Steve in KC
Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2005
- Messages
- 33
- Reaction score
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So I started a new job about a month ago and in my bio, I had to list 'hobbies'. So I put winemaking.
One of the ladies who works in the facilities/operational group stopped by my office on Tuesday and offered to give me some concords which were growing in her yard. Not having really ever paid attention to proper harvest time for them, I let her know I'd be happy to take them and would either make wine or jelly.
SoWednesday she shows up with a copy-paper box FULL (probably 20-30lbs). They've got GREAT color, the skins slip right off and the seeds are nice and brown...perfect.
I culled through them and got 24lbs of usable grapes.
Here's my recipe:
24 lbs fresh Concord grapes, destemmed by hand.
3lbs fresh elderberries
2.5 gal water
10lbs granulated sugar (dissolved in above water)
4 tsp pectic enzyme
4 crushed Campden tablet
4 tsp yeast nutrient
Pastuer Red yeast
Wednesday evening:
destemmed grapes, elderberries, crushed, added campden only
Thurs afternoon:
added pectic enzyme, nutrient
Friday early evening:
dissolved 10lbs of sugar in 1 gallon of boiling water, added to the must without cooling
added another 1.5 gallons of cool water
stirred really well
2-3 hrs later (around 9pm):
pitched starter of pastuer red which had grown to the 1500mL mark.
Starting SG was 1.110 which should give me in the neighborhood of 12-13%ABV I believe as I do plan on backsweetening this one a bit and want to ensure it's balanced. I may just backsweeten with concord wine from the store (St. James Velvet Red). That stuff's so sweet it will eat the enamel off your teeth!
Well, we're off to the races!
I got up this morning and had a nice cap to punch down!
Any idea on what dry wine I should top with? I was thinking petit sirah so that I could build some more tannin structures.
One of the ladies who works in the facilities/operational group stopped by my office on Tuesday and offered to give me some concords which were growing in her yard. Not having really ever paid attention to proper harvest time for them, I let her know I'd be happy to take them and would either make wine or jelly.
SoWednesday she shows up with a copy-paper box FULL (probably 20-30lbs). They've got GREAT color, the skins slip right off and the seeds are nice and brown...perfect.
I culled through them and got 24lbs of usable grapes.
Here's my recipe:
24 lbs fresh Concord grapes, destemmed by hand.
3lbs fresh elderberries
2.5 gal water
10lbs granulated sugar (dissolved in above water)
4 tsp pectic enzyme
4 crushed Campden tablet
4 tsp yeast nutrient
Pastuer Red yeast
Wednesday evening:
destemmed grapes, elderberries, crushed, added campden only
Thurs afternoon:
added pectic enzyme, nutrient
Friday early evening:
dissolved 10lbs of sugar in 1 gallon of boiling water, added to the must without cooling
added another 1.5 gallons of cool water
stirred really well
2-3 hrs later (around 9pm):
pitched starter of pastuer red which had grown to the 1500mL mark.
Starting SG was 1.110 which should give me in the neighborhood of 12-13%ABV I believe as I do plan on backsweetening this one a bit and want to ensure it's balanced. I may just backsweeten with concord wine from the store (St. James Velvet Red). That stuff's so sweet it will eat the enamel off your teeth!
Well, we're off to the races!
I got up this morning and had a nice cap to punch down!
Any idea on what dry wine I should top with? I was thinking petit sirah so that I could build some more tannin structures.