December 2013 Wine of the Month Club

Here is December's official thread.

This is open to anyone who wants to join in.
All participants make a 1 gallon batch of wine.

Post your recipes, any updates and/or photos, and at the end of the month we will all post a summary of what we could have done better on a particular batch (and how), something that went very well, and something that was learned.
Posting the experience gained is not a requirement, but I think it will help a lot since most of us that are participating are beginners. It is also a way to keep positive and look back and see how much we have learned.

In one year, December 2014, we will begin drinking our wine and post our findings/impressions, etc, for each bottle consumed.

December participants:

1. Stressbaby.....Costa Rican Hibiscus Wine

2. The Rayway.....Apricot Port

3. Wineforfun.....Elderberry Wine

4. Stressbaby.....Spiced Sweet Potato Wine

5. Vernsgal.....Spiced Beet Wine

6. Wineforfun.....Welch's Concord

7. LoneStarLori.....Sweetie Sweet Onion Wine

8. Medic8106.....Concord/Cranberry Wine

9. Buckhorn.....Cranberry Cutie Wine (or Cranberry Sweetie)

10. Jericurl.....Werther's Wine

Costa Rican Hibiscus Wine
The original can be consumed immediately or set aside to ferment 3 days to 3 weeks to make a mildly alcoholic beverage. Original recipe here.

Here is my plan, started today:
160 hibiscus flowers (~2oz dried flowers)
3.75q + 1 pint water
1.5# sugar
1 can Welch's white grape concentrate
1 star anise pod, crushed
1 ounce of ginger, peeled, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1/4t tannin
2tsp acid blend
1tsp yeast nutrient
1tsp pectic enzyme
1 Campden at move to secondary

In 1 pint water, simmer spices for 30 min. Strain spice water into primary. Add spices to bag with hibiscus flowers and put in primary. Add tannin, acid blend, grape concentrate, and nutrient to primary. Bring remaining water to boil and dissolve 1.5# sugar. Add to primary, submersing the flower/spice bag. When cool, add 1tsp pectic enzyme. After 12 hours, adjust SG and pH with additional sugar or acid blend if needed, and pitch yeast. After 3 days, remove flower/spice bag and squeeze hard to extract all liquids. When down to ~1.010, move to secondary and add Campden. Usual care thereafter.

Edited with adjustments: pH 3.69, down to 3.49 with an extra 1/2 tsp of acid blend for a total of 2tsp. SG was 1.083 and I didn't add any additional sugar.

December Wine of the Month
Apricot Port - Raelene

The purpose of this wine is to have a go at the traditional method of making port i.e. starting with a high gravity must and stopping fermentation between 1.045 - 1.055, using brandy to up the ABV to 18%-22%. This should create a sweet port wine that will still have all the fruit flavour of the original must instead of losing it out the airlock during a dry fermentation, then adding it back with a sweetened f-pack.

Also, thank you to JamesnGalveston for all of his assistance and answering all of my questions so patiently. The guy must be part Saint!

As my yeast will not get in until (hopefully) sometime later this week, here is the proposed plan:

Primary:
- 10 Lbs Frozen Apricots (thawed)
- 1/2 Lbs Dried Apricots
- 1 Banana, overripe
- Raw Sugar to S.G. 1.100
- 1 Gallon Water
- 1/2 tsp Pectic enzyme
- 1/4 tsp Tannin
- 1 tsp Yeast Nutrient (potential for more nutrient if yeast requires it)
- 1/4 tsp Yeast Energizer
- 1 Pkg Lalvin ICDV 254 Yeast

Secondary:
- E&J VSOP Brandy as per Pearson Square calculation
- Med Toast Oak chips, likely 10-20 grams
- 1 Campden Tab

1. Put apricots, banana and pectic enzyme into a mesh bag.
2. Toss into the pail with 1 gallon of water for 1-2 days to let the pectic do it's thing.
3. Add sugar to 1.100, add all chemicals, pitch yeast.
4. Stir & watch the hydrometer like a hawk until it gets into the 1.045 - 1.055 range (I'm shooting for 1.045).
5. Rack immediately to carboy, stopping fermentation with E&J VSOP brandy, using Pearson Square to calculate the amount. Toss in oak (in a small bag) and campden.
6. Taste to adjust oak as needed.
7. Leave it alone to clear & settle; rack as needed.

The yeast I'm using is a new one to me - ICDV 254, and I'm quite excited about it:
Rhone isolate for both red and white wines. Vigorous fermenter with a short lag time, this yeast creates enhanced mouthfeel and color stability due to polysaccharide-tannin complexing. Benefits include a high fore-mouth volume, big mid-palate mouthfeel, and intense fruit concentration in all wines. In white wines butterscotch, smoke, hazelnut, and almond characters are common but the yeast will definitely require nutrients. Tolerant up to 16% alcohol.

I'm hoping some of these characteristics will transfer to a fruit wine port. My goal is to end up with a full-bodied, sweet port with both fresh and dried apricot flavour, molasses-type flavours from the raw sugar, and a creamy vanilla/butterscotch finish. If this works well, I'll definitely be stocking up on apricots next summer.

