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@TxBrew

Marsh mallow is full of mucilage, which is its main use in candies--it's like meringue when whipped. Not sure if it adds much flavor but I've had its relative, common mallow, which also has mucilage although not quite as much. It has a flavor similar to okra, which they're related to. It'd be...

I've never had a problem with blueberry seeds imparting any bitterness. I think you have to crush the individual seeds for that to happen.

I didn't taste the shiso at all even with some sweetening, so I don't know what's going on there. It was so strong at the start. Makes me wonder if the Japanese plum/shiso wine is made plum first then steeped in shiso. Going to grow more shiso this year (red and green) so more experimenting this...

Racked this again. The bitterness is almost all gone. Some mild fruitiness and indistinct herbal notes and a hint of that cocoa aftertaste. Still has some body. Planning on bottling as is in another month or two. Randy

I pick and freeze local berries because that's what I have available. Blueberries, blackberries and black raspberries. Freezing for 2 reasons--to collect enough to make something and then make whenever, and to help release the juices. Randy

I thought I remembered posting the previous post after the first racking but I guess not. Racked into secondary on 9/29 with SG a kinda high at 1.02. It was tasting fairly strong of motherwort and seemed a little thin in fruitiness. I finally racked it again over new year's weekend with SG at...

My first wine was a 3 gallons of cranberry. I used 8 lbs berries, 8 lbs sugar, 3 gallons water, 2 1/2 tsp yeast nutrient, 1/2 tsp k-met and montrachet yeast. Usual procedure, boil the water and pour it on the berries and sugar. Wait to cool (SG 1.086) and add the sulphite, add yeast 12-24 hours...

I wonder if thee's a way to keep the yeast going in the same way that kefir grains are kept going. The problem might be to separate the dead yeast from the live, since they say the dead yeast can contribute off flavors. Is there an easy way to filter dead yeast from live? With kefir, the...

So the idea behind this was to try to make something like a "medicinal" bitters using some of the locally grown herbs I've been learning about. The bitterest herb I've got around here is motherwort. Very bitter. In tincture it has a bit of a cocoa flavor and added to coconut rum it makes a nice...

Thanks, Bill and Kim! I guess I did make it sound impressive but there haven't been that many batches of wine--14 or 15 or so. Randy

Just started a batch of black raspberry/blackberry combo and there's a gallon of fox grape that will have to be racked once more before bottling. In the cellar is some parsnip wine aging--will try a bottle next holiday season. Also maple and blueberry. Randy

Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum but have been making wine for over 20 years. I just started 5 gallons of black raspberry/blackberry blend. I have a question that's been bugging me for a while about an off taste in a batch of elderberry that I've also noticed in some commercial wines. I'll...