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1.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
Egged on by DParker, I decided to post a bit about making wine. I've been doing this for a number of years and have really enjoyed it. I make fruit wines (wine from fruit other than grapes). I'll try to step you through the process without weighing you down with numbers and recipes. But then again, there's only about four people that will read this thread anyway so it doesn't really matter. To those brave souls who've kept the forum going all summer when everyone else was at the pool sipping Mike's hard lemonade, here we go. I'm posting this in Cooking, however, I fully expect and applaud your ability to hi-jack this thread. Pictures of scantily clad woman sipping wine are encouraged. Humorous quips about our current administration and leadership blunders are strongly suggested. Questions will be answered in the order they are asked. Please take a number.
You can make a very professional fruit wine from just about any fruit. I've made wine from apple, orange, wild plum, cherry (montmorency, lambert, rainier), peach, black current, loganberry, apricot, persimmon, raspberry, strawberry and banana. All were good, but I do have my favorites. The apricot and persimmon by far made the best tasting wine. I've always wanted to make a mango wine and today is the day. To add to the interest of the wine I'm adding a fair amount of honey this time to give it a mead (honey wine) taste. Here is what I did.
A little background:
Making wine from grapes is a little different. My understanding of that process is the grape provides everything for the wine - the juice containg the correct amount of sugar, acid, enzymes, liquid. No water is added - all the liquid comes from the grape. Therefore a batch requires a lot of fruit. Off the top of my head I'm thinking it is something like 16 pounds of fruit makes a gallon of wine. If you happen to have a vineyard in your back yard you are in luck. Fruit wines require about 3-5 pounds of fruit per gallon of wine. The rest of the liquid is supplied as water. Sugar is added to supplement the mixture. Acid is supplemented for low-acid fruits. Acid is important in providing the correct environment for yeast and it also provides a crisp finish for the wine when drinking.
Making wine from the fruit you grew or picked wild adds another dimension to winemaking. You can buy juices at a home brew store for making wine but there is more satisfaction in making wine where you were involved in the growing and or harvest of the fruit.
I started with some peeled mangos for a 5-gallon batch of wine. Water is added, sugar and honey, acid, pectic enzyme (to aid in the wine being clear when finished), and yeast nutrients (vitamins and minerals for the yeast. I could have added only sugar or only honey but I've decided to do both. Yeast requires a sugar source so it can make alcohol. Whether that source is sugar or honey makes no difference. Honey will add a different flavor to the wine. I've determined you can get the honey flavor in your wine without some of the problems of a full honey wine. Honey has lots of complex proteins and other compounds that can make a wine cloudy if you aren't up for the challenge.
The most important ingredient of course is yeast. The wine yeast is grown specifically to handle certain conditions and produce the type of wine you are after. Some yeast is very alcohol tolerant others not so much. You can understand that the more alcohol the yeast produces the less favorable environment it now lives in. Yeast will naturally die once a certain percentage of alcohol is reached. I've chosen a yeast that is born and bred for fruit wines. It is alcohol tolerant and will take me to my target range of alcohol without kicking the bucket. I like to make my wine at 12%. Wine keeps a little better when the alcohol content is higher. Knowing my target alcohol percentage and using a hydrometer, I add enough sugar and honey to get me to that alcohol level. The yeast will eat all the sugar in the mixture (must) until the sugar is gone. In this batch of wine I used 4 1/2 pounds of honey and around 6 pounds of sugar. When the wine is done fermenting it will be bone dry (no residual sugar). The fermenting ceases because there is no more food source.
You don't want to just pitch the wine yeast into the must and hope for the best. There are wild yeast critters on your fruit already. Trouble is, we can't be sure how tolerant they are of alcohol and how well they will perform so we need to kill them and start with a clean slate. I add a little Potassium Metabisulphite (This Wine Contains Sulfites) to kill all the wild yeast. Next we give our "must" about 24 hours and the "all clear" signal before we put our yeast to work. Now while our must is laying around I create a starter batch from the purchased yeast so it can be sexually active until it dives into the adult pool.
Testing the specific gravity (sugar content) with a hydrometer.
You can make a very professional fruit wine from just about any fruit. I've made wine from apple, orange, wild plum, cherry (montmorency, lambert, rainier), peach, black current, loganberry, apricot, persimmon, raspberry, strawberry and banana. All were good, but I do have my favorites. The apricot and persimmon by far made the best tasting wine. I've always wanted to make a mango wine and today is the day. To add to the interest of the wine I'm adding a fair amount of honey this time to give it a mead (honey wine) taste. Here is what I did.
