RJ Spagnols OCP

[SueMac]

uavwmn: 10 points for you! If it's this good "young" I can only imagine what it'll taste like when all the flavors "mature". We have a few bottles left and as it's been 4 months since it was bottled, so we should taste a difference, too. Don't know if I can make the 6 month mark, never mind a year of more...We'll see!
So, from the time you made it to when you'll try it, what will the time frame be?

 

[uavwmn]

Sue, I pitched it 22 Feb 09 and bottled it 5 Apr 09. Think it may taste good yet??

 

[SueMac]

Uavwmn: It tasted good when I bottled it. I left a sample for my husband to try and he's been sampling ever since!

I pitched mine in mid-December and bottled about 5 weeks later. You could taste it now, if you'd like but you may want to wait until say, June 22. (Three months from when it was officially done by the directions.) Then wait another month or more, and try another bottle. That way you can appreciate how the flavors are maturing. You'll enjoy it now but they say it only gets better! Waiting is the hardest part!
Did you bottle it in 375ml bottles or 750ml bottles?

 

[uavwmn]

18 375ml bottles and 4 bigger ones.

 

[vcasey]

Sue maybe you should get 4 kits next year. I still have 18 bottles left of my first batch and all of my second batch.

 

[SueMac]

uavwmn: Good combination!
vcasey: Thanks for the suggestion but we'll go with the one I received today and then we'll see in the fall when it's offered again. I'm going with more of a variety of beverages with Hard Iced Tea, Hard Limeade and Apfelwein. I have a Banana Pineapple Voignier, Raisin Wine and the Orange Chocolate Port on deck. Perhaps I'll get back into making beer, too. Variety,choices and sharing with friendsare allgood!

 

[unaFORDable]

Grapestompers is where I ordered my CRP from, my local winery was sold out too. It arrived to my front door super fast. I've decided to bottle mine in the billisimo (spelling???) bottles and went to my local shop to buy. EEEEK, the price of those bottles! Oh, well, that's what I wanted my port in so I bought 2 cases and will put any left overs into some other small bottles that I have. These will then be my "sampling" bottles. At my local shop I was able to taste the OCP, yummy! Was going to buy a bottle of it till I noticed the price and figured I could wait until I had my own made!!! Will be starting this as soon as I have a primary open. It's really weird, I started making wine and said hey I'll just make these two batches and then next year make two more. But there always seems to be another kit (or two) waiting for my primary to be empty!!

 

[SueMac]

TinaLouise:
Did youget the OCP or CRP? They are very nice at Grapestompers!


Bellissima bottles are lovely! My LBHS sells them for $38.95 for a case of 12! YIKES! I can get a case there of 24 Blue Altus Ice Wine bottles (375ml) for $38.00 or a case of 24 green regular 375ml bottles for $28.90.


I may look around for better prices but the shipping charges will raise the price tremendously, I'm sure! Perhaps glass-blowing will have to be my next hobby!!!

 

[pelican]

Say, you other folks who made the OCP - did the F-pack seem to already have alcohol in it to you ??

I just did step 2, rack from primary to secondary, add kmeta and sorbate and added the f-pack. The F-pack was some potent stuff!! Reminded me of drambuie even (almost - not quite but reminiscent of)...or... is the f-pack supposed to be syrup, flavoring and.... did mine ferment in the pack somehow??

Certainly didn't convey any hints of chocolate. I'm wondering whether I got 'not the right f-pack' or a spoiled one somehow!! But at least it answers my question why there's no chaptalization step - the f-pack is the fortification (or will be in my batch!)

 

[Wade E]

If it had fermented it would be very bloated from the gases. its possible that you got the wrong f-pac as i did, They sent me the f0-pac for the white chocolate port on my first batch. they did replace it so i have two different batches, both are okay but neither are as good as the W.E. Choc. Raspberry port.

 

[pelican]

No bloating, just high test stuff in the fpack pouch. Has to be something orange because Mr. Pelican had a small taste and said "orange marmalade".

I actually thought of you and the white chocolate mixup you went through - it wasn't butterscotchy at all, nothing like that.

I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, but I am thinking the CRPort is going to be the hands down winner out of these two batches too.

 

[unaFORDable]

TinaLouise:
Did youget the OCP or CRP? They are very nice at Grapestompers!

Well that's a funny question because I could have swore that I ordered the CRP but today I finally got around to pulling everything out of the box and starting this kit. Inside is the Orange Chocolate F pack. I was seriously looking forward to the CRP and tomorrow I'm gonna search around and see if I can find the packing slip. I've tried the Orange Chocolate and it's really good too. So if I goofed I can always order the CRP next year.

 

[Wade E]

Thats a bummer if you were really looking forward to the other. I know exactly how you feel as I struggled to get 1 and kept getting the wrong kit myself but not by my own fault.