tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102002129030984922024-03-20T02:56:43.121-04:00The Winemaker's NotebookA guide on how to make great wine at home...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-41600666251821399112012-05-16T10:00:00.000-04:002012-05-16T10:00:04.464-04:00Summer is coming...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!<br />
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RGUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-15864392972677397182012-05-09T16:01:00.000-04:002012-05-09T16:01:40.263-04:00Peach MelomelRamble: 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.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZXzoZm5Nr0K-_0EJGyRl_bl24X-GiqzWklX-D-iyZbzn8F8fwDA_NNACpmb_xuN0zzkzEJc1ZQA5jm6bLPwkUUAMWu1VIFb36uYZs22QHVKJDXcMPBcfeBNgmqDIT08RTdBAUtv-Ajy_/s1600/101_1236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZXzoZm5Nr0K-_0EJGyRl_bl24X-GiqzWklX-D-iyZbzn8F8fwDA_NNACpmb_xuN0zzkzEJc1ZQA5jm6bLPwkUUAMWu1VIFb36uYZs22QHVKJDXcMPBcfeBNgmqDIT08RTdBAUtv-Ajy_/s320/101_1236.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Recipe:<br />
1 quart peaches<br />
1 3/4 lbs clover honey<br />
water to 1 gallon<br />
1/8 tsp tannins<br />
1/8 tsp acid blend<br />
1 tsp yeast nutrient <br />
1/4 tsp pectic enzyme<br />
1 sachet Pasteur Champagne yeast <br />
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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. <br />
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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. <br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-2632977940052941662012-02-06T10:00:00.002-05:002012-02-06T10:00:11.525-05:00Apple Balloon CyserA cyser is a mead that is fermented with apple juice. This simple recipe has given me great results!<br /><a href="http://winemakersnotebook.blogspot.com/p/balloon-wines.html">Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!</a><br /><br />Recipe:<br /><br />2 cans frozen concentrated apple juice<br />1 to 1.5 lbs honey<br />water to 1 gallon<br />wine yeast (recommend pasteur champagne)<br /><br />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!<br /><br />Bottle when fermentation stops and the cyser is clear!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-81168567838092626722012-01-30T10:00:00.000-05:002012-01-30T10:00:09.567-05:00White Balloon PymentPyment is a mead that is fermented with either red or white grape juice. Give this easy recipe a go!<br /><br />Recipe:<br /><br />2 cans frozen concentrated white grape juice<br />1 to 1.5 pounds of honey<br />water to 1 gallon<br />wine yeast (Pasteur champagne recommended)<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Bottle when clear, and age to taste!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-57682190033408315412012-01-23T10:00:00.001-05:002012-01-23T10:00:14.729-05:00Red Balloon PymentPyment is a mead that is fermented with grape juice. Try this easy recipe:<br /><a href="http://winemakersnotebook.blogspot.com/p/balloon-wines.html">Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!</a><br /><br />Recipe:<br /><br />2 cans frozen concentrated red grape juice<br />1 to 1.5 lbs honey<br />water to 1 gallon<br />wine yeast<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Ferment, and then bottle when the pyment is clear!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-59335343703035131572012-01-16T10:00:00.000-05:002012-01-16T10:00:09.130-05:00Apple Cider, Balloon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxKAxhPcaQ-A7ok0WfjR5RaDQrz_MCjY7AeA_sTUvbXpZrod917vjRMceJh8podGeBqmX8YVtzTu3abXffqqtQfv-Hi50abiZDKJSc1wHGo46SxSGhdjLQ75wpCgBXaZKf8YhfSpudzjJ/s1600/100_1741.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxKAxhPcaQ-A7ok0WfjR5RaDQrz_MCjY7AeA_sTUvbXpZrod917vjRMceJh8podGeBqmX8YVtzTu3abXffqqtQfv-Hi50abiZDKJSc1wHGo46SxSGhdjLQ75wpCgBXaZKf8YhfSpudzjJ/s320/100_1741.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694212926741936306" border="0" /></a>This is so easy and it has actually produced some of my best apple ciders. It's almost embarrassing!<br /><a href="http://winemakersnotebook.blogspot.com/p/balloon-wines.html">Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe</span>:<br />3 cans frozen concentrated apple juice<br />water<br />wine yeast<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Ferment, bottle when clear, and age to taste!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Tips:<br /><br />I recommend using pasteur champagne yeast or cotes des blancs!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-13283280156125026522012-01-09T10:00:00.001-05:002013-09-20T14:12:00.792-04:00Balloon Mead (Sweet)This is a sweet and strong mead!<br />
<a href="http://winemakersnotebook.blogspot.com/p/balloon-wines.html">Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!</a><br />
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Recipe:<br />
<br />
5lbs honey (recommend clover honey or orange blossom for best results)<br />
water to 1 gallon<br />
wine yeast<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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Then bottle and enjoy!<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Tips</span>:<br />
1.) Pasteur champagne yeast is recommended.<br />
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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-4519951184543838452012-01-05T13:21:00.007-05:002012-01-05T13:49:19.596-05:00Inverted Sugar<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1fgcOC_Ae_BXOI6uMDvCn_XLukpyAo_VpLCdJe0hIcqnRtKT7_WsUYbtdkDVOyMbcp2mN0k-gnCCq15i7Br_t-XHUqhyphenhyphenFwWh7tYBHN2VWMy3nrXikPshiBvQeeCuMqilKWNf9zGZuMoi/s1600/102_1841.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1fgcOC_Ae_BXOI6uMDvCn_XLukpyAo_VpLCdJe0hIcqnRtKT7_WsUYbtdkDVOyMbcp2mN0k-gnCCq15i7Br_t-XHUqhyphenhyphenFwWh7tYBHN2VWMy3nrXikPshiBvQeeCuMqilKWNf9zGZuMoi/s320/102_1841.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694220818277186370" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Introduction</span>: 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.