Pictures and final recipe edits to come.
Raelene

Raelene,
This recipe sounds excellent.
Question on the oak chips: are you going to pretreat them? The reason I asked was that I oaked some persimmon wine with heavy toast American oak chips a while back. I used 5g on one gallon and 10g on another gallon without any pretreatment. The wine was ruined. It smelled and tasted like an ashtray.
I see that you are using medium toast chips. My result may have been due to the heavy toast chips, I don't know. However, since then, I've read that boiling in three changes of water will take out the char characteristic. I switched to medium toast cubes, pretreated with the triple boil method, and (so far) my results are much better. It gets rid of the ashtray smell and reveals the vanilla and caramel smell and flavor much better.

Thanks stressbaby!
I have a bulk package of oak chips, so once it is opened I pop the chips in sanitizer for a few minutes. I haven't (knock on wood) had any issues with oak, and I always use medium toast French oak as it's really all that's available in the LHBS's around here.

I am very interested to see how your wine comes out for this month. I love hibiscus tea, and I'm curious as to how it will translate into a wine. Please make sure to update us!

Elderberry Wine

I am going to give this a go as it is the first time trying elderberry or any fresh fruit picked from a tree/bush. Arne hooked me up with over 9lbs. of fresh elderberries. They were frozen.

2 gal. batch (will oak 1 gal. of it)

2gal. water
8 1/2c sugar
3 tsp acid blend
1/2 tsp pectic
2 tsp yeast energizer
2 crushed campden tablets
Red Star Pasteur Red yeast

Starting SG 1.098

11-28-13
Put everything in primary, added fruit to mesh fruit bag (wasn't completely thawed, I thought it was but in the middle of the berries, it was still frozen), let sit overnight.

11-29-13
I decided to take another SG reading the next day, before pitching yeast. I wanted to see if the juice upped it at all. When taking the reading, it had dropped to 1.084. I figured this was due to the berries thawing and the addition of the water from thawing, as my primary was now close to 3 gal. without the fruit bag sitting in it. I added 2c sugar to get the SG back to around 1.100.
After doing this, it dawned on me that the must was fairly cool from the thawing of the berries. I hope this cooler must didn't throw off my SG reading, therefore having me add additional sugar that I didn't need too. Oh well, still learing with all this.
Pitched the hydrated yeast.

11-30-13
Stirred in morning.
Squeezed fruit bag and stirred in evening.

12-1-13
Thought I had an "eggy" smell at the start of the day, but have concluded it was maybe just the yeast working. I had a sulfur issue a few months back with a batch of cherry juice wine and I have been paranoid ever since. I think sometimes I think I smell it when I am not.
Took SG reading in morning, SG 1.062, to see if things were working or where we were at with things. Stirred.
In the afternoon, added 1/2tsp yeast nutrient to make sure there was an adequate amount for all that sugar.
Took SG reading in evening, SG 1.054, so things appear to be moving in right direction. Squeezed fruit bag and stirred.

12-2-13
Stirred in morning.
SG 1.030 in evening. Stirred and squeezed fruit bag.

12-3-13
Squeezed fruit bag and stirred. If all goes the way it has been, I will be racking to secondaries tonight. I expect the SG to be around 1.010-1.020.

Since I made the chocolate strawberry last month and still have half a can of cocoa I'm doing a chocolate raspberry this month. Same recipe but subbing raspberries for the strawberries.

Wineforfun, you won't be disappointed with elderberry. I scavenged about 6# this year and squeezed 2 gal out of a first run, then did a second run blush for another 2 gallons. I haven't really evaluated the second run batch but the first run batch is simply awesome. Clear already at 2 months and tastes and smells fantastic. Next fall I will be seeking out every elderberry I can find. I planted 10 plants in the yard as well!

Update on Costa Rican Hibiscus wine:
Already one thing I would have done differently: I would remove the flower/spice bag at 24 hours or sooner. Hibiscus flowers lend a very significant, unusual viscosity or heaviness or thickness to the must. It is similar to the heaviness of the must at the starting gravity, however, it doesn't go away as the sugars are consumed. I removed the bag at 48 hours when literally it became hard to stir. What I should have done was keep the spices and flowers in separate bags; remove the hibiscus flowers after several hours, no more than a day; then leave the spices in the primary throughout fermentation.
SG was 1.030 last night and this morning looks like it is slowing down. Using ice packs to keep the temp down, mostly 20C or under, but one morning I did register a 22C reading. Ruby color is gone with all of the suspended yeast, but should come back. Will post pics of it in the carboy.

wineforfun: WVMJ has some great recipes for elderberry wines - I've pm'd him before and discussed. He helped me to pick out some good varieties that I hope to plant in my yard one day soon

Stressbaby: does Hibiscus have pectin? Do you think adding more pectic enzyme might help break down that thickness at all?

Update on my apricot port - looks like the goods have finally arrived! I'm hoping I'll be able to start this over the weekend!

