What R you doing today?

[ffemt128]

ROFLMAO, actually he was, we sat in a booth and he was in one corner and gee I was in the other corner!

We had to keep the 2 of them separated. You know what happens when they get together....Dan usually runs out of wine....LOL

Had a great time with everyone, it was good to get together before bad weather hits. Dan kept popping up at the same stores we were at the Grove City Outlets. We didn't buy anything but Dan did.

Came home and made my elderberry jelly. Never made jelly before, hope it turns out okay. It was very sweet based on the the recipes I was able to find.

 

[xanxer82]

Had our engagement photos done today. Dinner at my mom's house. Now I'm home with a few cases of wine bottles soaking and ready to be delabled and cleaned.

 

[Runningwolf]

Started 4 gallons of peppermint candy cane wine and a half gallon of peppermint candy cane / jalapeno wine. Finished washing 6 cases of used bottles, pitched the yeast in 3 buckets of red muscadine. Bottled 6 gallons of bronze muscadine wine minus the 3 glasses that I drank for myself while doing it. It was a good day. To bad tomorrow is Monday and I have to do that work thing again. Geeeeeesh I need to retire!

Ok Dave you must be bud's with Sirs!

Jalapeno/candy cane! Holy Ring of Fire Batman! BHAAAMMM, you sure have taken this whloe jalapeno thing to the next level! Are you testing it out on Sirs first! Probably not a good idea. Julie needs him around for the Muscadines .

How about posting both recipes please? I actually just mentioned to my wife this afternoon that I ws thinking about making some of the candy cane.

 

[Tom]

Had our engagement photos done today. Dinner at my mom's house. Now I'm home with a few cases of wine bottles soaking and ready to be delabled and cleaned.

So, are you making any special wine for the BIG day?

 

[DavidB]

Yep...Me and Sirs are good friends. And no, I won't be trying this out on him. I too need him around for the muscadines! He's the man to know when it comes to finding good things!

The recipe I used for the candy cane I found on here. It was posted last year. I didn't have an Lalvin yeast so I used Red Star Pasture Red. Hope that doesn't mess anything up. I also used 120 medium sizes canes. They seemed small so I wanted to bump it up some. Oh, I also used one gallon of store brand white grape juice instead of all the water. I saw someone on here had done that previously to this same recipe and figured it couldn't hurt.

Ingredients
60 candy canes (or more) - regular size
7.5 lbs sugar (NOT! I got an SG of 1.085 with only about 1lb of sugar)
3 gallons water
Lalvin EC-1118 yeast

Bring about 1 gal water to boil
Add candy canes till dissolved
Boil another 45 - 60 minutes (I only heated until dissolved)
Pour into remaining water
add sugar
rack after a week and again in two months

For the jalapeno, I used a half gallon of the above and then added about 20 slices with seeds. I was thinking (oh God, I know not to do that!) that the heat from the peppers would be a nice complement to the sweetness of the candy cane. Will see how it turns out.

 

[Tom]

Have you or anynody here tasted the finished product?
What's it taste like?

 

[DavidB]

Have you or anynody here tasted the finished product?
What's it taste like?

No idea Tom. All I know is I was sitting here in my easy chair and my wife said "you know, its a shame you don't have any seasonal wine to give out for Christmas, you know, like peppermint candy wine or something". That's all it took! I was gone to the store!

I don't know what it will taste like, but boy did it ever make the house smell good when I was dissolving it and it tasted really good before I pitched the yeast!

 

[ffemt128]

Checked my Jelly this morning. Doesn't appear that the jelly jelled as much as I would have liked it to. I may have to take remedial action on it.

 

[BobF]

Waiting ...

 

[Sirs]

Checked my Jelly this morning. Doesn't appear that the jelly jelled as much as I would have liked it to. I may have to take remedial action on it.

you make it the old fashioned way or did you use sur-jell?? I know if you use weak juice sometimes it doesn't like to set as quick. I've made jams,jellies,butters for yearsssss they can be screwy at times but always good. My elderberry set like a rock this year.

 

[ffemt128]

you make it the old fashioned way or did you use sur-jell?? I know if you use weak juice sometimes it doesn't like to set as quick. I've made jams,jellies,butters for yearsssss they can be screwy at times but always good. My elderberry set like a rock this year.

I used sur-jell. It was steamed juice from 4 lbs of elderberries. I don't think the juice being thin was an issue. First time I ever tried this and so far I'm not happy wioth results. I'll try to save it later in the week if it doesn't set by the weekend. How long does it normally take to set? I know the jars all sealed well. Could hear the tops popping last night.

Recipe called for 3 1/2 cups Elderberry Juice
7 1/2 cups suger (used 7 since other recipe called for 6)
1/2 cup lemon juice

Followed all directions to the "T".

Found other recipes this am that call for less sugar, in the neighborhood of 5 cup instead of 7. That would have been better as it is very sweet now.

 

[xanxer82]

Ended up bottling 3 gallons of apple wine. Crystal clear and tastes great.

 

[Brian]

I am driving to Carlise to pick up 2, 6 gal carboys that I found on Craigs list for $20.00 each! Woo Hoo!! I was just thinking I could use a couple more.. I love it when a plan comes together!!

 

[jtstar]

it make excellant syrup for pancakes that way

I used sur-jell. It was steamed juice from 4 lbs of elderberries. I don't think the juice being thin was an issue. First time I ever tried this and so far I'm not happy wioth results. I'll try to save it later in the week if it doesn't set by the weekend. How long does it normally take to set? I know the jars all sealed well. Could hear the tops popping last night.

Recipe called for 3 1/2 cups Elderberry Juice
7 1/2 cups suger (used 7 since other recipe called for 6)
1/2 cup lemon juice

Followed all directions to the "T".

Found other recipes this am that call for less sugar, in the neighborhood of 5 cup instead of 7. That would have been better as it is very sweet now.

 

[ffemt128]

it make excellant syrup for pancakes that way

I still have about 3 cups of elderberry juice I could use if needed to dilute the sweetness down. It actually tastes pretty good just didn't gel yet. I'm going to give it til the weekend and if needed I'll see what can be done to salvage it.

 

[seth8530]

Taking it kinda easy today, im finnaly starting to feel better after not being able to eat a whole lot for like a month and a half. Im still being carefull about eating but im def feeling a whole lot better

 

[Julie]

Taking it kinda easy today, im finnaly starting to feel better after not being able to eat a whole lot for like a month and a half. Im still being carefull about eating but im def feeling a whole lot better

did you have the flu? You have to be skin and bones at this point.

 

[xanxer82]

I am driving to Carlise to pick up 2, 6 gal carboys that I found on Craigs list for $20.00 each! Woo Hoo!! I was just thinking I could use a couple more.. I love it when a plan comes together!!

there is a guy down here in westminster with a couple hundred 5 gallon carboys.
I'll see if I can find his contact info

 

[xanxer82]

Will be bottling the Bella Bianco tonight. Maybe cleaning more bottle tomorrow. Merlot is next on the list to bottle.

 

[Brian]

there is a guy down here in westminster with a couple hundred 5 gallon carboys.
I'll see if I can find his contact info

Awesome xanxer82! Let me know if you have his contact info and I would be looking for glass carboys. I will drive down for a few cheepies!!!!