Well its been awhile since Ive posted here. Been bit busy preparing for winter and other good stuff such as wine brewing
.
<DIV id=ms__id82>I last left of with 6 gal of chokecherry. That finished nicely and is bulk aging and still clearing. Tastes better with each passing monthand i am seeing why allot of folks add Welchesin there recipe.Unlike earlier batches i made, the sediment is pretty fine and likes to adhere to the sides of the carboy. In turn when i rack, the sediment tends to fall back in the wine. Right now its in two separate 3 gallon carboys. Iam going to re rack those into a 6 and add some sparkliod. I first thought it was the result of the RC 212 yeast but i am certain it is not.
<DIV id=ms__id84>
<DIV id=ms__id85>One of my friends mothers hired me to make her some raspberry wine.... I received 23# of raspberries and came out with 6 gallons. The deal was 20 dollars for thepreperation andwe split the wine in 1/2. Not a bad deal id say.
<DIV id=ms__id86> I used RC 212 yeast. steam juiced the raspberries and added one can of Welches concentrate. This wine was a flawless adventure so far. Fermentation kicked off right away and it is clearing like abell only after 1 1/2 months. Great body and the taste is just splendid. I am shure she will be impressed. Going to have her try some next week so she can decide if she wants it back sweetened or dry as is.
<DIV id=ms__id87>
<DIV id=ms__id88>Crab apples.... this has been an adventure and an almost failure. I picked 30lbs of red crab apples and made 6 gallons. I used EC 1118. pitched two days later,No fermentation. 3rd day , lifeless, threw in another 5 grams of EC118 and made a starter forit..... same deal no fermentation. On the 5th day only a slight fermentation but no signs of the yeast thriving and I'm sh*tting my pants. day 6 .... almost all hope is lost so i break out the super start distillers yeast.... if its gonna taste not so good... well will just brew it to 22%.
<DIV id=ms__id106>
<DIV id=ms__id107>The super start distillers yeast is a hybrid yeast that tolerates up to 22% alch and ferments verey fast. I bought this last spring thinken what a deal and found it to be a better tasting bread yeast. Hence the name "distillers". I figured if this dont do it.... the toilet will.
<DIV id=ms__id108>
<DIV id=ms__id109>I made a starter with the super start and this time i kept adding the must to it until i had 4 of the 6 gallons going. then i put it all to gather and all was well. I had the nasty co2 bread bomb smell from the super start for the 1st 2 days then something happened..... The EC 1118 must have felt a bit under attack and overtook the super start because on the3rd day i got that familiar clean smell of the ec 1118 and not the nasty super start smell. It also didn't have that bread yeast taste from the old hilly billy wine making days.So it was saved and i didn't have to up the alch % to 22ish. My target was 11%.Right now its clearing great and tatses... well like a young apple wine. I'm so glad i didn't throw that super start out.
<DIV id=ms__id99>All went well in the end.
<DIV id=ms__id94>
<DIV id=ms__id98> Pretty much my theory on that lesson was that for some reason the EC-1118 didn't want to take off.I am thinking between the high starting acidity and the possible lack of oxygen in the primary carboy might have had a major role.
<DIV id=ms__id102> Passably because of the lack of oxygen and the small hole at the top of the carboy, maybe theKmeta didn't disperse in a timely manner like in a bucket.For the future,I got a air raider made for fish tanks to pump air in 2 daysbefore i pitch theyeast.Then there was a part in jack kellers yeast section that explained that yeast can actully detect the presenace of failed yeastso my second pitch was like trien to sell a house built on a indain barial ground.
