January 2014 Wine of the Month Club

[the_rayway]

Ok, first off - how do you make the 'mulit quote' thingy work?!?! Lol. Totally can't seem to figure it out.

Lori - I call it 'putting it in a safe place', and usually I never find what it was I had so safely put away.

Kryptonite - congrats on the new carboys! Have you made her favourite wine yet? Apparently that assists with developing new carboy blindness.

Kim - what kind of does it look like? It wasn't your Dec. WOTM - because that was beet, right? I agree with the bananas though Maybe you could add a tiny bit of your beet wine to it for a red punch? Do you have a pic?

Also , what means this 'stupid math'? All your numbers look ok to me...

 

[LoneStarLori]

Lori have you tasted your onion wine yet? So curious lol

I tasted it last week. It's very promising. Since this is a longer aging wine, it's hard to tell if the onion will still be there in 6 months, but it's supposed to dissipate. At this time, I can still taste the onion a little but otherwise resembles a sweet white. I think it's going to be a wonderful cooking wine and possibly good to drink while using it. (saves opening other bottles while cooking, hehe).


Here's the Jack Keller recipe for my January WOTMC except I am going to use blood oranges.



Orange Wine (2)

8 medium-sized oranges
1 lb chopped or minced golden raisins or sultanas
1 lb 7 oz ripe bananas
3 lbs finely granulated sugar
water to make up one gallon
1/4 tsp grape tannin
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
wine yeast
Put two quarts of water on to boil. Meanwhile, peel the oranges and remove all the white pith (it is bitter and will ruin the wine). Break the oranges into sections and remove all seeds. Drop them in a juicer or a blender and liquefy (you may have to add a cup of water to the blender). Peel and slice bananas and simmer in one pint of water for 20 minutes. In a primary, add chopped or minced raisins (or sultanas), 2-1/2 lbs of the sugar, the orange juice or liquefied orange pulp, and two quarts of boiling water. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Over primary, pour simmering banana slices into nylon straining bag and allow to drip until cool enough to squeeze. Squeeze lightly and then discard banana flesh. Stir in tannin and yeast nutrient and enough water to make up one gallon total. Cover with cloth and set aside to cool. When cooled to room temperature, add pectic enzyme, recover and wait 12 hours. Add wine yeast. Ferment 7 days, add remaining sugar, stir to dissolve, and ferment another 3 days. Rack off sediments into secondary and fit airlock. Rack every 30 days for 3 months. Stabilize and sweeten to taste. After additional 10 days, rack into bottles and set aside one year to age.

 

[LoneStarLori]

Ok, first off - how do you make the 'mulit quote' thingy work?!?! Lol. Totally can't seem to figure it out.

I just figured it out this week too, lol

hit the " button to the right of the QUOTE button for each one you want to quote. Then hit the QUOTE button on the last one and it will pop all of them up in a window and you can type between each one.

 

[vernsgal]

Ok, first off - how do you make the 'mulit quote' thingy work?!?! Lol. Totally can't seem to figure it out.
Kim - what kind of does it look like? It wasn't your Dec. WOTM - because that was beet, right? I agree with the bananas though Maybe you could add a tiny bit of your beet wine to it for a red punch? Do you have a pic?

Like Lori said, just click the multi quote( beside the quote) to each that you want,then hit the quote on any one of them. They'll come up in the order you clicked them.

The choco-cherry mead I did in Dec is kinda brown in color.
I find it hard sometimes to only do 1 a month lol. Actually I made it November 29 but figured it was too late to put in Novembers WOTM

 

[cintipam]

Hi everyone

I made some wine in November that is quite different. I learned a lot, and while I really like the taste already I have to make another batch this month in order to blend the two to hopefully bring the PH into acceptable to age range. Would it be ok to join here for batch 2 as long as I also post info on what I did, and what I learned from batch 1? The wine I made is from Ocean Spray white cranberry juice combined with limeade concentrate. It tastes just like a Margarita right now, hoping it will retain that taste when blended.

