# Corn Cob Wine - I'm going for it!



## BigDaveK (Sep 14, 2022)

Had to do it!
Used 14 corn cobs, corn from the garden. Simmered the cobs then removed but didn't strain when cool.
There's sugar in them thar cobs - SG was 1.020 before adding sugar.

Transferred to secondary this morning....and again I am shocked, surprised, and pleased.
No, it doesn't taste like the Heartland. No corn flavor at all. More tropical. Yes, tropical. Crazy. And it's not thin at all, which surprised me.

What the heck am I going to do for an encore?


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## suzyq2 (Sep 14, 2022)

I love reading your posts. Please keep us updated with the outcomes.


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## winemaker81 (Sep 15, 2022)

BigDaveK said:


> What the heck am I going to do for an encore?


Dirt wine?

I still haven't figured out if you're my hero or if you're the winemaking equivalent of Dr. Frankenstein ....  

Although being both is a definite possibility!


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## BernardSmith (Sep 15, 2022)

This is interesting. I love the idea of finding ways to make wine from what many view as a waste product. Wine, not from corn, but the cobs. I often make wine from whey, the waste product from cheese making. I wonder what other "waste products" are used to make enjoyable wines.


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## BigDaveK (Sep 15, 2022)

winemaker81 said:


> Dirt wine?
> 
> I still haven't figured out if you're my hero or if you're the winemaking equivalent of Dr. Frankenstein ....
> 
> Although being both is a definite possibility!


Our forefathers never wasted anything and from a modern perspective it's easy to think "Oh, they must have been desperate." They wouldn't do it if it tasted bad. Intelligent and resourceful people to be sure.

Dirt wine haunts me, an itch I can't quite reach.


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## FlamingoEmporium (Sep 15, 2022)

@BigDaveK searching for his next wine


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## winemaker81 (Sep 15, 2022)

BigDaveK said:


> Our forefathers never wasted anything and from a modern perspective it's easy to think "Oh, they must have been desperate." They wouldn't do it if it tasted bad. Intelligent and resourceful people to be sure.


My father was born before the Great Depression and grew up on a farm on the Tug Hill plateau in NY. They wasted nothing, or as he said, "we used everything on the pig except the oink".

Until you posted it, I wouldn't think you'd get anything out of a corn cob, but I'm obviously proven wrong!



BigDaveK said:


> Dirt wine haunts me, an itch I can't quite reach.


I'm sure it will have an earthy aroma and flavor.


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## BigDaveK (Oct 24, 2022)

Racked this morning.
Again I am amazed by a wine made with what would have been composted or trashed.
Bone dry, .990, and we hit 13.2% ABV. Like with many of my country wines, the alcohol isn't very noticeable. And there's even a _perception_ of a little sweetness. No, no corn flavor or aroma. I used acid blend but there's definitely citrus notes. I kept extraneous ingredients to a minimum because I was curious how it tasted by itself so only added 50 gr of raisins, but might go to 1/2 lb next time. Next time? Yes, I'll make this again next year.


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## vinny (Oct 24, 2022)

Well. I dunno what's in your backyard, but I like my kraut. It doesn't taste distinctly like cabbage. Often green apple comes through in mine with a broad sour tang. It has enough yeast and enzymes to ferment on its own... Without sugar!

 Again, I dunno, but.... Hey, it's not dirt!


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## vinny (Oct 24, 2022)

FlamingoEmporium said:


> @BigDaveK searching for his next wine  View attachment 92948


I picture it more like this


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## vinny (Oct 24, 2022)

With assistants.


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## BigDaveK (Oct 25, 2022)

vinny said:


> With assistants.
> 
> View attachment 94428


I have those assistants and they're very helpful, though they think everything needs to be knocked over...or hidden under furniture.


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## BigDaveK (Oct 25, 2022)

vinny said:


> Well. I dunno what's in your backyard, but I like my kraut. It doesn't taste distinctly like cabbage. Often green apple comes through in mine with a broad sour tang. It has enough yeast and enzymes to ferment on its own... Without sugar!


I like my kraut, too, drag out the gartopf crock every year. Surely you can spare some for wine!


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## winemanden (Oct 25, 2022)

BigDaveK is a REAL Country winemaker.


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## QuiQuog (Oct 25, 2022)

BigDaveK said:


> Racked this morning.
> Again I am amazed by a wine made with what would have been composted or trashed.
> Bone dry, .990, and we hit 13.2% ABV. Like with many of my country wines, the alcohol isn't very noticeable. And there's even a _perception_ of a little sweetness. No, no corn flavor or aroma. I used acid blend but there's definitely citrus notes. I kept extraneous ingredients to a minimum because I was curious how it tasted by itself so only added 50 gr of raisins, but might go to 1/2 lb next time. Next time? Yes, I'll make this again next year.
> 
> ...


You seem to have had success with just about every weird thing you've fermented. I started wondering what you're really getting from the ingredients you choose. I started thinking about water wine, aka sugar wine, aka kilju. I watched a video on youtube where they make kilju, but flavor it mojito style with lime and mint. It struck me that they're not making kiju as much as they're making mojito wine. Have you thought of doing a "control" ferment to see what flavors these things are adding? I suggest, if you haven't already done it, that you make a water wine. You may have all the ingredients on hand already. It may sound silly, but maybe even try a couple of different yeasts?


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## BigDaveK (Oct 25, 2022)

winemanden said:


> BigDaveK is a REAL Country winemaker.


BigDaveK is a real country winemaker because he's too damn cheap to buy anything other than raisins.


