A real productive weekend

[FABulousWines]

I had a real productive weekend.

Spent some time Saturday filtering and bottling the Watermelon White Merlot using the All In One pump. How easy!

I used the Portuguese floor corker for the first time. Wow, it exceeded my expectations. It took about 5 bottles to get the cork set to the right height and then all the remaining bottles were set perfect every time. It is so smooth it almost feels like the machine is doing it by itself. I was done in no time and looking for more bottles to cork.

Had other chores and family obligations on Saturday so I didn't quite finish up...
Sunday I had to take a trip to our property in the mountains to take care of a little ant problem. My wife went along and we stopped in at South Creek winery near Marion, NC for a tasting. They specialize in Bordeaux style wines and I was very impressed. The first thing I noticed was that nothing on the tasting sheet was younger than 2011 and those were the Chardonnays. Everything else was 2010 and older, most were 2009. I commented on how few of the local wineries we visit have such old stock. She laughed and replied that the French would mock us as serving quite young wine, but agreed that most local wineries are in the business of moving stock and sometimes that means compromising on the aging. We came home with a bottle of their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Excellent!

I also talked her into two cases of empties. Score!

When we got back I finished up washing the bottles (exterior) and putting the capsules on. A few bottles didn't make it to this point in the process:

Also snapped the lid down on the Peach Chardonnay. SG was 1.017.

Drew off a few sips of the Argentine Malbec for taste. It's been on Hungarian Oak for about 3.5 weeks. Best I can say is, it is very complex. Very smoky. Wife's words were, "Wow, just wow". I could definitely drink this now, but I am going to hold on and do it right. Plan is to wait another 2 weeks and rack off the oak. Then forget about it until around the New Year when I may bottle to free up the carboy. First bottle to be opened for Thanksgiving 2014.

 

[Sammyk]

How was the watermelon? We are starting ours today.

 

[FABulousWines]

No complaints so far and 4 bottles disappeared before I could do anything about it. I added about 4.5 lbs of inverted sugar to bring ABV to about 12.5% so it is a little on the hot side right now, but definitely very tasty. I have already been instructed to start another batch before this one runs out.
I put the full f-pack in at the end and FG was around 1.020. So a bit sweet, but watermelon comes through and the higher ABV balances it well, I think. I bottled three magnums and these will be set back for some aging experiments, so we will see where it peaks.

 

[Sammyk]

I think I will cut back on the sugar then.

 

[Sammyk]

Did you do any testing before fermentation? May I ask the numbers?

 

[FABulousWines]

No, not really. My starting SG after sugar addition was 1.088. That's about all I can tell you.
You've been making these type of kits longer than me, Sammy, so just do what you normally do and I'm sure you will like it!

 

[Sammyk]

The coconut was way too sweet. I have put off bottling because I am trying to decide what to do. I am thinking Everclear. It does have a really good coconut taste just too sweet.

 

[FABulousWines]

Bummer. I am not experienced enough with fixing this sort of thing, but that sounds reasonable. If it is too hot, maybe dilute with juice or water? My only advice would be to move in small increments and be wary of how you are changing the balance. Good luck with it.

I worried about this myself since she wanted the full f-pack, so I tested with only half added. It came to something like 1.007 so I felt OK adding the rest. This is really at the brink of sweetness I can tolerate and we are trying to watch our sugar intake. This is the procedure I plan to use going forward with these mist style kits.

 

[jswordy]

Pic looks delicious!