# Any 2011 wine making resolutions?



## Larryh86GT (Dec 23, 2010)

I've got a few:

I plan to buy at least 2 cases of the Aldi's canned plums this coming year. 

I plan to make cucumber wine. I grew Oriental cucs this past summer and just did not have time to try it.

I plan to make wine from my Marquis table grapes. They are growing nicely and were very sweet this year.

I might as well get a corker. This appears to be a hobby I'll be doing awhile. 

I plan to use my fruit crusher and monster press for the first time and make an apple wine with my apples from the backyard.


Larry


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## Tom (Dec 23, 2010)

Larryh86GT said:


> I've got a few:
> 
> I plan to buy at least 2 cases of the Aldi's canned plums this coming year.
> 
> ...



I made Plum from Aldi's canned plums. Came out ok.

When you say get a corker U mean a Floor Corker right?

I hope to make MORE wine then I did this year.. LOL (wink wink)

When the juices come out again I want to try adding a lug of fresh grapes to the mix.


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## Runningwolf (Dec 23, 2010)

Well I keep saying I'll never make as much as I did this year but we'll see about that. If I was making large quanities of just a few wines it would be a lot easier but I make 6 gallon batches of a lot of different wines and blends. I guess a resolution would be to use my steamer that has been in the box for a year and also to start testing my wines for more than just sg.


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## Tom (Dec 23, 2010)

WAIT!

You have a steamer juicer and NOT used it??  (which one)

Why ???


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## cpfan (Dec 23, 2010)

To get the wine in my basement bottled, and to start a batch of beer (before I run out of beer).

Steve


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## ffemt128 (Dec 23, 2010)

Tom said:


> WAIT!
> 
> You have a steamer juicer and NOT used it??  (which one)
> 
> Why ???



Exactly what I thought when I read his post.....


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## Dufresne11 (Dec 23, 2010)

to test everything more

To make some different wines ( meaning not just grape wines) As I think this is my next step in learning more about winemaking.

To finish off converting my office to wine room. I have to install benches along the wall so that I can shoot for about 50 - 65 gallons this year


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## Runningwolf (Dec 23, 2010)

Tom said:


> WAIT!
> 
> You have a steamer juicer and NOT used it??  (which one)
> 
> Why ???



I have the Nor Pro stainless steel one. I have such a large access to juice already pressed and not so much free fruit.


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## Wade E (Dec 23, 2010)

Is to not make slightly carbonated wine (On Purpose) again. I was thinnking it wouldnt make much lees in the bottle and would be nice but I ended up yanking it all, degassing it all, filtering it all, and re bottling it all! Sorry Julie. I pulled out a bottle of this the other day that I made on purpose and what a mess.


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## Runningwolf (Dec 23, 2010)

Wade I don't remember any sediment in my bottle and it was very good. Do you have a lock on your wine cellar now to keep the maid from rearranging bottles .


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## Arne (Dec 23, 2010)

Think I have to get my carboys empty and get the fruit out of my freezer before spring gets here and the freezer starts filling up again. Also, before i started making my own wines, I didn't drink much wine. Since then, have sampled some storebought wines and mine are at least as good and most a lot better. Course this is my opinion, but others say they aren't bad. I tell them if they don't like it, let me know, but havn't had much complaining, except mostly by me. When I do not like em, can usually make em better with a little sugar or sumthin. Take care all, and have a Merry Christmas and A happy and safe New Year. Arne.


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## Wade E (Dec 24, 2010)

Runningwolf said:


> Wade I don't remember any sediment in my bottle and it was very good. Do you have a lock on your wine cellar now to keep the maid from rearranging bottles .


Ive always had a lock on the door just never locked it but I told her that she and anyone else is not allowed in there without me being there! Mainly because no one knows whats going n in there and I have a lot of other peoples wine in there and mine that is off limits to anyone! No one but me gies away my last bottle.


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## Dugger (Dec 24, 2010)

Same as cpfan's - bottle what I have ready to clear my backlog ( 11 kits) and make some beer. Also to finish my wine room and to make more fruit wine and the testing that goes with it. 
Oh, and to use my new (to me) Wade approved vacuum pump!


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## frohe (Dec 24, 2010)

Larryh86GT said:


> I've got a few:
> 
> I plan to buy at least 2 cases of the Aldi's canned plums this coming year.
> 
> ...



Now that I'm a dialysis patient, I can't drink as much as I did before. Don't mean I plan to make less wine but I hate having wine just sitting around. So, I plan to buy a corker and bottles so I can give bunches of my wines to friends for them to drink and enjoy.


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## BobF (Dec 24, 2010)

Like others have said, I plan to do more testing. I ordered a MW102 pH meter and the eco A/O setup from morewine. They should be here in a few days.

