What are you making and what have you made ???

[winemaker81]

The wines I have in progress:

2022 Strawberry (FWK)
2022 Blackberry (FWK)
2022 Sauvignon Blanc (FWK)
2022 Pinot Noir (FWK)
2022 Chocolate Raspberry Port (Global Vintners kit)
2022 Elderberry (Vintners Best concentrate)
2021 Super Tuscan (FWK triple kit in barrel)
2021 Rhone Blend (FWK triple kit in barrel)

Currently everything is kits, but this fall I should be purchasing west coast Vinifera, and if all goes well, VA French-American hybrids.

 

[vinny]

Is there anything you don't know about?

I like to do things the involved way. I have ingredients and supplies galore. The juice method sounds like a good option because I won't need to expand on equipment or stock up on ingredients (because I will!).

Is this a standard beer kit you are referring to, or you make your own 'kit'? Sounds like making a wine kit plus heat?

I think I saw some canned beer supplies, as well as the kits and grains at the local supply shop.

 

[vinny]

I'm here, I might as well expand the list..

In primary;

WE Classic Diablo Rojo
WE Classic Merlot

In secondary

Raspberry - Frozen garden berries- The one that started it all
White grape- Welch's
Triple berry- frozen berries
VineCo Signature Pinot Gris
WE Reserve Shiraz

Bottled

Skeeter Pee
Dragon's Blood
Malt Hard Lemonade.

In Primary:

Juiced carrot wine
Steeped carrot wine
Dandelion

Secondary:

Dandelion
Carrot- Made similar to Dragon's Blood with juiced carrots and steeped pulp.
Vineco Grillo Pinot Grigio
Vineco California Mystic
3 gallon Dragons Blood
Raspberry - Frozen garden berries- The one that started it all
White grape- Welch's
Triple berry- frozen berries
VineCo Signature Pinot Gris
3 Gallon- WE Reserve Shiraz

Bottled:
3 gallon WE Shiraz- Very pleased!

Completed:

Skeeter Pee
Dragon's Blood
Malt Hard Lemonade.

 

[winemaker81]

Is there anything you don't know about?

Me? I know a little bit about a lot of things, and am good at a few. OTOH, I suck at brain surgery. Wood glue does NOT work, post-op. Use Liquid Nails or Gorilla Glue. Don't ask how I know this.

Is this a standard beer kit you are referring to, or you make your own 'kit'? Sounds like making a wine kit plus heat?

Yeah -- wine kit + heat is a good description.

Beer is made by boiling malted barley (and maybe other stuff), then letting the starch convert to sugar. Doing the long process allows you to choose grains and get a specific result.

"Syrup" is made by vendors executing the above process with barley, and concentrating the result into a syrup. You need to dilute (like a wine kit) ands boil (yeah, heat!), and maybe add hops. Some syrups already container hops.

Beer kits vary a lot -- some are cans of malt syrup + hops -- boil with water, cool, add yeast. My LHBS sells kits that are a pre-packaged recipe -- different syrups + maybe dried malt, specialty grain, hops, and yeast. You're trusting their recipe, which if your LHBS is any good, is fine. It's following a recipe where you are provided with all ingredients.

My recommendation -- make a syrup beer first. If you like the result, go more gonzo. Research first so you understand the process, then have fun!

 

[vezePilot]

I find recipes on the net and purchase the syrup and hops that match. Avoid "sugar beers", where sugar replaces malt as part of the fermentables. Full malt beers are far better.

Yes, avoid using sugar, such as Corn Sugar, as a fermentable. That's not beer, seems to me.

I found a site once, which listed recipes that users had uploaded.
There were something like twenty beer recipes per displayed page ... and 4,500+ pages. Yikes!

 

[Kivanc]

My coffee wine finished at 1.020 which it had a 1.130 of O.S.G. It turned out great: You can feel the sweet intense taste of the coffee.

 

[my wine]

My next is a MV Cab Franc. I ordered it from Northern Brewers with a 20% off promotion for Fathers Day. (Only a few days left on that deal if you're interested.) I should have it by next Thursday. It's a 10 liter kit so I consider it one notch above a cheap kit. But I still plan on tweaking it a little. I have a bag of FWK grape skins used once already so it will go in for a 2nd run. Oak chips before and after. I was also considering a cup of raisins or blackberries. Anyone have experience with cab franc or suggestions on tweaks? Or should I just let it go with the grape skins and oak only? Thanks!

 

[Dkrmwiz]

I'm starting 5 gallons of peach blackberry wine next week. I picked the 4 lbs of blackberries at a local blackberry farm on Tuesday and got them frozen and bagged. The peaches arrive next Wednesday, I bought the 25 lb box, but after pitting, it will be less than that. For primary, I split the batch between 2 LG buckets it's easier to handle. When it's time for the carboy, it gets blended. I also have a line on some fresh mulberries, so I'm going to try making a gallon of that, and later towards winter, the wild persimmon will be ready and I'll make at least a gallon or 2 of that. I've never made kit wine.

 

[Kivanc]

I have just started to ferment my 1,32 gallons of cherry must at 1.120 S.G. with one lemon juice yesterday.

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

Frankenwine !
I used the leftover lees from my mango / passion fruit / Banana ferment and added some frozen fresh pineapple some fresh mango, a little more sugar to get a sweeter 1 gal batch going for my daughter. It originally tasted like pineapple but now it’s actually quite strong. The starting SG was around 1.09 something andit was down to 0.982 When I racked. Lost its sweetness though, so I topped off with some pineapple juice from a can of pineapple chunks and some Kit peach wine an acquaintance made. I tested the SG on the peach wine and it was 1.022. Not sure if he super backsweetened this or bottled before it was done. Hoping it will give it a little flavor.
this thing has a little of everything in there so far.

it’s kind of interesting. I think this might finish before the mother batch i started it from 2 weeks earlier. It is starting to clear nicely

 

[Kivanc]

Coffee wine: totally coffee (Tchibo) and wine (14% ABV).

