# Whats in YOUR Carboy?



## MedPretzel (Mar 4, 2005)

Hi everyone!





I was just curious, and am not sure if this topic should be moved to "Polls" or not, but what the heck... 





I wanted to hear what everyone's got fermenting/bulk aging right now. 


I will start:
<UL>
<LI>5 gallons Marigold</LI>
<LI>5 gallons Chrysanthemum</LI>
<LI>5 gallons tinned Peach (Glenvall's inspiration)</LI>
<LI>5 gallons icky Pumpkin</LI>
<LI>5 gallons Apple Concentrate</LI>
<LI>2 gallons Sage-Raisin</LI>
<LI>5 gallons Plum</LI>
<LI>5 gallons Chamomile</LI>[/list]


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## AAASTINKIE (Mar 4, 2005)

5 + 1 Island Mist Wildberry Shiraz

6 gal welches grape juice from bottle

6 gal Sauvignon Blank Bolero (Spagnols) California style 23lt anseptic kit


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## Hippie (Mar 4, 2005)

Scuppernong (bulk aging)


Muscadine (fermenting/degassing)


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## masta (Mar 6, 2005)

<UL>
<LI>6 Gallons White Zin</LI>
<LI>6 Gallons Cranberry Chianti</LI>
<LI>6gallons Barbera Syrah</LI>
<LI>6 Gallons Marlborough Pinot Noir</LI>
<LI>6 Gallons Tropical Fruit Gewürztraminer</LI>
<LI>6 Gallons Mataro Shiraz</LI>
<LI>5 Gallons Tupelo Mead</LI>[/list]


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## Hippie (Mar 6, 2005)

Masta, when you label that mead, incude a verse or a couple of lines from the song, 'tupelo honey'.


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## Maineiak (Mar 7, 2005)

6 gallons (pretty soon!) of White Zinfandel


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## dnaman (Mar 8, 2005)

<UL>
<LI>6 gallons Rosso Fortissimo</LI>
<LI>6 gallons Stag's Leap merlot</LI>
<LI>6 gallons Piesporter</LI>
<LI>6 gallons Luna Bianca</LI>
<LI>6 gallons NZ sauv blanc</LI>
<LI>6 gallons Crushendo syrah</LI>[/list]


All from kits. Access to grapes and fruit in west Texas is very limited. Out of room in the only spare closet anyways.


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## AAASTINKIE (Mar 8, 2005)

if medpretzel lived in west texas I bet there would be a carboy of cactus wine somewhere!!




Oh heck maybe even some tumbleweed!!


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## dnaman (Mar 9, 2005)

Cactus juice. Sounds like a great wine. Time to start experimenting.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 9, 2005)

Make sure it's edible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





PLEASE!


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## Bert (Mar 9, 2005)

5 gal. Raisin Star Anise


5 gal. Grapes [kind unknown] &amp; Burgundy Concentrate


6 gal. Alspice Mead


6 gal. Australian Riverland Reserve


5 gal. Pinot Noir


6 gal Chilean Merlot


6 gal.Riesling


3 + 1 gal Apple Raisin Alspice


5 gal.Chilean Merlot Selection


5 gal. Bourgeron Rouge


5 gal. Wild Chokecherry


5 gal Australian Shiraz


6 gal. Spanish Rioja Selection


5 gal. Alspice Mead


I think this all I have going right now. Listed from newest to oldest. And I think I've bottle 7 carboys in the last 2 months. the wine cellar has a good start.


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## dnaman (Mar 9, 2005)

Hey Bert


I am interested in that Australian Riverland Reserve. Keep us updated on the progress. What's it like so far? What type of wine does it resemble?


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## Bert (Mar 9, 2005)

It is still very young, but the samples taste nice, but the smell is like an old river.....Hope it improves I'm sure it will..


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## Hippie (Mar 9, 2005)

Wow Bert! you have been very busy. How long have you been making wine?


