# Waldo's Black Currant Wine



## Waldo (Nov 4, 2006)

Got it started this morning. Will have to defer on any pictures as I ran off and left my camera at work yesterday evening. Started a 6 gallon batch at an SG of 1.100 and a must temp of 68 degreesusing the followin recipe:

2 cans Vinters Harvest Black Currant concentrate

6 Campden tablets crushed and dissolved in processor

12 lbs. Sugar dissolved in hot water

3 Tbsp. Acid Blend

6 tsp. Yeast Nutrient

3 tsp. Yeast energizer

3/8 tsp. liquid pectic enzyme

Water added to 6 gallon
Red Star Cote des Blancsyeast




1. Crushed and dissolved campden tablets and added to primary fermenter.
2. Added Currant juice to fermenter
3. Dissolved sugar in about 2 gallonshot water and added to fermenter
4. Added additional water to make 6 gallons
5. Stirred must well ( about 4 minutes total with stir-x)
6. Let Must set for about 8 hours and then added Pectic Enzyme, Nutrient and Energizer and stirred well again with stir-x
7. Let must set for about 14 hours and pitched yeast at an SG of 1.100 and a Must temp of 68 degrees.


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## grapeman (Nov 4, 2006)

Another Waldo great wine coming up! Must be good-15 clappers!


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## Waldo (Nov 5, 2006)

Ahhhhhhhhh a new scale for the wine tasters to use !!!
Yep, that Zin was a 5 clapper but that Pinot was definately a 8 clapper


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 5, 2006)

Black Currant just sounds like it's going to be a good wine.....think I will have to get some of that concentrate....can't wait to plant some and wait 3 years for a harvest...if lucky and they grow....
Are you going to have it finish sweet???Is that why you used Côte des Blancs yeast...it finishes sweeter...right?????


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## Wade E (Nov 5, 2006)

Going for a full body batch huh Waldo. I stretched the one can out to a
6 gallon batch on the one you tasted. Yours should be really good.


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## Waldo (Nov 5, 2006)

Northern Winos said:


> Black Currant just sounds like it's going to be a good wine.....think I will have to get some of that concentrate....can't wait to plant some and wait 3 years for a harvest...if lucky and they grow....
> Are you going to have it finish sweet???Is that why you used Côte des Blancs yeast...it finishes sweeter...right?????




Yes NW...I formulated my recipe for this one to finish sweet. My beginning SG may be a little high but hopefully it will finish about where I want it which is *JUST EXACTLY LIKE WADE'S WAS*


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 5, 2006)

My mouth is watering every time I think of Black Currant Wine....Guess it's good to have a goal on our wish-lists...


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## Waldo (Nov 6, 2006)

Northern Winos said:


> My mouth is watering every time I think of Black Currant Wine....Guess it's good to have a goal on our wish-lists...




Damn....I love that NW....Can I use itin my Black Currant label?


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## Waldo (Nov 6, 2006)

Have a good active fermentation going this morning, low foam but the aroma had the drool running from the corners of my lips. Tried taking a pic with my razr but could not get it to send ..oh well, will get my trusty ole Nikon back from worj today


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 6, 2006)

Waldo said:


> Northern Winos said:
> 
> 
> > My mouth is watering every time I think of Black Currant Wine....Guess it's good to have a goal on our wish-lists...
> ...



Yes. by all means use the graphic...
Been spending Deer Hunting Season on my 'stand'[aka computer chair] looking for clipart of fruits to put on wine labels...been fun.


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## Waldo (Nov 7, 2006)

Made a couple of designs for my Black Currant Label this morning. Now which one should I use 


(A)








(B)








(C)


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## Wade E (Nov 7, 2006)

I pick door #2 Waldo.


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## Joanie (Nov 7, 2006)

I like B as well but I would back off the heavy drop shadow a bit and add just a touch to the rest of the lettering.

(Oh man! Now I'm sounding like a know-it-all! You can tell me to pipe down any time!)


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## bmorosco (Nov 7, 2006)

*I like B as well looks great.. Waldo How did you come up with the Cats Meow Winery Name??*


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## grapeman (Nov 7, 2006)

Nice labels Waldo. You are a real master of the airbrush techniques. I vote for B because of that.


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 7, 2006)

I like them all



Let's all give Waldo the clap [for being so good at making labels]!!!


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## ms.spain (Nov 7, 2006)

I love all three! Any one that you choose will be an excellent choice!


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## kutya (Nov 7, 2006)

I pick B... Very nicely done Waldo....


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## Wade E (Nov 7, 2006)

Yea Waldo all 3 are awesome but looks like mob rulles. He He He.


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## jobe05 (Nov 7, 2006)

I like "B" Waldo, but good job on them all, I'm jealous...........


Not just because you make great labels, but because you make labels early in the process............ I don't get mine made till about 2 weeks after bottling............. the better the wine taste, the better the label


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## sangwitch (Nov 7, 2006)

I vote #2. I like the way it has just a splash of color.


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## Waldo (Nov 11, 2006)

Well, it looks like we have a concensus on the label for my black currant which is happily bubbling away.








