Hello from Baltimore

[Shelly]

Hello Everyone! I live near Baltimore, Maryland and my grown son and I have decided we would like to try brewing for fun. He is going to to brew some ale and I want to try my hand at wine. (Then we'll have the family parties covered) I have been totally obsessed studying tutorials, watching videos, sneaking around these forums, reading recipes and comparing prices of beginner kits and pricing out equipment separately to find my best options. Sometimes I think I like that part of a new adventure the best! Now I just have to get the nerve to take the plunge, order what I need and get busy!! I look forward to learning from all of you pros and sharing with all the other newbies!

Thrilled to have found you all!
Shelly

 

[ibglowin]

Welcome to Winemaking Talk!

Glad you found us!

 

[WildBill]

Welcome to your newest addiction! Betcha can't make just one

 

[Rocky]

Welcome to the forum, Shelly. I hope you find it helpful.

...and good luck to the Ravens from a Steelers fan. Let's keep the Lombardy in the AFC North.

 

[Wade E]

Buying the equipment separately is going to cost you a lot more. Talk with George at the big yellow banner in the middle of the page or with Doug from the big white banner and have them put together a package of whet you want and Im sure it will save you a lot of money then piecing one together a few at a time.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!

I agree with Wade - call George - he can help you out.

 

[robie]

Welcome, Shelly. Sounds like you are the analytic type. Nothing wrong with that.

First, decide what type of wine you want to make. That depends on how long you are willing to wait to drink it. Summer wines (Mist wines) are sweet and ready to drink within a month of clearing. Whites are usually drinkable within 6 months. Reds from nice, premium kits take a year or two.

Start out with an early drinker. While you are sipping on that, make a nicer wine, that will have to age awhile.

Even though they are a ways from Baltimore, our sponsor -The Wine Makers' Toy Store, has several levels of equipment kits and can get you started off right and shipping is not as high as you think. I would give them a call.

Good luck and let us know what you are making.

 

[Runningwolf]

Shelly, welcome to the party. You will certainly enjoy yourself, it's a great hobby.

 

[harleydmn]

Welcome Shelly

Newbie here too just a little north of you, close to York. This is very addicting and so much fun. You will love it.

 

[Shelly]

Thanks everyone! I ordered a starter kit shortly after I posted my introduction. I wish I had waited a few minutes to see all of your recommendations. I got an Island Mist Pomegranate Zinfindel wine kit for my first batch (I get sulfite headaches so no reds for me unless I learn how to ditch the sulfites) I hope that will be a good introduction to the hobby. After that, I really want to work from scratch and use fruit. I have my heart set on a cherry wine! I did figure out that buying the equipment separately was not going to save me any money, even at the lowest prices for each item on Ebay. I didn't want all the cheap stuff, so that wouldn't have worked for me anyway. I've always believed that anything you do is only as good as the tools you use.

I look forward to messing up and learning from all of you... WildBill, I'm absolutely sure I won't be able to make just one!

Thanks again for such a nice welcome!
Shelly

 

[GrandpasFootsteps]

Hi Shelly, I think you made a good choice for your first kit especially if you like sweet wines. My 2nd kit was an Island Mist Mango Citrus Symphony and it was a hit with everyone.

If you search on our forum about the Island Mist kits, you will find A LOT of commentary. That wine has a particularly low Alcohol By Volume. Many people like it that way and others have "modified" it to bump up the alcohol by adding additional sugar.

Cherries in Austin at the grocery store are $1.98/lb right now. I'm thinking of making a cherry wine myself!

 

[Shelly]

Yum! Mango Citrus sounds good too!
Cherries for 1.98 a pound are hard to pass up for any reason. Cherries arent in season in Maryland until July,. I know there are probably fruit buying options I need to become familiar with - is shipping fruit feasible or is the expense monstrous?

 

[North_Ga_Jug-Or-Not]

Welcome and hello, im sure youll do fine by the looks of it. lol Only problem I see you having is thinking too much about it, cause I have the same problem.

