style Pale Ale. Our lineup of WinExpert kits includes wine kits from the following series: Selection Estate, Selection Original (aka Selection Premium), Selection International, Vintners Reserve, Island Mist and Selection Speciale. BlueStem also carries kits from the Cellar Craft Showcase line and from Cellar Craft Classics.

BlueStem Winery also carries a complete line of winemaking ingredients for making wine from your own backyard fruit or grapes. We are committed to our wine making and beer brewing customers and stock wine making equipment. ingredients and supplies plus homebrewing supplies, equipment and ingredients.

Wine Clarification — Bentonite

Bentonite is an effective wine clarifier for all grape wines but it is especially useful in white wines because it helps prevent haze caused by proteins present in white wines. Bentonite provides poor lees compactness (see blog article from December 8, 2007).Bentonite is most effective if added prior to the start of fermentation. When I use bentonite I typically dissolve the clay in hot water and put this solution in the primary fermenter prior to any of the other ingredients, including the juice itself. It can also be added to wine which is fermenting after the first or even the second racking.

Use bentonite in a range from 1 to 4 grams per gallon of wine must. Add bentonite to warm water at the rate of 1 gram of bentonite per 12.5ml of water. Heat the water on the range and stir until the bentonite is completely dissolved. Then pour the bentonite into the primary fermenter and continue the addition of the other wine ingredients. If adding bentonite at any time other than pre-fermentation you should use one half of the above recommendation. Wines treated with bentonite should be kept within a temperature range of 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

BlueStem Winery offers a wide range of WinExpert wine ingredient kits and a selective line of Cellar Craft kits. Both WinExpert and Cellar Craft ingredient kits are excellent choices for your wine making hobby.

You can purchase all of your winemaking equipment and brewing supplies at any hour of the day or day of the year from our website. Your wine making supplies or beer brewing equipment will be shipped promptly and if you have questions we will be more than happy to assist.

Our homebrew ingredients and wine making ingredients are fresh! Home winemaking or home brewing are great hobbies and we will be more than happy to get your started.

Wine Clarification

When home wine making is done using fresh juices or grapes it is usually desirable to fine your wine to clarify (or clear) your wine. Fining is usually necessary because of the high amount or proteins present.There are quite a few fining agents available for the wine making hobbyist to choose from including Bentonite, egg whites, gelatin, Kieselsol, Isinglass, pectic enzymes, Chitosan, Sparkolloid, grape tannins and my personal favorite, LQ Super Kleer (a dosage of Kieselsol and a dosage of Chitosan). Wine can also be filtered in lieu of using a fining agent.

Fining agents which are not liquids should be dissolved in water prior to introduction into the wine. After fining, kit wines should stand for at least two weeks prior to stabilization, wine from juice should be allowed to clear for at least four weeks and wines from grapes should be allowed to clear for approximately eight weeks prior to stabilization.

A review of each of these fining agents will be done over the next few days beginning with Bentonite the next time I write a blog article.

When choosing a fining agent to use you should consider whether the agent works well with white wine or red wine or either and also you should consider the density of the lees which will result from the use of different agents. Fining agents which do poor job of lees compaction will result in a larger amount of sediment. This will possibly result in a second racking being required and ultimately a reduction in wine quantity. This aspect will be reviewed as we write about each of the fining agents.

BlueStem Winery is a licensed and bonded Iowa winery. We have been making wine professionally since 2005 and as wine making enthusiasts for over 30 years. We operate a retail store selling homebrewing supplies, wine making equipment, our own line of brewing ingredients kits called BlueStems Best and home winemaking kits from both WinExpert and Cellar Craft. WinExpert kits have been a staple at BlueStem since we opened in 2003 and we have just recently added the Cellar Craft kits to our winemaking supplies inventory.

We stock a complete line of winemaking equipment, homebrew supplies, beer brewing equipment, homebrewing ingredients plus wine making ingredients and supplies.

BlueStem prides itself on prompt shipping of your brewing equipment and home brew supplies purchases and on knowledgeable, friendly service. We will always take the time to help you with any problems or concerns.

Rotten Eggs in Your Wine

I am pressed for time today but wanted to quickly address a problem that one of my home wine making customers is fighting today. This problem is the presence of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in your wine must.The key to solving this problem is early detection. Detection is easy because the aroma produced by the presence of hydrogen sulphides is that of rotten eggs.

There are several possible causes but I will refer you to the How To page on our website where there is a link to a .pdf file which more fully explains the causes and how to deal with this problem. The most common method of eliminating the problem is to aerate your wine must (the offshoot of this is a possible oxidation of your wine) by racking it several times and allowing as much splash as possible. Another solution can be found in the website article.

BlueStem Winery is your source for winemaking supplies both in the store and on the web. We specialize in wine ingredient kits from two of the world’s best kit suppliers: WinExpert and Cellar Craft! WinExpert kits were our first order of business when we opened and about four months ago we added Cellar Craft kits to our inventory. We have posted articles on our blog about all of the Cellar Craft ingredient kits we carry and will soon be posting descriptions of all of our WinExpert kits on our blog.

Cellar Craft kits we have written about include:

Showcase Amarone
Showcase Rosso Fortissimo
Showcase Cabernet-Shiraz
Showcase Chateau du Pays
Washington Reserve Late Harvest Riesling
Showcase Yakima Valley Merlot
Showcase Yakima Valley Syrah
Showcase Viognier
Showcase Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel
Showcase Cabernet-Merlot
Showcase Gewurztraminer-Riesling
Showcase Yakima Valley Pinot Gris
Italian Reserva Nebbiolo
Porto Corinto
Washington State White Merlot
Classic Port
Italian Reserva Pinot Grigio

Our website features pricing with all shipping expense included for our winemaking equipment and home brew supplies to anywhere in the lower 48. The price shown on the website is exactly what you will pay for any homebrew ingredients or wine making equipment purchased with no additional charges for shipping (other than the one time per order $6.00 handling fee).

We specialize in prompt, friendly and knowledgeable service to our wine making and home brewing customers. Beer brewing supplies can be purchased for your own recipe or you can purchase pre-packaged kits easy to make extract kits from Muntons, Coopers, and others. Partial mash kits pre-packaged at BlueStem Winery (our own BlueStems Best beer brewing ingredients kits) are also available in may different beer styles or if you are a whole grain brewer we stock a complete line of malted grains and other home brewing ingredients for your personal recipes.