Hi from Boozehag from NZ

[Boozehag]

Im an artist based in New Zealand known mainly for my infamous Boozehag character who loves wine!

It was only natural Id head down the path of creating my own wines, having grown up in a household where my parents brewed wine and beer for many years and my interest in the subject of wine drinking helps a lot too!

Ive always considered the possibility of creating a signature wine for my art exhibitions and although that may nver happen, at least now Ive started the ball rolling on this fun and fascinating hobby which I hope will give me some delicious wines to drink at the end!

I have started with a wine kit and its on its secondary ferment and have just put down a potato wine which looks disgusting, but my Dad assures me it was one of his best receipes Will keep you posted!
Im hoping to make mainly fruit wines so interested in threads on that subject.

PS My spelling is atrocious and the typing isnt much better, please forgive me...Ill try my best!

 

[cpfan]

Welcome to our wine making world.

Looks like you won't have any problem coming up with some neat labels for your wines.

What brands of wine kits do you get in New Zealand? Home grown kits, or some of the Canadian brands?

Steve

 

[Skyhawk]

Welcome Boozehag. It's interesting that you're attempting potato wine, while many people here in Canada import buckets of New Zealand's famous Pinot Noir juice for $130 a pail.

 

[Boozehag]

ooooh dont know what happened to my 2nd post on here??

Thanks for the welcome.

Yes we do have NZ Wine Kits as Skyhawk has said! Most of whats available to us though is imported but hey at least theres variety.

I want to try fruits etc though and will move back onto the kits once Ive had a play. I like Shiraz best so if anyone can recommend a good one Id be most appreciative!

 

[Boozehag]

My fabuluos (Well I hope it will be!) Potato wine is at secondary ferment stage and actually looks and smells ok..I guess the oranges and raisins helped a lot there! My question is-

I topped up with water due to the high sg reading as discussed, which means I have excess wine now, do I put some of that aside in a bottle for topping up or just tip it out? Considering its not completed fermenting what happens if I bottle it and stick it in the fridge and would it be stupid to add it to the wine after a racking to top up. Normally wolud you use a wine that is already finished or water or what?
Ive been reading heaps on this site and am more confused now than before.

I also have another question re degassing. These explosions you talk about, is that the wine over flowing or the gas exploding??? Also how do you know its working? Do you see things happening, smell it working or what???

 

[Wade E]

keep it in a bottle so that you can top off later after a few rackings.

 

[arcticsid]

Okay Booze, lets see the caracter, were all friends now. I had a cat named boozer, and he was a caracter alright.

Troy

 

[Boozehag]

Thats her in my avatar. Theres over 90 different paintings of her and shes on mugs, tshirts, aprons etc etc.... funny thing is, it was meant to be a joke, but now its my bread and butter...its only natural I evolved into making my own wine after all that I guess
Hopefully i do ok at it, got a reputation to keep!

Check her out here - Boozehag

Collette

 

[cpfan]

Okay Booze, lets see the caracter, were all friends now. I had a cat named boozer, and he was a caracter alright.

Troy

C'mon Troy I thought you knew how to use a computer. I found the web-site moments after reading Boozehag's first post.

Steve

 

[Boozehag]

Ok so an update on my wine making activity....
The Island Mist kit I started with is all but finished as in we have nearly polished off the whole 30 bottles i made and everyone liked it. Ive saved 4 bottles for trying at 12 months

My plum wine and peach wines, well they were spoilt by too much sulphite, I bottled the plum and am keepnig it to see if I can use it in other plum wines to decrease the amount of sulphite but the peach i tipped out!

The Potato wine well after issues with clearing, it suddenly cleared and already tastes divine, its got a fruity spicey flavour and I think Ill make it again its that nice!

The first batch of apple I made is really nice and that is only 3 months old.
So I have made a bigger batch this time.

The Passionfruit was hideous when I tasted it at bottling time so its being left well alone until at least 12 months I think. Its very acidic, but then didnt have a testing kit at the time so winged it!

My Dandelion wine is still fermenting slowly, its nearly finished, I started it mid March so thats real slow!!! Have another load of petals to make another batch but will hang off on that for now.

