January 2014 Wine of the Month Club

[Winenoob66]

Went this afternoon and bought my carboys. I got "the look" when I came home from SWMBO.

This means the wine you make in one of them jugs needs to be all about pleasing SWMBO.

 

[Winenoob66]

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

maybe she didn't feel bad but instead is trying to tell you something

 

[Winenoob66]

Hi Pam and Welcome to the WOTMC,

That sugar wash is a real pain to run , it will keep getting stuck during ferment or mine did anyway, also keep in mind you don't clear this mix once you add in the concentrates so there is pulp in them, the pina colada had the most pulp in it with the orange pineapple coming in second. but all were good, Strawberry was the best, but I am kinda biased on that test as I am an avid strawberry lover.

 

[cintipam]

I appreciate the heads up. I like pulp, and I think most professionally made drinks actually have pulp so that is no problem at all. I was almost salivating while reading your post about that strawberry, I really really plan to get a batch of this going soon. Do you think if I use a more aggressive yeast and do alternate small additions of nutrient and energizer it would help? I do hover over my fermenting bucket. But once it gets racked I back off and let time work and only check when racking seems needed.

Pam in cinti

 

[Winenoob66]

That's the best part to this recipe, run primary and your done except for running the meta and sorbate wait a few days (no clearing needed in this) , then divide it up into your portions. the way I done that was I added the concentrates first to the gallon jugs make sure they are completely defrosted so they will pour easy into the funnel, then after you have all your concentrates done add the sugar wash.

On dealing with the primary problems I done a mix of all 3 tricks to keep it going from adding more nutrient and energizer and stirring to wrapping a blanket around it to bring the temp up ( I don't have a brew belt). The sugar wash will have a blank flavor alone and resemble more of a rubbing alcohol taste almost as there is nothing in it with any flavors. So don't freak thinking something is wrong if ya taste a rubbing alcohol flavor to the sugar wash. Other than dealing with the primary this is an easy peasy mix.



After posting this last night I decided to revisit some of my wine cooler endeavors and I have to say they are not as appeasing as they once were. I bottled the strawberry, and the lime margarita now they both have stuff floating as well as sediment (lol the strawberry has little brain looking things in them) so I have determined if you are going to make this cut the sugar wash to a gallon or 2 and make a 1 or 2 gallon mix something that could be consumed quickly. Also the lemonade was in the fridge and had some sediment but nothing to over the top and was actually pretty good if you like lemonade. You could hardly even taste any alcohol in it. Maybe it being very cold had something to do with it but hey who knows.

 

[Stressbaby]

January WotM: Hibiscitrus

Inspired by odds and ends in the freezer (what's left of my hibiscus flowers) and greenhouse (Satsuma tangerines and kumquats).
The satsumas were very sweet with little acid so I tossed in a store-bought lemon.
Raisins for body.

3 satsuma tangerines, zest and juice
8oz kumquats, sliced as thinly as humanly possible
1 lemon, zest and juice
15oz raisins, chopped
1# 10oz sugar to start
1/8t tannin
1t pectic
1t yeast nutrient, divided
Red Star Champagne

Thinly slice kumquats, reserving juice. Chop raisins. Zest then juice the tangerines and lemon. Add zest, kumquats, raisins to mesh bag in primary. Add citrus juices, tannin, and sugar to primary. Bag hibiscus flowers and add to primary. Boil water, pour over sugar and mesh bags. When cool, squeeze and remove hibiscus flowers and add 1t pectic and 1/3 of nutrient. After 12-24 hours, adjust sugar and acid, then pitch yeast. Stepwise nutrient additions. Usual care thereafter.

Started tonight. I thought I might aim for 3.0-3.2 with this batch. It will be interesting to see where sugar and acid end up tomorrow night. The second pic shows everything in the primary. Interesting how the acid from the juices turns the dried hibiscus flowers bright pink.

 

[the_rayway]

Pam: if you want to know about elderberries - just pm WVMountaineerJack. He has an elderberry farm and will give you all the details. I'm hopefully planting some in the next year or so based on what will survive the temps up here.

Stressbaby: I have to ask - how on earth do you have so many hibiscus flowers? The are pretty much unheard of up here unless you have a little potted one in your house. My parents always say that theirs is 'prophetic'. Hasn't been wrong yet...

Added the last 1/2 tsp of my split nutrients to the Pumpkin Hazelnut today. Seems to be more creeping than running hot on this batch. Which is kind of ok by me as I didn't want the D254 to get stressed out and hot. When I checked the SG yesterday it was only down by 15 points.

Smells DARN GOOD though

 

[vernsgal]

Choco-Cherry Mead

Ok, so I got this baby going today. Everything was going good til I got to the PH. It was at 4.3 so obviously had to be brought down for fermentation to go proper. I would have preferred to have used tartaric acid to bring it down but didn't have any so resorted to acid blend.I know with tartaric acid I can bring my TA back down if it gets high by using cold stabilization or potassium carbonate after my fermentation is complete. Does anyone know if you can do this after using acid blend?

