WineXpert 1st Kit underway!

[usafcajun]

<DIV =postcolor>Well now, my first kit is now officially underway. It is a Vino del Vido Chilean Cabernet Merlot. Initial S.G. was 1.084 at 76 degrees.

I was going to start my other kit but realized that my second primary would be to small. Guess I'll use it to start a 1 gallon batch of Kumquat wine while I try and a local source of a 6 gal food grade bucket. I'll check the local doughnut shop in the morning.

Oh yeah......also bottled 16 750ml bottles of my elderberry wine! Time for that to go into a dark place for 6 months.

Hopefully I'll also be bottling my blackberry wine tomorrow! It too will go into that dark place with the elderberry.


Gonna worry about the Kumquat later tonight....gotta go eat some boiled crawfish.

 

[masta]

Congrats and now the fun begins!!!

 

[Brandst]

Gratz on getting it started, sounds like you already have it going on with the county wines. If you can't find the bucket at a doughnut shop, try grocery stores or a large commercial bakery if there is one near by.


Steve

 

[Waldo]

How does that Blackberry taste usa ?

 

[usafcajun]

Hot hot hot! ButI can see its potential already.

 

[MedPretzel]

Hot hot hot! ButI can see its potential already.

I noticed that my blackberry tastes the same way. But, maybe after a year in the bottle, it'll have calmed down. Now I only have to wait another 6 months.

It's my own fault, I started with an SG of 1.100 or a little higher, I think. you live and learn,

, and wait.

 

[Funky Fish]

It's my own fault, I started with an SG of 1.100 or a little higher, I think. you live and learn,

, and wait.

And wait, and wait, and wait...

 

[MedPretzel]

yes, after 6 months, I could use it in my car. Before, it had been considered by NASA for the next space shuttle lift-off.

 

[pkcook]

USAF,


Congrats

. My first raspberry was very "Hot" (Starting SG 1.100), but after 9 months has mellowed out quite a bit. I made a gallon of blackberry about a month ago and held the SG down to 1.085 just to see how the loweralcohol volume effects the flavor.

 

[usafcajun]

Thanks all. My wife suggested I go by World Market today because they had some 44 bottle wine racks there along with $10 off coupons. Now admittedly they were more expensive than what I could have made but she gets nervous when I start to build things.

Both the Kit and the kumquat are happily fermenting along now. I walk by them and hear the bubbling of one airlock and the smell of the fruit fermenting. Mmmmmm.

 

[usafcajun]

Oh yeah.....shots of the yeastie beasties at work. Like you've never seen this before.

 

[pkcook]

I believe I can smell them from here

. Looks wonderful

.

 

[usafcajun]

Well I couldn't help myself......after having gotten two more plastic pails from a local doughnut shop. I started a 3 gallon batch of Welch's White grape/Peach concentrate wine.


It is also happily fermenting along......just now my wife is reaaally complaining about me needing to get all of my 'junk' out of her kitchen.

 

[peterCooper]

This is when you get the local building company to build an outbuilding, air
conditioned, in your back yard with all the mod cons built in. The she can't
complain AND you get the room you need to expand.

 

[pkcook]

USAF,


I've made 7 gallons of the welches white grape/peach. The last batch (6 gallon) I made using5.5 gallons of juice in the bottle andboostedwith4 cans of frozen concentrate white grape/peach in place of some of the sugar. It gave the batch much more peach flavor than my 1 gallon trial batch! It is one of my favorites, and one that I will make again! I fermented it to dry and bottled 5 bottles dry, 10 bottles semi-sweet, and 15 bottles dessert style.

I love them all!


Good luck!

 

[usafcajun]

pkcook,


Interesting idea sweeting a few of the bottles like that. I may do that with mine....I figure I'll get 15 bottles total so 5 semi-sweet and 10 dry.


As soon as I get more pectic enzyme in tomorrow I'll start a 3 gallon batch of the Welch's Grape/Raspberry concentrate. I think that'll wind up with a rose' type of wine.


Thanks.

 

[pkcook]

My wife will not touch the dry and prefers very sweet wine. I like the semi-sweet the best. I bottled the 5 dry as an experiment. With the exception of my cranberry, I prefer all my country wines semi-sweet. The dry fruit wines seem like they are lacking without a little residual sugar. I do love a bone dry cab sav or shiraz though!


I tried a gallon (4L)of the white grape/raspberry. I gave3 bottles away,drank 1 (very good!) while it was very young, and have the last one stored for at least a 1 year birthday

. All the folks that received the wine loved it and have placed another order for my next batch. I didn't boost the first batchwith the frozen concentrate, but will do that on the next batch. If you like raspberry, I am making 6 gallon fromOregon brand canned fruit mixed witha red raspberry concentrate I found online. It is as close to fresh raspberrys as I have ever tasted.

 

[smurfe]

We are gonna have to get together sometime and sample each others stuff since I believe we live in the same town. Would love to see your work thus far


Smurfe

 

[usafcajun]

By all means, Smurfe. I've only completed 3 batches so far and have 3 more fermenting now.

 

[OldWino1]

Who but us can get excited about a white bucket with a bubbling mass of life in it. I can smell the aroma through the screen.





And it is SOOOOO GOOOD.