Hooray!

I got my order in yesterday as well, so it looks like I will start the Werther's wine this weekend.
I haven't ordered the vanilla pods yet, but I plan on using them in the secondary anyway so I've got time.

the_rayway said:

Stressbaby: does Hibiscus have pectin? Do you think adding more pectic enzyme might help break down that thickness at all?

Click to expand...

No pectin in flowers. When you squeeze the bag at the time of removal you get this clear, thick stuff that drips out that looks like glycerin. I'm sure that is the stuff adding the viscosity. No idea what it is...makes good wine though!

Jericurl said:

Hooray!

I got my order in yesterday as well, so it looks like I will start the Werther's wine this weekend.
I haven't ordered the vanilla pods yet, but I plan on using them in the secondary anyway so I've got time.

Click to expand...

Woot!
Where did you find for Vanilla? I'm so looking forward to my January order...

Aha! All my bits and pieces came in today!!

Got the fresh/frozen apricots thawing layered with pectic enzyme, 2 litres of water, a banana, and the dried apricots. I'll squish them in the bag over the next day or two, then add the rest of the primary ingredients and pitch the yeast.

Then watch it like a hawk till I need to add the brandy.

stressbaby, the clear sticky fluid found in hibiscus is called mucilage, found in a lot of plants exspecially cactus. Ever cut a peice off of an aloe vera.
same stuff.
Its edible, and marshmallows use to be made from it.
also glue can be made from it.

Raylene: Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans are the best just dont over do it...they are very strong with vanilla flavor

James - I won't be using vanilla beans in the port this time. I'll likely use a bit of oak after the brandy if it feels like it warrants it.

I've got a litre sized mason jar of homemade vanilla that I continually top up with GF vodka and fresh beans, and it's getting low!!

when you get that done, ill give u my port recipe made from welches concord concentrate...

jamesngalveston said:

stressbaby, the clear sticky fluid found in hibiscus is called mucilage, found in a lot of plants exspecially cactus. Ever cut a peice off of an aloe vera.
same stuff.
Its edible, and marshmallows use to be made from it.
also glue can be made from it.

Click to expand...

Thanks James! Same stuff as in okra! This explains some things.

I found a few things with Google.
Mucilage is a glycoprotein polysaccharide with an very large molecular mass and very high viscosity, no surprise there. I have noted that past batches of hibiscus wine appear to ferment literally for months. Further, despite adding all of this thick, viscous stuff to the must, the wines don't come out with great body. Now I have a theory as to why this happens. It looks like yeasts, including S cerevisiae, break down mucilage into sugar. It doesn't stop there, of course, because in wine it is converted further to alcohol.

So, if the theory is correct, the very viscous stuff I have right now in the carboy should thin out during an extended fermentation. I will keep everyone posted.

Here are pics:

I had another experimental wine this month, Spiced Sweet Potato. The inspiration came from this recipe but it was also informed by Keller's star anise wine recipe #2.

6# 1 pound sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and sliced in food processor
2 key limes, zest and juice
1 star anise
1/8tsp tannin
1 oz ginger, diced
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 Welch's white grape concentrate
2.5t acid blend (as adjustment)
1# 6oz sugar
1 gal water

Dice ginger, slice potatoes, put in pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer 30 min. While simmering, thaw concentrate and put in primary with lime juice, zest, tannin, 1/3 of nutrient, and star anise. Strain water into primary and discard potatoes. Bring water to 1 gal. When cool, K meta. 12 hours later, pectic and adjust sugar and acid. 12 hours later, yeast. Step feed, usual care thereafter. To secondary at 1.010.

OG was 1.092; preadjustment pH 4.15, post adjustment 3.55. Pics:

your probably right about the mucilage converted to to sugar, that explains the long ferment time....I have not made a hibiscus wine...I would think with the breakdown of the mucilage, you would have a lot of lees....
btw...in war times okra was used for glucose, and it was cut up and toasted and they made coffee from it....

12 hours in on pectin breakdown on my frozen apricots, etc. I've already got just shy of the one gallon mark I was hoping for! And this is before sugar additions. Still have ice chunks in the pail too.

Also, I picked up my brandy today. Had a choice between 2 E&J's (VS or VSOP). Ended up getting the VSOP because of the description on the back. It was only $1 more per bottle.

"E&J VSOP takes smooth to another level. We age it longer than our VS Brandy, giving it a lush, layered texture. We blend it specifically for richness and full flavor: begins with a delicate bouquet of sweet and brown spice, delicious notes coaxed from its extended time aging in barrel. On the palate, inviting flavors of vanilla cream, maple and sherry linger into a satisfyingly smooth finish."

Sounds like a winner! I picked up 3x750mL bottles - I had no idea it was going to be this expensive for a 1 gal batch! It will rank as the most expensive thing I've done yet: Cost is at approx $90 for one gallon. That should go down a bit depending on how much of the brandy I use.

I think it will be worth it though, this stuff will be only for me and the people I like the most

Er...maybe just for me