Hillbilly Bill from West Virginia

[Hillbilly Bill]

Howdy city folks... HB here... new to the wine making game, not new to the wine drinking business... although the wine I have had experience was in a class by itself... MD 20/20, Boone's Farm Wild Mountain, Wild Irish Rose, etc. I don't think I will have too much trouble brewing up to those standards, do you? Thanks in advance for all of the help... I have already been in a few discussions... nice group here. I think I will like it.
HB

 

[Wade E]

Hillbilly Bill, 1st of all welcome to our forum. If you follow our recipes very closely youll be making wine way better then that swill! Do you have any ine or brew shops near you to get supplies like nutrients and the such. Do you plan on using yeast and not just rely on mother nature cause tat can work but usually it can just get you in trouble with off flavors and smells. Wine making has been done the hard way for quite some time without tools like the hydrometer yes but!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, When it comes down to a problem, most of the time we(and You) will be at a loss to truly know what happened and how to fix it. Not all technology is bad and wine making really truly has grown into something that can be well made and almost dupliated to te T if you take good notes and even make your next batch even better. Goo yeast and a hydrometer are the way to go and silfites will protect your wine when finished along with sorbate if you plan on sweetening some wine when done. Please ask any questions you have as thats why we are here!

 

[Runningwolf]

H.B. welcome to the forum. Be careful talking about Boone's farm and such. You're going to date us and get Wade going about us old folks. That was an old high school drink when it first came out then we discovered cherry and lime vodka. Seriously you just joined the best group of folks that can take you any where you want to go in your ventures in wine making. I have learned a lot from asking, but I've learned twice as much by others asking questions I never even thought of. We never know what we don't know until someone else asks, even if they are a hillbilly! Heck wait till you meet the Eskimo (Troy).

 

[Wade E]

I may not remeber some of those computers but I do remember drinking those wines, that and that Orange flavored Vodka called Tango and then Purple Passion which was a grape flavored Grain alc.

 

[Runningwolf]

How about drinking purple Passion to Purple Haze! I use to love listening to Jimmie!

 

[Leanne]

Hi and welcome.
What are you looking to make?

 

[koda_ky]

Hello and welcome from right next door in the big state of Kentucky. I can throw a rock and hit West Va from where I am at. You will love this place the members here are very helpful.

 

[Hillbilly Bill]

I won't go into the other extracurricular pharmaceuticals we partook of in the '60's, but I will tell you that the "free love" wasn't bad... I really hit it lucky on that one.
I am currently making some apple wine using Lalvin's 1116... I might try Red Star Cote des Blancs on the next batch. I order all of my accessories online and have all I need to make quite a few batches. I have never used any kind of kit... I just use what I can get my hands on... which is just about anything.
The yeast I have on hand is... Lalvin 1116, Lalvin 1118, Red Star Cote des Blancs, and some Red Star Premier Cuvee. I am making my apple wine from 100% apple juice with no preservatives (not even ascorbic acid). I use granulated sugar and a 5 gallon food grade bucket with an airlock. I also have several carboys and some other unmentionable equipment.
I will certainly need some advice and assistance, but I do take s.g. readings, have a nice digital pH meter, etc. What am I forgetting?
Oh yeah... got a good deal on 5# of Bentonite today on eBay for $12.50 USD delivered... top grade ultra fine powder. Have acid blend, ascorbic acid, potassium sorbate, and potassium metabisulphite. I know I am forgetting some things... been imbibing a little this evening.
Oh yeah... Purple Haze, Purple Passion... now THAT was a panty dropper... but heck,in the 60's a coke was a panty dropper. Those were the days...
Jimmy Hendrix, windowpane, oooooooooh... I better hush.
Thanks guys...
HB

 

[arcticsid]

Welcome to the group Bill, I aint no Eskimo, I'm actually a Pollack from Milwaukee. LOL 30 yr Alaskans, things change. and come to think of it, most Eskimos I know wouldn't bother makin there own.

I make my own because its cheap and gardenin' here is to much of a challenge.LOL Fight the moose and you may get one stab at a cabbage.

We all in here have are own reasons and ways to make what we like to drink.

I have been in here long enough to learn a whole lot. bunch of the people in here are quite serious about brewing their own, and I sure do appreciate their dedication to their craft.

I live in the woods of Alaska, and will continue to do the best I can with what I got! As far as I know, most of the Eskimoes don't even have trees.

Glad we can all come together in here and share our ways of making our own.

I suspect there are those in here who have even ventured so far as to make their own moonshine. Dirty Bastards! By golly, thats againstthe law!

Guess shooting a cow moose in February is as well, we just don't alk about these things.

Welcome, I hope you get something out of the forum.

Troy

 

[Hillbilly Bill]

We don't have moose cows here but we do have whitetail does. They taste delicious... so I hear.
Moonshine! Shame.

 

[Hillbilly Bill]

What I am making...

Hi and welcome.
What are you looking to make?

Hi Leanne... sexy avatar. What am I going to make? I'll have to take the 5th on that one... or maybe a mason jar? Seriously, I am new at the wine gig, but since I have all of this equipment, and since it is so easy to make lousy wine, I may as well give it a try, huh? I have my first batch on... 4 gallons of apple wine... gonna run it a little hot... maybe 14-15%. Already planning on a slower ferment using Cote des Blancs and running it very slowly to about 10%.
I will probably mess around with some Welch's grape juice wine... my mind is open to other options. I have a couple of apple trees here on my hillside... may work with these... the trees are about gone from neglect.
I like the strawberry recipes that call for vodka (or whatever, cough, cough).
What are you making?
Hillbilly Bill

 

[Hillbilly Bill]

Throwing rocks...

Hello and welcome from right next door in the big state of Kentucky. I can throw a rock and hit West Va from where I am at. You will love this place the members here are very helpful.

Koda... if you did throw a rock toward the east, which county of the Wild and Wonderful would you hit? I am on the Kanawha River in Mason County.
Take care...
HB

 

[Hillbilly Bill]

Purple Passion Panty Dropper...

I may not remeber some of those computers but I do remember drinking those wines, that and that Orange flavored Vodka called Tango and then Purple Passion which was a grape flavored Grain alc.

You're not that old, are you? Nice place you have here... I think I'm gonna like it.
HB

 

[Wade E]

No, I am much younger then you(39) but have been partying since I was 9! Grew up with a much older crew.

 

[Runningwolf]

So Wade, does that mean you were chasing cougars when we were catching pollywog's

 

[Wade E]

Maybe, but not at the same time cause like I said Im n ot as old as some of you folk.

 

[Hillbilly Bill]

Well you have me beat... I was all of 15 years old before Old Man Walker would let me into his bar. Of course I was already 6' tall and had my own car. He had no idea how old (young) I really was, but he knew I wasn't 21. His place was on the county line and he always told me... "If the cops show up, you get the hell across that road." The crossroads in front of his bar/liquor store were the county line. If we got into a fight he always told us to "take it across the street." Pretty cool old man.
HB

 

[Wade E]

HB, Im glad that your not dead set on Au Natural as some are cause you can make a decent wine that may but the chances taken are usually outweighed by wine going bad and using these new processes makes it almost impossible to ruin your wine. I would use some ascorbic acid in your apple wine myself as that can turn brown very easily like an apple with a bite out of it but to each thrie own.

 

[Hillbilly Bill]

Absolutely! I plan on adding the ascorbic acid and the potassium metabisulfite as soon as the fermenting is over. Thanks for the concern...
HB

 

[Wade E]

Just so you know ascorbic acid can be added before fermentation cause it does not hinder fermentation like sufites can.