<br /><br /><br /><br />How to make Belgian Candi Sugar:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe</span>:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIi38-ECeve6nDZd3SwME7UN1fP9FsyCw3fPtxWLi67n_YXP2x-yCFN8uL3QvUbjNmCKhPnvnD02rcpHno2YmwObHzmL9WFxsOkctIsAlIpQvqgcSAzMJOntCtToWP9K0zybN9tu2L5wi9/s1600/102_1822.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIi38-ECeve6nDZd3SwME7UN1fP9FsyCw3fPtxWLi67n_YXP2x-yCFN8uL3QvUbjNmCKhPnvnD02rcpHno2YmwObHzmL9WFxsOkctIsAlIpQvqgcSAzMJOntCtToWP9K0zybN9tu2L5wi9/s320/102_1822.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694221356723144066" border="0" /></a><br />2 cups water<br />5 lbs sugar<br />2 tbsp. lemon juice (or 1 tsp citric acid)<br /><br />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!).<br /><br />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!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYtBD7_HOFxju0NiNI2JArjJztUUd1GxzaUhWotD0utPCDeHZ29iKZkpIzeX3XYBSMO8J-5Yl0rTb25jhSSoW3gwD-e7tJ5-M-IWio_6ET6CxlLorDXlF6J4WcRRdYdHB9rzqf74IQfPn/s1600/102_1823.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYtBD7_HOFxju0NiNI2JArjJztUUd1GxzaUhWotD0utPCDeHZ29iKZkpIzeX3XYBSMO8J-5Yl0rTb25jhSSoW3gwD-e7tJ5-M-IWio_6ET6CxlLorDXlF6J4WcRRdYdHB9rzqf74IQfPn/s320/102_1823.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694221024612736914" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ramble</span>: 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!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-79088291133332487112012-01-02T15:42:00.003-05:002012-01-05T13:18:33.177-05:00Balloon Mead (medium)<a href="http://winemakersnotebook.blogspot.com/p/balloon-wines.html">Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfstZ9umfrL18ZudVETYXRD12YJGNTkJssb5hRJa7FGVywnqGk0DMybK-J-BwoxEk9WEoHXX1_bsghgKtAfNISI5xyW_zSihqDARcJWREa3INVCWYNQW8wlzhaGge69w7Zc1h-Iw7nQBV/s1600/101_1226.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfstZ9umfrL18ZudVETYXRD12YJGNTkJssb5hRJa7FGVywnqGk0DMybK-J-BwoxEk9WEoHXX1_bsghgKtAfNISI5xyW_zSihqDARcJWREa3INVCWYNQW8wlzhaGge69w7Zc1h-Iw7nQBV/s320/101_1226.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693139073226057170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe</span>:<br /><br />3 lbs. Honey<br />water to 1 gallon<br />yeast<br /><br />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!<br /><br />Fermentation might take up to 30 days, but the balloon mead should clear very fast.<br /><br />Bottle it up and enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tips</span>:<br />1.) I recommend using pasteur champagne yeast<br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-5411606978960869232011-12-26T10:00:00.001-05:002012-01-05T13:18:07.568-05:00Balloon Mead (Light)This is my favorite of my mead recipes, now in an easy balloon wine version! It involves one more step than the other recipes, which is boiling.<br /><a href="http://winemakersnotebook.blogspot.com/p/balloon-wines.html">Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsjftNe9po71a0W8mImujqWZ5F8Xo3w2VTbB08FmksNUzo_8hVvMacwynh6rzHDaCCrC8yFmPZBhOrp0OE0b6wWYXAoYZnm1FvmcHj-VijqtqIlVVqvKn3Y7GLVWSBcAUDNj6Cvz2yTaB/s1600/100_1747.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsjftNe9po71a0W8mImujqWZ5F8Xo3w2VTbB08FmksNUzo_8hVvMacwynh6rzHDaCCrC8yFmPZBhOrp0OE0b6wWYXAoYZnm1FvmcHj-VijqtqIlVVqvKn3Y7GLVWSBcAUDNj6Cvz2yTaB/s320/100_1747.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677500675957066850" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe</span>:<br /><br />2.2 lbs. Honey<br />water to 1 gallon<br />yeast<br /><br />Put honey and water in a stock pot. Bring to a boil. Let simmer for five minutes. Let it cool. Place the mixture in your container. Making sure everything is at room temperature, add your yeast. Put a balloon with some pinholes in it over the container. Ferment.<br /><br />Fermentation might take up to 30 days, but the balloon mead should clear very fast.<br /><br />Bottle. Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tips</span>:<br />1.) Try using pasteur champagne yeast for great results.<br />2.) During the boil you can throw in a sachet of black tea to add tannins for more body, but not necessary.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-65111792482592328342011-12-19T10:00:00.002-05:002012-01-05T13:17:54.805-05:00White Balloon WineThis is such an easy balloon wine recipe, and it turns out great!<br /><a href="http://winemakersnotebook.blogspot.com/p/balloon-wines.html">Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rPFL1At6Rihj-683XNojxdVAZP-OwLtySMJx4Ibt1BvPj9-e5lhRN2PJbFgkYD6LOkCxT7awADCO79PPZ9Y_Ihs2pTYxKdKa5wo05yIDjTFeE3vt9AoakMFa1eTpKnbYak4IfDnXAN-_/s1600/100_1765.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rPFL1At6Rihj-683XNojxdVAZP-OwLtySMJx4Ibt1BvPj9-e5lhRN2PJbFgkYD6LOkCxT7awADCO79PPZ9Y_Ihs2pTYxKdKa5wo05yIDjTFeE3vt9AoakMFa1eTpKnbYak4IfDnXAN-_/s320/100_1765.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677499243777726978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe:</span><br /><br />3 cans white grape juice concentrate<br />1 1/2 cups sugar<br />water<br />yeast<br /><br />Using all sanitized equipment and containers, add grape concentrate, sugar, and water to a one gallon container. Cap and shake to dissolve your sugar. Then, add in your wine yeast. Poke a balloon with a pin a few times, and put the balloon over the container.<br /><br />This generally needs to ferment 10 to 15 days at room temp. Then it needs time to clear. Racking is optional, but might make for less sediment in your bottles.<br /><br /><br /><br />Tips:<br /><br />1.) Use a white wine yeast, I had awesome results with K1V-1116<br />2.) Age the balloon wine in the bottle for about ten months before drinking if you can wait. I did, and it was really worth it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-29094306978229189682011-12-12T10:00:00.001-05:002012-01-05T13:17:33.565-05:00Red Balloon WineThis is a simple recipe for 1 gallon of red hillbilly wine.<br /><a href="http://winemakersnotebook.blogspot.com/p/balloon-wines.html">Click here to see all balloon wine recipes!</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgQbhWrY3aic0B0Xefz0DKBqpyGoqANzpS5L4vJjw1ZlqXHNd0-wy6D-CrIhkSIl7sdPjYs3YX4Sqn7JZuIyAiDWkaHHtMkKNo66UDnVF6PMKyF3hUsYhMt58BK8mNcg6KCyccAsCwXp5/s1600/101_1248.