I also have tons of bottling to do and tons of stuff in the freezer to ferment before next year's harvest time begins.

I'm also planning to reorg my record keeping. I'm changing from 8.5X11 to a 3X5 card box, hanging the cards on the carboys until finished, then into the box for future reference.


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## RedNeckWino (Dec 24, 2010)

I plan on testing less and allowing for some age for once.
I plan to give less to the inlaws who complain about a free bottle of wine.....
I plan to make more by upgrading my equipment inventory
I plan to get 2 other people into wine making. Just got 2 started this December, so have to find 2 others.


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## n2tazmania (Dec 24, 2010)

Learning more of the nitnoids of winemaking. Upgrading to 5 gal carboys (can't keep wife out of 1 gals). And the most important, getting to know my WMT friends better.....


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## twistedvine (Dec 25, 2010)

Go fishing more...oh and make more wine or at least try harder to stay on top of the ones that I am making.


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## woodsxdragon (Dec 25, 2010)

to start making in 5 gallon batches during the fall instead of 1 gallon batches and to find elderberries somewhere local


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## Chateau Joe (Dec 27, 2010)

I'm going to try to make more wine than last year plus try some new varieties.


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## tonyt (Dec 28, 2010)

I am resolved NOT to drink any of the wine I make in 2011 until 2012. I know I am sure to fail this one but we will see how far I get.


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## Julie (Dec 28, 2010)

Wade E said:


> Is to not make slightly carbonated wine (On Purpose) again. I was thinnking it wouldnt make much lees in the bottle and would be nice but I ended up yanking it all, degassing it all, filtering it all, and re bottling it all! Sorry Julie. I pulled out a bottle of this the other day that I made on purpose and what a mess.



I loved it! I am not going to do the bottle method but I am definitely going to make a batch of raspberry and keg it. I just have to buy keg parts cuz Mike said he will not take out his keg but will add another one.


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## Daisy317 (Dec 28, 2010)

My new years wine resolutions are:

1- Make at least 3 6 gallon batches exclusively for the wedding

2- Double my carboy stash so that I can do more bulk aging

3- Try to make a chocolate port that is not bitter

4- Make a batch of brandy

5- Renovate my wine room with a utility tub and under cabinet wine storage

6- Find a way to keep the fiance out of my wine room... May include installing a door, lock, security system, and retina scanner...


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## Runningwolf (Dec 28, 2010)

Daisy317 said:


> My new years wine resolutions are:
> 
> 1- Make at least 3 6 gallon batches exclusively for the wedding
> 
> ...



This is way too cool! What are you going to make for the wedding. You missed on getting a lot of juice at Walkers but they still have a lot of other juices. You may want to consider that. When's the big date?


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## Daisy317 (Dec 28, 2010)

Runningwolf said:


> This is way too cool! What are you going to make for the wedding. You missed on getting a lot of juice at Walkers but they still have a lot of other juices. You may want to consider that. When's the big date?



We're keeping our fingers crossed for a Sept 17th wedding... barring orders for a deployment to Afghanistan... I REALLY hope they don't activate his unit again before he's out!

For the wedding I want to make a white, a blush, and a batch of blueberry. I would love to do a red but doubt I have the time to properly age a good one before then.

I don't have my mind made up on the white, but I'm thinking of doing a kit since we don't have a lot of time for something to sit and age. I'll have a good 6 months for the blueberry to age before the wedding so I'm not worried about that.


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## ffemt128 (Dec 28, 2010)

Daisy317 said:


> We're keeping our fingers crossed for a Sept 17th wedding... barring orders for a deployment to Afghanistan... I REALLY hope they don't activate his unit again before he's out!
> 
> For the wedding I want to make a white, a blush, and a batch of blueberry. I would love to do a red but doubt I have the time to properly age a good one before then.
> 
> I don't have my mind made up on the white, but I'm thinking of doing a kit since we don't have a lot of time for something to sit and age. I'll have a good 6 months for the blueberry to age before the wedding so I'm not worried about that.



Congrats on setting a date and getting prepared for making your own wine for the wedding. We'll be hoping your fiancee doesn't get deployed. That could put a real damper on the plans and I can only imagine how stressful that would be on a newlywed. 

My son came home from there in October. He is out in July so he should be okay not to be deployed again.

As far as 2011 resolutions:


Make more Elderberry, Strawberry, and maybe a cherry.
Learn the 3 P's better. 
Build up stock so the 3 P's can be learned.
Spend time with good friends made here at WMT.


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## Daisy317 (Dec 28, 2010)

ffemt128 said:


> Congrats on setting a date and getting prepared for making your own wine for the wedding. We'll be hoping your fiancee doesn't get deployed. That could put a real damper on the plans and I can only imagine how stressful that would be on a newlywed.
> 
> My son came home from there in October. He is out in July so he should be okay not to be deployed again.
> 
> ...



