Wine by the month

[Winenoob66]

Here is what i had going but bandits raided my hide away
10/4/13 late @ night
1 gallon must
Apple Starting Gravity is @ 1.090
2 cans Apple Juice Concentrate
2 cups Sugar
1 Tsp Yeast Nutrient
Lalvin EC-1118 Yeast
cold crashed 10/14/13

Hit it with bentonite but date was not recorded. Was also racked off Lees and ended up with only 1/2 gallon of wine after clearing due to bandits.

apple review 11/16/13
crystal clear
Bouquet is refreshing, clean, appley
Taste
slight heat, bitter, not a strong taste of apples.

conclusion would need more time for apple flavor to come forward more

Must take more precautions due to bandits

 

[the_rayway]

Damn bandits ::

 

[Stressbaby]

I'm in.
My November recipe is Lime-Ginger:
8 limes, rind and juice (this batch had 2 store-bought limes and 6 large Persian limes from my greenhouse)
1 can Welch's concentrate
30g chopped fresh ginger root
30g crystallized ginger
1# 10oz sugar
1t yeast nutrient, divided additions
1/4t tannin
1t pectic
3.75 quarts water
D47 yeast

Zest and juice fruit. Chop ginger, at to 1 pint water, bring to boil. Strain water into primary, add ginger back to pot and add another 1 pint water. Bring back to boil, simmer 1 hr, then strain water into primary. Add zest, juice, tannin, sugar, water, 1/2 nutrient, grape concentrate. When cool, 1t pectic. After 12 hours, yeast starter. Keep fermentation temp down to 20C (I do this by putting the bucket in a larger bucket and putting 2-4 ice packs in between the two buckets, changing out every 12 hours or so). Add second half teaspoon nutrient at around 1/3 sugar depletion. At 1.010 move to secondary, then usual care after that.

 

[the_rayway]

I'm in.
My November recipe is Lime-Ginger:
8 limes, rind and juice (this batch had 2 store-bought limes and 6 large Persian limes from my greenhouse)
1 can Welch's concentrate
30g chopped fresh ginger root
30g crystallized ginger
1# 10oz sugar
1t yeast nutrient, divided additions
1/4t tannin
1t pectic
3.75 quarts water
D47 yeast

Zest and juice fruit. Chop ginger, at to 1 pint water, bring to boil. Strain water into primary, add ginger back to pot and add another 1 pint water. Bring back to boil, simmer 1 hr, then strain water into primary. Add zest, juice, tannin, sugar, water, 1/2 nutrient, grape concentrate. When cool, 1t pectic. After 12 hours, yeast starter. Keep fermentation temp down to 20C (I do this by putting the bucket in a larger bucket and putting 2-4 ice packs in between the two buckets, changing out every 12 hours or so). Add second half teaspoon nutrient at around 1/3 sugar depletion. At 1.010 move to secondary, then usual care after that.

Welcome!
This sounds really interesting - I'm working (i.e. ignoring) a peach ginger wine that has been sitting for the last few months. I put waaay too much ginger into it and there is no peach flavour! Looking forward to hearing how this come out.

 

[Stressbaby]

Welcome!
This sounds really interesting - I'm working (i.e. ignoring) a peach ginger wine that has been sitting for the last few months. I put waaay too much ginger into it and there is no peach flavour! Looking forward to hearing how this come out.

How much ginger did you use?
I made a lemongrass ginger wine which came out pretty good, 3 gal using 60g fresh and 70g crystallized. I've made the lime without ginger before and came out great, but very prominent lime taste so for this 1 gal recipe I upped the ginger a bit to keep up with the lime.

 

[the_rayway]

How much ginger did you use?
I made a lemongrass ginger wine which came out pretty good, 3 gal using 60g fresh and 70g crystallized. I've made the lime without ginger before and came out great, but very prominent lime taste so for this 1 gal recipe I upped the ginger a bit to keep up with the lime.

Hey Stressbaby,
I used an inch long, 1/2 inch round piece of fresh ginger, which I simmered with the water, then strained (squeezed) into the primary. It is in a gallon and a half batch.

 

[Jericurl]

Grossest ferment ever....but I'm down to 1.06

 

[the_rayway]

Grossest ferment ever....but I'm down to 1.06

This reminds me of the 'Earnest Scared Stupid' movie - where he kisses boogerlips. Bhahahaha! Totally gross.

 

[LoneStarLori]

Grossest ferment ever....but I'm down to 1.06

I can't argue with that Jeri. it just looks gross. But I bet it will be one of the best ever. Kind of the ugly duckling syndrome.

I started my chocolate-strawberry yesterday using Jack cellars recipe . Oh _ EM _Gee!!! It smells like someone poured all my guilty pleasures into a bucket then decided to make me inhale it.

Here's my initial setup. I took the SG reading after adding the chocolate sludge so I am not 100% sure if the reading is accurate.