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## Bert (Mar 9, 2005)

A little over 2 years....I like the the kits,but the fruit wines are so much fun to play with....and the meads ...I just find it hard to wait..


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## Hippie (Mar 9, 2005)

Iagree with you about fruit or scratch wines. I love to experiment with different additions and different amounts of ingredients and different strains of yeast.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 9, 2005)

I also have to agree with kit/scratch wines. Scratch ones just seem to have more personality, I think.


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## Hippie (Mar 10, 2005)

'Personality' is a must (pun intended) in a wine for me. It has to have that interesting aroma and overall taste to keep me interested.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 10, 2005)

And, you know YOU did the whole process. Even picking out the ingredients. My ABE wine turned out great, and I'm more pround than of that one than any kit wine I've made.


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## Hippie (Mar 10, 2005)

That is good, Martina, pride in what you make!


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## MedPretzel (Mar 10, 2005)

Hahaha, well.............





The cabbage wine is _too weird _to be proud of.


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## AAASTINKIE (Mar 13, 2005)

Update:


6 gal Sauvignon Blank Bolero (Spagnols) California style 23lt anseptic kit


6 gallons welches with 1 qt. pear juice, finned waiting to go into carboy


6 gallons welches in primary


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## MedPretzel (Mar 13, 2005)

Sounds good, please keep us posted as to how they're doing!!!


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## AAASTINKIE (Mar 14, 2005)

Well, the Sauvignon Blank is just sitting waiting for the 22nd to get fined andracked, one welches needs to get racked that day to free up the 23lt carboy it has been fined already, it will be going into a 5gal and 1 gal carboy and jug, the other welches goes into the secondary a few days before.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 14, 2005)

I recently racked my pumpkin wine. It's getting very clear on it's own!





I am so excited, but it tastes a bit drab right now. Glenvall, do you know what I could do to spice it up a little?





Thanks


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## Hippie (Mar 14, 2005)

It might be a good candidate for blending with something more sharpif it is a little flat or blah.


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## Hippie (Mar 14, 2005)

Stinkie, what is significant about the 22nd for racking? Are you keeping to a schedule per kit instructions, or do have you devised your own racking schedule?


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## MedPretzel (Mar 14, 2005)

Well, what would be sharp enough that doesn't mask the taste of pumpkin?


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## Hippie (Mar 14, 2005)

When you make that carrot wine, make it a little on the acidic side (zingy) and then do blending tests with the pumpkin.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 15, 2005)

ohhhhhhh! That sounds like a good combo!





Thanks again for your invaluable advice.


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## Hippie (Mar 15, 2005)

It does sound good to me also. I mean, they are both orange anyway......


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## MedPretzel (Mar 15, 2005)

Good call, Glenvall! Thanks!


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## Hippie (Mar 16, 2005)

Are you sure? Maybe so. We'll see, there's the fun in it.


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## Vinmaker (Mar 17, 2005)

I have



5 gallons of Cabernet Sauvignon



5 gallons of Syrah



5 gallons of Chardonnay



6 Gallons WineExpert Luna Rossa



8 Empty Carboys waiting for the next harvest.







Vinmaker


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## MedPretzel (Mar 18, 2005)

Vin, 





Try a country wine in one of your carboys. Elderberry makes a beautiful, tasty red.


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## Vinmaker (Mar 18, 2005)

Hi Martina,



I need to master fresh grapes before I venture off of the vine.







I am not as adventurous as you.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 18, 2005)

Actually, making country wines is much easier than everyone thinks. The only thing differently is is that you have to know how to use a measuring spoon and buy the supplies. 





Who knows? Maybe George can whip up a "country wine" package, where all you have to do is add your own fruit...


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## Hippie (Mar 19, 2005)

Excellent idea, Martina! 


Got it George?


It should include straining bags, nutrient, energizer, tannin powder, pectic enzyme drops, etc., maybe even a larger primary fermentor.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 19, 2005)

I wish _*I*_ could have bought one when I started!





