Summer is coming, people. The markets will be full of fresh, local fruit. Get out there and turn it into nectar of the gods! Personally, I want to pick enough wild blueberries this year to make 5 gallons of blueberry wine. It's almost good enough to make me stop buying tempranillo... Feel free to share any summer 2012 winemaking goals that you have right here in the comments section!
RG
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Peach Melomel
Ramble: Melomel is mead fermented with fruit. Some of my favorite wines that I've made by far are meads and peach wines, so I decided what the heck! It's time for a peach melomel. This recipe has turned out so well that it may be my new all time favorite; my only regret is that I didn't make it sooner.
Recipe:
1 quart peaches
1 3/4 lbs clover honey
water to 1 gallon
1/8 tsp tannins
1/8 tsp acid blend
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/4 tsp pectic enzyme
1 sachet Pasteur Champagne yeast
Chop up the peaches, throw into a stock pot with one or two quarts of water. Add the honey. Bring the mixture to a slow boil with the lid of the pot on. Let cool without opening.
When the mixture has cooled down to at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit, add in the tannins, acid blend, and yeast nutrient, stirring with a sanitized spoon. Let sit overnight.
The next day strain out the peach chunks while transferring the must to the sanitized fermenter. Add the yeast, cap the fermenter with an airlock, and allow to ferment dry. I found this to make an absolutely fruity and light dry melomel. Bottle and age as you will, and enjoy! Try adding 1 tsp sugar to each bottle for a carbonated, summery treat!
Notes: I found that this mead was ready to drink as soon as I bottled it, which is a totally new experience for me as I generally like to age my meads six months before drinking, and a year if I can stand to wait that long.
I used my mom's delicious canned peaches for the job, as I do for my peach wine, and the result was--as always--wonderfully successful. When I use canned peaches, I add the liquid, peaches, and all. Go ahead and give it a try!
Recipe:
1 quart peaches
1 3/4 lbs clover honey
water to 1 gallon
1/8 tsp tannins
1/8 tsp acid blend
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/4 tsp pectic enzyme
1 sachet Pasteur Champagne yeast
Chop up the peaches, throw into a stock pot with one or two quarts of water. Add the honey. Bring the mixture to a slow boil with the lid of the pot on. Let cool without opening.
When the mixture has cooled down to at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit, add in the tannins, acid blend, and yeast nutrient, stirring with a sanitized spoon. Let sit overnight.
The next day strain out the peach chunks while transferring the must to the sanitized fermenter. Add the yeast, cap the fermenter with an airlock, and allow to ferment dry. I found this to make an absolutely fruity and light dry melomel. Bottle and age as you will, and enjoy! Try adding 1 tsp sugar to each bottle for a carbonated, summery treat!
Notes: I found that this mead was ready to drink as soon as I bottled it, which is a totally new experience for me as I generally like to age my meads six months before drinking, and a year if I can stand to wait that long.
I used my mom's delicious canned peaches for the job, as I do for my peach wine, and the result was--as always--wonderfully successful. When I use canned peaches, I add the liquid, peaches, and all. Go ahead and give it a try!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Apple Balloon Cyser
A cyser is a mead that is fermented with apple juice. This simple recipe has given me great results!
Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!
Recipe:
2 cans frozen concentrated apple juice
1 to 1.5 lbs honey
water to 1 gallon
wine yeast (recommend pasteur champagne)
Place the honey and water in a stock pot and mix together. Then, bring the mixture to a boil. While cooling, add in your frozen apple juice and stir with a sanitized spoon. Add the whole mixture into your sanitized fermentor and place a balloon with some pin holes in it over the top. You're on your way to cyser!
Bottle when fermentation stops and the cyser is clear!
Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!
Recipe:
2 cans frozen concentrated apple juice
1 to 1.5 lbs honey
water to 1 gallon
wine yeast (recommend pasteur champagne)
Place the honey and water in a stock pot and mix together. Then, bring the mixture to a boil. While cooling, add in your frozen apple juice and stir with a sanitized spoon. Add the whole mixture into your sanitized fermentor and place a balloon with some pin holes in it over the top. You're on your way to cyser!
Bottle when fermentation stops and the cyser is clear!
Monday, January 30, 2012
White Balloon Pyment
Pyment is a mead that is fermented with either red or white grape juice. Give this easy recipe a go!
Recipe:
2 cans frozen concentrated white grape juice
1 to 1.5 pounds of honey
water to 1 gallon
wine yeast (Pasteur champagne recommended)
Mix the honey and water in a stock pot. Bring to a boil (this kills wild yeast and bacteria). Turn off the stove burner and then add in your frozen concentrates, stirring with a sanitized spoon. Once the mixture is at 80 degrees Fahrenheit or below, add the yeast in. Transfer the mixture (must) to a sanitized fermentation container, and cover the container's top with a ballon that has some pinholes in it.
Bottle when clear, and age to taste!
Recipe:
2 cans frozen concentrated white grape juice
1 to 1.5 pounds of honey
water to 1 gallon
wine yeast (Pasteur champagne recommended)
Mix the honey and water in a stock pot. Bring to a boil (this kills wild yeast and bacteria). Turn off the stove burner and then add in your frozen concentrates, stirring with a sanitized spoon. Once the mixture is at 80 degrees Fahrenheit or below, add the yeast in. Transfer the mixture (must) to a sanitized fermentation container, and cover the container's top with a ballon that has some pinholes in it.
Bottle when clear, and age to taste!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Red Balloon Pyment
Pyment is a mead that is fermented with grape juice. Try this easy recipe:
Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!
