The last one we have has a daphne in it - we got that daphne 23 years ago when we got married - all of the sources I looked at said that daphnes were very short lived - Ha! (tricked by paying attention to generic sources AGAIN!) The daphne has gotten big, and is going strong. This winter the barrel finally collapsed on one side, the plant sank over sideways a bit, but is still going strong months later - I think it must have rooted into the ground a long time ago. It is sort of hidden behind a Duchesse de Brabant, and so I just avert my eyes when I go by it, although I do look at the foliage to make sure it is still doing OK. Sometimes I just like to wait and see what happens - I am not a neat & tidy gardener at all. That's why I like old roses! Jackie

Tj, That's exactly what you should do ... cut the amount of water in 1/2 and use the 6 gallon as a primary. The extra amount of room won't make a difference in the initial fermentation but you'll want to rack it to a 3 gallon after your primary is complete. During the portion of fermentation when the yeast is actively growing and changing the sugar to alcohol, they're also creating carbon dioxide that provides a barrier between the wine and air so the wine is protected but once the fermentation stops, you want to minimize the amount of space in the fermenter to reduce the air contact with the wine.

Thanks, everyone, for the advice. I, too, have wondered about dust getting into a cabinet that had chicken wire. But I guess, as Allison said, if you were in that cabinet frequently, getting plates, glasses, etc., dust may not build up. By the way, Allison, I've seen your kitchen before and I never tire of looking at it. It's gorgeous! I'm wondering if any cabinet manufacturer might make doors that have glass and then the chicken wire behind the glass so that you get the look, but don't have to worry about dust. So it sounds like F&P are still basically the only show in town as far as dish drawers. I remember seeing them when they first came out years ago, and liking them. I was thinking that maybe other companies had wandered into that territory by now, but as the one poster said Kitchenaid's dish drawers are still basically F&P, so I will likely just go with a single F&P if I do a full remodel. Any advice on which brands of wine fridges are the best?

I've seen recipes for skeeter pee on the winemaking sites I read, but being so far from citrus country it has never been an option. I can imagine it's great though! Jalapeno wine sounds weird, but I'd try it. Couldn't hurt... ok, it might hurt a little - in passing! It was tough to clean so many pears. I'm looking to fashion a fruit press for the next time I try to make that much. How much juice did you wind up with from your apples? Was it 2 carboys? People don't always realize that in pioneer days, and when Johnny Appleseed was traveling around, one of the main reasons for apple trees was for hard cider! Without refrigeration, fermentation was one of the few ways to preserve a lot of fruit. It had so many uses too! When your batch is done, a nice wedge of pie and a sip of the wine will make for a nice evening's dessert!