@Rocky
I like you man, but the AFC isnt quite strong enough this year imo. haha Packers or saints could beat any of em, and then you got the 49s sleeping right behind em. Baltimore is very good on both sides, the pats are horrible on defense so NFC offenses would run right through....idk, its the NFL and anything can happen, but I see the trophy sticking around the NFC at least this year.

Im done, sorry I stole your thread for a minute.

 

[Shelly]

Welcome to the forum, Shelly. I hope you find it helpful.

...and good luck to the Ravens from a Steelers fan. Let's keep the Lombardy in the AFC North.

Thank you Rocky!! I grew up South of Pittsburgh so I agree that we have to stand by the division. My husband is from Baltimore but he groans at my sometimes dual allegiance! LOL I don't subscribe to the nasty "we hate each other" rivalry, how could I? So.... thank you soooo much for the well wishes. It's refreshing for me!

North_GA, you are soooo right that I overthink things. I can't grow plants because I tend to them too much and they drown, LOL... it's true. So hopefully, my special attention will work better for wine brewing. I'll cross my fingers and we will certainly find out!

 

[North_Ga_Jug-Or-Not]

Well, in wine making that just ends up causing you to make more wine. haha Once it gets into the carboy their isnt much else to do except watch, so to occupy your time you start more wine....and more wine...and...youll get the picture soon enough.

 

[Shelly]

Well, in wine making that just ends up causing you to make more wine. haha Once it gets into the carboy their isnt much else to do except watch, so to occupy your time you start more wine....and more wine...and...youll get the picture soon enough.

Oh for gawd's sake... you're right! I never thought of that! Lordy, I'm in trouble then!

I just ordered a couple of small jugs with airlocks and a small fermenting bucket and the additives to try a couple small batches from George the Toy Store guy because I felt bad that I didn't buy my kit from him. My husband has already smacked his forehead and is trying to figure out where he is going to store the carboys... he said he can see the future!! LOL

 

[robie]

Oh for gawd's sake... you're right! I never thought of that! Lordy, I'm in trouble then!

I just ordered a couple of small jugs with airlocks and a small fermenting bucket and the additives to try a couple small batches from George the Toy Store guy because I felt bad that I didn't buy my kit from him. My husband has already smacked his forehead and is trying to figure out where he is going to store the carboys... he said he can see the future!! LOL

It really is a hobby that, when you do like it, it will definitely end up resulting in your spending bucks regularly. As you already have heard, carboys tend to multiply.

My advice - go slow but brace yourself. Be really nice to hubby, as this is YOUR hobby, not necessarily his. I started out with one carboy but now have about 13 or so; also 5 or 6 fermentor buckets.

OK, I'll fess up. I just can't stop! I sometimes have wine-things delivered to the office, so I can sneak them into the house without the wife seeing them. Now isn't that terrible?!!!! Maybe therapy is in order...

 

[Runningwolf]

As you already have heard, carboys tend to multiply.

OK, I'll fess up. I just can't stop! I sometimes have wine-things delivered to the office, so I can sneak them into the house without the wife seeing them. Now isn't that terrible?!!!! Maybe therapy is in order...

Robie that is way too funny but true. I keep saying once you get up to 8 or ten the spouse quits counting. I thought I was done buying after I picked up five off Craigs list this past summer but, ended up sneaking six new ones in this past fall. I don't even know how many I have but it's over 30.

 

[robie]

Let's face it, we are totally out of control!!!!!

But isn't it fun.

Can you believe that yesterday I ordered a temp controller, today I ordered $65 worth of chemicals and things. Let's not even discuss the CC wine kit and 3-gallon carboy I ordered from George on Monday...

 

[Shelly]

Well, I'm loving the enthusiasm, it's WAY more fun to have a hobby that you love so much you get in trouble with your spouse! LOL

The secret here is to get him as excited as I am... No! That won't work when it comes to spending money... ummmm, the secret here is to turn on a Football game so he doesn't know I'm shopping... uh oh, Football is nearly over... The secret here is to sneak it into the house! LOL