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgQbhWrY3aic0B0Xefz0DKBqpyGoqANzpS5L4vJjw1ZlqXHNd0-wy6D-CrIhkSIl7sdPjYs3YX4Sqn7JZuIyAiDWkaHHtMkKNo66UDnVF6PMKyF3hUsYhMt58BK8mNcg6KCyccAsCwXp5/s320/101_1248.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677497626900689986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />Recipe</span>:<br /><br />3 cans frozen grape concentrate<br />1 cup sugar<br />water<br />yeast<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sanitize all equipment. Put sugar, grape juice concentrate, and water into one gallon sanitized container. Shake up until sugar is dissolved. Add yeast. Slap on balloon with pinholes. Ferment.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tips</span>:<br /><br />1.) Use wine yeast, and a read wine yeast like pasteur red if you can.<br />2.) Once fermentation is done/almost done, put a new balloon on without pinholes; it keeps more oxygen out.<br />3.) Make sure the juice doesn't have preservatives, they might kill off the yeast. Welch's grape juice concentrate has worked fine for me in the past.<br /><br />Fermentation will likely last 10 to 15 days at room temperature. Give the wine longer to clear. Rack if desired, bottle when desired.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-31845886018254617172011-12-06T12:14:00.000-05:002011-12-06T12:14:42.238-05:00Balloon WinesThe reason I started the Winemaker's Notebook was to provide a resource for beginner winemakers. When I first started making wine, I had no idea what I was doing, and my google searches led me to sites talking about brix, pH, specific gravity, hydrometers, airlocks, strains of yeast, nutrients, enzymes, tannins, and a whole slew of other things to do with wine making. Even though I could figure what most of these things were, and being in biology many of them were extremely familiar, it wasn't as if I had all of the equipment and ingredients and additives to start right out, and that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to go to the market, buy a few things, and make wine.<br /><br />It can be done.<br /><br />In an effort to make this site of even greater value to the beginning winemaker, I am introducing a new section of the site totally dedicated to balloon wines.<br /><br />What the heck is a balloon wine?<br /><br />Balloon wine is wine so simple, that the only "special" equipment or ingredient that is necessary to make it is wine yeast, which can be ordered on line for about 50 cents.<br /><br />Balloon wine is essentially all the ingredients, thrown into a sanitized container, with a balloon slapped on top. It may seem rather rudimentary, but it is indeed the first step that I took in winemaking, and led me to what I do today.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2ryea_n0ZJdYvQkkJz1i-8FFDt_1n1sPkiyzJ18QGzvYeM30OQmcv4kGg366uQsfYnQ649jzkPsfMvTG82N6jlrR7MW7mROtTIyoYEiUHCAnG6-zZAAHsfuXKzHbUA0ESu-ktepOqtlo/s1600/100_1769.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2ryea_n0ZJdYvQkkJz1i-8FFDt_1n1sPkiyzJ18QGzvYeM30OQmcv4kGg366uQsfYnQ649jzkPsfMvTG82N6jlrR7MW7mROtTIyoYEiUHCAnG6-zZAAHsfuXKzHbUA0ESu-ktepOqtlo/s320/100_1769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678228456488856386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >a balloon airlock, left, and a plastic airlock, right</span> </div><br />The best part is the extremely low start-up cost. For right around five dollars one can get their juice, their balloons, their yeast, their sugar, and a container. Then, you're on your way to making your first gallon of wine!<br /><br />Beginning next Monday, and every following Monday for a number of weeks, a balloon wine recipe will appear on the site! Many of the recipes will have an equivalent in the regular recipe section, but you'll notice minor differences in all of them, and major differences in others. All of them will make a decent wine. There will also be a balloon wine section under the "Guides" column on the right hand side of the page, and "Balloon Wine" will be listed under the recipes column. Either of these links will take you to all of the site's balloon wine recipes. Check back often, because as I said, a new recipe will appear each week!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-56765608426922076382011-12-01T11:00:00.009-05:002011-12-01T11:52:49.135-05:00The search for elder trees<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3urmJD_pNkh2iHczv6ajxeYr4SFO3ztLva2KyEcqgRTJcse2okVw3j3EvKjex6VcCRR5KJFGBnNhspASRjl9LZcowSRxtF_-Qzr7heurswJruqAt1MmpfIm9HNlsz-MMUW5EPcr04uMh/s1600/101_1227.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3urmJD_pNkh2iHczv6ajxeYr4SFO3ztLva2KyEcqgRTJcse2okVw3j3EvKjex6VcCRR5KJFGBnNhspASRjl9LZcowSRxtF_-Qzr7heurswJruqAt1MmpfIm9HNlsz-MMUW5EPcr04uMh/s320/101_1227.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681203394627973954" border="0" /></a><br />Over the last few days, whenever I'm out walking I've been trying to spot elder trees, but there's a problem. The leaves and berries are all gone, and so I don't have a whole lot to go on. <br /><br />I've figured out how I missed the leaves falling. I definitely noticed the beautiful foliage this fall, but right outside our front door and living room window seat we have a big ginkgo tree, and each autumn it is the last tree to lose its leaves. Just the other day it shed them.<br /><br />Anyway, back to the elderberry trees. They've been quite elusive, or so I thought. About a week ago I went on a walk to a specific place where I thought that I had seen some elders, but when I got there I realized they weren't. They looked more like shrubs or weeds. Then a quick google search today made me realize that I was wrong! I had found elderberry trees!<br /><br />(by the way, the image has nothing to do with elderberries, but I like the way it looked and I forgot to take the camera on my search)<br /><br />I'm sure this is much more exciting for me than for you, but next summer I will most certainly be bringing you a recipe for elderberry wine!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-27804903093345999012011-11-28T10:00:00.009-05:002011-11-29T09:31:29.014-05:00Banana Wine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q8qmX48OjiOicr23y0K7J6kKeF8tW8LRNKVyhqnt2foW7lvI9MG1e8cmWI1xjA9P5niCCAUvdkNvLy8LkigmRA8bAgtw7-dOQRSv0qlx68yPMvRwCibS3aRWQqZ2Nhb1kQVMXl4XPdJb/s1600/102_1805.