Recipe:
2 cans frozen concentrated red grape juice
1 to 1.5 lbs honey
water to 1 gallon
wine yeast
Mix the honey and water in a stock pot. Bring to a boil, then turn off the burner. Add in the frozen concentrates, and stir with a sanitized spoon. Once the mixture is at 80 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, add in your yeast. Transfer the mixture to your sanitized fermentation container, and put a balloon with some pinholes in it over the top.
Ferment, and then bottle when the pyment is clear!
Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!
Recipe:
2 cans frozen concentrated red grape juice
1 to 1.5 lbs honey
water to 1 gallon
wine yeast
Mix the honey and water in a stock pot. Bring to a boil, then turn off the burner. Add in the frozen concentrates, and stir with a sanitized spoon. Once the mixture is at 80 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, add in your yeast. Transfer the mixture to your sanitized fermentation container, and put a balloon with some pinholes in it over the top.
Ferment, and then bottle when the pyment is clear!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Apple Cider, Balloon
This is so easy and it has actually produced some of my best apple ciders. It's almost embarrassing!Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!
Recipe:
3 cans frozen concentrated apple juice
water
wine yeast
Mix together in a sanitized container the water and juice concentrate. Allow to reach room temperature if the mixture is cold. Add in your yeast, and put a balloon with some pin holes over the top of the container.
Ferment, bottle when clear, and age to taste!
Tips:
I recommend using pasteur champagne yeast or cotes des blancs!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Balloon Mead (Sweet)
This is a sweet and strong mead!
Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!
Recipe:
5lbs honey (recommend clover honey or orange blossom for best results)
water to 1 gallon
wine yeast
Mix the honey and water in a stock pot, then bring to a boil for a few minutes. Let the mixture cool to at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit, then add it to your sanitized container. Pitch in your yeast, cover with a balloon that you've poked pinholes into, and allow to ferment!
Fermentation could take over 30 days, as the large amount of sugars from the honey can cause a low level of fermentation to continue longer than in other mead recipes. When fermentation apppears finished, give it a few more weeks to sit before bottling. The balloon mead should clear very fast.
Then bottle and enjoy!
Tips:
1.) Pasteur champagne yeast is recommended.
2.) During the boiling, throw in a sachet of black tea to add some tannins for more body. It's not absolutely necessary, but it adds a little something extra.
Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!
Recipe:
5lbs honey (recommend clover honey or orange blossom for best results)
water to 1 gallon
wine yeast
Mix the honey and water in a stock pot, then bring to a boil for a few minutes. Let the mixture cool to at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit, then add it to your sanitized container. Pitch in your yeast, cover with a balloon that you've poked pinholes into, and allow to ferment!
Fermentation could take over 30 days, as the large amount of sugars from the honey can cause a low level of fermentation to continue longer than in other mead recipes. When fermentation apppears finished, give it a few more weeks to sit before bottling. The balloon mead should clear very fast.
Then bottle and enjoy!
Tips:
1.) Pasteur champagne yeast is recommended.
2.) During the boiling, throw in a sachet of black tea to add some tannins for more body. It's not absolutely necessary, but it adds a little something extra.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Inverted Sugar
Introduction: Inverted sugar, invert sugar, or belgian candi sugar is a mixture of glucose and fructose that is made by heating regular table sugar with a little water and lemon juice (for acidity). It's most famous for being used in beer brewing, but works wonderfully in winemaking as well, especially for fruit wines. The pictures I've included are a batch of amber candi sugar that I made for beer brewing.How to make Belgian Candi Sugar:
Recipe:
2 cups water
5 lbs sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice (or 1 tsp citric acid)
Heat the mixture to around 260 degrees Fahrenheit and hold it around there for about 20 minutes. Do not let it go over 275 or it will take on a darker, caramel color and flavors (if you want this, then by all means go for it brewers!).
The very last step is to heat the mixture up to 300 degrees, then pour it out onto a cookie sheet where it can harden as it cools. When cool, break it up and store in plastic bags! It can be used when wine recipes call for sugar!
Ramble: What's the point? Using sucrose, plain old table sugar, in your wine can lead to very slight sweet flavors left over, or (some believe) an increase in the wine's body. It also requires the yeast to synthesize the enzyme invertase so that they can convert the sucrose to glucose and fructose. It saves the yeast energy, nutrients, and some lag time to do this for them! I use this especially in light bodied wines like my lemon wine (recipe to come soon), but it's not an absolute requirement. It's definitely fun, and a lot cheaper than buying the stuff at the homebrew store!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Balloon Mead (medium)
Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!
Recipe:
3 lbs. Honey
water to 1 gallon
yeast
Place the honey and water into a stock pot, and mix on low heat. Once mixed, bring to a boil. Let the mixture simmer for five minutes. Let it cool down to at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the mixture in your container and add your yeast. Put a balloon with some pinholes in it over the container. Ferment!
Fermentation might take up to 30 days, but the balloon mead should clear very fast.
Bottle it up and enjoy!
Tips:
1.) I recommend using pasteur champagne yeast
2.) During the boil throw in a sachet of black tea to add tannins for more body. It's not necessary, but adds a little something extra.
Recipe:3 lbs. Honey
water to 1 gallon
yeast
Place the honey and water into a stock pot, and mix on low heat. Once mixed, bring to a boil. Let the mixture simmer for five minutes. Let it cool down to at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the mixture in your container and add your yeast. Put a balloon with some pinholes in it over the container. Ferment!
Fermentation might take up to 30 days, but the balloon mead should clear very fast.
Bottle it up and enjoy!
Tips:
1.) I recommend using pasteur champagne yeast
2.) During the boil throw in a sachet of black tea to add tannins for more body. It's not necessary, but adds a little something extra.
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