January 2014 Wine of the Month Club

[ckvchestnut]

Hi Pam, it's of the explorer series and it's hardy at least to -35c so that's why I picked it... it's called Nicolas here's one link to it: http://landscapeontario.com/exploring-explorer-roses from now on i'll post this stuff somewhere else sorry ladies!

 

[vernsgal]

Thanks for the info ckvchestnut. If you think of the name of that fuschia one pls post it. That's a fave color of mine.

Kim, sadly I meant the 1.125. It's just at the bottom of the desert wine range. But since I backsweetened batch one quite a bit, finishing with some sugar would not be a bad thing. Altho with the yeast I chose it could conceivably make it to dry. I will let you all know since the whole point here is to help each other learn.

BTW Kim I like your sugar calc numbers better than the one I had been using. I'm still confused by how I got 21 cups tho. I MUST have read it wrong. (Don't miss my sad attempt at wine puns here.)

Pam in cinti

Lol that sugar calculation I got from Julie so it's one I tend to stick with. It always gets me in the ballpark anyway.
Your yeast only goes to 16% so I don't think you'll need to backsweeten because it probably won't go dry That's a good choice IMO on your yeast because if you went higher, as you've probably read on other postings, you'll lose flavor to the alc.

 

[vernsgal]

Curious to see how this turns out. I would guess it is going to be light on the flavor. Sure looks good though.
I made an orange juice wine(used premade 100% orange juice from store). I was surprised that it actually cleared. I ran short on topping up on the final racking so I added 5oz. vodka. I also let it sit on dark chocolate for a month and added a little orange extract to it.
Been bottled for a month and haven't tried it yet.

DJ that sounds ,to term a phrase used here, yummy!

 

[Stressbaby]

Pics of the Hibiscus-Citrus, moved to secondary today at 1.002.
Looks more pale in color than other hibiscus wines I've made but already settling out and getting darker at the top of the secondary.
I was worried that it didn't have enough orange but after tasting today I think it could be just right.

 

[Jericurl]

Oh, that hibiscus/citrus looks so yummy.
I can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

[Jericurl]

Just thought I'd share with the group my WOTMC wines so far:
left to right

Prickly pear (with herbs), apple/chamomile, apple/chamomile, cranberry/chocolate/habanero, and Werther's wine.

Tomorrow I'll be making my onion wine for January's contribution.

eta: Oops...I guess it helps to actually add the picture.

 

[vernsgal]

Just thought I'd share with the group my WOTMC wines so far:
left to right

Prickly pear (with herbs), apple/chamomile, apple/chamomile, cranberry/chocolate/habanero, and Werther's wine.

Tomorrow I'll be making my onion wine for January's contribution.

I am interested in how your cran/choc/hab is tasting.
mine.. Beet, Choco/cherry/banana port. My January is still in the making, and my Nov. is on oak for a while yet lol. Will update both of mine in a week or so.

 

[Jericurl]

Kim,
I haven't tasted it recently but I plan on giving everything a wee taste at the end of this month and I will let you know.
It's not clearing near as well as Lori's Strawberry/Chocolate wine.

I'm thinking about setting it outside for a couple of nights to let everything drop out.

 

[Jericurl]

Ok, here we go! I'm hoping mine doesn't reek as bad as Lori's did!
Since I plan on using this wine strictly for cooking, I'm thinking of adding a 1/2 lb of pearled barley to my onion/potato water while it's boiling. I figure that will give it a little more oomph.
Also, I've already changed my mind again since this picture was taken. I'll be using premier curvee yeast, not montrachet.

 

[the_rayway]

I've got the Habanero Apple, Apricot Port, and Pumpkin Hazelnut Mead.

January's Pumpkin Hazelnut will be ready to rack soon, I think. It has been a slow ferment - but certainly not the slowest I've ever done! I'm to add the pumpkin, vanilla extract and sweet potato shortly. I've got to thaw it all first though.

The November and December wines are clearing. November is doing the best so far, as I can read through it already. The Dec. port just has so much sediment floating still! I don't want to add any oak until it's cleared out a bit more.

 

[Jericurl]

Raelene,

I found a mead kit for $19.99 that makes a 1 gallon batch. I'm considering getting it next month's club wine. They offer dry, semi sweet, lavender, and one with ginger/grains of paradise. I just can't decide which one to go with!

 

[the_rayway]

Oooohhhh, lavender!

They all sound pretty yummy! Paper, Rock, Scissors? Or maybe Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe?

 

[Stressbaby]

I have a 3 gal batch of Lavender wine (not mead) that is clear and ready to bottle and it's pretty good. You don't need a lot of lavender flowers.

