Danger's lab---keep out!!!

[dangerdave]

Wow! I don't know what to say, folks, except thank you. Thank you all very much. I just wanted to learn how to make good wine. If you are inspired to do the same by my efforts, then we're all the richer for our connection. There is a wonderful core group of individuals on this site who have been fundamental to my successes, helpfully guiding me through my first year, and tactfully pionting out my blunders when necessary. They know who they are, and I cannot thank them enough.

I bid you all the greatest of luck in your wine making for the coming year!

 

[eblasmn9]

DangerDave, I just got done reading the whole thread also. What a great read. I really like the pictures. I picked up several ideas just from pictures of your "Lab". Keep them coming. I think the names for your wines are great. Who wouldn't want a couple of glasses of "Dragon's Blood" or "Oranga Tang" every night?
My favorite quote though is:

"My wife's Island Mist Green Apple Riesling is well under way. I offered to experiment with it for possible improvement, but she said, "Don't you dare!", so I make her kits by the instructions, just as she likes them. No one appreciates a good cheap wine like she does, and I appreciate her unsophisticated taste in wine very much!"

LOL. This is exactly like my wife. I make Super Tuscan and Cab's for me and she is really content with Conucopia or Island Mist kits. And yes, don't alter them in any way.

 

[dangerdave]

Thanks, Earl! The holidays have had me busy outside the Lab, but now it's time to make more wine---to replentish the losses from the "Season of Giving". Next Xmas, I'm asking for wine kits from everyone!



The new year brings new ideas, and new innovations. Yesterday, I did my first bottling with shrink caps. Very easy (about five minutes to cap the entire batch), cheap (a couple bucks for 30), and they look smart! I'm ordering more colors and keeping them on hand---mostly for giveaways.

The enhanced Blueberry Pinot Noir kit ("Big Blue Moon") came out nice. I put it in blue bottles with the blue shrink caps.

And I'm about to bury one big fat cat! Duke, our twenty pound house cat, chewed on both of my brew belts! He has always had an affinity for gnawing on foam and rubber items, but hasn't done so for years. I left the belts laying on my Lab bench overnight, and he jumped up an gave them a right good munching, the little fur licker! Ugh!

So, I've resorted to the following: I have made a warming tent from an old blanket, a couple of hooks, and and an electric oil heater I had in the garage. The heater, mind you, is electrical and is filled with an oil medium that holds and circulates the heat. I placed it about six inches behind my two fermenters where it would stay clear of the blanket (fire safety!) and keep the whole space warm. After pitching the yeast on my two new batches yesterday, I checked them this morning before departing for work. Both batches were at 72F. Perfect! I might just keep this setup.

The two new batches are variations on some family favorates. I have a Dragon Blood (triple berry lemon) modified with a pound of raisins and some bananas, and a Blue Macaw (tropical fruit) with bananas added. Both were made using Red Star Montrachet wine yeast instead of the EC-1118 I usually use.

I'm off to make me some fine warm slippers out of house cat hide!!! <jk>

 

[DirtyDawg10]

Nice looking bottles, Dave!

 

[dangerdave]

Thank you, Derek. I'm sold on the capsules, now. Just ordered a bunch of different colors from George. I'm gonna keep them on hand from now on.

 

[cbritton]

I just recently started using the foil caps too and I love them! They are great for storage and keeping batches separate, and are pretty cheap! Plus, they just look cool!

 

[winetaster93]

hey im new to this too and im making wine the redneck way lol how will i know when my wine is done

 

[keena]

Hydrometer... That's the only safe way if you are goin to bottle it.

 

[dangerdave]

hey im new to this too and im making wine the redneck way lol how will i know when my wine is done

Like Keena said, get yourself a hydrometer (or two) and learn to use it. You'll make better wine more consistantly, even redneck style. We have a great thread here on how to use one: http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f5/how-use-hydrometer-newbies-16574/

 

[wineforfun]

I have to agree with everyone else Dave. Your recipes have been awesome for someone like me to get started and get an idea of what exactly to do. They are very straightforward and easy to follow and modify if you like. You and everyone else on WMT have been very helpful and understanding to us newbies.
Your setup is amazing. That would be great to have.

Do you have the recipes for your other wines such as orangtang, etc. ? The orangtang sounds very good.