Also, don't forget measured K-meta. You know, like the kit wines have in their own little packages. Just cut open the baggie, and dump it in.


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## Hippie (Mar 19, 2005)

Hey! That's an idea. Maybe little packs with sulphite and sorbate for stabilizing batches of 6, 5, 3, and 1 gallons. Might just help alot. Maybe make it in liquid form already dissolved, much like wine conditioner. *Edited by: Country Wine *


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## MedPretzel (Mar 19, 2005)

That's kinda what i was talkin' about. You know, so many "grape kit" wines, but none for fruit.


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## Hippie (Mar 20, 2005)

Have you tried the big cans of Oregon Fruit Harvest or any of the others? Kinda like a kit. What about the Island Mist or other fruit/grape combo kits?


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## MedPretzel (Mar 20, 2005)

I have never tried any cans of any sort. I also have never made Island Mist wines. I have only made a Black Currant/Cab Sav which I thought turned out crappy, but many people like it. To me, it tasted like pure black currant concentrate. It has turned me WAY off kits for a long time. The only sad thing is, is that i cannot get black currants here at all - not even in a can, and this is one wine I would LOVE to make. Oh well, such is life.


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## Hippie (Mar 20, 2005)

You gotta broaden your horizons and try better kits. Your mind could be blown by some of them. Be careful.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 20, 2005)

I know. better kits mean higher prices. Just not in it for me right now.... Unfortunately.


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## Hippie (Mar 20, 2005)

Doctors, lawyers, butchers, bakers, candlestick makers......


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## MedPretzel (Mar 22, 2005)

Well, I tasted my hibiscus wine again today. I think I'll like that one over kit ones if it stays pretty much the way it is. It's really good.


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## Hippie (Mar 22, 2005)

Hibiscus is the Hawaiian state flower isn't it, Joe?


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## Maui Joe (Mar 23, 2005)

That is correct CW. It use to be the deep dark red. It has changed to Bright yellow, single pedals. (I don't know why they changed it either.) Hope they stop this nonsense!........


we have so-o-o-o many different colors, sizes from 50 cent piece to over twelve inches, from single pedals to triple and more, and more.


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## MedPretzel (Mar 23, 2005)

Joe, seriously consider a hibiscus wine then. I am sure you can find locally dried hibiscus flowers (I used that). I'm not aware of your tastes in wine, but this is one of the very, very few that my husband has even said that it tastes good - and it's still slightly fermenting!!! The fragrance is perfect, fruity, and the color is a deep, dark garnet-red. 





If not 5, try at least one gallon. Jack Keller has a great recipe on his site for it, which I followed (and sort of didn't - like I always do. I like to improvise a little and not follow other people blindly....



Bad habit, I know)....


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## Maui Joe (Mar 23, 2005)

Martina, would any Hibiscus work? Is it only the pedals that you use? You answered one question whether or not they have to be dried or fresh. I have seen some Hibiscus with such a "deep red" that I would really call it purple. Interesting, I like to experiement, maybe a 1-gallon.



My Dad would "trip-out" if he knew!


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## MedPretzel (Mar 23, 2005)

I am not sure if all types of hibiscus would work. Check with your local library to make sure. They are a wealth of information. So underrated in the age of the internet. I would also tell you to google it, but you can never 100% trust what you see on the internet. Lots of humbug being told over the www...





As for what I use - just the petals are used. Generally, I would say if you have a quart of fresh petals, put them in a straining bag, freeze them for a couple of weeks, and then pour boiling water over them. Add sugar up to about an SG of 1.080 or so, add the pectic enzyme (not sure if they have pectin, but better safe than sorry), nutrient, energizer, acid blendand a bit of powdered tannin. Jack Keller has a good recipe for dried hibiscus wine, which I made. Keep the straining bag in the fermenting must for about a week, or even longer - until you rack to a secondary.





But check with your library first. Like I said, it's better to be safe than sorry.


