February Wine of the Month Club

[cintipam]

Vernsgal, how did the coffee merlot turn out? Sounds yummy.

Jericurl, glad the yeast did it's thing. I really like D47, but it is sloooowww.

Stressbaby, that wine sounds fabulous. I grow the only variety of passion fruit that is hardy here, maypops. I bet those fruits will bring a nice layer of flavor to some of my tropical fruit wines I'll be making down the road.

Right now I'm drinking some cranapple I made 7-8 months ago. All concentrate plus some vanilla to kick up the flavor. Somehow the vanilla is almost tasting like a tannin, and the wonderful berry is coming thru like this is a Cabernet Sauvignon. Ok, I freely admit I am a white wine girl, but cab Sav is the only red I actually like. Still, wanted to state that I am not an expert on it, so I am probably way off base, but I am really happy with my cranapple.

Pam in cinti

 

[vernsgal]

Vernsgal, how did the coffee merlot turn out? Sounds yummy.
Pam in cinti

To be honest Pam, it's still aging. I have it at 5 months now.When I pop one open I'll let you know. Before bottling it had a nice medium soft aftertaste of coffee. I'm hoping it doesn't dissipate too much with age.

 

[ckvchestnut]

That coffee wine sounds good! So does the calomondin! Pam no need to be sorry lol!


Carolyn

 

[LoneStarLori]

I had decided to start a new batch of February wine, and since it was a tea wine that didn't work for me, I decided to try another tea batch ("why do we fall down Bruce?" "So we can learn to get back up again" - Batman anyone?).

Then to seal the deal, a delegation from China was in this week and gifted me some seriously awesome Jasmine Tea Like, I could sniff it all day good.

Jasmine Tea Mead
3Lbs Clover Honey
1Lb White sugar
water to 5L
1 Cup Chinese Jasmine tea (steeped over night)
1 small slice candied ginger
7 dates
2 bananas, no skins
juice of one cara cara orange
1/2 tsp yeast nutrient, with another teaspoon's worth stepped in as fermentation progresses.
Ec-1118 yeast

Keeping it cool, and trying for a long, cool, slow ferment. The jasmine smell is crazy good. I think jasmine and I have a past-life relationship, it stirs up all kinds of strange memories when I smell it. None are mine.

I think this will end up a nice, delicate wine. Will likely top up with steeped tea as things progress.

Rae that recipe looks like a winner. Perfect blend of flavors. Especially the candied ginger. I have never made a Mead. In fact, I never had even a taste until about a week ago. (Hanging my head in embarrassment). It was made from a local winery and I hate to say this, but I didn't like it. It could have been just the way they made it, I think I'll have to try another to be sure.

Calamondin-Passionfruit Wine update:
Racked today. The wine is nice golden orange color. Tastes great for it's age. The passionfruit is hard to detect taste-wise, but the aroma is there. I added pulp of 4 more passionfruit to a mesh bag in the secondary to see if I can bring forward the passionfruit taste a bit more.

Stressbaby that is a great plan on adding the pulp. I think it will do exactly what you want it to.

 

[the_rayway]

Cintipam - I think you meant me with the EC-1118? Lol, it's a fast and crazy yeast, but if you cool it down it does ok. I used it because I have crappy nutrients and I wanted to ensure I had no more issues with another country wine ferment. Looks like I will be able to get my hands on some Fermaid K/O in the next month or so - then it will be back on the yummy yeast horse!

On another note - several people have done coffee wines and they seem to go over well. You should do a forum search. There is also a coffee port thread that sounded super yummy. (Kim? We want tasting notes on the coffee merlot please!!)

Lori - I have to be honest, I don't really like many of the commercial meads that are available up here either. They are too sweet and too...fake? Something. Since you are in the areas of orange blossom and tupelo I would suggest that you make a batch of plain, traditional mead and give it a try. They can be just as complex as a white wine and then you can control the sweetness/honey in it. March WOTM perhaps?

Jeri - just exactly how strong is your rosewater? When I think of a teaspoon of it, it seems really light and almost flavourless in my head. Is it? Or is it more of a slap you in the face with rose-type taste?

 

[ckvchestnut]

Ray... Did u find a cdn supplier for the fermaid k?


Carolyn

 

[the_rayway]

Nopers. Sorry Carolyn. A friend is going south soon and will pick some up for me.

