March 2014 Wine of the Month Club

[reefman]

did you back sweeten yet? that will help bring out the flavors as well, but peach and banana do not leave much flavor behind.
Do as Rayway said with the cinnamon. 2 sticks might be way too overpowering.

 

[Jericurl]

*sigh*

Well, it looks like March has completely gotten away from me. I haven't made or bottled ANY wine this month!

Between work, attempting to get my garden in order, and family stuff, there just isn't enough time in the day.

I'm glad we still have people participating in WOTM, though. It's fun to read about what everyone else is doing.

I think for next months thread, I may just set about making myself a chore/goal list and if I get everything crossed off, then make more wine!

 

[the_rayway]

Jeri! It's been a long time since we've seen you around!

Lol, I was thinking the same thing about April, but I'm having too much fun (and I've already picked up the ingredients...). I'm having trouble getting some of my WOTM wines to clear, so I can't move forward with tweaking/bottling until they're ready I guess I'll have to clean more of those jugs I have sitting in the basement.

 

[CowboyRam]

Just started a gallon of mango. We will see how well this will goes.

 

[kryptonitewine]

I'm out of carboys again. Not to mention room. Gonna build some shelves to get the one gallon carboys higher. Rossi is on sale again for $9 so I'll pick some up for the bottles. I use it for topping up.

Gotta start thinking of April. I still have some chocolate covered cherries but already have two chocolate wines going. Need to expand my horizons.


Jim

 

[the_rayway]

I'm going to do Lime-Nectarine in April. I've still got 5 Lbs nectarines and I picked up a couple little bottles of lime juice. Should be fun!

The Tart Cherry is clearing like I've never seen on another wine. It's bright, berry red and I want to drink it NOW! Lol.

Jim - any edible flowers blooming where you are? Spring fruit? There's so much fun to be has

 

[kryptonitewine]

Jim - any edible flowers blooming where you are? Spring fruit? There's so much fun to be has

Ah yes, I agree, lots of fun to be had. Unfortunately, no flowers in bloom yet, were still in winter mode here! I'm beginning to think this winter will never end. Our normal high is in the 50's and our high yesterday was 28, today should be balmy at 32. The Midwest is NOT supposed to be this cold. We had snow again on Sunday and Monday.

I do want to do a dandelion wine but that going to be awhile. May or June.

 

[Scott]

I'm going to do Lime-Nectarine in April. I've still got 5 Lbs nectarines and I picked up a couple little bottles of lime juice. Should be fun!

The Tart Cherry is clearing like I've never seen on another wine. It's bright, berry red and I want to drink it NOW! Lol.

Jim - any edible flowers blooming where you are? Spring fruit? There's so much fun to be has

If I remember right someone was going to post a photo... hmm maybe from post #49???

Nothing blooming here either, trees just starting to bud out but veeeerrrry slowly though.

 

[cintipam]

Jim, where is Rossi on sale? Also, which size is $9? I agree, great for topping, then reuse bottle.

Thanks

Pam in cinti

 

[the_rayway]

If I remember right someone was going to post a photo... hmm maybe from post #49???

Nothing blooming here either, trees just starting to bud out but veeeerrrry slowly though.

Argh! You caught me! I'll get on that tonight

I hear you about the winter never ending. I'm just SO DONE with the snow and freezing cold.

 

[winesleeper]

Peach/Banana/Cinnamon Update

Took “the rayway” and “reefman” advice and made a peach f-pack Sunday afternoon and added it to my wine. Then I waited 24 hours before I added my sparkolloid. After it clears I plan on racking the wine, back sweeten and add only HALF of a stick of cinnamon. March has been so much fun making this gallon of wine that I’m already thinking about April. Blueberry/??

 

[the_rayway]

Was your wine finished fermenting Winesleeper? Did you sorbate and sulfite? We want to make sure you don't get an eruption

Mmmmmm. Blueberry - pretty much can't go wrong there!

FYI - my stupid phone won't connect to the 'net. Will upload my little pic tomorrow (so she says).

 

[winesleeper]

Yes it was done fermenting. Had a SG of .994 for three days. Also added the sorbate and sulfite a few days before I added the f-pack. Thanks for asking. Does the cinnamon stick continue adding flavor with time or does it stop after a few months?

 

[the_rayway]

Good stuff!

Likely you won't want it to go further than a month - if it's not enough by then, take it out and add another half. IMHO

 

[the_rayway]

Finally. Geeze, what it takes for me to download a picture these days!

It's a bit stirred up from carrying it to the window, but it gives a better idea of the colour.

 

[reefman]

Really nice color. Looks tasty.

 

[Jericurl]

That is a gorgeous color!

 

[vernsgal]

So I did get my 2 tea wines going, I just haven't had time to get it off paper and on here,lol. Figured I'd better get at it before April is due! I posted back on pg.3 here the recipe I was planning on with the 2 different teas. I strayed a bit from that and this is what I did for each tea mead :
Tea Mead
3 lbs honey (4 cups)+ 4 cups water
1 ¼ c White grape juice concentrate
2 L + 3 C water
16 tea bags
.60g FermK (will add more .32g on day 2 &4)
.5g Dap on both day 2 &4
Yeast D47
Combined the honey and 4 cups water, heated to just below boil. Added tea bags and let steep for 20 minutes. Removed tea bags, added additional water and grape juice, let cool then added FermK & Dap. Let sit overnight then pitched yeast. My starting SG was: Orange 1.112 Peach 1.102 Temp on both 64F. I've been fermenting at a cooler temp than normal,trying to keep it in the low 60's.
It was kinda weird that they were both done identically but the starting SG was different ( and believe me I triple checked)
Anyways I racked them both today and added k-meta. Orange SG 1.026 Peach 1.010

 

[the_rayway]

Yaay Kim! E-high Five for Mazers! Lol. Thanks for posting - better late than never!

Hey people, let's start summing up our month (I can't believe it's the end of MARCH!!). Please post your recipes in detail if you haven't already, let us know what you learned this month, etc.

Jim - are you cook to post what everyone made this month on the OP?

(Oops. Sorry people, that's my 'bossy pants' showing...)

 

[kryptonitewine]

I completely forgot to do that. I'll update.


Jim