A little background:
Making wine from grapes is a little different. My understanding of that process is the grape provides everything for the wine - the juice containg the correct amount of sugar, acid, enzymes, liquid. No water is added - all the liquid comes from the grape. Therefore a batch requires a lot of fruit. Off the top of my head I'm thinking it is something like 16 pounds of fruit makes a gallon of wine. If you happen to have a vineyard in your back yard you are in luck. Fruit wines require about 3-5 pounds of fruit per gallon of wine. The rest of the liquid is supplied as water. Sugar is added to supplement the mixture. Acid is supplemented for low-acid fruits. Acid is important in providing the correct environment for yeast and it also provides a crisp finish for the wine when drinking.
Making wine from the fruit you grew or picked wild adds another dimension to winemaking. You can buy juices at a home brew store for making wine but there is more satisfaction in making wine where you were involved in the growing and or harvest of the fruit.
I started with some peeled mangos for a 5-gallon batch of wine. Water is added, sugar and honey, acid, pectic enzyme (to aid in the wine being clear when finished), and yeast nutrients (vitamins and minerals for the yeast. I could have added only sugar or only honey but I've decided to do both. Yeast requires a sugar source so it can make alcohol. Whether that source is sugar or honey makes no difference. Honey will add a different flavor to the wine. I've determined you can get the honey flavor in your wine without some of the problems of a full honey wine. Honey has lots of complex proteins and other compounds that can make a wine cloudy if you aren't up for the challenge.
The most important ingredient of course is yeast. The wine yeast is grown specifically to handle certain conditions and produce the type of wine you are after. Some yeast is very alcohol tolerant others not so much. You can understand that the more alcohol the yeast produces the less favorable environment it now lives in. Yeast will naturally die once a certain percentage of alcohol is reached. I've chosen a yeast that is born and bred for fruit wines. It is alcohol tolerant and will take me to my target range of alcohol without kicking the bucket. I like to make my wine at 12%. Wine keeps a little better when the alcohol content is higher. Knowing my target alcohol percentage and using a hydrometer, I add enough sugar and honey to get me to that alcohol level. The yeast will eat all the sugar in the mixture (must) until the sugar is gone. In this batch of wine I used 4 1/2 pounds of honey and around 6 pounds of sugar. When the wine is done fermenting it will be bone dry (no residual sugar). The fermenting ceases because there is no more food source.
You don't want to just pitch the wine yeast into the must and hope for the best. There are wild yeast critters on your fruit already. Trouble is, we can't be sure how tolerant they are of alcohol and how well they will perform so we need to kill them and start with a clean slate. I add a little Potassium Metabisulphite (This Wine Contains Sulfites) to kill all the wild yeast. Next we give our "must" about 24 hours and the "all clear" signal before we put our yeast to work. Now while our must is laying around I create a starter batch from the purchased yeast so it can be sexually active until it dives into the adult pool.
Testing the specific gravity (sugar content) with a hydrometer.
2.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;22139]...when everyone else was at the pool sipping Mike's hard lemonade...[/QUOTE]
That's not a euphemism, right? :wink
That's not a euphemism, right? :wink
3.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;22139]You can make a very professional fruit wine from just about any fruit. I've made wine from apple, orange, wild plum, cherry (montmorency, lambert, rainier), peach, black current, loganberry, apricot, persimmon, raspberry, strawberry and banana. All were good, but I do have my favorites. The apricot and persimmon by far made the best tasting wine. I've always wanted to make a mango wine and today is the day. To add to the interest of the wine I'm adding a fair amount of honey this time to give it a mead (honey wine) taste. Here is what I did...
Making wine from the fruit you grew or picked wild adds another dimension to winemaking. You can buy juices at a home brew store for making wine but there is more satisfaction in making wine where you were involved in the growing and or harvest of the fruit...
[/QUOTE]
I was gonna say about the persimmons, and then you did...:tu:
There are some watermelon wines I like, and for grapes, scuppernong...
Mango/honey sounds awesome!
If you have any pics of girls in bikinis doing anything next to your mango trees...or doing anything with a mango, really...please post them...I'm stuck at my desk today...
Making wine from the fruit you grew or picked wild adds another dimension to winemaking. You can buy juices at a home brew store for making wine but there is more satisfaction in making wine where you were involved in the growing and or harvest of the fruit...
[/QUOTE]
I was gonna say about the persimmons, and then you did...:tu:
There are some watermelon wines I like, and for grapes, scuppernong...
Mango/honey sounds awesome!
If you have any pics of girls in bikinis doing anything next to your mango trees...or doing anything with a mango, really...please post them...I'm stuck at my desk today...
4.) luv2bowhunt - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;22139]Humorous quips about our current administration and leadership blunders are strongly suggested.[/QUOTE]
That reminds me of the time Alex crashed the site........and again......and again.............................and then yet again.