The Premium Reserve Shiraz kit finished quickly and we have drunk most of it and its quite nice for a young wine (Only 6 bottles!) Ill save one for 12 months.

The Blueberry wine is still fermenting like crazy, it was started on the 6th May but then I have been adding juice to it to up the flavour as I think it was a bit light on fruit to start.

The Blueberry Port is finished and aging.

The first batch of Feijoa is finished fermenting and clearing which was quick. I have another 10 kg of fruit to do another batch.

My experimental batch of Sake is fermenting away nicely, should be finished soon I think.

The Pinot Gri kit is finished and clearing, Im racknig that today as it has dropped a fair bit of lees again.

The Barkers Juice wine is still fermenting but starting to slow.... so as you can see Ive been really busy producing a variety of wines and really enjoying it.
I have a friend starting now too and we are starting up the wine clu so all gonig well.
I really appreciate the support and advice from the team on here, thanks for the help!

 

[St Allie]

Wow you've been busy Coll.

what colour did your blueberry port end up as?

Allie

 

[Boozehag]

Its a deep red purple about the same as a shiraz

 

[Madriver Wines]

Wow Coll you really have jumped off of the deep end of wine making!! Congrats on the success so far. I have a dandelion, loganberry . plum and another batch of grocery store strawberry going at present. The plum is ready to bottle as soon as we are and the loganberry is a couple weeks away. I used a Vinters Harvest can for the Loganberry and like all the ohters I have made the 5 gallon recipe is thin lifeless but a nice taste that will get better after a f-pac addition. Keep us up to date on your progress and I have trouble understanding how a potato wine could be anything but nasty ha ha,
Steve

 

[Boozehag]

I challenge you to make some Steve. I have had two people over to taste it (Oh and took some to work, my Boss wanted the lot and didnt want to share it!!!)and the other two thought it was the best Ive made so far, and best of all it has convinced them both to start making wine too. Once you get your head around the fact it is from potatos you will enjoy it, it really is divine and keep in mind this one Ive made is still young, its gonig to get even better.
Im going to make a bigger batch but will use a food processor this time, all that slicing was labourious!

Now one of my friends got a heap of wine making stuff from a reli that was old as the hills and in there was a receipe for coffee wine using a tablespoon of instant coffee with lots of sugar, sounds gross but she is gonig to make it. Has anyone else made coffee wine?

 

[Ian_Scott]

Hi Boozehag, someone mentioned last week to me that you had made a potato wine - and that I might want to trade notes with you, as I've started one recently as well.

I'm very interested in the recipe you used!

Thanks,

Ian

 

[WildSeedGrrrl]

Boozehag,
I took a look at your website and I saw your potato wine label. Glad to hear the it turned out. That one is on my list of 'wines to try and get my friends to drink'.

WSG

 

[Boozehag]

Oh hey Im sorry Ive been away and have only just caugth up on things!

Yeah the potato wine did finally turn out great and yes we drank it all already! Imaigne what it would have been like if it had e=been aged proprly!
Lets just say my boss loved it and wanted it all to herself and everyone who mananged a glass or two (Olny made a gallon) loved it too!

Heres the receipe

Potato Wine

6 lbs potatoes
2-1/2 lbs granulated sugar
1 lb raisins
1 tsp. acid blend
1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
1 gallon water
1 tsp yeast nutrient
wine yeast
Peel potatoes and grate roughly. Put prepared potatoes in pot and just cover with water. Bring to boil, cover pot, reduce and simmer for 25 minutes.
Mince or chop the raisins and put in primary with half the sugar. Strain the potatoes over primary. Add enough water to make up a gallon, stir to dissolve sugar. and add acid blend, yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme. Cover with cloth, wait 12 hours, and add the yeast. Cover again and ferment 5 to 7 days, stirring twice daily. Strain through nylon, add remainder of sugar, stir well to dissolve, pour into secondary, and fit with airlock. Rack every 30 days until clear. Wait another 30 days, stabilize and rack after additional 10 days. Sweeten to taste or bottle dry. Taste after 6 months.

Ian feel free to ask any questions on this...Im only too happy to help!