I still plan to do the onion wine as soon as I have a free fermenter. Hopefully Monday.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a219/lsbeyer58/wine pics/chocStraw-11-15-13b.jpghttp://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a219/lsbeyer58/wine pics/chocStraw-11-15-13b.jpg

 

[Medic8106]

Lori - I assume that you have not tried the strawberry-chocolate before? I started mine in Sept this year and it is looking good! Can't wait to try it.

 

[Stressbaby]

FWIW, I've read here that it is best to reserve one primary bucket solely for the pepper-onion wines; that it is hard to get that smell or taste out of the bucket and you won't want to use that bucket again for regular fruit wines.

 

[Winenoob66]

FWIW, I've read here that it is best to reserve one primary bucket solely for the pepper-onion wines; that it is hard to get that smell or taste out of the bucket and you won't want to use that bucket again for regular fruit wines.

I had never heard this before, Thx for the warning.

 

[LoneStarLori]

Lori - I assume that you have not tried the strawberry-chocolate before? I started mine in Sept this year and it is looking good! Can't wait to try it.

Nope, this is my first time. Did you use Kellers recipe? Is it tasting like wine yet?

Following his recommendations, it won't be ready till about next Thanksgiving.

 

[weaverschmitz]

I like your idea of wine of the month club.

Every year when I harvest my grapes i take half the batch and do as little as possible to capture the terroir of our area in Wisconsin. The other batch I use to experiment. It helps to try new things to help perfect a recipe without losing an entire harvest.

Regarding habanero in your recipe, I think cayenne pepper would be a better fit. Mayan chocolate recipes typically use cayenne. I'm currently making a mead with this pepper and it gave it a wonderful finish.

Good luck with your wine of the month and keep us posted.

 

[weaverschmitz]

I also use separate racking tubes when making pepper wine for this same reason.

So how are you going to start the wine of the month club? Are you going to use this thread or start a new one each month or a new one for each recipe? Just wondering since I plan to follow along until spring and then join in when my fruit is ready to harvest.

 

[Jericurl]

Lori,

That stuff is going to be spectacular! It does smell wonderful doesn't it? Maybe I will try that one in February. It can be my Valentines wine for the following year.
BTW, I really like the font you used in your picture. You should consider using that on your label.

Weaverschmitz,
That is interesting about the cayenne. I've made a note about that and will definitely keep it in mind when I taste it next year.
How big is your grape harvest each year? What kind are they?

As far as how we should do this ...I don't know, I'm guessing whatever majority thinks will work best.
If we keep the same thread month after month, it's going to be huge. And I absolutely hate having to dig through big threads.
What would you guys think of doing a separate thread each month and titling it <Month> Wine Club?
Then at the end of the month, someone can post the last response in the thread and make it a summary of names and what wine each person made. If it is something that catches on and is still going in a year, we can begin having two threads a month, one that is titled <Month> Wine Club (for starting new 1 gallon batches) and <Month 2013> Wine Club Results (for the previous year results), etc.
What other ideas do you guys have?

 

[Medic8106]

Nope, this is my first time. Did you use Kellers recipe? Is it taxing like wine yet?

Following his recommendations, it won't be ready till about next Thanksgiving.

Yes I used his recipe. I have only racked it once since starting, it is due to be racked again here in the beginning of Dec. I haven't tried it at all. I am trying to be very patient on trying anything! Hopefully it pays off in the end next year.

 

[LoneStarLori]

Lori,

That stuff is going to be spectacular! It does smell wonderful doesn't it? Maybe I will try that one in February. It can be my Valentines wine for the following year.
BTW, I really like the font you used in your picture. You should consider using that on your label.


As far as how we should do this ...I don't know, I'm guessing whatever majority thinks will work best.
If we keep the same thread month after month, it's going to be huge. And I absolutely hate having to dig through big threads.
What would you guys think of doing a separate thread each month and titling it <Month> Wine Club?
Then at the end of the month, someone can post the last response in the thread and make it a summary of names and what wine each person made. If it is something that catches on and is still going in a year, we can begin having two threads a month, one that is titled <Month> Wine Club (for starting new 1 gallon batches) and <Month 2013> Wine Club Results (for the previous year results), etc.
What other ideas do you guys have?

I think you are on the right track by giving it a month name. I was thinking the same thing as you regarding if it's still going in a year. lol. Let's hope we don't lose too many.

I really didn't pay much attention to the font, it just came up in my Photoshop. I like it too though and will use it. it's called Cantabile for a Mac. It maybe something else in the PC world.

 

[Polarhug]

Wonderfully fun idea!

Question: Do you do over a gallon initially so you have some to top up with, and have exactly 1 gallon when you bottle... or do you plan on topping up with a commercial or similar wine? Just wondering since some of the recipes sound pretty unique.

 

[vernsgal]

this is a great thread.I too have started trying 1 gal. recipes. I just started on the 5th of this month the chocolate maraschino mead for next Christmas
3 ½ lbs liquid honey
2 375 ml jars maraschino cherries (approx.. 2 lbs)
½ c cocoa
2 ¼ tsp acid blend
1 ¼ tsp yeast nutrient
¼ tsp yeast energizer
3/16 grape tannin
1/16 tsp k-meta (.36g)
1 pkg yeast lalvin 1118