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## BigDaveK (Oct 25, 2022)

QuiQuog said:


> You seem to have had success with just about every weird thing you've fermented. I started wondering what you're really getting from the ingredients you choose. I started thinking about water wine, aka sugar wine, aka kilju. I watched a video on youtube where they make kilju, but flavor it mojito style with lime and mint. It struck me that they're not making kiju as much as they're making mojito wine. Have you thought of doing a "control" ferment to see what flavors these things are adding? I suggest, if you haven't already done it, that you make a water wine. You may have all the ingredients on hand already. It may sound silly, but maybe even try a couple of different yeasts?


Yes, I've been very fortunate with my results and I'm grateful. It would be presumptuous to call it skill. I have books, I search and read the forums (a lot), I have books, and I research my main ingredient before I start. I do the homework and keep my fingers crossed. Let's face it, wine making isn't complicated.

Actually sugar wine is on my list for the exact reasons you mention. I'm _very_ curious how a bare bones no frill wine would taste. Ground zero, a benchmark, the alpha, the fountainhead, square one, the baseline. Unfortunately I desperately need to make room in my freezers for actual food. I'll do it in a month or two, probably before prison hooch.

And I don't think I've done anything weird.  

Yet.


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## Ohio Bob (Oct 25, 2022)

BigDaveK said:


> Yes, I've been very fortunate with my results and I'm grateful. It would be presumptuous to call it skill. I have books, I search and read the forums (a lot), I have books, and I research my main ingredient before I start. I do the homework and keep my fingers crossed. Let's face it, wine making isn't complicated.
> 
> Actually sugar wine is on my list for the exact reasons you mention. I'm _very_ curious how a bare bones no frill wine would taste. Ground zero, a benchmark, the alpha, the fountainhead, square one, the baseline. Unfortunately I desperately need to make room in my freezers for actual food. I'll do it in a month or two, probably before prison hooch.
> 
> ...



Any update on your dirt wine?


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## winemaker81 (Oct 25, 2022)

BigDaveK said:


> Yes, I've been very fortunate with my results and I'm grateful. It would be presumptuous to call it skill. I have books, I search and read the forums (a lot), I have books, and* I research my main ingredient before I start. I do the homework *and keep my fingers crossed. Let's face it, wine making isn't complicated.


Emphasis mine. Planning and forethought are key elements in making good wine. Winging it can work, but it's not consistent.


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## TurkeyHollow (Oct 25, 2022)

Looks like a gluten-free beer to me!


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## vinny (Oct 25, 2022)

Ohio Bob said:


> Any update on your dirt wine?


 I'm thinking you're going to have to do it just to shut them up....


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## BigDaveK (Oct 26, 2022)

Ohio Bob said:


> Any update on your dirt wine?


Heeyyyy, I'm a bit slow sometimes. I'm beginning to think you guys/gals are treating dirt wine like a joke. Too many wines in the queue, I'll get to it eventually.


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## BigDaveK (Oct 26, 2022)

vinny said:


> I'm thinking you're going to have to do it just to shut them up....


Patience.


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## QuiQuog (Oct 26, 2022)

Dirt and Garbage Wine Recipe
• To 1 gallon of rain water, add 3 cups of dirt and boil for 20 minutes
• Turn off heat and add weeds from yard, about 2 well stuffed pockets worth
• Add any other garbage as appropriate e.g., corncobs, leaves, grass, etc...
• Add: Sugar to SG 1.090 or so, 1 tsp nutrient, 1/2 tsp energizer, 1/2 tsp powdered tannin (optional depending on weeds used)
• When cooled to about 90°f, give a good stir and add to primary fermenter, such as lunch size igloo cooler with flip-top lid
• Add packet of EC-1118
• Cover with towel and stir daily until SG reaches 1.020
• Let dirt settle 1 day and rack into secondary
• When SG is stable below 1.000 for three days add more dirt and garbage to clear the wine as described below
• Add 1 sanitized, dried, powdered eggshell, and 1 crushed campden tablet, and stir well
• Add bentonite per package instructions, and stir well to make mud
• After 2 weeks, rack off sediment into another container
• Sample wine, and if the weeds or garbage you used leaves any harsh tannins, or if you just want to use more garbage, add more garbage as follows
• Add to 1 egg white, 1 tsp water and a pinch of salt. Stir well, but gently. Pour into wine and stir gently.
• In 1-2 weeks, rack off sediment.
• You can now bottle. If you prefer your garbage sweeter, proceed as follows
• Dissolve 15 to 30 of the hard candies your kids didn't eat from last Halloween in 1cup of warm water 
• Stir in 1/2 tsp potassium sorbate, add garbage candy and stir
• Wait 1 week to ensure no fermentation and bottle

Go for it!


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## QuiQuog (Oct 26, 2022)

@BigDaveK
I should say that I'm in no way am making fun of you or your wine making, and don't think it's garbage. The previous post is all in good fun. All of the wines you make intrigue me, and I'm going to try the walnut leaf wine in the spring next year. It's amazing that you get the results you do. Having said that, if you do decide to use my recipe, make sure you do a thread on it!


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## BigDaveK (Oct 26, 2022)

QuiQuog said:


> Dirt and Garbage Wine Recipe
> • To 1 gallon of rain water, add 3 cups of dirt and boil for 20 minutes
> • Turn off heat and add weeds from yard, about 2 well stuffed pockets worth
> • Add any other garbage as appropriate e.g., corncobs, leaves, grass, etc...
> ...


I was excited about this but dammit I don't have any bentonite!


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