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q8qmX48OjiOicr23y0K7J6kKeF8tW8LRNKVyhqnt2foW7lvI9MG1e8cmWI1xjA9P5niCCAUvdkNvLy8LkigmRA8bAgtw7-dOQRSv0qlx68yPMvRwCibS3aRWQqZ2Nhb1kQVMXl4XPdJb/s320/102_1805.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677494042991248722" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Ramble</span>: Doesn't it sound so tropical? For a long time I knew that people made banana wine, and I had even read some banana wine recipes, but I didn't think I would like it. Then the more I thought about it, the more I needed to try it, and the better it sounded to me. Plus, I got five pounds of bananas for free! One of the coolest things about this recipe is that you chop up the banana skins to get out their natural tannins. They can be used in other wines too, but beware, they may leave a hint of banana on the nose!<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe</span>:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXP8DyOyD-9eLp8rtrEHOZucr2gYZ7uPs-xy60AYK7JTUzzDNR-bWxAJMYlScamoaPYd88tQdei3f87FZfhF6An5GZbtz5YGMN-q8wsCC_EDlugOpsIUATkrRWNOlQ_Ab77l4Nhafclez_/s1600/102_1812.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXP8DyOyD-9eLp8rtrEHOZucr2gYZ7uPs-xy60AYK7JTUzzDNR-bWxAJMYlScamoaPYd88tQdei3f87FZfhF6An5GZbtz5YGMN-q8wsCC_EDlugOpsIUATkrRWNOlQ_Ab77l4Nhafclez_/s320/102_1812.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677494211749229922" border="0" /></a><br /><br />4 lbs. peeled, chopped bananas (about 15-20 bananas)<br />juice of 2 lemons or 2 tsp. citric acid blend<br />1/4 to 1/2 lb. of chopped banana skins (4-5 skins)<br />1 gallon water<br />2 lbs. sugar<br />1 tsp. yeast nutrient<br />1/2 tsp pectic enzyme<br />white wine yeast (used K1V)<br /><br />Peel bananas, chop bananas and skins, add to stock pot. Add water. Add lemon juice or acid blend. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool to room temp. This extracts tannins, sugars, flavor, and kills of wild yeasts. Add pectic enzyme, let sit overnight.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveN05qCQnQbvobzO3LeyYgQVuTDIHtqyngO8W5fz4dH7U_jA9uZ_3I2y2rxesBhgb7zp6yBA35GP_RWQDIisQAFXvEanisQPC9IwAn702eFCT22a4X4NhqgEvHRriaqw9trkFqHDIuAuY/s1600/102_1810.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveN05qCQnQbvobzO3LeyYgQVuTDIHtqyngO8W5fz4dH7U_jA9uZ_3I2y2rxesBhgb7zp6yBA35GP_RWQDIisQAFXvEanisQPC9IwAn702eFCT22a4X4NhqgEvHRriaqw9trkFqHDIuAuY/s320/102_1810.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677494588445451314" border="0" /></a>Next day, strain out the pulp/skins. Add sugar and nutrient, stirring well to make sure everything is dissolved. Add wine yeast, place in sanitized fermentor with an airlock, and voila!<br /><br />This wine can take a long time to clear, just be patient. Bottle age for one year, if you can wait.<br /><br />Enjoy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-80747504743229223012011-11-24T10:00:00.001-05:002011-11-24T10:00:09.597-05:00Happy Thanksgiving!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCR0blKdgUvgRvj0tG9D3GlNBKE8NuLaT_Y2IrPKhFLeY2J2aQJmtO9PFs9KlrQKbJ6iR-106acWqf2YzosSPA_2fk2wp_NQSf9UVld0TbuR4iuCwsVTVviRnMJrTvIxmbSjS6pVtoS7FO/s1600/100_1770.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCR0blKdgUvgRvj0tG9D3GlNBKE8NuLaT_Y2IrPKhFLeY2J2aQJmtO9PFs9KlrQKbJ6iR-106acWqf2YzosSPA_2fk2wp_NQSf9UVld0TbuR4iuCwsVTVviRnMJrTvIxmbSjS6pVtoS7FO/s320/100_1770.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678004589422449922" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />To all U.S. readers of the Winemaker's Notebook, Happy Thanksgiving! Get off the computer, get the cider chilled, get the home-brews chilled, and get the wine up out of the cellar!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-10122142261105245842011-11-23T10:00:00.001-05:002011-11-23T10:00:00.292-05:00Belgian Style Wheat Beer<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ramble</span>: This is the first recipe for a beer that I'm posting, and it's an extract recipe that I came up with all on my own. A lot of research on Belgian beers and hops went into the process. Now, don't worry, this site is not being overtaken by home brewing, the Winemaker's Notebook is in fact for <span style="font-style: italic;">winemakers</span>, but I'm sure there are some readers who have lots more experience brewing beer than I do, and for that reason, I'd love for you to share your thoughts down in the comments! Just let me know what you think.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SC7CMy2EPu_WOXoaozhV8kyqtEHyuSqeAiIXO8_WTjbt2RHHgL6oCOp94zQZfTk2KECG8Gda8JcvD1UHDCufNK1YUz-M58VLTorY0P-w4h5DOgFeIZUekcpslJp05AwrqG3LEtmLFn0t/s1600/100_1758.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SC7CMy2EPu_WOXoaozhV8kyqtEHyuSqeAiIXO8_WTjbt2RHHgL6oCOp94zQZfTk2KECG8Gda8JcvD1UHDCufNK1YUz-M58VLTorY0P-w4h5DOgFeIZUekcpslJp05AwrqG3LEtmLFn0t/s320/100_1758.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678002992412259202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe</span>:<br /><br /><br />2 lbs. crushed Bavarian white wheat<br />6 lbs. wheat extract (35%barley, 65% wheat)<br />1oz. hallertau hops<br />brewferm blanche yeast<br />1 lb light brown sugar<br />1 bitter orange peel (valencia)<br />1/2 tsp ground coriander<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I steeped the crushed grains in a grain bag at 155 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes. Then added the sugar and wheat extract to the mash, brought it to a boil, added in the hops for 60 minutes, and the coriander/orange for the last 5 minutes. Brought to five gallons, added yeast, and fermented!<br /><br />So far so good, the beer isn't very old yet, and I sampled it for the first time the other day. It definitely needs to age. Up above is what I intended, but I actually only hopped during the boil for about 45 minutes. And, yes, the beer could be a little hoppier, but overall I'm pretty satisfied with both the flavor and aroma. The orange comes through very nicely, a little more than some of the Belgian beers I've sampled in the past, but it's by no means overpowering. It has been a lot of fun making my own extract recipe, and I'm sure that by Christmas time, this will be an excellent beer.