What’s in YOUR Carboy?

[MedPretzel]

That's kinda what i was talkin' about. You know, so many "grape kit" wines, but none for fruit.

 

[Hippie]

Have you tried the big cans of Oregon Fruit Harvest or any of the others? Kinda like a kit. What about the Island Mist or other fruit/grape combo kits?

 

[MedPretzel]

I have never tried any cans of any sort. I also have never made Island Mist wines. I have only made a Black Currant/Cab Sav which I thought turned out crappy, but many people like it. To me, it tasted like pure black currant concentrate. It has turned me WAY off kits for a long time. The only sad thing is, is that i cannot get black currants here at all - not even in a can, and this is one wine I would LOVE to make. Oh well, such is life.

 

[Hippie]

You gotta broaden your horizons and try better kits. Your mind could be blown by some of them. Be careful.

 

[MedPretzel]

I know. better kits mean higher prices. Just not in it for me right now.... Unfortunately.

 

[Hippie]

Doctors, lawyers, butchers, bakers, candlestick makers......

 

[MedPretzel]

Well, I tasted my hibiscus wine again today. I think I'll like that one over kit ones if it stays pretty much the way it is. It's really good.

 

[Hippie]

Hibiscus is the Hawaiian state flower isn't it, Joe?

 

[Maui Joe]

That is correct CW. It use to be the deep dark red. It has changed to Bright yellow, single pedals. (I don't know why they changed it either.) Hope they stop this nonsense!........


we have so-o-o-o many different colors, sizes from 50 cent piece to over twelve inches, from single pedals to triple and more, and more.

 

[MedPretzel]

Joe, seriously consider a hibiscus wine then. I am sure you can find locally dried hibiscus flowers (I used that). I'm not aware of your tastes in wine, but this is one of the very, very few that my husband has even said that it tastes good - and it's still slightly fermenting!!! The fragrance is perfect, fruity, and the color is a deep, dark garnet-red.





If not 5, try at least one gallon. Jack Keller has a great recipe on his site for it, which I followed (and sort of didn't - like I always do. I like to improvise a little and not follow other people blindly....

Bad habit, I know)....

 

[Maui Joe]

Martina, would any Hibiscus work? Is it only the pedals that you use? You answered one question whether or not they have to be dried or fresh. I have seen some Hibiscus with such a "deep red" that I would really call it purple. Interesting, I like to experiement, maybe a 1-gallon.

My Dad would "trip-out" if he knew!

 

[MedPretzel]

I am not sure if all types of hibiscus would work. Check with your local library to make sure. They are a wealth of information. So underrated in the age of the internet. I would also tell you to google it, but you can never 100% trust what you see on the internet. Lots of humbug being told over the www...





As for what I use - just the petals are used. Generally, I would say if you have a quart of fresh petals, put them in a straining bag, freeze them for a couple of weeks, and then pour boiling water over them. Add sugar up to about an SG of 1.080 or so, add the pectic enzyme (not sure if they have pectin, but better safe than sorry), nutrient, energizer, acid blendand a bit of powdered tannin. Jack Keller has a good recipe for dried hibiscus wine, which I made. Keep the straining bag in the fermenting must for about a week, or even longer - until you rack to a secondary.





But check with your library first. Like I said, it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Hippie]

Very good advice, Martina, and sounds like a very good wine. Go for it, Joe!

 

[Maui Joe]

My Dad, being Italian,....I can see the comments.

 

[Vaughn]

Well,


My first batch is in the bottles. I got 29. I got about 1/3 of a 30th bottle, and then the siphon bottomed out (slurp!). I tried to tip the carboy to see if I could get any more clean wine out of the bottom. That didn't work, the whole thing turned to mud. Oh well, I have 29 fine ladies waiting to be labeled (French Cab) and put to rest. The directions say that my kit will not age well past 6 months if I do not add more sulfite. I wish I had known that when I started bottling. (note to self, get some of that next time your at George's place.)


In the meantime, the Pinot Noiris brewing nicely and will be ready to rack out of the primary tomorrow.I realize when I started this batch that I needed the air lock that was sitting on the carboy full of cabernet (only one set of equipment here). So, I took it and replaced it with a ball point pen to plug up the hole in the bung. (Note to self, either get a bung without a hole or another air lock.)

 

[Hippie]

You really should be using an airlock and not a solid bung, even after fermentation is over. I don't add extra sulphite for aging, some do.

 

[Maui Joe]

HollowOakWine,


Run a piece of clear hose through the bung hole and fit snug. Place the other end into a small bottle of water close by and there you go...an emergency airlock!

 

[masta]

Time to update what's in my carboys and fermenters here at Valley Brew:
<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Kit Wines<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />[/B]

<?amespace prefix = st1 ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficearttags" /><st1lace><st1laceName>Winexpert</st1laceName> <st1lace>Island</st1lace></st1lace> Mist Blackberry Cabernet
Cru Select RQ_2004 Sangiovese Barbera Syrah
Winexpert Selection LE 2004 Australian Mataro-Shiraz
Winexpert Selection LE 2004 Marlbough Pinot Noir
Cru Select RQ_2004 French Merlot
<st1lace><st1laceName>Cellar</st1laceName> <st1laceName>Craft</st1laceName> <st1laceName>Yakima</st1laceName> <st1lace>Valley</st1lace></st1lace> Syrah
Winexpert Crushendo Corvina Classico di Veneto
RJS Orchard Breezin Cranberry Chianti
<st1lace><st1laceName>Winexpert</st1laceName> <st1lace>Island</st1lace></st1lace> Mist Mango Citrus Symphony
Winexpert Vintner’s Reserve Passport Pinot Grigio
RJS Orchard Breezin Calypso BIanco
Mosti Mondiale White Zin
<st1lace><st1laceName>Brew</st1laceName> <st1laceName>King</st1laceName> <st1lace>Island</st1lace></st1lace> Mist Tropical Fruits Gewurztraminer
<st1lace><st1laceName>Winexpert</st1laceName> <st1lace>Island</st1lace></st1lace> Mist Green Apple Riesling

<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Fruit Wines[/B]
<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">[/B]
Blackberry 3 gal
Blackberry 5 gal
Strawberry

<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Mead[/B]
<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">[/B]
Sweet <st1:City><st1lace>Tupelo</st1lace></st1:City> Vanilla Mead
Orange Blossom Cyser
Red Raspberry Melomel

<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Beer[/B]
<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">[/B]
Mike's American Amber Ale
German Hefeweizen

 

[Tree Frog]

Have run out of carboys. I have five and so far have resisted the urge to buy more. Also decided that converting my 75 gallon aquarium to a fermenter was not a good idea.

In my carboys are:

1. 
   <LI>Washington Columbia Valley Riesling</LI>
   <LI>Australian Mataro-Shiraz</LI>
   <LI>Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel</LI>
   <LI>Strawberry Riesling</LI>
   <LI>Sicilian Syrah</LI>