 

[wineforfun]

Per Sammy's request, I am posting my Peach Mango Wine recipe ("Heidi's Uberraschung"), and the data from my wine log...enjoy!

I started with a six gallon peach wine recipe.

Nov 17, 2011: To the 7 gallon primary fermenter, I added the following:
192 oz of peaches in peach juice (two 96 oz cans): fruit placed in fine mesh bag; juice added to primary
11 lbs of white table sugar
3 tsp acid blend
4 tsp yeast nutrient
3 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp wine tanin
6 liquid tsp of Solution of Bisulfite (5 tsp sodium or potassium bisulphite in 1 cup water) or 6 crushed Campden tablets
SG=1.090 @ 80F
Let ingredients sit undisturbed for 24 hours.

Nov 18, 2011: Sprinkled packet of Bourgovin RC-212 (Austrian) yeast on top.
Nov 19, 2011: SG=1.075 @ 80F Active fermentation noted
Nov 22, 2011: SG=1.040 @ 78F Racked to secondary 5 gallon carboy
Dec 1, 2011: SG=1.010 @ 78F Treated with Sparkolloid (1 tbsp boiled in 1 cup water)
Dec 16, 2011: Clearing nicely. Racked off sediment. Tasted: slightly sweet but lacking desired depth of fruit flavors. Added 1 oz natural peach flavor and one ounce natural mango extract.
Feb 7, 2012: Racked off fine sediment.
March 3, 2012: Added 2 tsp potassium sorbate
March 4, 2012: Bottled 25 @ 750ml. Tasted. Very earthy fruit flavor.

Heidi loves it! Success! If I could change anything, I would cut the fruit flavorings in half (0.5 oz of each).

Dave,
This recipe looks awesome. I am going to give it a go after I get my other "Dave Recipes" going. Question, I notice you added sorbate but never backsweetened, why was that? Also, where did you get your peach and mango extracts?
I assume you just used canned peaches from the grocery store?
Thanks for another great recipe.

 

[dangerdave]

I want to apologize to everyone. I am yet to compile my recipes all together in one place. I hope to get this done soon. This week has been ugly---the wife recovering from surgery and me from a chest cold---ugh! I'll get on it soon, if my procrastination gene doesn't kick in.

D.J.,
Canned peaches from the grocery store will do fine. Make sure they are canned in juice and not syrup. I got the extracts on the interent somewhere (ebay or Amazon), I'm not sure. Now, mind you, I was only three months into wine making when I started this batch in Nov. 2011, so both my skill and my note-taking were pretty thin. I don't believe I backsweetened at all (sorbate not withstanding), but I could be wrong. I'll check my log tomorrow and let you know. I may have just forgotten to write it down. Either way, you can make the wine and see for yourself. Taste it at the end and see if you want to add a bit of sugar.

 

[wineforfun]

Thanks Dave, I appreciate it.
Just opened a bottle of DB last night that has aged for 1 month. It tasted awesome. I tried a bottle at one week out from bottling that still had too much acidity for me but after a month it has mellowed. I will try another bottle at 3 months.
Thanks again for all your help.

Hope you and the wife get to feeling better.

 

[dangerdave]

D.J.,

I couldn't find anywhere that I added sugar to the peach/mango.

I did get my Pinot Grigio labelled and capped last night. The wine came out excellent!

 

[VitruvianMan]

OK, as I read and got ingredients needed to start a batch of the peach/mango I didnt notice anywhere it stated on how much water to add to primary when beginning? I may be having a dummy moment and missing it, but Im gonna start with a one gallon batch and see how it turns out but not sure how much water to add after I add peaches and the juice from them etc?

 

[DirtyDawg10]

Very nice Dave!

 

[VitruvianMan]

I do have a question, it says on yeast packet to soak in warm water for 15 min or so, I notice this says sprinkled on top, so you just open the packet and literally sprinkled it in? I will be ready to add yeast tomorrow evening so hopefully you have time to let me know, thanks for all your help

 

[dangerdave]

I would follow the instructions on the yeast you have, V-man, for best results.

 

[VitruvianMan]

Thank you sir!

 

[twistedvine]

Just got it home today, now to find some time to hook it up. I love free stuff