Hello from West Bloomfield

[desquared]

Greetings -

I'm Dave, from West Bloomfield, Michigan (north and west of Detroit). Been a beer brewer for a few years (mostly Brewers Best kits), and now I figured I try wine as well.

I've started out with a WineXpert Coastal White which has completed, primary ferment, secondary ferment, fining, and is now sitting in a carboy for a little bulk aging.

I have some plans to do more kits, and try some fruit recepies, but I'll try and take this slowly.

The Chocolate Raspberry Port kits have hit my local stores, and I am restraining myself from snagging one today. Trying to wait until the end of the month (and payday).

 

[robie]

Hi Dave,

Welcome to the forum.

That Choc raspberry port is really a nice one, if you like ports. I made one for the wife. She really likes it.

Good luck on your wine making.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!!

 

[Julie]

Welcome to winemakingtalk.

 

[UglyBhamGuy]

Welcome.
What fruits are you interested in making wines from?

 

[GerardVineyard]

Great to have another person from MI here. Welcome aboard....

 

[ibglowin]

Welcome to WMT!

 

[Flem]

Hi Dave, welcome to the forum.

 

[Runningwolf]

Welcome aboard!

 

[desquared]

Douglas,

For some reason, a cranberry recepie caught my attention out of the winemaking book I have at home.

My big plan is to fininsh the Coastal White, buy and do the Chocolate Raspberry Port (gotta get a pair of 3 gal. carboys), do a Cabernet/Merlot, and then try the fruit on my own.

Then I can have the fun drinking my results.

And thanks to everyone else, I feel welcome to the group.

Dave

 

[mxsteve625]

Welcome desquared.

I too started as a homebrewer then got into wine making only with the help of my many friends here at winemakingtalk. I still do beer and occasionally have a question about that as well. There are many knowledgable people on here about both beer and wine making.

Any questions...Ask and you shall recieve.

Steve

 

[CB750]

Hi Dave,

Good to see another brewer from Michigan on board. I assume you saw the Chocolate Port over at Hopmans. I was tempted but as set on making a Riesling Ausiese this time.

I also got my start 15 years ago in brewing beer and mead. I worked my way up from extracts to whole grain and got spoiled by whole gain. However, I found it was taking me the better part of a day to complete all of the necessary steps to get my wort into the fermenter. In addition the growth of the craft and micro brewers in Michigan allows me to purchase great beer as reasonable prices. So I sort of dropped out. With all that brewing equipment sitting in my basement I decided to give wine making a shot and it has been a lot of fun.

If you have not done so you are going to have to invest in a decent wine corker to bottle your first batch.

 

[desquared]

CB750 -

I live in West Bloomfield, but work in Warren. I called Hopmans just as they were unloading the truck and they had the Chocolate Raspberry Port for $115. I found it over at Brewing World in Warren for $96.

I bought one and the kit is in my basement unopened at the moment.

 

[M1wino]

CB750 -

I live in West Bloomfield, but work in Warren. I called Hopmans just as they were unloading the truck and they had the Chocolate Raspberry Port for $115. I found it over at Brewing World in Warren for $96.

I bought one and the kit is in my basement unopened at the moment.

Welcome from the west side of the MIT! My nephew works over in Warren for an industrial plumbing supply company based out of g.r.

 

[CB750]

Hi Dave,

I will have to check out Brewers World, When I brewed I used to get most of my beer supplies from Kuhnhenn but they shifted from a home brew shop to a micro brewery. After this happened service suffered as sometimes you had to go to the pub and get someone to open up the old hardware store to get your brewing stuff. Since they don't have a HB web site I thought they had got out of the retail part as the Pub website says they closed down the brew on premise operation.

As I remember they did have low prices.

 

[sevenal]

Welcome Dave

Cranberry YUM!

Go Wolverines

I grew up up 1 mile from Michigan in Ohio.
Now a little south of there on the Outer Banks.
In Scuppernong country.

 

[desquared]

CB750 -

Brewers World is not as neat, clean, or well stocked as Hopmans, but the prices are good, and it's a quick 5 minute stop on my way home from work. They are just across the parking lot from the brew pub.

 

[CB750]

For me they are both about equal distance from my home. When you say not as well stocked I assume you are referring to selection of kit wines. So far Hopmans has always had the kits I have wanted to make in stock. In addition they have started to carry a few kits from RJ Spagnols I started a Cellar Classic German Riesling Auslese last week and started the Stabilizing and Clearing phase today.

One thing I like about this Spagnols kit it does eliminate the secondary fermentation phase and one racking, as you go from Primary to Stabilizing and Clearing when you hit your target SG. This tends to cut down on the loss of wine with each racking which means you have to add less wine or water when you top off in the final phase and bulk ageing.