 

[vernsgal]

fermaid K in Canada- they're temporarily out but do carry it

http://homebrewsupplies.ca/category/yeast-nutrient-1/

 

[ckvchestnut]

fermaid K in Canada- they're temporarily out but do carry it

http://homebrewsupplies.ca/category/yeast-nutrient-1/

Thanks so much for the link Kim!


Carolyn

 

[LoneStarLori]

Lori - I have to be honest, I don't really like many of the commercial meads that are available up here either. They are too sweet and too...fake? Something. Since you are in the areas of orange blossom and tupelo I would suggest that you make a batch of plain, traditional mead and give it a try. They can be just as complex as a white wine and then you can control the sweetness/honey in it. March WOTM perhaps?

I think you might be right about the fake taste. That is what bothered me. It tasted too much like honey and not enough like wine. I'll give it a go probably in April or May when the local honey is cheaper. Be prepared to hold my hand through the process. I can be dim sometimes.

On another note, I wanted to share this find since we all use fruit. These reusable produce bags showed up at my local grocery a few months ago and I love them. They are a very fine mesh nylon. So light you can weigh your produce in them at the store and it doesn't affect the price any more than the plastic bags. They're made really well and not only do they strain the fruit, DB berries included, they are real easy to wash. After the initial washing, let any left over pieces dry on the bag then you can just flick them off and wash again.

3 bags are $1.79. I seem to find them in weird places in our store. Like today, on an end cap in the water isle. ??? If I were actually looking for them, I wouldn't have found them.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Those look cool Lori! They have a drawstring closure?


Carolyn

 

[vernsgal]

Thanks so much for the link Kim!


Carolyn

word of warning though, I think they charge something like $20 flat delivery rate so if you plan to order from them stock up on other supplies to make it worth your money

On another note, I wanted to share this find since we all use fruit. These reusable produce bags showed up at my local grocery a few months ago and I love them. They are a very fine mesh nylon. So light you can weigh your produce in them at the store and it doesn't affect the price any more than the plastic bags. They're made really well and not only do they strain the fruit, DB berries included, they are real easy to wash. After the initial washing, let any left over pieces dry on the bag then you can just flick them off and wash again.

3 bags are $1.79. I seem to find them in weird places in our store. Like today, on an end cap in the water isle. ??? If I were actually looking for them, I wouldn't have found them.

Great find Lori, thanks for the share!

 

[LoneStarLori]

Yes, they have a drawstring closure. It's pretty long too which comes in handy for hanging the spent fruit to drip all the juice out when you are done.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Thanks for the tip Lori... I checked out sweater bags at Walmart but found the mesh holes much too big for my liking. At least the ones I found.


Carolyn

 

[vernsgal]

paint bags work great too. They carry them at all hardware stores. Home Depot, Rona's etc.

 

[the_rayway]

Nude coloured panty hose work great for me! I just snip off as much as I need and put the rest back in the drawer

Never do black hose though - dyed my first go at lilac mead grey.

 

[vernsgal]

Nude coloured panty hose work great for me! I just snip off as much as I need and put the rest back in the drawer

Never do black hose though - dyed my first go at lilac mead grey.

I use them on my smaller fruit paks but they're real hard to pack 20 lbs of fruit in. Don't understand it. It holds the weight of my leg but just can't match that with fruit

 

[ckvchestnut]

Do you guys use the queen size ones? That's what I use. I stuff 12lbs and still lots of room... In one leg. I tie off the toe part to where I want it. And you can easily fill the other leg with just as much for 22-24lbs at least!

I stretch the waste band over the pail lip and pour my fruit in then tie up the waste band in a knot. I do with with my water already in the pail and it's easy to push all the foot down into the legs with your arm.


Carolyn

 

[the_rayway]

Lol, I find the largest size that they sell (is it queen?) and use the legs for smaller amounts, and the, ah, trunk (?) portion for larger amounts. It fits a good 20+ lbs of fruit

 

[LoneStarLori]

I stretch the waste band over the pail lip and pour my fruit in then tie up the waste band in a knot. I do with with my water already in the pail and it's easy to push all the foot down into the legs with your arm.


Carolyn

OMG,, what a vision this must be! You're cracking me up.

Rae, black pantyhose? That's hilarious!