Behind the scenes

[cmason1957]

RC212 will handle 62-68 just fine. I just fermented a WineExpert Amarone in my basement. It is probably 64 or so down there this time of year.

 

[Pumpkinman]

EC-1118 will impart absolutely zero characteristics to the wine and possible strip flavors.

 

[Runningwolf]

I agree with rc212

 

[vernsgal]

hahaha this is why I stay listed as a junior member. The kits I get all come with EC 1118 and I'm still learning to use all the others

 

[joeswine]

Yeast ???????????

LALVIN 1122 ,HAS THE CHARASTICS THAT THE WINE ITSELF REQUIRES ,REMEMBER WINE IS A PARTNERSHIP OF MANY ITEMS COMING TOGETHER TO CREATE A FINISHED PRODUCT.

BUT IS THAT ENOUGH? CAN WE OUT THINK THE MANUFACTURES,AND APPLY OUR OWN DIMENSIONS TO THE MIX?

LALVIN D47 HAS SOME GOOD TRAITS AS WELL,BUT NOT QUITE THE PERFORMER I NEED OVERALL,WHAT ABOUT A CHAMPAIGN YEAST ?? IT WILL GIVE ME ALL THE PERFORMANCE CHARASTICS I',M LOOKING FOR BUT NOT THE INHERENT TRAITS OF THE WINES PHENOL'S.......... WHEN I PLAN TO MAKE A KIT OR FRESH JUICE ,I ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN ,COMBINEING THE NATURAL CHARISTICS OF THE WINES PROFILE ALONG WITH THE DESIRED FINISH THAT THE YEAST WILL ADD AND THE MIX OF WOOD OAK AND TANNINS IF IT'S A RED ,IF IT'S GREAT WHITE THE DO I WANT FRUITFORWARD FINISH, DRY OR SEMI -DRY AND WHAT ESTERS WILL HAVE TO BE DROWN OUT AND HOW DO I GET THERE,THE FUN IS IN THE PLANNING,THE PRISE IS IN THE FINISH.............BUT WHAT YEAST FIRST ???????????????????????

 

[joeswine]

Party wines

PARTY WINE KITS ARE A BLAST TO MAKE AND HAVE GREAT FLAVOR PROFILES TO CHOSE FROM

 

[joeswine]

Manual racking and bottling

LETS KEEP IT SIMPLE ANDSHOW THE RACKING AND BOTTLING PROCESS FOR THE BEGINNER....

 

[LoneStarLori]

Joe, where do you get the clear labels? Those are classy

 

[oreoman]

Lori those labels are from Macday. My LHBS stocks their labels. You can also order online but a lot more costly.

 

[joeswine]

Labels

WE ARE GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW WITH A MITER BOX .WE AFFIX THE LABELS TO OUR BOTTLES,JUST ANOTHER TOOL IN THE TOOL BOX...

WINE MAKING MADE EASY THAT WAS EASY.I FOUND A POINT ON THE BOTTLE THAT GAVE ME GOOD OVERALL HEIGHT WITH THE LABEL AND GAGED IT FROM THERE,EVEN THE 375'S HAD A STARTING SPOT CONSISTANT VALUES NO MATTER WHAT TYPE BOTTLE USING A MITER BOX.

 

[joeswine]

review



go back and review the label and bottling process........................

 

[joeswine]

Remembering the differences

Capitalization; is the process of adding sugar to unfermented grape must in order to increase the alcohol content after, fermentation. The technique was developed by French chemist for whom it was named. Contrary to proper popular belief this process does not make the wines sweeter but only artificially inflates the alcohol content. Additionally, the sugar in capitalized wine cannot be Taste.

Potassium metabolic sulfate is a common wine or must additive, where forms of sulfur dioxide gas. This both prevents most wild microorganisms from growing, and it acts as a potent antioxidant, protecting both the color, and the delicate flavors of the wine.

Typical dosage is 1/4 teaspoon potassium metabolic sulfite per 6 gallon bucket of must prior to fermentation, and 1/2 teaspoon per 6 gallon bucket at bottling.

Winemaking equipment is sanitized by spraying with 1% or 2 teaspoons a potassium metabolic sulfate per liter solution.

Potassium sorbate, is used to inhibit molds, and yeast in wine. Also known affectionately as wine stabilizer, potassium sorbate produces sorbate acid when added to wine. It serves two purposes. When active fermentation has ceased and the wind is right for the final time after clearing, potassium sorbate will render any surviving is incapable of multiplying. He's living at that moment can continue for many any residual sugar into CO2 and alcohol, but when they die knowing the lease will be presence to cause fermentation. When I wine is sweet and before bottling, potassium sorbate is used to prevent re-fermentation when used in conjunction with potassium metabolic sulfite. It is primarily used with sweet wines, sparkling wine, and some hard sizes but may be added to table wines which exhibit difficulty in maintaining clarity after finding.


remember the differences?