Thanks for all the pics, keeps me from reading so much.
That reminds me of the time Alex crashed the site........and again......and again.............................and then yet again.
Thanks for all the pics, keeps me from reading so much.
5.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
LOL...
6.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;22159]That reminds me of the time Alex crashed the site........and again......and again.............................and then yet again.
Thanks for all the pics, keeps me from reading so much.[/QUOTE]
There's a big fat iron pot thread going on Luv2. Its got lots of pics. You should check it out.
Thanks for all the pics, keeps me from reading so much.[/QUOTE]
There's a big fat iron pot thread going on Luv2. Its got lots of pics. You should check it out.
7.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;22158]I was gonna say about the persimmons, and then you did...:tu:
There are some watermelon wines I like, and for grapes, scuppernong...
Mango/honey sounds awesome!
If you have any pics of girls in bikinis doing anything next to your mango trees...or doing anything with a mango, really...please post them...I'm stuck at my desk today...[/QUOTE]
Incidentally, someone (knowledgable about home winemaking) told me you can't make banana wine. I'm not sure what the reasoning was but they were pretty emphatic that it couldn't be done without raisins. Well of course, I had to do it. Turned out fantastic. I ended up blending that wine with strawberry and it was really good.
When someone tells you something can't be done, my bs detector always goes off. If they can't come up with a reason beyond, "it just won't work", I realize they are just parroting some other fool that told them it couldn't be done.
There are some watermelon wines I like, and for grapes, scuppernong...
Mango/honey sounds awesome!
If you have any pics of girls in bikinis doing anything next to your mango trees...or doing anything with a mango, really...please post them...I'm stuck at my desk today...[/QUOTE]
Incidentally, someone (knowledgable about home winemaking) told me you can't make banana wine. I'm not sure what the reasoning was but they were pretty emphatic that it couldn't be done without raisins. Well of course, I had to do it. Turned out fantastic. I ended up blending that wine with strawberry and it was really good.
When someone tells you something can't be done, my bs detector always goes off. If they can't come up with a reason beyond, "it just won't work", I realize they are just parroting some other fool that told them it couldn't be done.
8.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
When this thread begins to slow (like the yeast), you can always throw in some horse puns.
9.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
That wood be a barrel of laughs...
10.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
Speaking of bananas made me think of peanut butter...
which made me think of a peanut butter-flavored vodka, which is either a testimony to the sick way my mind works, or a testament to God's inexplicable creation, or both, however you choose to look at it...
Here's the vodka:
[url]http://www.nutliquor.me/home.html[/url]
It's actually very good, especially if you're sitting around a campfire on a crisp November night and think it's a liqueur and not vodka. Perhaps only in those circumstances. I'll let you decide, and just say beware what people pass to you around a campfire.
You can't find it everywhere, and I assume it's the same stuff I had a couple of years ago before they changed the bottle and the website, but I thought I'd throw it out there. I know we still have some campfire tippler types out there in HuntingCountryLand...even if we've lost the campfire turkey decoy types along the way...:wink
which made me think of a peanut butter-flavored vodka, which is either a testimony to the sick way my mind works, or a testament to God's inexplicable creation, or both, however you choose to look at it...
Here's the vodka:
[url]http://www.nutliquor.me/home.html[/url]
It's actually very good, especially if you're sitting around a campfire on a crisp November night and think it's a liqueur and not vodka. Perhaps only in those circumstances. I'll let you decide, and just say beware what people pass to you around a campfire.
You can't find it everywhere, and I assume it's the same stuff I had a couple of years ago before they changed the bottle and the website, but I thought I'd throw it out there. I know we still have some campfire tippler types out there in HuntingCountryLand...even if we've lost the campfire turkey decoy types along the way...:wink
11.) DParker - 07/21/2014
Cool. How long do you typically age your country wines before drinking them?
And...Swampy talking up a vodka?! I think I saw this movie once. It was called [I]Invasion of the Body Snatchers[/I].
And...Swampy talking up a vodka?! I think I saw this movie once. It was called [I]Invasion of the Body Snatchers[/I].
12.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
Hey, I said I thought it was a liqueur, LOL...
13.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;22177]Speaking of bananas made me think of peanut butter...
[/QUOTE]
Camel toe?
[/QUOTE]
Camel toe?
14.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=DParker;22178]Cool. How long do you typically age your country wines before drinking them?
[/QUOTE]
This one will be ready at Christmas. I like to give them 6 months. Time as you know is your friend. Mostly that time is spent waiting for the wine to clear and develop.
[/QUOTE]
This one will be ready at Christmas. I like to give them 6 months. Time as you know is your friend. Mostly that time is spent waiting for the wine to clear and develop.
