# April 2015 Wine of the Month Club



## Jericurl (Apr 3, 2015)

Can you believe it's already April?!

This is the official thread for our unofficial club, open to anyone who is interested in making a one gallon (or larger) test/experimental batch and sharing the recipe, process, ups and downs with the rest of the club. 

We like:
a) full recipes with all ingredients and steps as you go along
b) pictures
c) helpful suggestions on recipe ideas, stumped members
d) thinking outside the box
e) pictures! (did I say that already?)

At the end of the month, we would appreciate a recap of the good, the bad and the ugly of the primary fermentation, as well as periodic updates throughout the year as you go along.

At the one year mark, we will all pop open a bottle of the previous year's wine and take pictures, post comments on how it turned out, and hopefully have a tried and true recipe to post in the recipes section.

Some months we have a lot of people participate, and sometimes life catches up with us and we aren't able to ferment as much as we might like. Feel free to drop in, drop by, drop a comment, whatever.
We welcome questions and suggestions from participants and casual observers alike.

If you aren't participating in this months thread, feel free to share your thoughts and ideas for any WOTM wines you have planned for this year.

*April Winos:*

1. Bernardsmith.....Date Wine

2. Homesteader26.....Pear/Strawberry Wine

3. JDesCotes.....Sparkling Skeeter pee "Jamaican style"

4. Jericurl.....Winter Solstice Mead


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## BernardSmith (Apr 12, 2015)

Just pitched 71B into a gallon of what will be date wine. Found a source of date syrup and I suspect that the first meads may have been made from dates rather than bee honey so this will be a 21st Century version of what may have been a Sumerian wine. 

Gravity is 1.090 and I used about 32 oz of syrup. Don't know how nutrient rich dates are so will add some nutrient shortly after the yeast takes off. Made a note to check whether this wine will benefit from added acidity (after fermentation has ceased) . I see that dates are fairly rich in tannins so I won't be adding any but I am contemplating adding some oak...


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## homesteader26 (Apr 12, 2015)

Trying my new juicer/steamer on some pears i grew last year and froze waiting for the perfect use! I added 5 lbs pears and 5 lbs strawberries to the steamer with 5 cups sugar. I ended with nearly 2 gallons. Added 1 can frozen white grape concentrate which brought my SG up to 1.090. Added 3 tsp pectic enzyme, 1 1/2 acid blend and 1 tsp tannin. Used champagne yeast . Very quick ferment to 1.020 in 4 days so I transferred to secondary where it sits under airlock. 

Appears that I will be racking off gross lees/sediment sometime this week as the activity has now dropped quite a bit.


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## the_rayway (Apr 12, 2015)

Mmmmm! Pear/Strawberry. That sounds really yummy - because both are fairly light flavours I'm interested to hear how they balance out.

Looks like I'm going to have to be out for April this year. I am having surgery on Thursday, and will be out of commission for awhile. I feel like the primary fermentation will not be properly managed with all that going on. Also, won't be able to lift anything for a couple of months, so anything I do has to be with the assistance of my Hubby 

I am looking forward to hearing about how things come along this month!!


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## Jericurl (Apr 13, 2015)

Rayway,

I'm hoping everything comes out all right and you have a restful recuperation.
Do you have Netflix?
I've got a million things I can recommend for you!
Facebook me if you need anything!


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## Jericurl (Apr 13, 2015)

Well, with getting the garden in order and yet another set of baby chicks, I'm having a hard time tending to my wine at all this month. I'm going to try to get all my empties cleaned and sanitized this week so that I can rack everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) this weekend.

I'm kicking around a few ideas I've been wanting to get started.
One is a winter mead using Yaupon Holly honey. I have a gallon of it. The recipe calls for nutmeg, apple cider, and cranberry juice.

The other idea is a straight mead to use for topping off all my other meads after racking.

The last would require some purchases on my end, but I've really been wanting to make a really good, rich, deep blackberry wine.