<br /><br />Have a Happy Thanksgiving to all of the American Readers!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-9136498568399017702011-11-21T10:41:00.000-05:002011-11-21T10:41:00.856-05:00Blueberry Wine<span style="font-weight: bold;">Introduction</span>: This is a pretty clear cut, simple, and delicious recipe for a medium-to-full bodied blueberry wine. For a full-bodied wine, try 3 lbs of blueberries per gallon, for a lighter-bodied wine, try 2 lbs. Frozen berries will work. It is the most beautiful wine, too. Unbelievably purple.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixb_yzn1asNDiVWfZ2ps_Eby8xFMisB8uG_ua5qvf571-ReKZDPHLy2l7dD1wpcfvSSuZsMBuvvIjpL6uIqYd26U16C2tOsj9tKL3_V8h91VCrBgxQVsvsFzQo2hEnnLdB-D6yWMHAmkn/s1600/102_1792.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixb_yzn1asNDiVWfZ2ps_Eby8xFMisB8uG_ua5qvf571-ReKZDPHLy2l7dD1wpcfvSSuZsMBuvvIjpL6uIqYd26U16C2tOsj9tKL3_V8h91VCrBgxQVsvsFzQo2hEnnLdB-D6yWMHAmkn/s320/102_1792.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674508424152076562" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe</span>:<br />2 1/2 lbs blueberries<br />boiling water to one gallon<br />2 lbs sugar (about 4 1/2 cups)<br />1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme<br />1 tsp. yeast nutrients<br />wine yeast (used montrachet)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Place blueberries in a stock pot, if frozen, allow to thaw. In another stock pot, boil about 1 gallon of water. Very carefully pour the hot water over the blueberries. This kills of wild yeasts. You can put in your sugar now, as it dissolves easier in hot water.<br /><br />Let it all reach room temperature, then stir in your pectic enzyme. Let the mixture sit overnight. Add in your yeast nutrients and wine yeast.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3_J0SWuBSiWS5aP-ZdHJWZLHkOrrGviiQiVMA24hvEoLR6GI8dAGJtUvC64Ax_P9WaEqeXe5bJat_-JNB5cX1FbZYdMsX9Q_boh_H1qqS2LD0jIb_kTwN9eUMD_m32BnjLNN6i7WMCXk/s1600/102_1791.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3_J0SWuBSiWS5aP-ZdHJWZLHkOrrGviiQiVMA24hvEoLR6GI8dAGJtUvC64Ax_P9WaEqeXe5bJat_-JNB5cX1FbZYdMsX9Q_boh_H1qqS2LD0jIb_kTwN9eUMD_m32BnjLNN6i7WMCXk/s320/102_1791.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674509051121834322" border="0" /></a>After two days strain the must with cheese cloth, a nylon strainer bag, a turkey stuffing bag... whatever food safe device that works for you. Get all that juice out!<br /><br />Put the juice in the fermentor with an airlock. Rack if/as necessary. Bottle when ready!<br /><br />Enjoy it, it is delicious!<br /><br />( photo on left: I had more juice than I could fit in my one gallon primary, so I threw it in a corona bottle with a balloon on top! Whatever it takes!)<br /><br />The WinemakerUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-91340459596949112422011-11-17T10:30:00.007-05:002011-11-17T11:08:21.131-05:00Random Tips and Ramblings...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTo7WmogaqE1YKJndAOqJ2lhbYS2YE4u6LtuHaQHBdR6L6ckiElAZnyr6PUdmcrUl-xkoTXS1Fd7mH0JMLA6q3iaVue0rzwePNcetgYUN0g4mfuIMCGctzZfyaV2f9yvwgOaSAVyukTlc/s1600/102_1798.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTo7WmogaqE1YKJndAOqJ2lhbYS2YE4u6LtuHaQHBdR6L6ckiElAZnyr6PUdmcrUl-xkoTXS1Fd7mH0JMLA6q3iaVue0rzwePNcetgYUN0g4mfuIMCGctzZfyaV2f9yvwgOaSAVyukTlc/s320/102_1798.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675995315934334706" border="0" /></a>That, over there to the left, is a picture of the front hallway into our house. That's the wine and beer that I'm working on right now. Some of it. There's another five gallons of cider in the kitchen, and another half gallon of cranberry wine in the Living room. I think I need a workshop just for this hobby. From front to back, the wines are: cranberry wine, orange wine, blueberry wine, more blueberry wine, four gallons of peach wine, apple cider, and Belgian wheat beer. I swear, I'm not an alcoholic. I can't even remember the last time I had a buzz.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So, I've made a lot of wine, but if you have a bottle with dinner once a week, or a glass after work a few days a week, you'll find that you can run through it faster than you would have thought.<br /><br />Done rambling.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tips:</span><br />I put together a few tips that have made my life easier, and i thought I ought to share them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdKEpWSwk-y0RgGXdWV5uKeEbGuscsjvpMpyu-X1O8It3EmpYgTYdGYc3F4-RyKvqJ2B5AQ7eZktTPU2REIwzN189za4QAQBsXFApEi3hTANcSUEtxFKhFKyIgttGDU3ZziyW50PE_d77/s1600/102_1800.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdKEpWSwk-y0RgGXdWV5uKeEbGuscsjvpMpyu-X1O8It3EmpYgTYdGYc3F4-RyKvqJ2B5AQ7eZktTPU2REIwzN189za4QAQBsXFApEi3hTANcSUEtxFKhFKyIgttGDU3ZziyW50PE_d77/s320/102_1800.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675995326749132210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Exploding Bottles:</span> It does happen. Or even just if your corks pop, it's not fun. It's sad. So, what you see here is my pear cider I recently made. I finished the bottles with labels and PVC caps, but just in case, while it's carbonating over the next few days to weeks, I set them in a bucket, and I'm leaving them there. That way, if anything did happen, then at least the cleanup would be easy.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHCSlSJe89UlO78zogXY1Kk50kKyVR3SoZfEPsFcb7VhxPgOMTe8cd9oZQb8Rel7W_JPoRGgTSYCF32IfPIK0n3zgt95qxbMPSRcsFhpuz-0fnCt83XKXx0SL7HJU4gTus8oYbojy6NUI/s1600/102_1801.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHCSlSJe89UlO78zogXY1Kk50kKyVR3SoZfEPsFcb7VhxPgOMTe8cd9oZQb8Rel7W_JPoRGgTSYCF32IfPIK0n3zgt95qxbMPSRcsFhpuz-0fnCt83XKXx0SL7HJU4gTus8oYbojy6NUI/s320/102_1801.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675995336383044466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sample Bottles:</span> I've started to bottle up a couple tiny bottles with each batch, provided that there is enough, so that after aging a while, I can sample a little bit, without wasting a whole bottle if it wasn't really ready. What you see here is apple cider and pear cider in mini wine bottles. Beer bottles will work too if you have a bottle capping device.