15.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;22180]Camel toe?[/QUOTE]
Horse knuckle...
:wink
I swear...Look it up, LOL.
Horse knuckle...
:wink
I swear...Look it up, LOL.
16.) DParker - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;22180]Camel toe?[/QUOTE]
Aw, MAN!!!! I managed to completely miss that in Swampy's post....until you pointed it out. And I just ate, too....
Aw, MAN!!!! I managed to completely miss that in Swampy's post....until you pointed it out. And I just ate, too....
17.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;22176]That wood be a barrel of laughs...[/QUOTE]
Oh, c'mon!...No luv for my pun which includes both wine-making AND horse references?
:grin:
Oh, c'mon!...No luv for my pun which includes both wine-making AND horse references?
:grin:
18.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
:tu:
:clap:
Sorry, I was having a filly-cheese steak.
:clap:
Sorry, I was having a filly-cheese steak.
19.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
LOL....
Thank you, thank you vare much...:wink
That was really directed at DP, who may have missed my entire intricate web of Banana/ Peanut butter/Fat Elvis/Nut Liquor/Horse Knuckle comedy...
:grin:
Or at least maybe didn't appreciate it sufficiently...A thing of beauty...LOL
Thank you, thank you vare much...:wink
That was really directed at DP, who may have missed my entire intricate web of Banana/ Peanut butter/Fat Elvis/Nut Liquor/Horse Knuckle comedy...
:grin:
Or at least maybe didn't appreciate it sufficiently...A thing of beauty...LOL
20.) DParker - 07/21/2014
Sorry...I'm still too traumatized by Elvis' knuckle. This could take years of therapy.
21.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
Don't say I never gave you anything...
22.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
Nightmares?
Or is that too soon? :wink
Plus I used it in the other thread...
But I think the judges should allow it...Different thread and all...
Or is that too soon? :wink
Plus I used it in the other thread...
But I think the judges should allow it...Different thread and all...
23.) Wild Bob - 07/21/2014
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing (the wine making that is...not the camel toe).
You may have turned me on to something here...I'm thinking Choke Cherry wine would be good one winter evening.
You may have turned me on to something here...I'm thinking Choke Cherry wine would be good one winter evening.
24.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
I've had choke cherry before and it makes a good wine. I used to help out at the state fair (was even a judge for a short spell) and got to taste a lot of wine. Some of it was really bad. Some good.
Give it a try. I can help.
Give it a try. I can help.
25.) DParker - 07/21/2014
I made blackberry and peach wines one year. Both made from fruit grown in my backyard.....and both were horrible. My grape wines were not as bad.
Fortunately most all of the same equipment can also be used for making beer. :grin:
Fortunately most all of the same equipment can also be used for making beer. :grin:
26.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
Well you should be proud of the fact that you tried. And growing your own grapes is pretty impressive all by itself. Do you remember what the problems were or where you were unsure of the steps?
27.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
Two questions: How do you store it (conditions, containers, etc.) once it's ready to be put up and...
Are you familiar with applejack? Not the My Little Pony Applejack...The hard cider applejack. If you had the freezing outdoor temps or the freezing indoor freezer for freeze distillation, could you make "applejack" from what you're starting with, and with the different fruits? Or is the process of fruit wine-making too radically different right from the get-go?
Are you familiar with applejack? Not the My Little Pony Applejack...The hard cider applejack. If you had the freezing outdoor temps or the freezing indoor freezer for freeze distillation, could you make "applejack" from what you're starting with, and with the different fruits? Or is the process of fruit wine-making too radically different right from the get-go?
28.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
Not too familiar with applejack other than I believe it is a hard cider. I think you could distill from what I've created. It would need to turn into alcohol first then you would distill it further so it is almost pure. I might have to consult the Magic 8 ball on that but I don't see why not. Basically distillation is the separation of alcohol from the other components right? You would need to move it all to some copper kettle distillation unit thingy.
I will continue to post about the mango wine. We are in day 3 of the whole process. I'll try to illustrate everything. Right now, I've got the fermentation going. I'll take a pic either tonight or tomorrow when the aerobic part of the fermentation is in full swing.
I will continue to post about the mango wine. We are in day 3 of the whole process. I'll try to illustrate everything. Right now, I've got the fermentation going. I'll take a pic either tonight or tomorrow when the aerobic part of the fermentation is in full swing.
29.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
As I said, don't ask me any chemistry questions. :wink
Not sure you'd need the copper still for where I was going with that. That would be for evaporative/steam distillation, but the way they used to do applejack in colonial times was by freeze distillation, which was to put the fermenting cider (I assume the container could be wood) out to freeze and then they would take the ice layer off however so often. With each removal of ice, what was left became higher and higher proof.