When I got ready to rack my Currantfrom primary, I had no more empty carboys so I had to rack my Muscadine from a 5 gallon carboy into 5 one gallon jugs. NEVER ENOUGH CARBOYS !!!
I oaked the Muscadine with Light Toast French and will let it bulk age like this for about 6 weeks and then bottle. 





*Edited by: Waldo *


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 11, 2006)

Love the tablecloth...the wine looks great too...How many wines do you have going now????


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## Waldo (Nov 11, 2006)

Actually not a table cloth per se NW. It;s just a piece of fabric I picked up and will use to put on the table to keep my wines from scratching it up. 
Right now I have Plum, Muscadine, Campbells Early Grape, Rasberry, Apple/Rasberry, Blueberry Mead, Blackberry Port, Black Currant, Green Apple Riesling and er uhhhhh I think thats all !!!!


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## Wade E (Nov 11, 2006)

I spy with my little eye a floor corker in the background. Italian or Portuguese there Waldo


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 11, 2006)

My mouth is watering...can hardly wait for 'Happy Hour'....don't they have an Emoticon with drool????


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 11, 2006)

How's this one???


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## Wade E (Nov 11, 2006)

Sorry NW but the picture you posted, I think, was not there.

*Edited by: wadewade *


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 11, 2006)

wadewade said:


> Sorry NW but the picture you posted, I think, was not there.



I didn't post a photo...just a Drool Icon...did it come through, or did you get the dreaded little RED X</font>????


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## Wade E (Nov 11, 2006)

Not even a red X there NW.


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## bmorosco (Nov 11, 2006)

I can't wait to try fruit wines......


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## Wade E (Nov 11, 2006)

bmorosco, have you ever had a fruit wine either commercial or homemade?


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## linda0210 (Nov 11, 2006)

Waldo said:


> Well, it looks like we have a concensu
> When I got ready to rack my Currantfrom primary, I had no more empty carboys so I had to rack my Muscadine from a 5 gallon carboy into 5 one gallon jugs. NEVER ENOUGH CARBOYS !!!
> I oaked the Muscadine with Light Toast French and will let it bulk age like this for about 6 weeks and then bottle.



Waldo, is that a straw in the jugs? does it help with fermentation?


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## Wade E (Nov 11, 2006)

That is his oak.


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## Waldo (Nov 11, 2006)

Wade is right Linda, it is oak. Might not be a bad idea though to put straws in em. Could do some easy taste testing that way


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## pkcook (Nov 11, 2006)

Waldo,


What type of oak is that? I've seen the spirals, chips, cubes, beans, and dust, but not a stick like that.


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## Waldo (Nov 12, 2006)

It is a lighttoast French oak pk.


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## pkcook (Nov 12, 2006)

Looks like a dowel rod.


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## bmorosco (Nov 12, 2006)

Waldo said:


> It is a lighttoast French oak pk.




Where did you get those waldo or did you make them yourself?


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## bmorosco (Nov 12, 2006)

wadewade said:


> bmorosco, have you ever had a fruit wine either commercial or homemade?




I had on at a wine tasting and I was very pleased with the aroma and feel it was a apple wine .. But I have never had like Raspberry or things of that type looking forward to it..


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## Wade E (Nov 12, 2006)

Pretty much everyone likes a country wine.


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 12, 2006)

Waldo said:


> Well, it looks like we have a concensu
> When I got ready to rack my Currant from primary, I had no more empty carboys so I had to rack my Muscadine from a 5 gallon carboy into 5 one gallon jugs. NEVER ENOUGH CARBOYS !!!
> I oaked the Muscadine with Light Toast French and will let it bulk age like this for about 6 weeks and then bottle.
> 
> ...


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## Waldo (Nov 12, 2006)

NW..I normally use airlocks when bulk aging in whatever size jug/carboy but this situation caught ne short of airlocks so it will be the caps until next wek when I can get by the Spriong Valley Water place and pick me up another 5 gallon carboy and at that time this wine will alll go back to it. The oak will probably stay in the full 6 weeks. Iwill start tasting after the 3rd week and decide from that. It could be shorter or it could be longer. The wine is from the steamed juice.


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## bmorosco (Nov 14, 2006)

Did you get the new carboy yet Waldo?


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## Waldo (Nov 15, 2006)

Did not get one bmorosco. I have decided to just wait until this weekend and I will be bottling my Blueberry mead and Campbells Early grape so I will have a couple free.


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## bmorosco (Nov 15, 2006)

Don't forget to sample!!


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## Waldo (Jan 5, 2007)

bmorosco said:


> *I like B as well looks great.. Waldo How did you come up with the Cats Meow Winery Name??*




I coined it from a phrasemy Dad used to use whenever he was pleased with something. He would always say, " Now thats the Cats Meow" 
I first used it on a Muscadine I had made early on in my winemaking career and it just seemed fitting so it stuck. Most who know me and my love of cats are surprised to learn that it is not from my love of cats that the name was born.


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## bmorosco (Jan 5, 2007)

Those are the stories that make this hobby fun...Thanks Waldo


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