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdx1HicDgE9HhRXPEst8D2e8I6JozsQPxC_pbA5dSpclO3YsCLPJ4Ld570iv2lpa5_PACwvZmR4VTHjVA7k_6pVkGGwQUaX8TM3uKnPC0kMgXMLxLXjhHfjGKVgjQ8v_eCMApBoTUvotO/s1600/102_1799.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 147px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdx1HicDgE9HhRXPEst8D2e8I6JozsQPxC_pbA5dSpclO3YsCLPJ4Ld570iv2lpa5_PACwvZmR4VTHjVA7k_6pVkGGwQUaX8TM3uKnPC0kMgXMLxLXjhHfjGKVgjQ8v_eCMApBoTUvotO/s320/102_1799.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675995319593972466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Water Carboys</span>: I picked this 5-gallon carboy up for about $13 with the deposit. The cost was a little more than an "Ale Pail", but way less than a "better bottle" or a glass carboy. Best of all, you can see through it and know how your wine is progressing, and whether or not it's clear, a major problem that I've had with the opaque buckets. It's also very strong, and they come in three gallon size too, which cost significantly less.<br /><br /><br /><br />Despite how much wine I've made, I'm constantly discovering new tricks and tools. It makes things fun and interesting.<br /><br />Until next time,<br /><br />The WinemakerUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-59233384029602730322011-11-15T12:58:00.007-05:002011-11-17T10:16:08.307-05:00Pumpkin Ale<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib27MyAs8d9_UJkplYoY5RDTT1hmKYBUbylhZVJMpa4VOYOCqGd0qyVmsb3Se1dMjJExXq8E8Mp4ZHfHJxnWOLcsXPrh6Ch9yPAhct9045N5l6GsEwiafW64hKKgHwNuLrZqV4_DXvaVUR/s1600/100_1756.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib27MyAs8d9_UJkplYoY5RDTT1hmKYBUbylhZVJMpa4VOYOCqGd0qyVmsb3Se1dMjJExXq8E8Mp4ZHfHJxnWOLcsXPrh6Ch9yPAhct9045N5l6GsEwiafW64hKKgHwNuLrZqV4_DXvaVUR/s320/100_1756.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675287026228407186" border="0" /></a>I made another beer. A while ago actually. Caity bought a kit for me from Midwest home brewing for my birthday, part grain part extract, for Pumpkin Ale. Just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas... if it lasts that long.<br /><br />So, here's the deal with these kits: they're a ton of fun, they have everything but the water, and they're super easy. Also, you don't need a ton of equipment--in fact, if you have what it takes to make a five gallon batch of wine, then you're pretty much set to make a five gallon batch of beer except, I suppose, for bottles, caps, and a capper, all of which are cheap, and bottles can be free if you've got a few friends willing to donate them to a good cause. I think that was a run-on sentence.<br /><br />Anyway, with these kits, you basically crush up your grains with a rolling pin, put 'em in a boiling bag, and steep them in a few gallons of water for fifty minutes at about 150 degrees, like a big tea bag. Then you add in your malt extract and sugar, and bring it to a boil. Then you add in your hops, and let it keep boiling for about an hour. Then for the last five minutes, you add in some more hops--aroma hops. Then you cool it all down, put it in your bucket, fill it up to five gallons, pitch your yeast, and you're on your way to having beer! It takes more time than some wine... it takes less time than some wines, but what I like is that the payoff is so fast. You can be drinking your homemade beer in a month's time.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpME0k3s1yJMk-xke5hBgqgfCN7ub-49-VDK2VQWVeJVkDbAPg_a0v_Bno677wgMyFVRUk8uHcNrdxAd8Nw3m9FUsYMAb8ljSWa1ofYz2gBb5712w3NGC2B90UfMjNvkrrm3w32whmkSTQ/s1600/102_1796.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpME0k3s1yJMk-xke5hBgqgfCN7ub-49-VDK2VQWVeJVkDbAPg_a0v_Bno677wgMyFVRUk8uHcNrdxAd8Nw3m9FUsYMAb8ljSWa1ofYz2gBb5712w3NGC2B90UfMjNvkrrm3w32whmkSTQ/s320/102_1796.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675288071940252722" border="0" /></a>This beer is taking a little longer to clear for me, I made it back on October 3, my birthday. I'm making a guess and saying its because of the pumpkin juice having lots of pectin in it, but it tastes grand. A little hoppier than the Irish Red ale that I made not too far back. It's amazing that for less than 50 cents a bottle, you can make much, much, much better beer than you can buy in the store.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzvD6Gka3kf5q32L35UWj2HIyla2eOOK1EZpb3IyMYcYqvA6Ydp1qq6B0MnufJ7G5gf6pEaRi3x36mSDQ0B2dI7nJkbwP-RRIPKe3Y6G_T5ht1kpGkF5LCABIrbMaGN156q3dCjhsdQ39/s1600/102_1797.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzvD6Gka3kf5q32L35UWj2HIyla2eOOK1EZpb3IyMYcYqvA6Ydp1qq6B0MnufJ7G5gf6pEaRi3x36mSDQ0B2dI7nJkbwP-RRIPKe3Y6G_T5ht1kpGkF5LCABIrbMaGN156q3dCjhsdQ39/s320/102_1797.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675288071985601154" border="0" /></a>If you're a winemaker that appreciates beer, consider giving home brewing a try, the kits are a great way to start!<br /><br />PS. I also just brewed a Belgian style wheat beer with orange peel and coriander the other day; I put the recipe together myself. I'll post it sometime in the next week or so, and hopefully you home brew buffs can check it out and give me some feedback!<br /><br />RichardUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-37015244166971221192011-11-14T10:00:00.000-05:002011-11-14T10:00:07.562-05:00Where did the winemaker go?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnC2a0mjgRY8U0cJ-vMYGSNZlEESuAveaIFMkowRS4Um9HtO7zO4f3S5ZGTyjJrzwz4i5kGRnnI2cka6dVfX9VGKHuECgh9K3QWColmTUxWf05z05njIMG9ppIdmDsYh1iL0PKqt1fnDnU/s1600/102_1793.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnC2a0mjgRY8U0cJ-vMYGSNZlEESuAveaIFMkowRS4Um9HtO7zO4f3S5ZGTyjJrzwz4i5kGRnnI2cka6dVfX9VGKHuECgh9K3QWColmTUxWf05z05njIMG9ppIdmDsYh1iL0PKqt1fnDnU/s320/102_1793.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674511111446118034" border="0" /></a><br />Last week there was a post on Wednesday, and then one on Sunday. So you see, I was around but there was a bit of an unusual schedule. I've been making wine and beer!<br /><br />Last week I made a five gallon batch of belgian wheat beer with a recipe I put together myself, four gallons of our famous peach wine, and I bottled up some pear wine ( picture to the left, you can tell that I added a few oak chips right to the bottles. I don't know if that's allowed, but I thought it looked fun, so there you have it!). It's been busy.