Pam in cinti

 

[cintipam]

Lori, which month did you make the Onion wine? I'd really like to try one and would love to read your recipe and method. My hubby is from a very large family with lots of wine lovers and several serious chefs. I think that wine would be a winner to gift the chefs. Right now my wines are so new that I think giving a cooking wine would be the only easy way to get them to try anything I make. Besides, I prefer white wines and so far most of the fruit wines I've made are deep blush to red.

Pam in cinti

 

[the_rayway]

Hey Pam, join away! This is open to anyone.

Still can't seem to get it to work (multi quote) I'll keep trying.

Lori: Bananas seem to be in two camps: either people use the peel (minus tip and tail), or they don't. I think it may have to do with how ripe the banana is. You want it very ripe, like for banana bread.

Kim: I think as that one clears it will definitely become more red. With all the particles in suspension it makes it sort of milky and light coloured. Like how a white wine looks like milk at the beginning, then turns a deep yellow after.

 

[Stressbaby]

I tasted it last week. It's very promising. Since this is a longer aging wine, it's hard to tell if the onion will still be there in 6 months, but it's supposed to dissipate. At this time, I can still taste the onion a little but otherwise resembles a sweet white. I think it's going to be a wonderful cooking wine and possibly good to drink while using it. (saves opening other bottles while cooking, hehe).


Here's the Jack Keller recipe for my January WOTMC except I am going to use blood oranges.



Orange Wine (2)

8 medium-sized oranges
1 lb chopped or minced golden raisins or sultanas
1 lb 7 oz ripe bananas
3 lbs finely granulated sugar
water to make up one gallon
1/4 tsp grape tannin
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
wine yeast
Put two quarts of water on to boil. Meanwhile, peel the oranges and remove all the white pith (it is bitter and will ruin the wine). Break the oranges into sections and remove all seeds. Drop them in a juicer or a blender and liquefy (you may have to add a cup of water to the blender). Peel and slice bananas and simmer in one pint of water for 20 minutes. In a primary, add chopped or minced raisins (or sultanas), 2-1/2 lbs of the sugar, the orange juice or liquefied orange pulp, and two quarts of boiling water. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Over primary, pour simmering banana slices into nylon straining bag and allow to drip until cool enough to squeeze. Squeeze lightly and then discard banana flesh. Stir in tannin and yeast nutrient and enough water to make up one gallon total. Cover with cloth and set aside to cool. When cooled to room temperature, add pectic enzyme, recover and wait 12 hours. Add wine yeast. Ferment 7 days, add remaining sugar, stir to dissolve, and ferment another 3 days. Rack off sediments into secondary and fit airlock. Rack every 30 days for 3 months. Stabilize and sweeten to taste. After additional 10 days, rack into bottles and set aside one year to age.

Lori,
I have made this recipe and I was not blown away. I think it needs some tweaks. Also, mine was only started about 10 months ago, so it may need more aging. I will summarize my notes and thoughts:

• Do not use D47, or if you do, pay close attention to fermentation temp and step feeding of nutrients. I had a bit of off odor.
• Needs more oranges.
• Add some zest to secondary to improve orange flavor.
• Starting pH was 3.62 which I thought was too high and I added another 1 tsp of acid blend. Possibly use citric instead.

 

[kryptonitewine]

I would suggest using zest not rind. Rind can produce off (bitter) favors.

 

[Stressbaby]

I would suggest using zest not rind. Rind can produce off (bitter) favors.

That is what I meant. I used strips of zest in the secondary. Post corrected.

 

[cintipam]

Thanks for the welcome. OK, here is my original recipe complete with warnings. BTW, If you see sq it means specific gravity. I would type the correct letters but the software kept correcting me to sq. Over and over again!

White Cranberry Limeade (made scant 6 gallons)

IMPORTANT this recipe has way too high acid, do not use stated acid.
final wine pre backsweeten has PH of 2.63. Post backsweeten PH is 2.70.
After getting greatly variable reading from 2 diff acid tests kits performed by 2 careful adults we bought a Milwaukee MW102 PH tester to ensure accurate PH readings.