 

[joeswine]

The process

DO YOU REMEMBER THE DIFFERENCES?

 

[joeswine]

Lets start out with what our “Behind the Scenes” thread is about:

​

Here, we talk about everything that goes on, well, “behind the scenes”. In this thread, we talk about how to make the wine, the process, our tips and tricks, etc. What this particular post is going to be about is how to determine if your wine is ready to bottle.

We all take sips of the wine throughout the process, just to see what it tastes like and to try to anticipate what it will be like when finished. Here is another one of those moments but the wine is closer to the finished product than it was during your earlier samplings. (duh!)

Ok, So here is the line-up: From left to right: Muscate, Pineapple, Strawberry, Caramel Port, and Cabernet. No, I don’t take “2-glass samples” for myself.. haha. My wine and wine-partner-in-crime (Kate) are the tasters. Here are their observations. Note: Remember, ALL these wines are still young. None are over 6 mths. Old.



Muscate: (started 8/22/13- Wineexpert Kit, with our addition of white Sunmaid raisons)
Light, Fresh, Fruity, Not too sweet, smooth and enjoyable!

Pineapple: (Started 7/5/2013- From Concentrate, plus 6 oz. pineapple extract)
Nice, Strong Aroma
Little high in acidity will let it sit a little longer (young)

Strawberry: (started 8/16/2013- Walker’s Juice with our added strawberry F-pak)
Aroma: reminds me of fruit brandy
Light, nice strawberry taste, young but good

Caramel Port: (started 10/3/2013- Cru Kit, with added 6 oz. caramel extract plus oak tannins)
Aroma of butterscotch and burnt sugar (smells nice!)
Nice caramel flavor, Some fruit notes, nice alchohol, hold and let it sit- it will be nice in time.

Cabernet: (started 12/19/2013- Wineexpert Selection Kit, with our addition of Corinth grapes)
Aroma- oak
Tastes a bit of smoked oak, nice cab flavor.
Nice and dry, Not thin, but not a full bodied wine. Needs to sit

With these reviewers, I think the only one we are going to bottle at this time will be the Muscate. All the others will be better with time.

 

[LoneStarLori]

Joe, can you explain the benefit of of letting the wines bulk age, as opposed to bottling and just waiting to drink it? If bulk aging, should it be stirred or racked every few months to blend all areas of the carboy?

Thanks, Lori

 

[joeswine]

Again as a holding ground?

HERE'S MY THEORY AND IT'S JUST THE WAY I THINK ABOUT AGING.

BEFORE I BOTTLE, IT IS ALREADY A FINISHED PRODUCT.,IT HAS BEEN CLEARED AND CHEMED AND THE ONLY THING IT NEEDS IS AS THE SONG PUTS IT, IS(TIME IN A BOTTLE) NOTHING MORE ,NOW SOME WINE HAVE A GOOD REACTION TO THE WOOD OF A CASK ,I DON'T HAVE A CASK,JUST WHAT I PUT INTO THE WINE THROUGH THE PROCESS.SOMETIMES I WISHED I DID HAVE A CASK BUT THEIR ONLY GOOD FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS AND THEN THERES NOTHING LEFT FOR THEM TO GIVE UP OF THEMSELVES,SO GLASS IS WERE I'M AT AND AS A AVERAGE HOME WINE MAKER THAT'S ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS.BY FINISHING THE AGING PROCESS IN THE BOTTLE I CAN AT WILL TASTE AND OBSERVE AND IF NEED TO REACT TO A NEGATIVE ACTION AS YOU WILL SEE IN SOME OF THE THINGS WE WILL BE DOING ON THIS THREAD.BOTTLING FOR ME AFTER THE WINE HAS PASSED ALL IT'S PROCESS APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR ,FOR FRESH JUICE AND FRUIT ,3 MONTHS FOR KITS IS ALL I NEED TO DO WHAT THE WINE ,WILL, WILL ME TO DO WITH IT.

 

[jamesngalveston]

joe that is about one of the best post I have seen...no bs..just straight talk.

