What R you doing today?

[harleydmn]

Woke up at 2am and just could not sleep. So, I start my Winery Series Cab and put my Sauvignon Blanc from Ca outside to start cold stabilization

 

[mind-eraser]

Second week for my Island Mist - Strawberry Lychee (maybe a problem? might need some help). Yesterday I racked the Strawberry Lychee after 2 weeks (said to do after 5 to 7 days but was still bubbling real good). The S.G. was .992. So today I added the Potassium Metabisulphite #3 and the Potassium Sorbate #4, stirred with drill. All is well so far. Next I (this is the problem maybe?) added the F-pack (the strawberry juice/syrup) or I tried. I managed to get most in as it didn't go through the funnel that fast as I expected it to. I lost about from a 1/4 or a 1/3 of a cup. I might have to back sweeten it. But how will it affect the final wine. I'm not a fan to much of strawberry wine so that helps (I only got the strawberry Lychee because I love the Lychee part and that's what was there). Anybody else have this problem? Or am I the only one that missed the carboy opening? Thanks for your help...... Bob 8)
P.S. I did take out the air, not by the stirring part (only stirred for the mixing) I used (forgot what it's called) the thing that you put on the bottles after you open it and suck out all the air. Put in a #7.5 bong in end that normally goes on the bottle and pumped out the air. This works really great. I see why I even put it on the bottles after opening cause they never last that long.

 

[Pumpkinman]

I started a 6 gallon batch of Tropical Daze, Dave's Blue Macaw variant, it is based on dragon blood/red dragon.
I wasn't so optimistic about it, as the fruit didn't really impart any real flavor as fast as the Berry blend, but I tweaked the recipe a bit, I substituted 2 - 48 oz cans of Dole Pineapple Juice for the lemon Juice, and obviously used a tropical blend of fruits.
I used a blend of Honey and sugar to bring it to an SG of 1.090 (I didn't have enough honey to make it), and I used a blend of yeasts, 71B-1122 & ICV D47, I didn't realize that the D47 is suggested for mead.
I decided ferment at a lower temp, I am not adding any additional heat, this should help to preserve the fruity esters.
This morning before I added 1/3 of the Yeast nutrient, Fermaid K, I sampled the must...WOW WOW WOW!!! I am highly impressed with the flavor! This will be another very enjoyable fruit wine!
This is more than I expected.

Tom

 

[ffemt128]

Had a nice visit from a fellow wine maker this evening. We enjoyed a glass of Elderberry and sampled a few others while doing some winery work.

Tomorrow is Orthodox Christmas so Merry Cristmas to all our Orthodox members out there.

I'll be heading to Costco tomorrow. I see Lemon and Sugar on the list. Can someone say Pee.

 

[Hokapsig]

Had a nice visit with a fellow wine maker this evening. We enjoyed a glass of his Elderberry and sampled a few others while doing some winery work.

Many thanks for the pressing and the bottles. Look forward to warmer weather to repay the favor....

 

[Runningwolf]

I think you two need to get a room

 

[ffemt128]

Given that I have 9 empty carboys and spring is fast approaching. I started another batch of Skeeter Pee. This batch will be the traditional SP. Last summer between giving it away and drinking it, we went through 20+ gallons. I figure I better get started early on making it this year. SO we will have a batch of Cranberry Lime ready in a month or so and this batch should be ready about the end of March. I'll likely get another batch started next month on President's Day since we are off work.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Racked my Tropical Daze off the lees, stabilized and back sweetened it, once again, my 6 gallon recipe became an 8 gallon recipe (I added enough fruit and honey to bump it up), I wish that the 10 gallon fermenting buckets were marked with the gallons up the side of the bucket just like the 6.5 and 7.9 gallon buckets are, I'll have to make them myself.
The Tropical Daze is dropping a substantial amount of sediment, I believe that this is from the bananas that I added, yep, I gave into the chatter about bananas giving a fruit wine more body, and yes it is true.

I racked my Red Ale, added the priming sugar, cleaned and sanitized all of the bottles, tweaked the recipe just a little to sweeten it just a bit and take away from the hoppy bitterness, this accentuated the malt a bit more, damn it is good!!!!! I bottled 2 cases

 

[Hokapsig]

With the SG down to 1.020, I added the Reallime to the Cran Lime Skeeter Pee batch. Gave another stir to the Apple wine (SG down to 1.050) and splash racked the Concord that Doug pressed for me on Sunday.

What a quandry though - I've been asked to provide 150 split bottles for a wedding. Wonder if they would be happy with Skeeter Pee???

 

[Pumpkinman]

Bill,
Bzac came up with a real ingenious method of making sparkling wine using encapsulated yeast, this eliminates a few steps and the need to have to make a yeast starter, riddle and disgorge the sediment from the bottle, and it is supposed to take as little as 2-6 weeks!

I am going to try it with a few bottles of Pinot Noir and maybe Chardonnay to see how it turns out.
This may be an easy way to come up with a Spumante or a nice light sparkling wine for the wedding.

I'm currently making Spumante from Moscato wine, even after just a few weeks, when we popped a bottle to see what was going on, it was fantastic, but it will take a year to complete.

 

[Sammyk]

Yesterday.......

I started 3 gallons of Apple Pie wine and a Island Mist Kiwi/Mellon kit that was a Christmas gift.

 

[ShelleyDickison]

SammyK: I have made the kiwi melon and it is great. I added 2 pounds of sugar to up it a bit though. My friends love it. We chill it down really well and then put frozen sliced strawberries in the glass for ice cubes. Yummy!!!

 

[rezod11]

Started a quad berry DB yesterday and cannot seem to get the SG above 1.072...any suggestions? More sugar? Honey?

My primary is about to overflow so I think I'll be getting a bigger one today when I go pick up my Selection International Amarone w/skins. Now I can have two in primary! Woohoo!

 

[Pumpkinman]

rezod11, More sugar or honey will do the trick, I suggest honey, the end result will be real nice!!

 

[Hokapsig]

Let me know how the Spumanti comes out. I may want to PM you for the procedure if you think it comes out okay. Let me know...

 

[olusteebus]

Cleaned 50 bottles today getting ready to bottle some peach. I also need to clean about 15 or so 375 ml for one gallon that I will add a bottle of peach brandy.

I am going to add some white grape/peach concentrate (1 can) to at least 5 gallons of it to get the sg up to about 1.010. Don't think I will for the gallon that I am going to add the Brandy.

If the peach taste is not enough, I may add some peach flavoring (beer flavoring) to it.

Any suggestions.

 

[ffemt128]

Going to try and rack my Cranberry Lime Skeeter Pee off the heavy lees. May also try to get the Seyval Blanc racked and stabilized. Nice and clear.

 

[tatud4life]

Racked, stabilized, and cleared my blueberry today. I ended up with 7 gallons. I have 4 empty primaries and that is not a good thing. My wife wants me to make her favorites and I want to try a few more before I start making more of the house favorites. My sangria kit has been getting rave reviews, so it will be making a reappearance. The strawberry, quad berry, blackberry peach, and cherry limeade will all be made again and again no doubt.

 

[tatud4life]

Oh yeah. I racked and filtered my muscadine that I made from my own homegrown grapes. It is delicious if I do say so myself. Can't wait to drink this stuff! B

 

[Pumpkinman]

Bill,
No probs, if you'd like, I can give you the procedure and recipe for Spumante made the traditional way as well.
I should be making it using the new method within a few days if all goes as planned.