I think the freeze distillation method stayed in the backwoods even as steam distillation to remove impurities gained popularity. I can't swear to it, but I think the name "who hit john" for likker may have come from the effects of wooly, freeze-distilled applejack. :ach:
Not sure you'd need the copper still for where I was going with that. That would be for evaporative/steam distillation, but the way they used to do applejack in colonial times was by freeze distillation, which was to put the fermenting cider (I assume the container could be wood) out to freeze and then they would take the ice layer off however so often. With each removal of ice, what was left became higher and higher proof.
I think the freeze distillation method stayed in the backwoods even as steam distillation to remove impurities gained popularity. I can't swear to it, but I think the name "who hit john" for likker may have come from the effects of wooly, freeze-distilled applejack. :ach:
30.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
Interesting. Makes sense. Alcohol has a different freeze point, so water could be removed by the freezing method. I'm saying I think it would work. It wouldn't be wine but that is not what you asked.
More importantly though, "How do the French hold their liquor?"
More importantly though, "How do the French hold their liquor?"
31.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
With their pinkies up and their wrists down?
I don't know...How?
I don't know...How?
32.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
By their ears.
33.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;22198]... I'm saying I think it would work. It wouldn't be wine but that is not what you asked...
[/QUOTE]
I'd get totally different crowd over to the house if I invited for "honey mango wine" vs. "honey mango ruckus juice." :wink
[/QUOTE]
I'd get totally different crowd over to the house if I invited for "honey mango wine" vs. "honey mango ruckus juice." :wink
34.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;22200]By their ears.[/QUOTE]
LOL...
Could have used that one on the statue thread...:shocked:
LOL...
Could have used that one on the statue thread...:shocked:
35.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
Sounds like a good time.
Honey mango wine = High falutin', Prius driving, bunch of liberal stiffs that want to debate you on your right to defend yourself with a gun while employing body guards kind of crowd".
Honey Mango Ruckus Juice = "Kick your shoes off, watch out for the fish entrails, pet my cats, eat some cheetos and bs about upcoming deer season kind of crowd".
Honey mango wine = High falutin', Prius driving, bunch of liberal stiffs that want to debate you on your right to defend yourself with a gun while employing body guards kind of crowd".
Honey Mango Ruckus Juice = "Kick your shoes off, watch out for the fish entrails, pet my cats, eat some cheetos and bs about upcoming deer season kind of crowd".
36.) Deerminator - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;22201]I'd get totally different crowd over to the house if I invited for "honey mango wine" vs. "honey mango ruckus juice." :wink[/QUOTE]
Give me the ruckus juice please:hb:
Give me the ruckus juice please:hb:
37.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
We need some of the first group around here, just so we can get some exercise. There were some lefties over at the Bowsite I enjoyed seeing clobbered when I used to hang out over there more. Sometimes they even thought they won the arguments, but that was usually due to self-delusion or weak opponents. In any event, it emboldened them for the next round, LOL. It was pretty entertaining.
38.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
Deerminator has the right idea, LOL...
:wave:
:wave:
39.) bluecat - 07/21/2014
Well there's that and the fact that you might get lucky with ruckus juice.
40.) Deerminator - 07/21/2014
[I][FONT=Arial Narrow][SIZE=4]onceagain[/SIZE] [/FONT] [/I]
41.) Deerminator - 07/21/2014
....
42.) Deerminator - 07/21/2014
ya know what they say
43.) Swamp Fox - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;22208]Well there's that and the fact that you might get lucky with ruckus juice.[/QUOTE]
When the girl says, "I can hardly taste the alcohol!" that's when the magic happens...LOL
When the girl says, "I can hardly taste the alcohol!" that's when the magic happens...LOL
44.) DParker - 07/21/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;22194]Well you should be proud of the fact that you tried. And growing your own grapes is pretty impressive all by itself. Do you remember what the problems were or where you were unsure of the steps?[/QUOTE]
Oh, I was sure of the steps. I understood the chemistry and everything. I research things like that to death before I dive into them, and oenology had been a passion of mine for years. The problem was that winemaking is as much art as it is science...and it turns out that I'm no artist. I got impatient and/or lazy at times and rushed through some things when I shouldn't have.
My vines were things of beauty though.
Oh, I was sure of the steps. I understood the chemistry and everything. I research things like that to death before I dive into them, and oenology had been a passion of mine for years. The problem was that winemaking is as much art as it is science...and it turns out that I'm no artist. I got impatient and/or lazy at times and rushed through some things when I shouldn't have.
My vines were things of beauty though.
