Search results

Two different snack sticks. Yeah, another hobby I wish I started 20 years ago.

No, it's not bone dry. When I'm doing a dessert wine or port I up the fruit and start a bit high at 1.095ish, three feedings after that. If I'm lucky it finally dies around 1.020 or so. Most of the residual sugar is fructose and I really like that flavor. But it still doesn't taste very sweet...

Silly but serious question - I consistently get around 20% with my step fed dessert wines and it only costs me 1.5 lbs or so of extra sugar. What does brandy or other spirit bring to the party?

I've been aging meat (great fun!) and plan to do fermented longer aging soon. Mold is in the freezer ready to go, Penicillium Nalgiovense, typically sprayed on the meat and inside of the aging chamber. I don't know about you folks in the UK but when I was a kid I got 3 vaccinations. Now I think...

The mold is a good sign. Very often the meat will be inoculated with the spores. Fast growing and beneficial, it protects the meat from harmful mold and bacteria. And they figured this out how many hundreds of years ago? Amazing.

One gallon. Crazy, especially for cranberries, but I tend to go high with all my fruit. I currently have a black raspberry (1 gallon) in primary, a step-fed dessert with 10 lbs black raspberry and 1 lb elderberry. First feeding was yesterday and so far the flavor is better than I hoped for! To...

Yes, you have to try cranberry! Delicious! It's on my yearly list now. My last one used 6 lbs cranberries and 2 qrts organic juice. Starting pH was crazy low, 2.7! But by the time it was finished it climbed up to a reasonable and delightful 3.3. Yes, I was surprised. And it was my best batch...

Yup. Water should be used for soup, stock, and broth.;)

I had a couple sit on gross lees much longer than advised. I was worried because of what I read but I didn't notice any adverse qualities. So I'm wondering - do the fine lees usually associated with sure lie act as insulation? OR is the effect subtle and only noticeable in some kind of...

Welcome!!

@Clover it's been hot here too! And we finally got a good rain. The ground was like concrete. I noticed many flowers start to change color and deteriorate quickly after picking. As a rule I'll start a wine minutes after harvesting enough or I'll vacuum seal and freeze. I've had no problem with...

Yes, condolences. I have the same model, maybe a couple years older. About 5 years ago I thought it died. I opened it up (because that's what I do) and discovered all I had to do was repack the gear box with food grade grease. Working great ever since!

Welcome to WMT! Oh, if I only had a plum tree, sigh. Lucky you! I'd say go heavy on the fruit, at least 6 lbs. Good luck!

What ingredients do you have available? Ports are pleasantly sweet and loaded with flavor. The last one I made was one of my best - for a 1 gallon batch I used 10 lbs wild grapes, 5 lbs blackberries, and 1.5 lbs elderberries. Personally I wouldn't make a port without elderberries, they add SO...

Are you sure it's birds? The reason I ask, I never see birds near my elderberries but I noticed the wild berries disappearing! I discovered they were on the ground. I had to be gentle when harvesting an umbel because the berries would just drop off. I don't know if that's normal or weather...

I step feed all my dessert wines and ports though my procedure is a bit different from what you did. I start higher, 1.095 at least, with 71B. When it gets below 1.030 I add EC1118, half dose nutrient, sugar to 1.050. When it hits 1.020ish I add sugar to 1.040ish. I add as often as I can. Every...

What a delicious plant! I love nibbling on the flowers in the garden. I didn't make it this year because unfortunately I lost 3 of my plants, don't know why. But the year before I actually made two teas - 120 gr of flowers and 45 gr of leaves. I discarded the leaves but fermented with the...

No aronia but it's on my planting list! Good harvest year so I have a couple choices for coloring agents. 30 lbs black raspberry, a favorite. Last year was my first for elderberries and only got 1.5 lbs. This year I'm at 9 lbs so far, bit more to go. And of course there's hibiscus.

Bottling day! Incredibly aromatic. Removing the stopper and airlock I instantly smelled fennel. And it's delicious! Good, deep licorice flavor, very similar to Sambuca. I back sweetened slightly. Sweetening more and this would almost be a licorice candy wine. To me the fennel flowers tasted...

The pedal boat worked the lower body. Thought I'd work the upper body with the kayak.