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## Hippie (Mar 23, 2005)

Very good advice, Martina, and sounds like a very good wine. Go for it, Joe!


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## Maui Joe (Mar 23, 2005)

My Dad, being Italian,....I can see the comments.


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## Vaughn (Apr 18, 2005)

Well,


My first batch is in the bottles. I got 29. I got about 1/3 of a 30th bottle, and then the siphon bottomed out (slurp!). I tried to tip the carboy to see if I could get any more clean wine out of the bottom. That didn't work, the whole thing turned to mud. Oh well, I have 29 fine ladies waiting to be labeled (French Cab) and put to rest. The directions say that my kit will not age well past 6 months if I do not add more sulfite. I wish I had known that when I started bottling. (note to self, get some of that next time your at George's place.)


In the meantime, the Pinot Noiris brewing nicely and will be ready to rack out of the primary tomorrow.I realize when I started this batch that I needed the air lock that was sitting on the carboy full of cabernet (only one set of equipment here). So, I took it and replaced it with a ball point pen to plug up the hole in the bung. (Note to self, either get a bung without a hole or another air lock.)


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## Hippie (Apr 18, 2005)

You really should be using an airlock and not a solid bung, even after fermentation is over. I don't add extra sulphite for aging, some do.


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## Maui Joe (Apr 18, 2005)

HollowOakWine,


Run a piece of clear hose through the bung hole and fit snug. Place the other end into a small bottle of water close by and there you go...an emergency airlock!


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## masta (May 8, 2005)

Time to update what's in my carboys and fermenters here at Valley Brew:
<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Kit Wines<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />[/B]

<?amespace prefix = st1 ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficearttags" /><st1lace><st1laceName>Winexpert</st1laceName> <st1lace>Island</st1lace></st1lace> Mist Blackberry Cabernet
Cru Select RQ_2004 Sangiovese Barbera Syrah
Winexpert Selection LE 2004 Australian Mataro-Shiraz
Winexpert Selection LE 2004 Marlbough Pinot Noir
Cru Select RQ_2004 French Merlot
<st1lace><st1laceName>Cellar</st1laceName> <st1laceName>Craft</st1laceName> <st1laceName>Yakima</st1laceName> <st1lace>Valley</st1lace></st1lace> Syrah
Winexpert Crushendo Corvina Classico di Veneto
RJS Orchard Breezin Cranberry Chianti
<st1lace><st1laceName>Winexpert</st1laceName> <st1lace>Island</st1lace></st1lace> Mist Mango Citrus Symphony
Winexpert Vintner’s Reserve Passport Pinot Grigio
RJS Orchard Breezin Calypso BIanco
Mosti Mondiale White Zin
<st1lace><st1laceName>Brew</st1laceName> <st1laceName>King</st1laceName> <st1lace>Island</st1lace></st1lace> Mist Tropical Fruits Gewurztraminer
<st1lace><st1laceName>Winexpert</st1laceName> <st1lace>Island</st1lace></st1lace> Mist Green Apple Riesling

<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Fruit Wines[/B]
<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">[/B]
Blackberry 3 gal
Blackberry 5 gal
Strawberry

<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Mead[/B]
<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">[/B]
Sweet <st1:City><st1lace>Tupelo</st1lace></st1:City> Vanilla Mead
Orange Blossom Cyser
Red Raspberry Melomel

<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Beer[/B]
<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">[/B]
Mike's American Amber Ale
German Hefeweizen


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## Tree Frog (May 10, 2005)

Have run out of carboys. I have five and so far have resisted the urge to buy more. Also decided that converting my 75 gallon aquarium to a fermenter was not a good idea.






In my carboys are:


<LI>Washington Columbia Valley Riesling</LI>
<LI>Australian Mataro-Shiraz</LI>
<LI>Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel</LI>
<LI>Strawberry Riesling</LI>
<LI>Sicilian Syrah</LI>


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