<br /><br />In the next week I'll be writing about blueberry wine with a recipe, a little bit about our endeavors with brewing beer... and more! Find it all on the Winemaker's Notebook!<br /><br />RichardUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-87529568395020489742011-11-13T10:23:00.004-05:002011-11-13T10:40:32.700-05:00Orange Wine<span style="font-weight: bold;">Introduction</span>: There are a number of recipes for orange wine out there that give a very sweet end product with spices in it. This is not one of them. This recipe gives a dry, light-bodied orange wine that's more of a refreshing summer or fall drink. It's a good young wine, not requiring a lot of aging before it has good drinkability, about three months. Make sure your oranges are sweet and ripe. Because their sugar content can vary so much, it doesn't hurt to take hydrometer readings. This wine also clears really fast, which is fun! Give it a go!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXk5y0OHdKSn5Pn_ge-th4TOSqBm_p6l4gYzPyDkjiyYmhdNfx2HMPq33Ypbg8r6OYLr9zanBhoVuQOLeibNXUXk027eG3yHh0W7S-pKnfNi-wBAXuL2HoUQ6mpf2HO5nbb5mFs2GvpB3-/s1600/102_1790.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXk5y0OHdKSn5Pn_ge-th4TOSqBm_p6l4gYzPyDkjiyYmhdNfx2HMPq33Ypbg8r6OYLr9zanBhoVuQOLeibNXUXk027eG3yHh0W7S-pKnfNi-wBAXuL2HoUQ6mpf2HO5nbb5mFs2GvpB3-/s320/102_1790.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674505562842917106" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe</span>:<br />30-40 ripe oranges<br />water to one gallon<br />2lbs (4 1/2 cups) sugar<br />1 tsp. yeast nutrient<br />1/8 heaping teaspoon tannins<br />wine yeast (used EC-1118)<br /><br />Peel and juice your oranges, keeping as much of the white pith out as possible. We peeled our oranges, pulsed them in the blender, then put them in a cheesecloth/straining bag. This gave a really high juice yield. We used 35 Valencia oranges and less than one quart of water. Less water means a little more body and more fruity-ness.<br /><br />You can use a campden tablet crushed overnight here to kill off wild yeasts/bacteria. We slowly heated our juice up to 170 degrees for 20 minutes with no adverse effects on the taste; it also helped the sugar go into solution. Add you tannins, yeast nutrient, and wine yeast when back to room temperature.<br /><br />Attach an airlock, and ferment! It should clear easily, bottle when done fermenting, age a few months to one year, and enjoy!<br /><br />The winemakerUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-51879519014963141852011-11-09T09:01:00.005-05:002011-11-09T09:23:25.922-05:00Our First "Wine Tasting"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-DH2VEm3b1wZw98K9zSJve0zv5hgS5Y2vNhD9jsvcMHYZ1jDY534bbVGUjf-9UZcWK1ebvtMdd1lK7B8tCtmdpfMIsChSAqk5oTz_mYvDOKxj30nutCKWhIknXKYtEj4zGfhQVDnWnbv/s1600/100_1764.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-DH2VEm3b1wZw98K9zSJve0zv5hgS5Y2vNhD9jsvcMHYZ1jDY534bbVGUjf-9UZcWK1ebvtMdd1lK7B8tCtmdpfMIsChSAqk5oTz_mYvDOKxj30nutCKWhIknXKYtEj4zGfhQVDnWnbv/s320/100_1764.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672999918520967538" border="0" /></a><br />Two weekends back Caity and I hosted our very first "wine and beer tasting" with a few friends. Okay, actually it was an excuse to try a whole bunch of wines and beer before we all had dinner, but it was fun! We did our white wine, peach wine, mead, Irish red ale, pumpkin spice ale, and a "pear beer" that Cait's dad made. The peach wine and mead came out on top overall, they were the two wine favorites, and everyone liked the Irish red ale better than the pumpkin ale. I attribute that to the fact that it was still very young and a bit yeasty. One friend just couldn't get enough of the pear beer.<br /><br />It was a lot of fun, but a problem arose, what to do with all the open wine?<br /><br />Dinner was early, and the night was long, and between us and our friends, we managed to clean up all the wine. And the dishes too.<br /><br />Seriously though, this was a blast. If you're anything like us, you've got five to ten different homemade wines and brews on hand, and this was a great way to share the fun with friends. They got really into it too, asking all about the process and whatnot.<br /><br />And they were quite impressed, and I just can't help that I enjoyed that.<br /><br />Right now we've got Irish red ale, pumpkin ale, a wheat beer, cranberry wine, peach wine, mead, meddyglyn, pumpkin wine, blueberry wine, orange wine, apple cider, and pear cider either bottled or in the fermenters, which might sound like a lot, but it makes amazing (and cheap) gifts, you always have something fun to bring to a gathering, and for those days when you just need a glass of wine after a long day, it's there. Our vast spread of wines did, however, get our friend Hannah to ask, "So, do you just sit around and think to yourself, 'what can I make into wine?' ". Yes, Hannah, I do. Hence, the orange wine (will post the recipe soon!).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ibAaJk-ogCR9v3ujg7Zr8TFHvq8joa2dNeSfa_dWJG58OswRstRmjs6o6N2dfDM90GcgqEHe33wlcBkSoSeYZHtHFSpD77Fle1FHquXDjKhIhue-4J9I3G9Y9KxSnHdNR2TCujxgPvy-/s1600/100_1766.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ibAaJk-ogCR9v3ujg7Zr8TFHvq8joa2dNeSfa_dWJG58OswRstRmjs6o6N2dfDM90GcgqEHe33wlcBkSoSeYZHtHFSpD77Fle1FHquXDjKhIhue-4J9I3G9Y9KxSnHdNR2TCujxgPvy-/s320/100_1766.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673000195860372338" border="0" /></a>I have to admit, I was really nervous about sharing our homemade wines. I know that I like them, but I worry they won't be quite up to par for our guests. I thought wrong. They were having so much fun just trying the stuff I probably could have been serving them grape juice and they wouldn't have known the difference! So, have a bunch of good homemade stuff? Have a wine (or beer) tasting!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-86088544429496639752011-11-04T10:00:00.000-04:002011-11-04T10:00:09.040-04:00All about White...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFrnA6OqBK6_xlMiRM9gsK9eaRWy-5_RHPSRtQQGFOCLOiVe6oCB-F40bd6QoXiIYPirUwEhGGSq-4J9-gr3lq7rYXIlOuV0COuTPSIsDKST3gkL4Y56FDF_Tf6ptsLvJ8bbdXRd000_H/s1600/100_1765.