 

[wineforfun]

Nothing too exciting to report. Racked my Dragon Blood from primary to secondary(s) yesterday. SG down to .990 so we are good to go. Haven't decided if I am going to do both of the secondaries the same or "experiment". Running low on DB so may just keep them the same.

My elderberry(Dec. WOM) is just ageing/clearing. One regular and one on oak.

 

[Jericurl]

Started my wine today.....I cannot convey to you just how much this smells. And it hasn't even started fermenting yet....


(mostly Jack Keller's recipe, except for the addition of barley and some minor changes in weight, preference, etc)

ONION WINE
1 lb sweet onions
1 lb potato
12 oz golden raisins
2 lemons (zest and juice)
2 lbs fine granulated sugar
7½ pts water
1 crushed Campden tablet
½ tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 pkt wine yeast
½ lb pearled barley

Chop or mince raisins and soak overnight in pint of warm water. Thinly slice onions and potato into remaining water. Put on heat and bring to a simmer, holding simmer for 45 minutes. Grate zest from lemons and combine zest with raisins. Transfer raisins and zest into nylon straining bag in primary. Add sugar to primary. Strain onions and potato, pouring hot water over sugar and discarding pulp. Add juice from lemons and yeast nutrient, then stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Cover with clean cloth and set aside to cool.

When at room temperature, add crushed Campden tablet and stir. Recover primary and set aside for 12 hours. Add pectic enzyme, stir, recover primary, and set aside another 12 hours. Add activated yeast.

I will probably end up adding a whole tsp of pectic enzyme. I'm also going to pop a lid on the primary, attach an airlock, and then let it ferment down to dry under a lid. I'm not a huge fan of that fermenting smell anyway, but this...I do NOT want to smell this more than necessary.

eta: I think I'm going to bottle this in 375 ml bottles. I expect to get 10 bottles out of it that way.
I'm also going to do a hot pepper wine and a tomato wine the same way. There will be a couple of cooks on my Christmas list that are going to get a little basket with 3 different cooking wines in it this next Christmas. The rest of it will be mine all mine!!!

 

[jamesngalveston]

rayway...you should make a sugar wash and incorporate into some of your wine blends you are making....

 

[vernsgal]

Started my wine today.....I cannot convey to you just how much this smells. And it hasn't even started fermenting yet....


(mostly Jack Keller's recipe, except for the addition of barley and some minor changes in weight, preference, etc)

ONION WINE
1 lb sweet onions
1 lb potato
12 oz golden raisins
2 lemons (zest and juice)
2 lbs fine granulated sugar
7½ pts water
1 crushed Campden tablet
½ tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 pkt wine yeast
½ lb pearled barley

Chop or mince raisins and soak overnight in pint of warm water. Thinly slice onions and potato into remaining water. Put on heat and bring to a simmer, holding simmer for 45 minutes. Grate zest from lemons and combine zest with raisins. Transfer raisins and zest into nylon straining bag in primary. Add sugar to primary. Strain onions and potato, pouring hot water over sugar and discarding pulp. Add juice from lemons and yeast nutrient, then stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Cover with clean cloth and set aside to cool.

When at room temperature, add crushed Campden tablet and stir. Recover primary and set aside for 12 hours. Add pectic enzyme, stir, recover primary, and set aside another 12 hours. Add activated yeast.

I will probably end up adding a whole tsp of pectic enzyme. I'm also going to pop a lid on the primary, attach an airlock, and then let it ferment down to dry under a lid. I'm not a huge fan of that fermenting smell anyway, but this...I do NOT want to smell this more than necessary.

eta: I think I'm going to bottle this in 375 ml bottles. I expect to get 10 bottles out of it that way.
I'm also going to do a hot pepper wine and a tomato wine the same way. There will be a couple of cooks on my Christmas list that are going to get a little basket with 3 different cooking wines in it this next Christmas. The rest of it will be mine all mine!!!

What a good idea Jeri ,for xmas. I think I'm going to have to jump in with you and Lori on these cooking wines !( I'm just not looking forward to the smell you both have mentioned!)

 

[LoneStarLori]

Started my wine today.....I cannot convey to you just how much this smells. And it hasn't even started fermenting yet....

Wait for it....wait for it.

 

[Jericurl]

Kim, I am a cook. I LOVE to cook. I love the way onions smell when roasting or sauteing. Before today, I've never boiled onions in a pot. After today, I never will again. (inside anyway)
Not at all appetizing.

But I am looking forward to having an awesome cooking wine out of it.

 

[ckvchestnut]

I have a 3 gal batch of Lavender wine (not mead) that is clear and ready to bottle and it's pretty good. You don't need a lot of lavender flowers.

Stressbaby, what does it taste like? I absolutely adore lavender and grow it in my garden but I never imagined wine? I gather the flowers don't taste like the plant smells?