I've been reading with some interest your comments about your vinegar
crock. This is something I've been thinking of getting into myself, so
I'm curious about your own process. It seems that you run a solera of
sorts, adding quantities of wine fairly regularly. First of all, what
type of vessel do you use as your crock, and how big is it?

Do you ever fill up the crock, and stop adding to it for awhile in
order to let everything convert to vinegar? Or does it get fed
regularly? How do you determine if it's done or not?

How often do you bottle? Do you fine/filter? Pasteurize? Etc.

Thanks in advance, and I hope this isn't too off-topic for the group.

- Chris in Portland, Maine

Chris,
I'll respond more fully next week, I'm in vacation right now, and on
irritating laptop keyboard.

But short answers:
Ceramic crock, probably 2.5 gallons. Cheesecloth across top
While I know others who constantly draw off, I tend to add wine for
couple months, then take two weeks off (like now while on vacation) to
give last additions time to turn.
I then filter and bottle.

DaleW wrote:
> Chris,
> I'll respond more fully next week, I'm in vacation right now, and on
> irritating laptop keyboard.
>
> But short answers:
> Ceramic crock, probably 2.5 gallons. Cheesecloth across top
> While I know others who constantly draw off, I tend to add wine for
> couple months, then take two weeks off (like now while on vacation) to
> give last additions time to turn.
> I then filter and bottle.

Thanks for the reply, and I look forward to your lengthier one. I am
planning on using a pair of Pfaltzgraff 1 gallon beverage crocks, with
spigots at the bottom. They were on clearance for $15, so if they
don't work out, I'm not out that much. That way, once I fill one up
and need to let it sit for a few weeks, I can start filling another
with additions of wine, until it's full, by which time the other will
be ready to filter and bottle, and so on.

Do you ever put white wine in it? Do you add water along with the
wine?

Have a nice vacation.

- Chris