Troubleshooting

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Malolactic in Action, Lowering pH: Wine Wizard

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Can MLF bacteria become airborne?

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Refermentation, malo on the move: Wine Wizard

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Wine Wizard Revealed & Top 10 Winemaking Questions

Article

The Perils of Volatile Acidity

Volatile acidity (VA) is basically the process of wine turning into vinegar. For home winemakers, it’s a common problem.

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I noticed an oily film on top of my Norton before I racked it. What should I be worried about and how do I fix it?

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Is there any way to save a flat and watery wine I made?

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How do I get copper sulfate in accurate diluted food grade form? I would like to treat 5 gallons (19 L) of stinky fruit wine to get rid of the rotton sewer smell.

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I added grape concentrate to boost the sweetness of a dry wine at bottling and added sorbate. The flavor is good, but there is some kind of gas in the wine. Any thoughts on what happened?

Negative Impacts of Oxygen

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I’ve noticed crystals forming inside my Zinfandel bottles. Do you have an explanation?

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My wine has some kind of flies buzzing around the must. Do I need to throw this batch out?

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What can I do to make my wine more dry and less sweet?

Article

Fixing Common Mistakes: Tips from the Pros

We asked two professional winemakers to discuss common winemaking mistakes and how to avoid or correct them.

Technique

Wine Kit First Aid

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What can I do to prevent my recurring problem of excess CO₂ in my wines?

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My finished wine has the aroma and taste of burnt rubber. What did I do wrong?

Technique

Avoiding Wine Kit Pitfalls

We run through the most common errors new winemakers make when making wine from kits and how to avoid them.

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My first white wine has a fizziness and tasted like it is almost carbonated. Do you have any suggestions?

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My wine has developed a foul taste and odor from Brettanomyces. Is it correctable?

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When I opened my blueberry-Zinfandel wine I was struck by a strong acetone-type smell. Am I experiencing bottle sickness or TCA?

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What can cause homemade wine to have a slight “vinegar” taste?

Troubleshoot a Stuck Fermentation

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Do you know why my blackberry wine’s color precipitates out?

Article

Preventing Off-Flavors

Sometimes things go wrong, and the result is off-flavors. But most wine defects are easily prevented with good sanitation and a few simple w