 

[Jovimaple]

Current sitch:
6 gallons Skeeter Pee in primary
6 gallons Apres Chocolate Raspberry dessert wine (double batch) nearing bottling time
3 gallon RJS Cru Specialty Toasted Caramel dessert wine nearing bottling time
6 gallons FWK Blackberry nearing bottling time
6 gallons FWK Strawberry nearing bottling time
6 gallons FWK Barbera ready for bottling
2 gallons tomato ready for bottling

On the horizon:
Frozen raspberries for 6ish gallon batch
Frozen peaches for 6ish gallon batch
Pineapple juice for 6ish gallon batch, to be backsweetened with pina colada mix
Orchard Breezin' watermelon 6 gallon kit
Orchard Breezin' peach 6 gallon kit
Probably more tomato this summer/fall - so far, I am liking what I did last year so I want to make more
Possibly more FWK

Updated list:
All "current sitch" wines bottled, and lots given away!
Orchard Breezin' watermelon kit - bottled
Orchard Breezin' peach kit - bottled

In primary:
3 gallon RJS Cru Specialty Toasted Caramel dessert wine (we loved the first one so much that Hubby wanted me to make it again since I gave away most of what we didn't drink from the first batch)
6 gallon FWK Kiwi

On the horizon:
6 gallon FWK strawberry, as soon as the toasted caramel gets racked so I can use the fermenting bucket - this one will be split to 5 gallons with chocolate extract (cacao nibs in vodka for a few months) and 1 gallon left plain

Frozen raspberries
Frozen peaches
Pineapple to be backsweetened with pina colada mix
Tomato

Maybe another FWK
Maybe another toasted caramel later this fall
Probably another Skeeter Pee batch

 

[vezePilot]

After letting my rather dark Ale sit for a couple weeks, I have tried a few glasses. It has a mild, mellow flavor that is surprising. I don't prefer the strong taste of most dark beers.

Also, I bottled my WE Reserve Pinot Noir this evening. I was busy with other things, so the 6 week kit went seven weeks. The batch made 29 bottles plus one glass. I really like it. A bit more acidic than the Cab Sauv kits I've made. A little fruity, rather complex. But what do I know about wine ...



edit: This is turning into a full-time job!
I have only four bottles remaining of the last Cab that I made, only one already opened bottle of Moscato, and only seven bottles left of the Watermelon Fruit wine. I thought I just finished making that?!?!

 

[vinny]

Updated list:
All "current sitch" wines bottled, and lots given away!
Orchard Breezin' watermelon kit - bottled
Orchard Breezin' peach kit - bottled

In primary:
3 gallon RJS Cru Specialty Toasted Caramel dessert wine (we loved the first one so much that Hubby wanted me to make it again since I gave away most of what we didn't drink from the first batch)
6 gallon FWK Kiwi

On the horizon:
6 gallon FWK strawberry, as soon as the toasted caramel gets racked so I can use the fermenting bucket - this one will be split to 5 gallons with chocolate extract (cacao nibs in vodka for a few months) and 1 gallon left plain

Frozen raspberries
Frozen peaches
Pineapple to be backsweetened with pina colada mix
Tomato

Maybe another FWK
Maybe another toasted caramel later this fall
Probably another Skeeter Pee batch

Have you tried the first 2 gallons of tomato yet? Good/bad?

 

[Rocky]

This is what I have going since getting back most of the equipment that I sold in the aborted move to Florida. In the two fermenters there are whites: the 7.9-gallon fermenter has Pinot Grigio (WinExpert Reserve) and the 20-gallon fermenter is triple batch of Traminer-Riesling (WinExpert LE). In bulk aging I have Cabernet Sauvignon, Super Tuscan, Amarone, Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Syrah and Muscat. First bottling is still about 3 months away.

 

[vinny]

Nice set up.

I appreciate that you have made me look like a dabbler. I only have about 50 gallons going at the moment.

 

[BigDaveK]

Nice set up.

I appreciate that you have made me look like a dabbler. I only have about 50 gallons going at the moment.

Hey, you had a water "situation" and a fence to build. You'll get back in the swing of things!

 

[ChuckD]

This is what I have going since getting back most of the equipment that I sold in the aborted move to Florida. In the two fermenters there are whites: the 7.9-gallon fermenter has Pinot Grigio (WinExpert Reserve) and the 20-gallon fermenter is triple batch of Traminer-Riesling (WinExpert LE). In bulk aging I have Cabernet Sauvignon, Super Tuscan, Amarone, Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Syrah and Muscat. First bottling is still about 3 months away.View attachment 91062View attachment 91063View attachment 91064View attachment 91065

I am so showing this to my wife…

See! I do not have a wine making problem!!

 

[Merrywine]

I’ve made a couple of small kits of reds (a while ago so forgive me for not recalling the variety) and I’ve made several meads including a grapefruit rosemary that took a ribbon in competition. On deck, I have plans for a blueberry port and gurwertztraminer (both kits) and I have coffee blossom honey and cacao nibs for a mocha coffee mead.

 

[vinny]

I am so showing this to my wife…

See! I do not have a wine making problem!!

Yup, I'm feeling pretty good about myself today. I have been exhibiting GREAT self control.

I think I could even throw a couple more batches in primary and still be in a nice moderate zone.