On Tue, 05 Apr 2005 23:32:06 -0400, Steve Leonard
> wrote:

>Hi! I'm Steve. I'm new to the group. I mostly make full-body, dry red
>wines from kits. I just bought an 8 gal conical fermenter to alter the
>process to eliminate the need for racking, with idea of less potential
>contamination of the must. Any tips and tricks on how best use the
>fermenter?
>
>Steve
>Lynchburg, VA

I have two Mini-Brew 8's and think they are great. They definitely
cut down on the racking. I still rack wine for clearing, but that's
it. If your kits have oak chips you might want to put them in a
muslin bag so they don't clog the drain valve. Suspend the bag with a
length of coarse thread or something to keep it away from the valve.
Finely ground oak drains without causing problems.

Truitt
Anchorage, AK