Hey all.
Just getting back into it after a long absence. I'm in the relatively far north in Edmonton (Alberta, Canada).
I'm mostly a kit wine guy, but my tastes for wine with a lot of body are starting to lead me into researching other areas. (I tend to like big bold reds, with lot of fruit to them) - so I've been looking at a few blackberry, blueberry, and chokecherry recepies out there.. I know I've known people here who make good stuff from local chokecherries, but that'll have to wait for august.
I am pondering taking some good frozen fruit (blueberries or blackberries can be had cheap here) and perhaps attempting either a from scratch recepie, or perking up and adding some body to a cheap red kit. I do have a couple of 18 litre (5 us gallon) carboys that are small for kits, but I could probably put to good use for something like this. Suggestions?
I am at least fortunate that I can start a wine decently in the winter here, I have a wonderful little work room in the basement where the computers keep the world warm enough that yeasts do well starting in a benchtop primary, and a nice cool room in the basement under the stairs that stays cool year round for aging. I've recently cleared that out and started a couple of wines... However that still means I probably won't be drinking many of them for at least a year. To perhaps tame that somewhat, I've noticed the skeeter pee recepie here, (and elsewhere) and might try making some of that soon, as I should have some nice pink active yeast coming off the Cellar Craft Showcase kit I recently started, and it'll be good in time for summer.
Just getting back into it after a long absence. I'm in the relatively far north in Edmonton (Alberta, Canada).
I'm mostly a kit wine guy, but my tastes for wine with a lot of body are starting to lead me into researching other areas. (I tend to like big bold reds, with lot of fruit to them) - so I've been looking at a few blackberry, blueberry, and chokecherry recepies out there.. I know I've known people here who make good stuff from local chokecherries, but that'll have to wait for august.
I am pondering taking some good frozen fruit (blueberries or blackberries can be had cheap here) and perhaps attempting either a from scratch recepie, or perking up and adding some body to a cheap red kit. I do have a couple of 18 litre (5 us gallon) carboys that are small for kits, but I could probably put to good use for something like this. Suggestions?
I am at least fortunate that I can start a wine decently in the winter here, I have a wonderful little work room in the basement where the computers keep the world warm enough that yeasts do well starting in a benchtop primary, and a nice cool room in the basement under the stairs that stays cool year round for aging. I've recently cleared that out and started a couple of wines... However that still means I probably won't be drinking many of them for at least a year. To perhaps tame that somewhat, I've noticed the skeeter pee recepie here, (and elsewhere) and might try making some of that soon, as I should have some nice pink active yeast coming off the Cellar Craft Showcase kit I recently started, and it'll be good in time for summer.