What R you doing today?

[Deezil]

So a couple days ago, i added a 750ml bottle of brandy to 9 bottles of 2011 Gold Raspberry, and sweetened it, pretty sweet.. For a total of 2 gallons.

Then the next day, i did the same thing although not quite as sweet, with 9 bottles of 2011 Red Raspberry & a 750ml bottle of brandy.. For another 2 gallons

The next night, racked 3 gallons of 2011 Blackberry-Cherry Melomel from 1-gallons into my 3-gallon carboy and topped up with blackberry & cherry experiments ("vishnik"?) that i decided were better spent in this batch... It's still clearing, i'll top it up with a splash of brandy when it needs it - gonna be good stuff.

So i have "very sweet" covered - riesling ice wine, gold rasp. port & red rasp. port

I have 5 more gallons of 2011 Gold Rasp. & 5 gallons of 2011 Red Rasp, to sweeten - i need some "middle of the road"/balanced wines & i think i'll do that with these.

Then maybe i'll leave the 6 gallons of 2012 Riesling like it is, relatively dry.. And maybe only backsweeten the Apple-Pear a tad... But i dunno if it'll need it, so maybe it'll stay relatively dry too...

The 2011 "leftovers" & 2012 Blackberry.. Dunno what i'm going to do with those yet..

What am i missing? Some oak? Maybe the blackberry...

 

[Hokapsig]

Bill,
No probs, if you'd like, I can give you the procedure and recipe for Spumante made the traditional way as well.
I should be making it using the new method within a few days if all goes as planned.

Teach me that, oh wise master. This grasshopper needs to know....

 

[ShelleyDickison]

Transferred my pomegranate/tart cherry to secondary this morning. These one gallon jugs are just so cute.

 

[Sammyk]

LOL Shelley I have over 100 1-gallons and 12 1/2-gallons and never thought of them as cute.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Bill,
I'll post it in recipes in a bit, no probs~!

 

[Boatboy24]

Dragon Blood is crystal clear. Tonight, I'll rack and backsweeten. Tomorrow, I'll rack, degass and stabilize the Red Mountain Cab. Maybe get Red Mountain Trio #2 started.

Need to get some lime on the lawn and take the outdoor Christmas deco down. Good thing it'll be in the high 60's this weekend.

 

[xanxer82]

Will be cleaning a couple hundred bottles tonight. Should be bottling either tomorrow evening or Sunday. The 2011 reds are all ready to be bottled. Sadly, I did not make anything in 2012.

 

[ShelleyDickison]

Just finished up a Skype wine making session with my Mom. I got her a one gallon kit for Christmas and I bought one so we could do a wine together. Not quite as good as being there, but with her in MN and me in NC this was the best we could do. She started a Cranberry Apple from Juice and I started a Cranberry. The recipe threw me for a loop because it was 2 quarts juice and 2 quarts water. Hopefully it all works out.

 

[Hokapsig]

Racked another 5 gallons of Cranberry Pomegranate and the checked the Red Zinfandel, which is now down to 0.994 and ready to be racked (if I can just clean a carboy).

While conducting my training course today, one of the construction guys wanted to revisit putting in a building for my winery. Might be time to broach the subject with person that holds the family purse strings.....

 

[RegionRat]

I started 25# of Sauerkraut tonight. I know it is not wine but it is still ferment.....

RR

 

[rezod11]

Pitched the yeast on my very first quad berry DB today!! Temp 78°, SG 1.086. Bubbling away...

Can't wait to taste this! Smells sooooo good...

 

[ttimmer]

Dragon's Blood is clearing nicely in the secondary. Printed labels for the bottles last night.

Started a batch of Tropical Haze today -- sugar content ended up higher than I thought they would based by the recipe... so I think I may have a version on my hands.

Ended up not adding any honey to the original must. As it is, the SG is starting at 1.090 (without the honey). Substituted key lime juice for the lemon. I think the combo of lime and pineapple will be amazing. I may add honey during backsweetening since I now have it on hand. I was originally thinking this may be a lower ABV recipe, but it is now leaning toward margarita-style. I will let you know as the process develops over the next few weeks.

 

[Wade E]

Worked on the car all morning. Replaced both front wheel hub bearing assemblies and rotors and pads all the way around. I let this stuff go pretty long as honestly I didnt think this car would be lasting this long as it has a cracked cylinder or blown intake gasket and either of those are a costly job and above my pay grade most likely. Its been like this for 1 1/2 years now and requires a gallon of antifreeze about every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. I buy the cheapest stuff I can which is Walmart full strength at $9.87 and mix it 1/2 water to get 2 gallons for that price. I know, for what Ive paid in anti freeze by now I could have probably replaced the engine!!! LOL The Garage wanted $325 for each wheel bearing assem. plus another $100 to install. I bought the 4 rotors, pads, and wheel bearings at Napa for $440!!!! What a bunch of over priced jerks, I know they need to make money but cmon!!!!!! It isnt like I bought the cheap stuff at some of those other places.

 

[millwright01]

LHBS gave me a call today to say my special order Winexpert LE2012 Argentine Malbec Bonardo was in so I picked it up. Couldn't help it and bought a couple more to so 3 kits to get into primary now. Took me 2 hours to get the snow cleared today and then had to go to town for the wine, groceries,etc. so tomorrow afternoon will be wine day. Need to get in a little ice fishing in the morning. Tonight: football, cigar, and making a bit of room in the wine rack

 

[DirtyDawg10]

What am I doing today?

Drinking wine! Duh!!

 

[rezod11]

Thanks Pumpinman, I added about three #'s of sugar and brought the SG up to 1.086. Fermenting away happily...

 

[rezod11]

I started 25# of Sauerkraut tonight. I know it is not wine but it is still ferment.....

RR

I've made my own kraut before, hubby said it was the best he'd ever tasted. Him being Polish, that means a lot

Just like wine, it's mostly time.

 

[RegionRat]

I've made my own kraut before, hubby said it was the best he'd ever tasted. Him being Polish, that means a lot

Just like wine, it's mostly time.

We love it also. From the first sprinkling of salt on the raw cabbage to the finished product and all stages in between.

RR

 

[dan69man]

Today I'm starting my eclipse Lodi Old vine Zinfandel and cleaning up from the bottling of my Stag Leap Merlot last night.

Hopefully I'll be done in time to watch some football

 

[reefman]

We love it also. From the first sprinkling of salt on the raw cabbage to the finished product and all stages in between.

RR

Is there a forum for making kraut? Or a recipe somewhere. I'd like to try it myself.