What R you doing today?

[jtstar]

I will that will a very special christmas for me

 

[Tom]

Racked 36 gals of my Chilean and 6 gal of my Fig

 

[DavidB]

Racked, filtered and bottled my candy cane wine today. Rushed it, but got it done by Christmas. Turned out good actually. Going to make this one again soon and have learned a bunch from my mistakes. Got everything labeled and made up 10 gift baskets for presents. The picture is of everything we have labeled and put in the baskets. From left to right there is Candy Cane, Strawberry, Cranberry Fig, Peach, Muscadine, Apple and Scuppernong. Almost everything I have made this year with the exception of a few.

Also racked and backsweetened my first batch of skeeter pee with a muscadine base today. Very good. Will be doing this again very soon. I used too much slurry on this first batch so it has a muscadine blush look / taste but the lemon comes through on the back end of the swallow. Very pleasing.

Has been a grand day!

 

[Runningwolf]

Dave, can you post you recipe for Candy Cane wine with any corrections you would do on the next batch please. Those wines look awesome. I love the different colors.

 

[djrockinsteve]

I was thinking of this today, the candy cane wine. Was wondering if an extract would work as opposed as all the candy canes.

You might want to fill your bottles higher in the neck next time. Less airspace. What a great shot.

 

[DavidB]

Dave, can you post you recipe for Candy Cane wine with any corrections you would do on the next batch please. Those wines look awesome. I love the different colors.

Dan, the original recipe is below. But this is what I'm thinking to make this an excellent wine. I had to do this at the end so I think this may be the best idea. Some of the others may chime in with other thoughts but this is what I'm thinking.

Make a banana wine using either the banana soup recipe or any recipe you can find. Add 3/4 tsp tannin if the recipe doesn't call for it.
Once it's down to .990, add the sorbate and k-meta and drop in 120 regular size candy canes. Let it sit for at least a day or two and check for appropriate taste, sweetness. This is eventually what I had to do using the below recipe. Had good tastes but no feel in your mouth. Would have rather drank water than what the below made. Basically had to start over doing what I said above. Here is the candy cane recipe I initially followed.

Candy Cane Wine

Ingredients
60 candy canes (or more) - regular size
7.5 lbs 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
Pour into remaining water
add sugar
rack after a week and again in two months

 

[DavidB]

I was thinking of this today, the candy cane wine. Was wondering if an extract would work as opposed as all the candy canes.

You might want to fill your bottles higher in the neck next time. Less airspace. What a great shot.

I had thought about the extract, but talked myself out of it. Either a banana soup or maybe even a white grape juice concentrate or apple juice would be a better way to do this. Let it ferment dry and then add the candy canes. But I'm no expert.

I noticed when I first got my bottle filler that it didn't fill the bottles as high as the one I used when I took my one day wine making class. Its just like it, but it doesn't work the same. I stop the flow when the wine is almost pouring from the bottle. But when I take the cane out, the wine settles to this level. Other than topping off after words, what can I do to get the level higher?

 

[Runningwolf]

Thanks Dave. I wonder if making a wine base with apple juice first and then adding in the candy canes would work. You could add them up front by boiling them down in a gallon of apple juice or make a f pac with them.

 

[DavidB]

Thanks Dave. I wonder if making a wine base with apple juice first and then adding in the candy canes would work. You could add them up front by boiling them down in a gallon of apple juice or make a f pac with them.

My thoughts exactly! That would make a dang good wine and may very well be what I do just as soon as the stores reduce the candy canes after Christmas. The apple juice wine I started using aldi apple juice about 3 weeks ago has finished and is ready to clear and bottle. It was a fast ferment and already taste great!

By the way, has any one noticed that those bottles are screw tops? I've never used cork. Only screw top bottles. Been buying them used but have recently found the best price I've seen for new ones at this web site: http://www.shorecontainer.com

Going to order a case or two after I recover from Christmas!

 

[Larryh86GT]

Enjoying the first day of a 4 day holiday weekend with my grandaughter Maya.

 

[Runningwolf]

Very cool Larry!

 

[KevininPa]

Just got done bottling 35 gallons of 2009 Riesling and 2009 Chenin Blanc.
Did it all by myself, however the wife did help me get the bottles ready.
Also put together my 2009 Port blend. Now just waiting for a barrel to open up.

 

[Runningwolf]

Just got done bottling 35 gallons of 2009 Riesling and 2009 Chenin Blanc.
Did it all by myself, however the wife did help me get the bottles ready.
Also put together my 2009 Port blend. Now just waiting for a barrel to open up.

Holy moley Dude why didn't you call me. I woulda come over and watched! Thats a lot of bottles, like 14 cases. About 2 more than I did twice in the last month but I always had a corker to help out. Now lets see some pics and they better have labels.

 

[KevininPa]

In the last 10 days did over a hundred gallons. On 12-13, did 43 gallons, and on the 12-18 did 29 gallons. Wife helped with these though. My son who is 6 places the bottles in the cases and wants paid for it. No labels. Can't come up with a good design and also need to buy some good label stock.

Holy moley Dude why didn't you call me. I woulda come over and watched! Thats a lot of bottles, like 14 cases. About 2 more than I did twice in the last month but I always had a corker to help out. Now lets see some pics and they better have labels.

 

[Runningwolf]

ok you got me beat, I give. I can help you after Christmas with a label. Maybe when you come over to show me how to use my new toys.

 

[ffemt128]

ok you got me beat, I give. I can help you after Christmas with a label. Maybe when you come over to show me how to use my new toys.

I'm hoping for new toys. Although I didn't specifically ask for anything other than a PH meter.

 

[PPBart]

Wife and kids were gone most of the day Christmas shopping, so I bottled 1 gal of Strawberry, 5 gallons of Blueberry and 3 gallons of a Welch's grape juice in a port style (turned out surprisingly good!)

 

[UglyBhamGuy]

My wife is cookin' up a mess of collard greens, then she's gonna make some corn bread. Damnation, i'm a lucky man!

 

[PPBart]

My wife is cookin' up a mess of collard greens, then she's gonna make some corn bread. Damnation, i'm a lucky man!

I also really love collards and corn bread!

 

[UglyBhamGuy]

I also really love collards and corn bread!

If you were closer, Brother, if you were closer...