Here's the starting pics, I'm pitching the yeast tomorrow so will update with my readings then. Fingers crossed this baby works! Lol

 

[Stressbaby]

Stressbaby: I have to ask - how on earth do you have so many hibiscus flowers? The are pretty much unheard of up here unless you have a little potted one in your house. My parents always say that theirs is 'prophetic'. Hasn't been wrong yet...

I have a greenhouse, and we have 3 prolific tropical hibiscus bushes. They aren't producing much right now due to the season, but I spend all spring/summer/fall collecting not only hibiscus but also plumeria flowers. As an aside, I have a large bag of frozen plumeria flowers and this wine has turned out well in the past. I was contemplating an experimental WotM batch of plumeria using flowers exclusively and for prolonged time in the secondary to see if it preserves any more of the awesome fragrance as compared to using them in the primary.

Photobucket link: http://smg.photobucket.com/user/stressbaby/library/Greenhouse?sort=3&page=1

I would have preferred to have used tartaric acid to bring it down but didn't have any so resorted to acid blend. I know with tartaric acid I can bring my TA back down if it gets high by using cold stabilization or potassium carbonate after my fermentation is complete. Does anyone know if you can do this after using acid blend?

Vernsgal, this is my understanding - all of the carbonates, including K2CO3 and KHCO3, preferentially precipitate tartaric, rather than malic acid. Only CaCO3 pulls any malic out at all. So by using acid blend, typically 40% tartaric, you limit your ability later to deacidify because 60% of the acid is citric or malic and won't respond to your carbonate additions.

However, I'm not sure why you need to be worried about that. If pH is 4.3, as long as you don't badly overshoot, you should be fine with acid blend and you won't need to worry about deacidification.

 

[Winenoob66]

Vernsgal, this is my understanding - all of the carbonates, including K2CO3 and KHCO3, preferentially precipitate tartaric, rather than malic acid. Only CaCO3 pulls any malic out at all. So by using acid blend, typically 40% tartaric, you limit your ability later to deacidify because 60% of the acid is citric or malic and won't respond to your carbonate additions.

However, I'm not sure why you need to be worried about that. If pH is 4.3, as long as you don't badly overshoot, you should be fine with acid blend and you won't need to worry about deacidification.

Woosh!!! right over my head

 

[Stressbaby]

Woosh!!! right over my head

Winenoob,
The various carbonates, when added to wine, bind with the acid, form crystals, and fall out like lees. However, they mainly work with tartaric acid, not so much with the other acids.

If she acidifies with 100% tartaric, then most of her acid will be tartaric obviously. If she acidifies with acid blend, then only 40% will be tartaric (another 40% is malic and 20% citric typically). So if she should decide to lower the acid later, the carbonate will only work on 40% of the acid if she uses acid blend, rather than 100% of the acid if she added tartaric.

At least that is my understanding from reading. I've not done this yet but I have a plum wine sitting at 2.84, TA 1.15 right now and I've got the KHCO3 ready to go...

 

[wineforfun]

Ok, I have been slacking on keeping up.

This month I went back to the dragon blood recipe with a very minor twist. I opened a bottle of the original DB recipe(double lemon/1lb. fruit per gallon) that had been bottled for 1yr. It was incredible how smooth it was so I decided to go back and make another one similar.

1-4-14
2 gal.

3lb. Triple Berry Mix
15oz. RealLemon juice
4oz. RealLime juice
2gal. water
9 1/2c sugar
2/3tsp tannin
2tsp nutrient
1tsp pectic
1tsp energizer

SG 1.092

Added thawed fruit to fruit bag and squeezed well.

1-5-14
Added hydrated Lavlin EC-1118 yeast

1-6-13
Stirred well and squeezed fruit bag.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Pam: if you want to know about elderberries - just pm WVMountaineerJack. He has an elderberry farm and will give you all the details. I'm hopefully planting some in the next year or so based on what will survive the temps up here.

Hi rayway, I noticed you are in Winnipeg? What's growth hardiness zone? I have a brother in Winnipeg I have elderberries up here in Renfrew, ON and they are super hardy, they can be grown in zones down to 3a I believe if not colder... There are a number of other fruit trees and shrubs for cold hardiness that I've been planting from this site: www.treetime.ca a lot of their stuff was developed in Saskatchewan and can be grown to zone 2a! The strain of elderberries I'm growing are sumbucus canadensis or black elderberry and are also native to Ontario... Perhaps you might have a supplier in MB already?

 

[cintipam]

Vernsgal, don't stress about PH affecting your fermentation. I read all the tutorials on PH on the site, so I can't point you at which one said it, but it clearly stated that yeast are not fussy about PH for fermentation. BUT PH really matters for knowing how much meta to put in for protection and preservation, which is why 3-3.5 is considered optimum final PH for wine to be stored. And I assure you, it is a pain to adjust PH back up if you go too low. Remember, that what I'm dealing with and Stressbaby pointed out that PH is not a straightline.

Winenoob66, great info. I think what I'll do is only mix the wash with the concentrates the day of any get together. If you believe the wash alone will age ok then I could bottle the wash alone for this purpose. Otherwise I'll make wash a gallon at a time.