9 Ocean Spray white cranberry 64oz juice
10 limeadeconcentrates (I used Kroger brand)
1 tbl pectin
1 tbl energizer
4 tbl acid blend
1/4 tsp meta
3 c level sugar (to bring to 1.090)

also used D47 yeast and 1 additional limeade later

When fermentation seemed slow to start I researched folks comments on D47 and read that it likes to be kept fed. That is why I used additional nutrient and energizer on alternate days to keep fermentation strong. Sorry, I didn't measure, just sprinkled a bit like a spice on top of the must then stirred in.

10/29 mixed all basic ingredients above. Sugar added to 1.090 (took 3 cups). Used heating pad & fleece to keep warm.
10/30 yeast starter (LalvinD47) grew 2 hrs, pitched.
Starter is ½ c warm water 1/2 tbl nutrient tsp sugar
11/2 pm sg 1.086 nutrient energizer added, stirred
11/3 am still 1.086
11/4am 1.076! Added nutrient, energizer. Good fizz.
11/5 pm nutrient added kicked. Great fizz
11/6 am sg 1.040. Energizer, stirred good fizz
11/7am sg 1.028 sm nutrient, stirred. Good fizz.
11/8 pm sg 1.002 racked, didn't quite fill 6 galBetterBottle. 2c water 1/2 sugar invert and 1 limeade (sg 1.10) added
level still a bit low, ferming well so needs some room. Will repeat sugar water addition 11/9
11/9 more sugar water added (took total of 6c plus to top off over 2 days.)
11/12 ferment slowed considerably. Dropping sediment.
11/23 still cloudy. sg 1.00 Racked Added invert 1c sugar w 1c water to top.
11/24 added tsp pectin, stirred. Wine volcano. Needed to add pectin in increments.
11/25 sg 1.00
12/7 sg 1.00, racked to 5 gal+3 litre, rest in fridge. Wine is crystal clear.
1/2 sample 3 liter backsweetened w invert sugar to 1.030 ph 2.70 very very tasty
1/4 still no refermentation in sample gallon despite not adding any sorbate yet
1/29 meta due

Since adjusting PH that much is best done with blending I will now make the recipe again with minor tweaks to try to adjust the acid. Basically I'll leave out the acid blend, increase White cranberry juices to 10 and test the resulting PH every time I add 2 limeade concentrates. I'm guessing I'll add 6 at most. Once I think I have an acceptable must I'll pull equal samples from batch 1 and 2, combine them and take a PH reading. Hoping PH will be in acceptable range.

So far I've learned that those acid tests are basically useless. It really helped me be certain by having hubby test all my aging wines independently from my tests. We both got diff results from each test, and none matched. It did surprise me that the readings on our whites were further wrong than those of my rose and reds. Those kits are supposed to be less helpful for reds. Maybe knowing that we both were way more careful testing reds. Hubby thought whole acid test procedure to be a PITA, plus useless, and I got a PH tester for Christmas.

While I normally like my wines dry this wine really needs to be sweetened to bring back the interplay between sweet and tart that is present in Margaritas. It tasted almost the same as must as after backweetening. Without the sugar it was boring as all get out. Even at 1.030 it is not sweet. Most may choose to sweeten more.

I am so glad I read the tip from Jim (JSWordy) about tasting every step during winemaking. My first few efforts required a lot of Fpaks at the end. Now that I taste the must I adjust then and there so no more watery wine for me.

Pam in cinti

 

[LoneStarLori]

Lori,
I have made this recipe and I was not blown away. I think it needs some tweaks. Also, mine was only started about 10 months ago, so it may need more aging. I will summarize my notes and thoughts:

• Do not use D47, or if you do, pay close attention to fermentation temp and step feeding of nutrients. I had a bit of off odor.
• Needs more oranges.
• Add some zest to secondary to improve orange flavor.
• Starting pH was 3.62 which I thought was too high and I added another 1 tsp of acid blend. Possibly use citric instead.