<DIV id=ms__id101>
<DIV id=ms__id100> I'm thinken when i introduced the super start the few survivors ofEC1118 strainwent into defense mode and figured, well boys we either need to get off are asses or parish. I didn't think the Ec 1118 wouldn't overcome the hybrid yeast. Theyeast starterhad a classic bread yeast smell but after 2 days it faded and the light fruity smell i have grown accustom too returned.I guess that yeast does earn its name as a killer yeast
<DIV id=ms__id90>
<DIV id=ms__id91>well hope is all well with you folks and ill have some pics up later. Take care
Edited by: Aaronh
<DIV id=ms__id82>I last left of with 6 gal of chokecherry. That finished nicely and is bulk aging and still clearing. Tastes better with each passing monthand i am seeing why allot of folks add Welchesin there recipe.Unlike earlier batches i made, the sediment is pretty fine and likes to adhere to the sides of the carboy. In turn when i rack, the sediment tends to fall back in the wine. Right now its in two separate 3 gallon carboys. Iam going to re rack those into a 6 and add some sparkliod. I first thought it was the result of the RC 212 yeast but i am certain it is not.
<DIV id=ms__id84>
<DIV id=ms__id85>One of my friends mothers hired me to make her some raspberry wine.... I received 23# of raspberries and came out with 6 gallons. The deal was 20 dollars for thepreperation andwe split the wine in 1/2. Not a bad deal id say.
<DIV id=ms__id86> I used RC 212 yeast. steam juiced the raspberries and added one can of Welches concentrate. This wine was a flawless adventure so far. Fermentation kicked off right away and it is clearing like abell only after 1 1/2 months. Great body and the taste is just splendid. I am shure she will be impressed. Going to have her try some next week so she can decide if she wants it back sweetened or dry as is.
<DIV id=ms__id87>
<DIV id=ms__id88>Crab apples.... this has been an adventure and an almost failure. I picked 30lbs of red crab apples and made 6 gallons. I used EC 1118. pitched two days later,No fermentation. 3rd day , lifeless, threw in another 5 grams of EC118 and made a starter forit..... same deal no fermentation. On the 5th day only a slight fermentation but no signs of the yeast thriving and I'm sh*tting my pants. day 6 .... almost all hope is lost so i break out the super start distillers yeast.... if its gonna taste not so good... well will just brew it to 22%.
<DIV id=ms__id106>
<DIV id=ms__id107>The super start distillers yeast is a hybrid yeast that tolerates up to 22% alch and ferments verey fast. I bought this last spring thinken what a deal and found it to be a better tasting bread yeast. Hence the name "distillers". I figured if this dont do it.... the toilet will.
<DIV id=ms__id108>
<DIV id=ms__id109>I made a starter with the super start and this time i kept adding the must to it until i had 4 of the 6 gallons going. then i put it all to gather and all was well. I had the nasty co2 bread bomb smell from the super start for the 1st 2 days then something happened..... The EC 1118 must have felt a bit under attack and overtook the super start because on the3rd day i got that familiar clean smell of the ec 1118 and not the nasty super start smell. It also didn't have that bread yeast taste from the old hilly billy wine making days.So it was saved and i didn't have to up the alch % to 22ish. My target was 11%.Right now its clearing great and tatses... well like a young apple wine. I'm so glad i didn't throw that super start out.
<DIV id=ms__id99>All went well in the end.
<DIV id=ms__id94>
<DIV id=ms__id98> Pretty much my theory on that lesson was that for some reason the EC-1118 didn't want to take off.I am thinking between the high starting acidity and the possible lack of oxygen in the primary carboy might have had a major role.
<DIV id=ms__id102> Passably because of the lack of oxygen and the small hole at the top of the carboy, maybe theKmeta didn't disperse in a timely manner like in a bucket.For the future,I got a air raider made for fish tanks to pump air in 2 daysbefore i pitch theyeast.Then there was a part in jack kellers yeast section that explained that yeast can actully detect the presenace of failed yeastso my second pitch was like trien to sell a house built on a indain barial ground.
<DIV id=ms__id101>
<DIV id=ms__id100> I'm thinken when i introduced the super start the few survivors ofEC1118 strainwent into defense mode and figured, well boys we either need to get off are asses or parish. I didn't think the Ec 1118 wouldn't overcome the hybrid yeast. Theyeast starterhad a classic bread yeast smell but after 2 days it faded and the light fruity smell i have grown accustom too returned.I guess that yeast does earn its name as a killer yeast
<DIV id=ms__id90>
<DIV id=ms__id91>well hope is all well with you folks and ill have some pics up later. Take care
Edited by: Aaronh