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFrnA6OqBK6_xlMiRM9gsK9eaRWy-5_RHPSRtQQGFOCLOiVe6oCB-F40bd6QoXiIYPirUwEhGGSq-4J9-gr3lq7rYXIlOuV0COuTPSIsDKST3gkL4Y56FDF_Tf6ptsLvJ8bbdXRd000_H/s320/100_1765.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668583129723314082" border="0" /></a>There's a recipe, over there on the left, called white hillbilly wine. Now, I was a little apprehensive about putting it up in the beginning, because the white wine was only a few months old, and I didn't like it all that much. Cait did though, she thought it was pretty good, and pointed out that I'm not all that inclined to white wines anyway, and so she convinced me to put that post up.<br /><br />Well, the wine's almost a year old now (or was until we finished it off a few days ago), and between months nine and eleven, something happened, the harshness smoothed out, the bouquet became quite smooth, and it had good mouthfeel. It turned into a top-notch wine, and I plan on making three more gallons to have on hand and to age.<br /><br />It wasn't just me.<br /><br />We had a wine-tasting with a couple of friends last weekend, which I'll post about later. They tried the white wine, and our friend Hannah said, and I quote, "This is as good as anything you can buy at the wine shop." I was thrilled.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTyJgbTe57QKDczvIiI4xH1WPeotPykv5lYlo8A0GfAKVefPTbwLzGn9eAf6xa92WCa3_SuzYAmbhBpNEpdcNuOuHgbz8N-OvhzB0rGVrdkYN2_U-gknwK982p8JkliQrAJsNsk4NhuUQ/s1600/white+wine.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTyJgbTe57QKDczvIiI4xH1WPeotPykv5lYlo8A0GfAKVefPTbwLzGn9eAf6xa92WCa3_SuzYAmbhBpNEpdcNuOuHgbz8N-OvhzB0rGVrdkYN2_U-gknwK982p8JkliQrAJsNsk4NhuUQ/s320/white+wine.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668583719424372098" border="0" /></a><br />I didn't even bother telling them that it's actually from Welches' white grape juice concentrate. The white hillbilly wine ultimately came out much, much better than the red, and as it's one of the easiest recipes to make, I would encourage anyone who wants to have some cheap fun to make it, or any starting winemakers. The key is definitely patience. Unfortunately, there is no instantaneous gratification with this recipe, it takes time.<br /><br />The good news is, it's really easy to make, and it takes no effort whatsoever to set those bottles down in the basement and forget about them for a year. You'll be glad you did!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-710200212903098492.post-61468417918618385902011-11-02T10:00:00.002-04:002011-11-02T10:00:09.272-04:00Cranberry Wine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoqcro8Cp2GqnAuDVxfZYMczMHRqaXT-pMA6kpCcRIkE25YMcqapDRvmveKdxkFeTke-lnzGeLymAbLv0-YxZk9IDjdQ8pOOPTBw73O1e_cnaOxGSAlevnWE_5nZCTXy1jjNm9whzrd9d/s1600/100_1768.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoqcro8Cp2GqnAuDVxfZYMczMHRqaXT-pMA6kpCcRIkE25YMcqapDRvmveKdxkFeTke-lnzGeLymAbLv0-YxZk9IDjdQ8pOOPTBw73O1e_cnaOxGSAlevnWE_5nZCTXy1jjNm9whzrd9d/s320/100_1768.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668579250960423842" border="0" /></a>So here's the deal with this one. I'm fermenting it right now. Which means the recipe isn't necessarily tried and true by yours truly. I'm not in the habit of doing this. However, cranberry wine is coming very, very highly recommended from several individuals who are quite expert in the way of making country wines, and this recipe is a middle-of-the-road to those recipes that others have tried and claim to be excellent. Mine is almost done fermenting, and I just had a little taste. It was wonderful. Most wines, when I have tried them while they're still fermenting are disgusting. If this one is good being only 85% fermented, I cannot imagine the flavor a year from now! American and Canadian supermarkets are flooded with cranberries right about now, so make some!<br /><br /><br />2 lbs. cranberries<br />boiling water to one gallon.<br />6 cups sugar<br />1 tsp. yeast nutrient<br />1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme<br />less than 1/8 teaspoons tannin (or just don't worry about it)<br />wine yeast<br /><br /><br />Coarsely chop cranberries in food processor. Place in sanitized stock pot. Boil water. Very carefully pour the boiling water over the chopped cranberries. Cover and let sit until the must reaches room temperature. Add in pectic enzyme and stir with sanitized spoon. Let sit overnight.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpiDTrENlbe_GH5BJthyphenhyphenm-0PmJgYUHVihqMhQbk1HmdWGT9WorcynyyV9Mulsnp9PsGaeE1xIJ9mhyphenhyphenZV01qLFabBuMU9XsOtu9d1fRIp452gUC7ja1o4h03zp2YXzOxhDJaEaCtAew6Fyt/s1600/100_1763.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpiDTrENlbe_GH5BJthyphenhyphenm-0PmJgYUHVihqMhQbk1HmdWGT9WorcynyyV9Mulsnp9PsGaeE1xIJ9mhyphenhyphenZV01qLFabBuMU9XsOtu9d1fRIp452gUC7ja1o4h03zp2YXzOxhDJaEaCtAew6Fyt/s320/100_1763.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668579795399020594" border="0" /></a>Next day add in nutrient, sugar, tannins and wine yeast. For yeast I used K1V, but I've heard that red wine yeasts also do a really nice job. Make sure everything is dissolved well. Let sit for 1-3 days covered.<br /><br />Strain the must with cheesecloth, a beer boiling bag, or a turkey stuffing bag into your fermenter. (I doubled up two turkey stuffing bags and it worked marvelously.) Cover with lid, attach airlock, and allow to ferment! Rack as necessary, bottle still (not a bubbly wine or cider!).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEB6QxkPKucBEbe9jGt-bdsRVHH9uHMjw7qwAXrkMDHzl8jjDg8kM-kyvMQOy5vuqdmIKg3lcqbRE0ePrgQCKSLl2BcTZkiVxzNdUjL52HRSaMlPiTPAlJ6k7W-X9Bsiie2YXKIZ3EVgp5/s1600/100_1761.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEB6QxkPKucBEbe9jGt-bdsRVHH9uHMjw7qwAXrkMDHzl8jjDg8kM-kyvMQOy5vuqdmIKg3lcqbRE0ePrgQCKSLl2BcTZkiVxzNdUjL52HRSaMlPiTPAlJ6k7W-X9Bsiie2YXKIZ3EVgp5/s320/100_1761.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668580068946236530" border="0" /></a><br />Enjoy.<br /><br />I can't wait for this to age... I am really excited about this recipe, and made 1 and 1/2 gallons.<br /><br />Get to it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2