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## BernardSmith (Apr 14, 2015)

the_rayway said:


> ...
> Looks like I'm going to have to be out for April this year. I am having surgery on Thursday, and will be out of commission for awhile. ...



A speedy and a complete recovery.


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## JDesCotes (Apr 14, 2015)

Been making wine for a year and a half now and am starting to feel a lot more comfortable. I tried beer making for the first time about a month ago to great success. 

Now I am going to try to combine the two... I call this recipe:

Sparkling Skeeter pee "Jamaican style"

Ingredients:
1 945ml bottle RealLemon
1.5 tbsp acid blend
"The rest of the" sugar (I'd guess about 12 cups)
200g ground ginger powder. 
Champaign yeast
Yeast nutrient
Yeast energizer
1tbsp Irish moss (had some left over from my beer making)

Steps:
1. Boil water, sugar, lemon, acid blend and ground ginger for at least 30 minutes skimming the sticky foam as it comes to the surface and settles. By the end of this step the liquid should be boiling nicely with no foam accumulating. Foam at this point I think is mostly sulphites from the ginger and lemon juice. 
2. Add Irish moss and boil for 15 more minutes. Foam WILL return but now I think it is the Irish moss binding to protein particles in the boil. 
3. Let sit covered in a cold place (outside in Canada works) for about an hour so that the Irish moss can settle to the bottom of the pot. 
4. Pour contents into primary fermenter and top up with water and sugar to your desired alcohol/yeild. (I'm aiming for 8% with about 3 gallons yeild)
5. add yeast, nutrient & energizer.
6. Wait for primary fermentation to slow (a couple of days) and rack to secondary 
7. One day later rack again to remove as much lees as possible
8. Wait 2 weeks for lees to settle and fermentation to complete, then siphon into cleaned primary. 
9. Add about 1.5-2 cups of sugar (for 3gallon yeild) and stir until dissolved (you can boil the sugar in a couple of cups of the alcohol to ore dissolve if you want)
10. Bottle into cleaned and sanitized pop bottles
11. Wait 2 weeks for carbonation to complete
12. Chill and enjoy. 

This recipe is 100% untested as I just thought it up this morning. 

I'm currently on step 3 and will post updates if I change anything along the way! Wish me luck!!!


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## JDesCotes (Apr 14, 2015)

Well I got to about 9% estimated alcohol percent. But had to top up to 6 gallons to bring it down. Apparently m my measuring of "the rest of" was more than I thought! Haha!


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## BernardSmith (Apr 14, 2015)

Some quick and dirty comments, JDesCotes. Wine ain't beer and I am not sure the value of boiling the lemon juice or adding Irish moss. I would have thought that Irish moss is used in beer to help remove protein (as you say)... but there is no protein to speak of in lemon or ginger, is there? 

While using 200 g of ginger may be fine... I would think that that is a lot of ginger - almost 1/2 lb. A little spice tends to go a long way, IMO. 

And you are making a wine using lemon juice as the base, but you added acid blend... Is the lemon juice not going to be sufficiently acidic? I think some folk add acid blend the way others add salt when they sit down at the table - that is to say, without in fact tasting the cooked dish and just out of habit they shake the salt cellar... Some wines benefit from acid blend and some may benefit from added alkali to cut the acidity but my feeling is that any wine that may benefit from the addition of acid blend will do so better just before bottling and not before the yeast has been pitched. The thing about SP is that it is quite acidic... enough to put a great deal of stress on the yeast (which is why, I think, that the original recipe suggested using a yeast slurry - almost like a starter that had been acclimatized to stressful conditions).. 
But all that said, good luck with this wine.


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## JDesCotes (Apr 14, 2015)

thanks for taking the time to post your insight BernardSmith! This whole thing is a learning experience so I'm bound to make mistakes and love when people can help me out. 