45.) Deerminator - 07/22/2014
somebody gave my dad a wine making kit back when I was:cf: oooo about 12 or so.
that stuff was GREAT:ach:
that stuff was GREAT:ach:
46.) bluecat - 07/22/2014
[QUOTE=DParker;22218]
My vines were things of beauty though.[/QUOTE]
That's what she said.
My vines were things of beauty though.[/QUOTE]
That's what she said.
47.) bluecat - 07/22/2014
The must is now foamy from all the yeast activity. The alcohol that is being created acts as a solvent and extracts the color and flavors out of the fruit. Tomorrow night is probably when I will move the must from the primary fermenter (bucket) into the secondary fermenter (glass jar) and give it an air lock. The process now is aerobic fermentation. When I put the must into the air-locked carboy (jar) the yeast will shift to anaerobic fermentation.
The must is stirred about four times per day.
48.) NEBigAl - 07/22/2014
Heck can we just eat it with a spoon like that
49.) bluecat - 07/22/2014
The initial stages of fermentation are pleasing as there is a smell of fermenting fruit that is wafting through the house.
50.) luv2bowhunt - 07/22/2014
My neighbor gave me a couple of bottles of his homemade mulberry wine. It opened like champagne and tasted like vinegar. It was horrible.
What did he do wrong?
What did he do wrong?
51.) Swamp Fox - 07/22/2014
Moved in next to you? ...:wink
52.) DParker - 07/22/2014
[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;22241]My neighbor gave me a couple of bottles of his homemade mulberry wine. It opened like champagne and tasted like vinegar. It was horrible.
What did he do wrong?[/QUOTE]
You mean, besides moving in next door to you? :-) (Edit: Swampy beat me by a hair.)
If it truly tasted like vinegar then most likely he got sloppy with his sanitation practices and it was contaminated by acetobacter, the bacteria that converts ethanol to acetic acid and is used to turn wine into....vinegar.
What did he do wrong?[/QUOTE]
You mean, besides moving in next door to you? :-) (Edit: Swampy beat me by a hair.)
If it truly tasted like vinegar then most likely he got sloppy with his sanitation practices and it was contaminated by acetobacter, the bacteria that converts ethanol to acetic acid and is used to turn wine into....vinegar.
53.) Swamp Fox - 07/22/2014
The piņata was just hanging there...:wink
54.) bluecat - 07/22/2014
[QUOTE=DParker;22245]
If it truly tasted like vinegar then most likely he got sloppy with his sanitation practices and it was contaminated by acetobacter, the bacteria that converts ethanol to acetic acid and is used to turn wine into....vinegar.[/QUOTE]
Yep that is correct.
Also if it opened like Champagne then the yeast was not fully inactive/dead at bottling. Any residual sugar in the bottle will continue to be eaten and produce alcohol AND C02.
Lucky someone didn't get hurt.
That is exactly how Champagne is made. A little bit of sugar is added to the bottle at bottling. But the bottle is built different to handle the pressure and the sugar is a known quantity.
If it truly tasted like vinegar then most likely he got sloppy with his sanitation practices and it was contaminated by acetobacter, the bacteria that converts ethanol to acetic acid and is used to turn wine into....vinegar.[/QUOTE]
Yep that is correct.
Also if it opened like Champagne then the yeast was not fully inactive/dead at bottling. Any residual sugar in the bottle will continue to be eaten and produce alcohol AND C02.
Lucky someone didn't get hurt.
That is exactly how Champagne is made. A little bit of sugar is added to the bottle at bottling. But the bottle is built different to handle the pressure and the sugar is a known quantity.
55.) Swamp Fox - 07/22/2014
Makes you wonder what Luv2 did to piss this guy off....
Not everyone sends bombs to their neighbors...LOL
Not everyone sends bombs to their neighbors...LOL
56.) bluecat - 07/22/2014
Luv2, was there a fuse hanging out the end of the bottle and did you return all the garden equipment you borrowed over the years?
57.) NEBigAl - 07/22/2014
They can pry their trowel out of his cold dead hands!
58.) luv2bowhunt - 07/22/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;22247]Also if it opened like Champagne then the yeast was not fully inactive/dead at bottling. Any residual sugar in the bottle will continue to be eaten and produce alcohol AND C02.
Lucky someone didn't get hurt.[/QUOTE]
I thought I'd go ahead and open it, to be nice and say "oh yeah, that wine was good...thanks." It had a plastic wrap on the end, took it off and POOOOFFFFF it hit the ceiling with serious force, flowed out all over the kitchen and was just like vinegar.
I have one bottle left if anyone is interested..............Chris...I'll pay the shipping............no problem. Is the address I have still good? You are still in that little efficiency apartment above the Chinese Restaurant in Ashley...right?