'

Stressbaby; Thanks for the heads up. I wouldn't have given much thought to the acid since I am still trying to get a grip on that part of winemaking. But I imagine with a citrus wine, it's got to be a problem. I am probably going to almost double the oranges. I cut one open tonight and it has very little juice.

Hey Pam, join away! This is open to anyone.

Still can't seem to get it to work (multi quote) I'll keep trying.

Lori: Bananas seem to be in two camps: either people use the peel (minus tip and tail), or they don't. I think it may have to do with how ripe the banana is. You want it very ripe, like for banana bread.

Rae; I think I'll peel them. Although I almost would want to leave them out totally, but I'm sure there is a reason he put them in there. As long as I can't taste them, I won't mind. About the only way I like banana is just peeled and eaten raw.

Lori, which month did you make the Onion wine? I'd really like to try one and would love to read your recipe and method. My hubby is from a very large family with lots of wine lovers and several serious chefs. I think that wine would be a winner to gift the chefs. Right now my wines are so new that I think giving a cooking wine would be the only easy way to get them to try anything I make. Besides, I prefer white wines and so far most of the fruit wines I've made are deep blush to red.

Pam in cinti

Hi Pam, Welcome to the WOTMC. My onion is only a few weeks old. It was in the Dec. recipe section and I got it started late. I think your family chefs would like it. It's still very young, but I think it has real promise of cooking and maybe drinking. Here is the link to the recipe:Sweet onion wine

 

[vernsgal]

Welcome Pam, and that's awesome note taking!

 

[kryptonitewine]

Welcome Pam, and that's awesome note taking!

Yes it is. That's my resolution this year. To take better notes. I made tags for the primary that will transfer to carboy. I can have recipe tweaks on the front and notes on the back.

 

[Stressbaby]

Since adjusting PH that much is best done with blending I will now make the recipe again with minor tweaks to try to adjust the acid. Basically I'll leave out the acid blend, increase White cranberry juices to 10 and test the resulting PH every time I add 2 limeade concentrates. I'm guessing I'll add 6 at most. Once I think I have an acceptable must I'll pull equal samples from batch 1 and 2, combine them and take a PH reading. Hoping PH will be in acceptable range.

So far I've learned that those acid tests are basically useless. It really helped me be certain by having hubby test all my aging wines independently from my tests. We both got diff results from each test, and none matched. It did surprise me that the readings on our whites were further wrong than those of my rose and reds. Those kits are supposed to be less helpful for reds. Maybe knowing that we both were way more careful testing reds. Hubby thought whole acid test procedure to be a PITA, plus useless, and I got a PH tester for Christmas.

While I normally like my wines dry this wine really needs to be sweetened to bring back the interplay between sweet and tart that is present in Margaritas. It tasted almost the same as must as after backweetening. Without the sugar it was boring as all get out. Even at 1.030 it is not sweet. Most may choose to sweeten more.

I am so glad I read the tip from Jim (JSWordy) about tasting every step during winemaking. My first few efforts required a lot of Fpaks at the end. Now that I taste the must I adjust then and there so no more watery wine for me.

Pam in cinti

Hi Pam, and welcome.

I just wanted to warn you that blending to adjust pH upward can be very tricky. pH is logarithmic, not linear, as you probably know. So wine at 2.7 has 10 times as much acid as 3.7. If you are able to make 5 gallons of this with pH of 4, the blend won't be 3.3, it will be more along the lines of 2.9. I'm not trying to discourage you from trying.

I agree that the acid tests are useless. You need the pH meter!

Is is strong? You have several step additions of sugar - just eyeballing it I bet you are pushing 14-15%.

You will find that as you learn and get more comfortable the wine doesn't take as much daily attention.

 

[Stressbaby]

I guess my wife felt bad about using the Five Apple Cider concentrate for another recipe. This came last week. LOL

 

[cintipam]

Lori, thanks for the link. This is on my make it soon list, greatly appreciate the knowledge of someone who's already been there. Also read your comment about "aroma" so will plan to start this when outside temps will permit me to do primary outside.