I'm very glad to hear that your son got home safely! It is very hard when a loved one is deployed so I'm sure you are happy he's home!

My fiance has been in the army for a little over 12 years and has already served a tour in Iraq. As important as it is for our military to serve, he is ready to be done. 

Keeping our fingers crossed!


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## deboard (Dec 28, 2010)

Oddly, my main resolution for next year is to make LESS wine. But, I want to make better, more consistent wine as part of it. I got into the hobby very late in 2009, so 2010 was pretty much my newbie year, and for the first 6-7 months I basically kept a primary going at all times. The result was a lot of learning, but also I found myself struggling to keep up with it, and some of my wines suffered for it. So, I want to keep 4 batches going at a time, and not start another 'til I bottle one. That should be plenty!

Other resolutions:

1. Hopefully get enough black currants from my bushes to make a decent size batch.
2. Same as #1 for my plum trees. (If I can keep my 4 year old from eating them all!)
3. Get my Cynthiana grapevines established. They were 1 year old when I bought them, and they grew pretty well last year, so I am still deciding whether to let them fruit this year or not. 
4. Get at least one pail from Walker's.
5. Let my Syrah (midwest frozen grape pail) age all year in the bottle (once I bottle it), which means not drinking any of it!
6. Get a wine press


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## mxsteve625 (Dec 28, 2010)

Run plumbing to the wine room.

Purchase a bottle filler.

Start using a check list on both beer and wine.


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## seth8530 (Jan 2, 2011)

Hmm, Let my appel wine age. (Im really excited about it) and possibly start a grape wine.


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## ibglowin (Jan 2, 2011)

Drink more of my own stuff than commercial stuff!


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## jtstar (Jan 2, 2011)

I'll second that ibglowin I also want to get my wine press and crusher built before grape harvest this will be my first harvest


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## mxsteve625 (Jan 13, 2011)

mxsteve625 said:


> Run plumbing to the wine room.
> 
> Purchase a bottle filler.
> 
> Start using a check list on both beer and wine.



Well yesterday went under the house to get a material list fof the drain lines to the wine room. Found out I had a leak in the main sewer line. Decided to replace to whole line. Job wasn't so bad but it was dirty as **it. (excuse to pun). I will have the water supply and drains hooked up by this weekend.

Resolution then complete..


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## RedNeckWino (Jan 13, 2011)

To make enough wine that I don't run out at 6 months old. I really want to age some wine. Wife is giving the OK for a 15 gallon demi john within the next few weeks! Only 30 gallon capacity currently, soon to be 45.


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## JohnT (Jan 14, 2011)

RedNeckWino said:


> To make enough wine that I don't run out at 6 months old. I really want to age some wine. Wife is giving the OK for a 15 gallon demi john within the next few weeks! Only 30 gallon capacity currently, soon to be 45.



only one??? You should buy two and tell your wife that you needed the second one for racking.

Then comes the hard part. You wait two years and try to get permission for a 500l Sainless Steel VC Tank!


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## RedNeckWino (Jan 14, 2011)

JohnT said:


> only one??? You should buy two and tell your wife that you needed the second one for racking.
> 
> Then comes the hard part. You wait two years and try to get permission for a 500l Sainless Steel VC Tank!




I might be done having kids, but like my manhood right where it is. The second demi-john might be easy to swing though. I do have a few good reasons for that one.


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## JohnT (Jan 14, 2011)

RedNeckWino said:


> I might be done having kids, but like my manhood right where it is. The second demi-john might be easy to swing though. I do have a few good reasons for that one.



A Variable Capacity tank removes the need for having wine in reserve (for topping off). Look into a 100l tank. They might not be as expensive as you might think and are not as fragile as glass. A tank lasts for ever!


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## RedNeckWino (Jan 14, 2011)

Um, I think I'm gonna need a bigger press now honey!


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## ROADRUNNER (Apr 2, 2011)

Larryh86GT said:


> I've got a few:
> 
> I plan to buy at least 2 cases of the Aldi's canned plums this coming year.
> 
> ...


Wanting to make cucumber wine but nobody has been forthcoming w/ any info. This is a recipe I have concocted; tell me what you think. I wish I had honeydew available to add in. TX!

8-10 lbs cukes & 4 lbs pears
Ginger
4 1/2 lbs sugar - maybe more depending on PA
4 tsp acid blend
2 tsp yeast nutrient
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1/2 tsp tannin

other alternative adds: honeydew, pineapple,lime, basil & rosemary for future wines - may be throwing in some rosemary on this batch


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