Lucky someone didn't get hurt.[/QUOTE]
I thought I'd go ahead and open it, to be nice and say "oh yeah, that wine was good...thanks." It had a plastic wrap on the end, took it off and POOOOFFFFF it hit the ceiling with serious force, flowed out all over the kitchen and was just like vinegar.
I have one bottle left if anyone is interested..............Chris...I'll pay the shipping............no problem. Is the address I have still good? You are still in that little efficiency apartment above the Chinese Restaurant in Ashley...right?
59.) Swamp Fox - 07/22/2014
LOL....
60.) DParker - 07/22/2014
If so, I'll have the poke flied lice prease.
61.) Wild Bob - 07/22/2014
You want some vinegar with that???
62.) bluecat - 07/24/2014
So at this point, I squeeze all the remaining goodness out of the mesh bag full of fruit, remove it and then syphon the must into a glass carboy. Now the yeast is fermenting in an anaerobic state. It will continue to ferment for months, but I will come in and remove some of the sediment down the road. Stay tuned.
I also have a strawberry working.
63.) Deerminator - 07/24/2014
sounds like was stored in the heat. I"M kinda partial to French bardoes.
Graves, St. Emillion,... mmmmmmmmmm good:ach:
Graves, St. Emillion,... mmmmmmmmmm good:ach:
64.) bluecat - 07/24/2014
[QUOTE=Deerminator;22339]I"M kinda partial to French bardoes.[/QUOTE]
Me too.
Me too.
65.) Deerminator - 07/24/2014
:tu::tu::tu:
66.) DParker - 08/01/2014
By the way, back in 1996 I started a (now defunct) local social organization dedicated to hobbyist wine making and viticulture. Two years later the Dallas Morning News ran a story on the subject of home wine making and I and the organization were briefly featured in it:
I already had a good start on my gut back then, but my facial hair still lacked the overwhelming grayness that it now sports. *sigh*
I already had a good start on my gut back then, but my facial hair still lacked the overwhelming grayness that it now sports. *sigh*
67.) bluecat - 08/01/2014
Awesome sauce! That's pretty cool dude.
68.) DParker - 08/01/2014
Unfortunately we never did get the oak barrels, and Jack's Homebrew went out of business years ago. [ATTACH=CONFIG]443[/ATTACH]
69.) bluecat - 08/01/2014
It may not be relevant for you now but you can buy oak chips from wine barrels and put those in your wine. They will impart the flavors of the oak barrels without the expense of the barrel or the necessity to make a 50 gallon batch. I had a friend that did this.
70.) DParker - 08/01/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;22751]It may not be relevant for you now but you can buy oak chips from wine barrels and put those in your wine. They will impart the flavors of the oak barrels without the expense of the barrel or the necessity to make a 50 gallon batch. I had a friend that did this.[/QUOTE]
I tried that once with a Shiraz but didn't get terribly good results, though I likely didn't leave them in for long enough. Then again I never got terribly good results (though I did get some that were just terrible) with my attempts at wine in general.
I tried that once with a Shiraz but didn't get terribly good results, though I likely didn't leave them in for long enough. Then again I never got terribly good results (though I did get some that were just terrible) with my attempts at wine in general.
71.) bluecat - 08/12/2014
Here's a little update teaser. Both wines are still fermenting. The strawberry wine has slowed down considerably allowing many of the suspended solids (bits of fruit, spent yeast hulls, tiny children) to precipitate to the bottom. The mango wine is still fairly vigorous at this point. When both have slowed down I will remove the sediment as it will impart a bad flavor to the wine. As the fermenting subsides the color of the wine will become darker because the particles are not in suspension. Compare the color in this picture to previous pictures.
Will wait until both are at that stage so I only have to clean my equipment one time. The way you remove the sediment is by syphoning the top layer of wine. I have a little instrument that allows you to syphon only to a particular depth.
72.) Swamp Fox - 08/12/2014
I know anytime I find sentiment in alcohol, it doesn't taste bad, but I say a lot of stuff I probably should keep to myself. Also makes me dial the phone sometimes, which is weird. But hey, no guts no glory.
How do you know when to take the sentiment out of homemade wine?
Show us a pic of the "smartsyphon" when you drag it out. :tu::tu:
How do you know when to take the sentiment out of homemade wine?
Show us a pic of the "smartsyphon" when you drag it out. :tu::tu:
73.) bluecat - 08/12/2014
Sometimes I'll put a bow and a card around the bottle to kick up the sentiment a bit. It all depends on what you're trying to achieve - forgiveness or permission.
74.) Swamp Fox - 08/12/2014
LOL...
