cohenhouse77
Patience Apprentice
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2012
- Messages
- 313
- Reaction score
- 29
I gave some friends of mine a bottle of wine I had made, which of course sparked the conversation about another friend of theirs that makes his own wine. They told me he was looking for an apprentice, and how he is Central Florida's premiere wine maker. I shrugged it off, but they insisted that I join them for an afternoon of bottling some of his wine and tasting. I agreed, because that sounded fun.
I arrived to find his setup in his garage, which most are I am sure, but it was covered in cat and dog hair, dirty carpets and cobwebs. He had quite an amazing set up though. 100 gallon capacity easy. He had 600 bottle capacity wine racks which were full, so I decided to dig in and try and learn something.
I began asking questions which he laughed at mostly, but then finally gave me his opinions. We started by bottling 6 gallons of Doreen Muscadine wine. He started siphon by mouth into a small cup that had been there for a while. I asked why he didn't use an auto-siphon to which he replied they didn't work. He then passed the Doreen cup to me. I sipped, and he motioned for me to finish it. He then licked the siphon hose, and stuck it back into the carboy to fill the cup again for my other friend. Obviously, sanitation is not high priority. The siphon was licked each time it was removed, including from each bottle during filling!
While bottling, I asked how long the Doreen had aged in the carboy. He laughed hardest at this as though only a noob would ask such a thing. He replied that it was almost three months old. I asked if he was going to age it in the bottle, and he replied that Muscadine grapes are the only grape that do not have the "Aging Gene" and do not mature with age. I told him I had read otherwise and he said that everyone else is wrong. He explained that Muscadine is the only grape that you can drink immediately after bottling.
He then showed me some of his other carboys. He walked over to them and poured about a quarter cup of sugar in each one. They began to froth and erupt. He explained that he continues adding sugar to each carboy until the yeast does not respond. I asked how he knows the ABV. He replied that he goes by the yeast tolerance. He adds sugar until the alcohol content is so high that it kills the yeast.
I began to look at the bottles which were all overran with floating particles. I asked if he just didn't let it all settle long enough and asked if he though longer aging in the carboy would benefit him. He laughed at the term "age" again.
Then it became time to try some of his wines. He chose the 20 fruit wine that had the most particles floating. He poured me a full glass for a taste. I began with a smell, that almost knocked me over. It smelled like CROWN ROYAL! I took a taste which was so strong it gave me an instant belly ache. I watched everyone else drink it and excused myself to the kitchen where my glass went down the drain. The pear wasn't as bad, but I fail to understand how you call that wine.
We told some wine stories and I explained how many batches I have going at the moment (40 gallons or so), and explained how I use the fruit in a nylon straining bag. I was giggled at again and accused of making alcoholic colored water.
The last bottle we tried was fizzy. I began asking about wine chemicals and what worked for him and what didn't. He chuckled again as I described to my friends the process I use and why. He explained that he makes country wines, and isn't trying to join the county fair. I politely excused myself and left.
The next day, I am told that this gentleman has accepted me as his apprentice, which sounds like chief bottle corker to me, and wants to come over to help me get started really making wine, because if anyone can teach me, he can.
I had a fun afternoon, but feel I have to unlearn most of what I gleaned. I look forward to sampling my next 10% ABV Blueberry Skeeter Pee, once my taste buds come back to life!
I arrived to find his setup in his garage, which most are I am sure, but it was covered in cat and dog hair, dirty carpets and cobwebs. He had quite an amazing set up though. 100 gallon capacity easy. He had 600 bottle capacity wine racks which were full, so I decided to dig in and try and learn something.
I began asking questions which he laughed at mostly, but then finally gave me his opinions. We started by bottling 6 gallons of Doreen Muscadine wine. He started siphon by mouth into a small cup that had been there for a while. I asked why he didn't use an auto-siphon to which he replied they didn't work. He then passed the Doreen cup to me. I sipped, and he motioned for me to finish it. He then licked the siphon hose, and stuck it back into the carboy to fill the cup again for my other friend. Obviously, sanitation is not high priority. The siphon was licked each time it was removed, including from each bottle during filling!
While bottling, I asked how long the Doreen had aged in the carboy. He laughed hardest at this as though only a noob would ask such a thing. He replied that it was almost three months old. I asked if he was going to age it in the bottle, and he replied that Muscadine grapes are the only grape that do not have the "Aging Gene" and do not mature with age. I told him I had read otherwise and he said that everyone else is wrong. He explained that Muscadine is the only grape that you can drink immediately after bottling.
He then showed me some of his other carboys. He walked over to them and poured about a quarter cup of sugar in each one. They began to froth and erupt. He explained that he continues adding sugar to each carboy until the yeast does not respond. I asked how he knows the ABV. He replied that he goes by the yeast tolerance. He adds sugar until the alcohol content is so high that it kills the yeast.
I began to look at the bottles which were all overran with floating particles. I asked if he just didn't let it all settle long enough and asked if he though longer aging in the carboy would benefit him. He laughed at the term "age" again.
Then it became time to try some of his wines. He chose the 20 fruit wine that had the most particles floating. He poured me a full glass for a taste. I began with a smell, that almost knocked me over. It smelled like CROWN ROYAL! I took a taste which was so strong it gave me an instant belly ache. I watched everyone else drink it and excused myself to the kitchen where my glass went down the drain. The pear wasn't as bad, but I fail to understand how you call that wine.
We told some wine stories and I explained how many batches I have going at the moment (40 gallons or so), and explained how I use the fruit in a nylon straining bag. I was giggled at again and accused of making alcoholic colored water.
The last bottle we tried was fizzy. I began asking about wine chemicals and what worked for him and what didn't. He chuckled again as I described to my friends the process I use and why. He explained that he makes country wines, and isn't trying to join the county fair. I politely excused myself and left.
The next day, I am told that this gentleman has accepted me as his apprentice, which sounds like chief bottle corker to me, and wants to come over to help me get started really making wine, because if anyone can teach me, he can.
I had a fun afternoon, but feel I have to unlearn most of what I gleaned. I look forward to sampling my next 10% ABV Blueberry Skeeter Pee, once my taste buds come back to life!
