I've picked my grapes, but I don't have any yeast yet. How long can I leave them before crushing them and starting the fermentation for white wine.

I have a Shiraz that had completed fermentation and clarification and was being stored in a carboy until I had time to bottle. Apparently, the air lock was knocked off and it was sitting open (with a dark towel over the top) for up to 7 days (the last time I checked it). Is there any way to check for contamination or is it a lost cause?

I would like to run a few brews back-to-back to build up a stock of beer. However, I would not be able to store all of the bottles in my house and would be forced to place them in the garage. My garage does not have any electricity and therefore no heating. Do I need to protect my beer from freezing if the temperature gets to about -10°C (14°F)? And if so, what is the way to do this? Preferably …

I'm trying to store some homemade organic red wine in bottles. For how long can it be stored without using any chemicals?

I'm worried not so much about breakage/leakage as you can just take precautions with extra padding and good packaging, but more about oxidation with the bottles being shaken up during hot weather. We're hoping to be able to submit beer for a brewing competition from South to North China, where it's currently around 38C degrees (100F).

I've been a wine maker and grower for 10+ years and now diving into home beer making which is a lot of fun and gives MUCH faster returns on enjoyment. I have seen where some folks recommend filling the head space in the conditioning carboy (secondary) with CO2. In wine making argon is preferred (and I have it). Any comments about using this to spurge air out of the secondary? Also, I have a wine lab/cellar that I keep around …

Nearly all articles about ageing wine say it is important to control the humidity. However if you try to find out why the answers are all about preventing the cork from drying out. Here in New Zealand/Australia we have long abandoned corks for screw top bottles. Are there reasons to control the humidity if you are ageing in screw top bottles?

Two months ago I brewed an ale with three hops - cascade, northern brewer and saaz. I immediately put them in the freezer, but want to know how to best use them (if there has been any degredation). So, preferably (to make this a complete guide) I'd like answers to the following questions: How does freezing effect Aroma potential Bittering potential Flavor potential in the following forms of hops: Whole Plug Pellet My hops were whole, and frozen 30 minutes …

A local craft brew is having a sale on kegs which they brewed up a while back and have not been able to dispense due to the current pandemic situation. I have a 1/2 barrel in my kegerator now and thinking about purchasing a (probably already chilled) keg and letting it sit in the basement for a couple months before installing in the kegerator. I've also never home brewed before but am reading up on it and slowly acquiring equipment …

I have made my 3rd, 4th and 5th Ginger Beer brews today! The first one was a success, the second one I ruined it (used honey for fermenting and sweetening but didn't think it out properly) but now I have made a 3rd, 4th and 5th brew! The problem is, I have made about 2.8 liters twice and one brew with 25 liters! As you can see, that's about 31 Liters of ginger beer. I have heard they can stay …

If I buy a tube of liquid yeast from my local homebrew store and throw it in the fridge, how long before it's no good? How 'bout dry yeast?

Essentially what the title says. I use that bucket to store all the measurement equipment, hydrometer, etc. but also yeast nutrient, stabilisers and chemical sanitisers. The smell that came out from the bucket was pretty strong and sharp, leaving a tingly feeling in my nostrils for some minutes after getting a big whiff of it. I have a bunch of strawberries I have just thawed for wine making and I wanted to check that this wasn't a product of some …

I got an annoyance issue here. I have a Cornelius keg 19lt and 15-16 liter batch of Wit-beer almost ready to go, but poorly timed.Issue is I currently don't have the CO2 regulator or Tank. Reason for this is currently I shouldn't really be dropping money to get it within the near future (2 months) and due to other commitments I can't really be spending time bottling either over the same period. I'd like to just dump the whole lot …

I bought a 500g S-05 package and i'm planning to use it only 20 g per week. Any advices on how to store it? it will last around 4-5 months

Has anyone used mason jars to bottle in? What were your results if so? They are being sealed like when you can, so I'm especially curious if they hold pressure well. (I know they are clear, and that presents risks as far as light exposure is concerned.)

It is my understanding that during priming the yeast creates the necessary C02 for carbonation in the first 3 to 4 days and the C02 is then absorbed into the beer over the next 10 to 15 days. If this is true, then does bottle temp matter that much after day 4? I currently ferment/prime in my living room, and then move my beer into the basement. Do you foresee any issues if I move the beer after half a …

My primary fermentation and bottle conditioning temperatures are well controlled in a brewing fridge. Once bottles are conditioned / carbonation cycle complete I move them to crates which I store in my garage. The temperature here can vary from 15C / 58F to 30C / 86F in one day. The beer at least has some buffer and does in itself not reach these temperatures, but it will fluctuate. Will these ‘storage’ temperatures adversely affect my beer?

Recently I finished my 6th batch of beer, the first top-fermenting one (wheat beer). The yeast is from a commercial brewery nearby, so I don't know its exact type. Usually my bottle fermentation takes place at cellar or even room temperatures and I put the bottles in the fridge a couple of days before drinking. For bottom-fermenting yeast this worked nicely so far. The bottle fermentation and storage of the new batch: Half of the batch (A): 4 weeks at …

I live in a 2 up 2 down house, with no cellar, quite draughty windows, and electric storage heaters (these turn on at midnight and begin to "store" heat which in theory is then released through the following day). In the middle of the house between the two downstairs rooms is a staircase, which has a larder/cupboard underneath. Temperature in here is probably a fairly stable 18°C in winter / 20°C in summer, probably the most stable temperature, but higher …

Given the limited space of an apartment, what tips do you have for storing your equipment? Do not consider budget to be a factor. This is the first question in a series of discussions about small-space brewing. Please keep the discussion limited to equipment storage. See also: Mashing | Steeping | Boiling | Chilling | Fermentation | Packaging | Cellaring