Rayway, I'd love to get suggestions on elderberry plants. I have a great garden and have been putting in plants just for winemaking (and to feed wildlife at the same time). Elderberries are on top of Springs to do list.

As for my notetaking, it's either way too good or nonexistant. While I do have name tags w start dates on my carboys I keep my notes on a word processing program. That's why my recipe is so detailed, I just cut and pasted my notes into my post. I take rough notes on paper while testing and working on my wines, then head to my computer and put the notes into a dateline format. The name of each wine is followed by the yeast used, PH, and if sorbate and or antioxidant has been added. I also calc when meta is due next and add that due date at the bottom of my recipe notes. Before I did this I was always digging thru notes to find those facts, and this makes it a lot easier for me.

Stressbaby, I appreciate the heads up about the acid. I had already searched for guidance from the gurus and learned there was no easy way to calculate how to fix. Seems even if I manage to use a program to calc how much at what PH would fix what I have, there is another factor called buffering that changes how each wine reacts to acid adjustment attempts. So frankly I decided to just try it and take good notes hoping to learn something from it. If somebody else learns from it too, even better. And yes, I did add sugar water along the way. While I did not always test the sg, Mary's Recipes (well respected country wine making book) states topping off with a sugar solution of 1 c water to 1/4 c sugar is acceptable practice. I assumed that meant acceptable sg range, but it's true that assumptions can really throw a wrench into things. Anyway, I did add higher sugar on the last addition just to pump it a little. This stuff tastes so good that as of this moment 2 entire gallons are gone. Prob will lose another gallon before batch 2 is ready to blend. I figure that might help, plus if this stuff keeps going this quick I really won't need to be concerned about PH and long term storage. It honestly tastes like a Margarita, but without those pesky aftereffects real Margaritas can bring.

I've really enjoyed reading your womc threads. It's great to find other adventurous beginners willing to share wins and losses.

Pam in cinti

 

[cintipam]

Winenoob66, I am fascinated by your sugar wash idea. I really like wine, but quite a few of my friends and family prefer non wine party drinks. I guess that's why I tried my Margarita wine and am working so hard to fix it. Next big batch I make will be sugar wash so I can make gallons of diff flavors like you did. that strawberry sounds delish!

Medic8106, cran corcord was one of the first wines I tried. If it matters I used Lalvin 1118 tho. I really didn't care much for it till I did a bench flavor test and found out adding choc and more cran flavor helped quite a bit. Chocolate was a shock to me, I would have sworn vanilla was the way to go. But choc beer/wine flavor made a huge difference smoothing and melding tastes in this one. Still didn't care much for it compared to my others so it sat around a few months till I tested it again. Time made a big improvement, and while I don't think I'll repeat this one we did enjoy it after all those tweaks and time helped.

Pam in cinti

 

[Stressbaby]

...topping off with a sugar solution of 1 c water to 1/4 c sugar is acceptable practice...

My bad. I thought you were topping with simple syrup, 2c sugar to 1c water. What you did shouldn't bump the ABV too much.

Glad to hear it tastes good. I have a batch of plum with TA 1.15 and pH around 2.84 that I was kind of worried about.

 

[cintipam]

Stressbaby, you need to know that I love sour stuff. I put lemon juice in almost everything to pop the flavor. I love to eat white grapefruit like an orange. most folks don't enjoy stuff as tart as I do. And then there is that whole figure out how much meta you need to protect your wine based on it's PH thing. I struggled with it for a while but couldn't figure out how much to use, so decided to try blending to adjust acid first. At this point I think I'll make a batch with the highest PH number I can manage, then extract a lot to attempt an adjustment. The last gallon or so I'll try to bump up both taste and PH if necessary by adding more limeade. That way I'll know if there is a way to make this ending up with an acceptable PH or if this is only OK for stuff used within a few months. If I can age it I plan to stash some bottles away to try every 6 months or so. I'm betting the flavor change will be drastic. Not sure I'll like it after aging, but better to know now.

thanks so much for your advice. I'd rather get too much than too little as a newbie.

Pam in cinti