Wooo Hooo, I have my very first kit in the primary fermenter!

[Shelly]

All of my starter equipment came today! I spent the day looking over everything, washing and sanitizing and double checking my instructions. As of right now, I have my first kit wine in the primary fermenting bucket sitting overnight to make sure the temperature is right. I will pitch the yeast tomorrow!

The only thing I know for sure that I did wrong... was put the hydrometer in the tube upside down!! LOL It took me a few seconds to ponder why it was sinking!

My brother in Georgia will get his kit by Monday so we're starting the hobby together to support each other... However, he got banned for life from the forums for spam despite the fact that he had only just joined and had never posted a message. I sent a message to support but haven't had a response. It's a shame he can't be here with me. He's by no means a spammer, LOL... I've called him a few things in our life, but never a spammer...

In any event, just wanted to say YAY!!! I'm officially in the game!!

 

[rhoffart]

congrats ... if you have questions, just ask ... good luck

 

[xanxer82]

Good luck! Have you been out to Maryland Homebrew in Columbia yet? They have a nice new set up there. It's worth checking out.

 

[Wade E]

Problem fixed Shelly, sorry about that. Which kit did you get?

 

[robie]

Yep, your brother's problem is fixed. We have to do things to protect the forum and all you guys and gals; sometimes things happen and we have to straighten them out, like with your brother being accidentally picked on. Too bad, I know it was a pain for him and you, but that's better than us all getting wiped out by doing nothing at all. You and all the other members have no idea how many attacks the forum receives each and every day. Hope you and your brother can except this.

Great you got your stuff! I know how excited I was when I got mine, so I am excited now for you.

Now, you have to keep us all informed about how it is going. Don't hesitate to ask questions.

 

[Flem]

All right Shelly!! Let the fun begin!!

 

[hobbyiswine]

It is hard to keep from "messing" with the kit once you get it going! Luckily this forum is full of TONS of GREAT information. Use the time to read up on what others have done. it has helped me from playing with the wine too much!

 

[Wade E]

Now, hopefully your new hobby doesnt turn into a money sucking obsession like it has done to us!

 

[Sammyk]

Ain't that the truth!!! All I wanted to do was make a gallon of muscadine wine from grapes we could not eat because we had had our fill of them. THEN I found this forum and life has not been the same. I am hooked, hook, line and sinker. I spend my spare time reading and thinking ooo,ooo, I want to make that one.

Then it was 4 different Vinters Harvest fruit wines, 3 batches of skeeter pee. And today we started the Chocolate Raspberry WV kit. My 3rd batch of SP will go in the secondary in a few more days. So I have a 6.5 pail and a 5 gallon pail on my kitchen table as I type.

Now I have a confession; we both had to stop ourselves from drinking all the juice in the bag (oh so good!) while we were getting it started. It started to ferment today already and the smell in my kitchen tonight after we went out for dinner is awesome. Hubby keeps telling me to keep my head and nose out of that bucket! LMAO

My list of "want to makes" keeps growing every time I read here.

And my biggest confession is I NEVER drank before. Hubby would have an occasional beer or glass of wine. Now we enjoy a glass each night of SP and some quarts from secondary bottling that I put in the fridge that would not fit in 1/2 gallon carboys.

Only problem my doctor has told me I can 4 to 6 ounces a day....sigh

 

[roblloyd]

Now, hopefully your new hobby doesnt turn into a money sucking obsession like it has done to us!

If they stay here long enough it will. That's the problem with this place. Too many friendly helpful people obsessed with passing on this great disease.

 

[Shelly]

Thanks for fixing my Brother's problem!! Of course he can accept what you do to protect the forum, he's a very nice gent... He'll be along shortly. I'm a forum junky, he reads a bit less than I do. He'll be along shortly.

Oh yes, I keep hearing all of your stories and the names of these incredible wines and I recognize what you are all doing to me!! Don't think I'm not aware of each and every one of you luring me into the depths of the wine making madness!! I have already felt the pull!

Wade, I got the Island Mist Pomegranate Zinfandel. Someone told me that a summer wine kit would be a good introduction so since I love Zinfandels and Reislings the very best and Pomegranate is all the rage, it was an easy choice!!

Hobbyiswine, I will take your advice because sometimes I think I like the research better than the actual activity so this is a perfect pastime for me. I've often been accused of not being able to stop reading and actually doing something... so I should have found this hobby a LONG time ago! I'm a over-reader!! LOL

Oh Sammy, Chocolate Raspberry, really? See what I mean... you can't expect an average woman to step away from anything with the words chocolate in it but then you add raspberry?? Oh boy am I in trouble because I HAVE to make THAT!! LOL

Have a great weekend everyone... I'm so excited to get my batch fermenting today... so would I be the only person that pulls a chair up beside the bucket and watches it for a while? LOL

 

[Sammyk]

congratulations Shelly on your first wine. It is sooo much fun. So much help here too.

Read the reviews on the Chocolate Raspberry here.

The fellow at the wine supply store made us promise to bring him a sample, said he had heard so much about it but had not tried it. He said he did try the orange chocolate and that was very good.

 

[Wade E]

Yes the Chocolate Raspberry port is awesome!! But I was just looking at a website that had a new kit that actually sounded even better, at least to me. A Chocolate Hazelnut Port!!! I made and have some Pom Zins as my wifes friends like those and they are a good one.

 

[jableon]

I am here !!!

I made it Sis thanks to you and the forum managers to make this possible. I am looking foward to reading all so I wont make a mistake like putting the hydrometer in upside down not that anyone would ever make a mistake like that though ha well anyway I look foward to getting this going

Jim

 

[Shelly]

Lol, I would never do that! That would be just silly... And I also would never ask the clerk at the home brew store if I could reuse the corks... Nope, I wouldnt do that either!

 

[xanxer82]

Shelly, are you ready for Sunday? Go Ravens!

 

[Shelly]

Shelly, are you ready for Sunday? Go Ravens!

I am SO ready... we're going to be out of here bright and early to get a good seat at our local Brew Pub to watch the game... Can you believe those Patriots tonight? They are wiping up the floor with poor Tim Tebow!

 

[Giovannino]

I made and have some Pom Zins as my wifes friends like those.

I knew there was another reason we visit this forum

 

[harleydmn]

Should be a good game, now we might have a chance at a Har-bowl

 

[Shelly]

Should be a good game, now we might have a chance at a Har-bowl

A Har-bowl would be "way" cool! The game yesterday was hard on my heart!!