A couple things I've learned so far:

1. I boiled the lemon sugar ginger for two reasons (I'm my head at least). One was to extract flavour from the powdered ginger. Two, I remember watching a YouTube video when I first started making SP and the guy said that boiling the sugar in the lemon destabilizes the sugar molecule making it easier for yeast to eat. Probably complete fooey, but that line stuck with me for some reason. 
2. Irish moss did nothing. In beer I am left with a HUGE cake at the bottom of the pot. There was nothing... 
3. Jamaican ginger beer is fairly acidic with lime. I thought the flavour of lemon juice wasn't going to be bright enough so I added the acid blend (I find in my other wines that it is a nice bright acidity) 
4. 200g of ginger is ALOT. tasting it just before I added yeast left quite a spicey kick, just the way I like it  that being said I originally added 200g to make 3 gallons and had to dilute it to 6 gallons due to me adding too much sugar to the pot when I was boiling it. So it would have been twice as spicey!

Please don't take any of this as me being defensive. I love open and unfiltered feedback and the chance to learn!


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## BernardSmith (Apr 14, 2015)

No no no... In my opinion provoking a good discussion - a good to and fro is always good... 
Not a chemist and I honestly don't know if boiling sugar in any liquid makes it more fermentable. I would assume , though, that fructose and sucrose are perfectly fermentable. Other sugars may be less fermentable, (maltose) and some may be unfermentable (dextrose) but corn and cane sugars are simple sugars


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## vernsgal (Apr 15, 2015)

the_rayway said:


> Looks like I'm going to have to be out for April this year. I am having surgery on Thursday, and will be out of commission for awhile.



Raelene I hope your surgery goes well for you!


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## the_rayway (Apr 15, 2015)

Thanks all! The big day is tomorrow, so I'm trying to get all of my ducks in a row before then  @jericurl I do have Netflix, but the Canadian version is pretty crappy compared to the US version 

Looking like some interesting ferments going on already this month!!


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## BernardSmith (Apr 15, 2015)

A shot of the date wine I just siphoned to a carboy.


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## JDesCotes (Apr 21, 2015)

1.020 and just did my first racking. Snuck a glass on ice and it was wonderful! Not very spicey though considering the amount of dried ginger I added at the beginning....

So... I added 2lb of fresh blended ginger to the carboy! I've never seen yeast react like that, the bubbles were amazing! Another couple weeks and I can start clearing. 

Since I had to dilute to 6 gallons in order to lower the SG to where I wanted it, I think I'm going to bottle some mid way through clearing and carbonate it (cloudy carbonated), make some into a clear dry wine and some into a clear sparkling beverage. 

Hopefully with 1/2 lb of dried ginger and 2lb of fresh ginger I will get t up to the spice level I want. This is going to go GREAT in my Asian soups and sauces as well as be a really refreshing midsummer night drink over ice with a bit of agave nectar or honey added for sweetness!!! Can't wait!


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## Jericurl (Apr 22, 2015)

I started my April batch a couple of days ago. 

Laugh along with me.

I decided to make Winter Mead, using this recipe:

6 to 9 lbs honey 
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice (crushed)
3 2-inch cinnamon sticks
1 gallon apple juice
1 gallon cranberry juice
water to top off

I added everything except the allspice to my big mouth bubbler.
Then added in my 1 gallon of yaupon holly honey, mixed well, using about a 1/2 gallon of water to rinse out the container. Then pitched my yeast.

Did you guys catch that?
Yes....I added 1 gallon of honey.
After 2 days, I couldn't figure out why I wasn't rocking and rolling yet.

This is what happens when I'm working too much and running on very little sleep.

So after work today, I'll be getting another gallon of apple cider and adding it and more cranberry juice to see if I can get that starting gravity down out of the stratosphere!


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## JDesCotes (Apr 23, 2015)

Jericurl, I've never really wanted to taste a mead until I read through your recipe... That sounds absolutely delicious! 

