Category Archives: OENOLOGICAL ODYSSEY

A week of not freaking out has passed. Time to check the wine. Once I stop talking for a second, I actually think about the next sip. This is fine but still too sweet. It needs a few more days.

I check my wine each morning and evening. The tank temperature jumps ten degrees during the first two days. Too much heat will create a rapid, volatile fermentation that kills the yeasts. Fermenting faster might seem easier and thus better, … Continue reading →

The prior day saw nothing but frustration. My yeasts did not start. The morning after, I crawl from bed. I have few options if nothing changed. I can siphon the yeasts out and start with new ones. But that would … Continue reading →

Across the globe, laboratories are creating single-celled life from the air, tomatoes and your stomach in order to make biofuel, bread and even electricity. Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast. The amateur winemaker rejoices, bemoans, or ignores the plethora of strains at their … Continue reading →