 

[joeswine]

what i would like to take you thought is some of the product i have made that isn't up to my standards and the ways we as home winemaker can determine whether it's possible to correct or not correct the different levels of defects or faults in the process as i see them.

wines we will look at in the near future,raspberry cabernet from 9/13/2013 to sweet not enough abv.,next is a ,blueberry from 9/12/2010 not enough taste but not that far away and still warrants correction.

these are the first two we will correct if we can! a good wine maker knows when to say when.stay tuned.

have you noticed that lone star lori's post are spot on and the details in her work as she moves through the process is consistent with the manufactures specs but interchanges with her own wants for her wine as she puts her touches on it.
it never fails once you as a home wine maker learn to think outside the box a whole new world of prospective opens up and using the correct technique's and asking the right questions you start to think like all those great wine masters do and say what if? Muscate:
Light, Fresh, Fruity, Not too sweet, smooth and enjoyable!
PINEAPPLE
Nice, Strong Aroma
Little high in acidity will let it sit a little longer (young)
Strawberry:
Aroma: reminds me of fruit brandy
Light, nice strawberry taste, young but good
Caramel Port
Aroma of butterscotch and burnt sugar (smells nice!)
Nice caramel flavor, Some fruit notes, nice alchohol, hold and let it sit- it will be nice in time.
Cabernet:
Aroma- oak
Tastes a bit of smoked oak, nice cab flavor.
Nice and dry, Not thin, but not a full bodied wine. Needs to sit
　 REPEAT
Lets start out with what our "Behind the Scenes" thread is about:
Here, we talk about everything that goes on, well, "behind the scenes". In this thread, we talk about how to make the wine, the process, our tips and tricks, etc. What this particular post is going to be about is how to determine if your wine is ready to bottle.
We all take sips of the wine throughout the process, just to see what it tastes like and to try to anticipate what it will be like when finished. Here is another one of those moments but the wine is closer to the finished product than it was during your earlier samplings. (duh!)
Ok, So here is the line-up: From left to right: Muscate, Pineapple, Strawberry, Caramel Port, and Cabernet. No, I don’t take "2-glass samples" for myself.. haha. My wine and wine-partner-in-crime (Kate) are the tasters. Here are their observations. Note: Remember, ALL these wines are still young. None are over 6 mths. Old.
Muscate: (started 8/22/13- Wineexpert Kit)
Light, Fresh, Fruity, Not too sweet, smooth and enjoyable!
Pineapple: (Started 7/5/2013- From Concentrate)
Nice, Strong Aroma
Little high in acidity will let it sit a little longer (young)
Strawberry: (started 8/16/2013- Walker’s Juice)
Aroma: reminds me of fruit brandy
Light, nice strawberry taste, young but good
Caramel Port: (started 10/3/2013- Cru Kit)
Aroma of butterscotch and burnt sugar (smells nice!)
Nice caramel flavor, Some fruit notes, nice alchohol, hold and let it sit- it will be nice in time.
Cabernet: (started 12/19/2013- Wineexpert Selection Kit with added Corinth grapes)
Aroma- oak
Tastes a bit of smoked oak, nice cab flavor.
Nice and dry, Not thin, but not a full bodied wine. Needs to sit
With these reviewers, I think the only one we are going to bottle at this time will be the Muscate. All the others will be better with time.

 

[joeswine]

Stuff in the bottle

TELL ME HAVE YOU EVER PICKED UP ONE OF YOU FINISHED BOTTLE OF WINE AND WAS GOING OUT TO DINNER OR A FRIENDS PLACE OR EVEN IN THE SPARE OF THE MOMENT WANTED TO SEND YOUR FAVORITE TO A CONTEST AND DISCOVERED TO YOUR AMAZEMENT THAT THERE WERE THINGS IN THERE THAT WAS PRESENT WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS DONE AND CRYSTAL CLEAR AT BOTTLING ??OR OVER A PERIOD AGING IN THE BOTTLE LIKE 4 TO 6 YEARS OLD.. THERE STUFF ON THE SIDES?..........NOW WERE DID THAT COME FROM ISN'T THE QUESTION THE QUESTION IS HOW DO I GET READ OF IT AND STILL MAKE DINNER.

REMEMBERING WE AS WINE MAKERS ALWAYS WANT OUR WINE TO LOOK GREAT

HERE'S A GOOD TIP ON HOW TO IN 5 MINUTES TO TAKE CARE OF IT AND WORK ON THE REST OF IT LATER,FOLLOW THE SHORT PROCESS.
WERE GOING TO START WITH A BASIC MR. COFFEE MACHINE AND TRAN FORM THAT IN TO A WINE FILTERING GIZMO

 

[joeswine]

Filtering continues

notice the depth at which the cork has absorbed the wine from 2006,held up nicely but corks can be funny and also breakdown over period of time that's why sanitation in the process is of the utmost importance the raspberry wine in this demonstration is deep and rich although a little off color IT still has some deep beauty in flavor left to offer. What I will do in time is take what is left correct them.