I would try the recipe now but 1 gallon of honey in Ontario would break my budget for wine making  maybe I'll adapt it for a smaller batch.... Hmmm... Keep us informed on how it goes!


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## homesteader26 (Apr 23, 2015)

Had my first taste of the fragrant strawberry/pear. This is going to be a nice wine! Sadly there was a 5 oz glass extra when I racked it today [emoji41] so quality control took over! The color in the full gallon is so pretty but in the glass its a pale pink. 


The batch made a full gallon, a wine bottle and a small mason jar (plus quality control [emoji6])


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## homesteader26 (Apr 23, 2015)

Jericurl I made a similar batch (without the cranberry) back a few months ago. It is in bulk storage and I cant wait for the 6 month mark to try it! When I racked it I did try it and it was sharp so I'm letting it age .... patiently [emoji15]. Well maybe not really patiently!! Lol


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## Jericurl (Apr 23, 2015)

Ok, I'm back from the store and got extra apple and cranberry juice.

I'm using D47 yeast. If I want it to finish about a little sweet, I'm wondering how much juice I should add for the batch.
Right now I'm thinking to shoot for adding 1 gallon more, total.

Think that will give me something that will ferment?


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## JDesCotes (Apr 23, 2015)

This ginger wine is going to take a while to clear...


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## Jericurl (Apr 24, 2015)

I added a 1/2 gallon of each juice and brought my SG down to 1.13
I'm sitting at just below 5 gallons right now.
Fermentation is definitely rocking and rolling.

I didn't double my spices since they steeped in the whole mess for a few days. I'll taste at secondary and do any adjustments then.

I don't have any allspice berries and I'm not sure if I want to purchase any just for this mead.

I do however, have whole nutmegs. I'm thinking of cracking one and pitching it in at secondary. Any thoughts/suggestions?


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## Jericurl (Apr 24, 2015)

Well...one thing I learned....don't use a sledgehammer to crush a nutmeg. I have no idea what Manthing has done with the numerous hammers we own. I did see a sledgehammer just inside the garage door, and thought...I'll just wrap this nutmeg in a towel and gently tap it. 

Yeah...pretty much ended up with the equivalent of ground nutmeg after one tap. I added just a smidge, probably a 1/2 tsp worth to my primary.

And since I'm using D47 yeast, I added a 1/2 tsp of DAP and probably about a 1/4 c of raisins, just to give it some nutrition to feed off of.


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## the_rayway (Apr 24, 2015)

Oh Jeri, I hope Manthing will make you a killer "Murphy's Law" label for this one  You've been having such a weirdly difficult time!!

JDesCotes - that is a LOT of ginger! I'm assuming that you really like ginger, so kudos on your bravery 

I have heard several times that a) dried ginger doesn't deliver on taste like fresh ginger, b) it's hard to clear a wine with powdered spices, and c) ginger can be VERY strong. All here-say - no personal experience. The few times I've used ginger it's been fresh and used in very small amounts. And I always use whole spices because they're so much more fresh.

These are all sounding great everyone!! I love the strawberry/pear, and am really interested in the Date wine's progress!


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## addseo1115 (Apr 25, 2015)

*wonderful*

Thanks for sharing the great recipes. I have very enjoyed with this forum.


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## JDesCotes (Apr 30, 2015)

Took a sip a couple of days ago and it wasn't quite spicy enough and was also very one note. Not at all like ginger beers I've had while travelling. So I looked up another recipe and they added whole clove! 

So at 1.020 I added about 12 whole clove to the carboy. 

Took another sip this evening before adding my first dose of sparkolloid and the taste is VERY nice now 

As a side note, the other day when I took the sip I was feeling a little under the weather with an upset stomach and the ginger kick made me feel 100x better!! Going to be a very nice drink when it no longer has the lingering yeast taste and is crystal clear.


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## Jericurl (May 2, 2015)

Ok...my starting SG was right around 1.13 

Right now I've gotten down to 1.032.