Stressbaby, what is a plumaria flower? Sounds familiar, but I can't really place it.

Rayway, thanks for the tip on elderberries. I had read that red elderberries (Racemosa) weren't safe to eat, and got mixed messages about safety to make into wine. Canadensis and Nigra are safe, but each has lots and lots of cultivars to choose from.

Pam in cinti

 

[the_rayway]

Hi rayway, I noticed you are in Winnipeg? What's growth hardiness zone? I have a brother in Winnipeg I have elderberries up here in Renfrew, ON and they are super hardy, they can be grown in zones down to 3a I believe if not colder... There are a number of other fruit trees and shrubs for cold hardiness that I've been planting from this site: www.treetime.ca a lot of their stuff was developed in Saskatchewan and can be grown to zone 2a! The strain of elderberries I'm growing are sumbucus canadensis or black elderberry and are also native to Ontario... Perhaps you might have a supplier in MB already?

Hey Chestnut,
We're a 3a over here - who's your brother? Maybe I know him

I order most of my plants through T&T or Veseys and they have a couple different types available. I'm looking at the Black Lace if they are edible. Would look good in front of my house!

I won't grow it if I can't make it into food. My gardens (tiny as they are) are 100% edible. Maybe one day I'll expand into decorative flowers.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Hey Chestnut, We're a 3a over here - who's your brother? Maybe I know him I order most of my plants through T&T or Veseys and they have a couple different types available. I'm looking at the Black Lace if they are edible. Would look good in front of my house! I won't grow it if I can't make it into food. My gardens (tiny as they are) are 100% edible. Maybe one day I'll expand into decorative flowers.

Haha you sound like me nothing gets planted unless it's edible! My brothers name is Pete He works over at the local hospital and his wife l's name is Linda! Black lace is nice with the purple foliage and pink flowers right? I've seen them once and should have bought them when I had a chance if I find them again I'll add them they are safe. And the elderberries that aren't safe are fine once simmered to get toxins out... Ya they should be fine in 3a....

I've ordered from vesseys as well do they have elderberries as well? I chose the ones I have because the nursery was selling them as 2 or 3 year old whips for like $1.49 each so I thought it was a good deal! Not as pretty as black lace but they are already making a nice edible privacy and wind screen on the northwest side of my house.

 

[Stressbaby]

Stressbaby, what is a plumaria flower? Sounds familiar, but I can't really place it.

Plumerias are the tropical flowers from which they make Hawaiian leis. Powerfully fragrant depending on the species and variety.

I won't grow it if I can't make it into food. My gardens (tiny as they are) are 100% edible. Maybe one day I'll expand into decorative flowers.

LOL. I went the other way.

 

[vernsgal]

Vernsgal, don't stress about PH affecting your fermentation. I read all the tutorials on PH on the site, so I can't point you at which one said it, but it clearly stated that yeast are not fussy about PH for fermentation. BUT PH really matters for knowing how much meta to put in for protection and preservation, which is why 3-3.5 is considered optimum final PH for wine to be stored. And I assure you, it is a pain to adjust PH back up if you go too low. Remember, that what I'm dealing with and Stressbaby pointed out that PH is not a straightline.

Thanks for the reassurance Pam and Stressbaby. I found on this site PH and TA is a 50/50 split when you put it out there lol
When I made my 1st all juice wine I got a lot of help here and Turok (as well as some others)pointed me into the direction of watching my PH and making sure it's at least in the ballpark to avoid problems.Since, I have always measured my PH (never had one this high before though) and balanced it accordingly.
I don't have the actual article someone pointed me to but I copy pasted this and try to follow:

pH is at least as important as TA in a must.. It has a powerful effect upon the efficiency of sulphur dioxide and upon the ability of malolactic bacteria and yeasts to function in the must or young wine. For various chemistry type reasons, pH 3.55 is considered the magic dividing line between relative safety and more vulnerability to problems of oxidation and/or undesirable bacterial infection. Occasionally one encounters grapes with normal or high TA and a high pH, well above the 3.55 level - such grapes are difficult to work with.
If the pH of your must is too high, 3.6 or more it can be lowered by the addition of straight tartaric acid. (Acid blends create more problems than they solve and should be avoided.)

Sorry for the long read Lol I will try not to fret about it and carry onward!
Thanks!

 

[ckvchestnut]

Plumerias are the tropical flowers from which they make Hawaiian leis. Powerfully fragrant depending on the species and variety. LOL. I went the other way.

Pretty! I do both myself actually love to have spring flowers in my trees, shrubs and in my perennial gardens... Lately been focusing on edible landscaping though it's never a bad thing to strive toward self sustainability!

Oops want sure I was going to post that pic as it's off topic but that was my latest addition to my cold hardy rose collection, a lovely red and yellow bi-coloured rose called Campfire its from the morden series and this rose was blooming well into October on its first season even as frost formed everywhere! I did nothing to encourage it in fact was hoping it would go dormant already lol! Ok ill stick to topic from now on - sorry everyone!

 

[jamesngalveston]

plumeria and hibiscus are a nusance where i live...come get them all.