I used D47 yeast and I haven't seen any movement for several days now.

What is a good stopping SG for a sweeter mead?
I know it's personal preference and all, but what do you guys usually backsweeten to?

I'm considering pitching EC-1118, taking it down to dry, then racking, waiting a good month or two, racking again, stabilizing, then backsweetening with the rest of the Yaupon Holly honey.
The honey has a very interesting flavor that I want to carry through in the finished product. It's sort of a spicy, woody aftertaste. Not a typical sweet and floral tasting honey.
It pairs very well with the apple, cranberry, and spices.
I think this one is going to be nice served cool or gently warmed.

Right now it tastes absolutely excellent, but I think it's a wee bit too sweet (but I haven't eaten much today, so that could be it as well).

eta: If I am looking at everything correctly, right now my ABV is at 12.86%. If I take it down to dry, I'll be at 17.32% . I know that will significantly up my aging time, even with backsweetening, correct?


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## JDesCotes (May 2, 2015)

Ginger wine is bone dry now. Added sparkolloid yesterday and it cleared fairly nicely. Still needs a good amount of clearing but I figured now would be a good time to rack. 

So I filled 3 small pop bottles and added about 1/5 cup of sugar to each and shook until it was all dissolved. These will be left to carbonate over the next few weeks. 

The rest was racked and I added kmeta. Going to wait another couple of days, rack again and add more sparkolloid. 

The addition of the clove was defiantly a good move so far. The wine is tasting much more complex. Added a splash of lime juice when I took my quality control sip and it was amazing!


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## the_rayway (May 3, 2015)

@jericurl 1.032 will be pretty sweet for a 12% wine - generally speaking. The only reason I go up that high is for my port styles, or really high ABV stuff. 

If you take it to dry, it will give you the opportunity to backsweeten with the honey - but you should still have a fair amount of the flavour with the residual sugars present (I would think). And you will have rocket fuel which will likely take quite awhile to take the edge off.

Any chance you can coax it to move down a few more points? D47 has a tolerance of 14%, so you might be able to hit a sweet spot with stirring up the yeast bed or something. It would end up a bit less sweet, and slightly higher ABV.

??


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## Jericurl (May 3, 2015)

Yes, I can give it a good drill stirring and maybe add just a bit of nutrient and energizer. I'll try that and see if I can get it moving again.


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## the_rayway (May 4, 2015)

Jericurl said:


> Yes, I can give it a good drill stirring and maybe add just a bit of nutrient and energizer. I'll try that and see if I can get it moving again.



Let us know how it goes! Good luck!


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## Jericurl (May 4, 2015)

Ok, I put in a new battery pack, drilled for a solid minute, added yeast nutrient and yeast energizer and a handful of chopped raisins, drilled for about another minute, then put the top back on and went to bed.

The airlock is fairly active again, so I plopped a hydrometer in there. It's either degassing or fermenting again. I'll check SG a little later today and see if there has been any movement.


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## Jericurl (May 6, 2015)

Down to 1.02...


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## ceeaton (May 6, 2015)

Ah, it was just a lag as the second stage fermenting rocket got lit. Here's to going all the way to dry (the wine, not me).


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## Jericurl (Oct 28, 2015)

I ended up backsweetening this one with a tiny bit of maple syrup after I stabilized it.
If I don't stop sneaking glasses, it's never going to get bottled. 

It is so, so good.


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## sour_grapes (Oct 28, 2015)

Jericurl said:


> If I don't stop sneaking glasses, it's never going to get bottled.
> 
> It is so, so good.



Ehhh, bottling is overrated!


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## Jericurl (Mar 31, 2016)

This was bottled and a few were given out as Christmas presents. 

They were gone in absolutely no time and everyone clamored for more.

This mead is just now almost 1 year old and is only getting better with age. 
We have 7 bottles left and they are being hoarded.

I started a new batch about a month ago.


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