One of my top favorite cartoons---I think it was Playboy a looong time ago---was a guy and a girl on a picnic, sitting on a blanket. He has his shades on and a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, a bottle in his hand, ready to pour.
He's saying, "I'm glad you feel that you can trust me. More tequila?"
:wink
One of my top favorite cartoons---I think it was Playboy a looong time ago---was a guy and a girl on a picnic, sitting on a blanket. He has his shades on and a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, a bottle in his hand, ready to pour.
He's saying, "I'm glad you feel that you can trust me. More tequila?"
:wink
75.) DParker - 08/12/2014
Bottoms up!!!!
OK, OK....too soon. I'll wait.
When it's done you need to disguise yourself as a little ol' granny, hop on your dirt bike and roam the countryside spreading fermented strawberry love...
[video=youtube_share;mhWgFGbMspE]http://youtu.be/mhWgFGbMspE[/video]
OK, OK....too soon. I'll wait.
When it's done you need to disguise yourself as a little ol' granny, hop on your dirt bike and roam the countryside spreading fermented strawberry love...
[video=youtube_share;mhWgFGbMspE]http://youtu.be/mhWgFGbMspE[/video]
76.) Swamp Fox - 08/12/2014
LOL...
That's probably why Boone's Farm was so popular back when I was an underage delinquent....
Never had it myself...I just remember the name. Colt 45 in the big bottles was my vice, after one-on-one or pick-up hoops under the streetlights. Then we'd wander through town singing "Yellow Submarine" and wondering which freshman girls were home and which ones were already dating seniors. :wink
Yes, I know. I was drinking 40's before drinking 40's was cool, LOL.
That's probably why Boone's Farm was so popular back when I was an underage delinquent....
Never had it myself...I just remember the name. Colt 45 in the big bottles was my vice, after one-on-one or pick-up hoops under the streetlights. Then we'd wander through town singing "Yellow Submarine" and wondering which freshman girls were home and which ones were already dating seniors. :wink
Yes, I know. I was drinking 40's before drinking 40's was cool, LOL.
77.) bluecat - 08/13/2014
I always add a worm just before bottling.
78.) bluecat - 08/13/2014
A big nightcrawler.
79.) Swamp Fox - 08/13/2014
Sounds like a good way to get rid of the sentiment...
80.) bluecat - 08/13/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;23303]
Never had it myself...I just remember the name. Colt 45 in the big bottles was my vice, after one-on-one or pick-up hoops under the streetlights. Then we'd wander through town singing "Yellow Submarine" and wondering which freshman girls were home and which ones were already dating seniors. :wink
[/QUOTE]
Ah, those were the days...
Never had it myself...I just remember the name. Colt 45 in the big bottles was my vice, after one-on-one or pick-up hoops under the streetlights. Then we'd wander through town singing "Yellow Submarine" and wondering which freshman girls were home and which ones were already dating seniors. :wink
[/QUOTE]
Ah, those were the days...
81.) Swamp Fox - 08/13/2014
I'd go back to high school in a minute! :wink
The question is if I'd do anything differently! :laugh:
The question is if I'd do anything differently! :laugh:
82.) bluecat - 09/22/2014
Here are some pics of sediment removal from the wine. The Mango wine is still cloudy from what I'm guessing is a protein haze. If it doesn't begin to clear in a month, I'll have to resort to adding a fining agent so the protein will precipitate out. At this point, it was time to get the wine off of the sediment which can impart nasty flavors.
As you can see Swampy, the suction is directed from above which allow you to remove right up to the sediment line. In the picture, I could have gotten even closer to the sediment but messed up a little bit with the syphon.
We'll let the wine sit for a couple more months at least. There is still some fermentation happening.
83.) bluecat - 09/22/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;23311]I'd go back to high school in a minute! :wink
The question is if I'd do anything differently! :laugh:[/QUOTE]
Well duh, there are some scores to settle!
The question is if I'd do anything differently! :laugh:[/QUOTE]
Well duh, there are some scores to settle!
84.) DParker - 09/22/2014
That strawberry certainly cleared up nicely.
85.) bluecat - 09/22/2014
Strawberry is the "JV" of the homemade wines. Other wines are tougher...
86.) Wild Bob - 09/22/2014
Thanks for posting this thread; it's very interesting for those of us with no experience with wine making. :tu:
87.) luv2bowhunt - 09/22/2014
Actually, the entire thread scared me off. I was thinking of tinkering with it a bit, but now realize it is intensely involved. Not sure I have what it takes to stick with it till the end.
88.) bluecat - 09/22/2014
[QUOTE=Wild Bob;25732]Thanks for posting this thread; it's very interesting for those of us with no experience with wine making. :tu:[/QUOTE]
I create threads just so I can safely hijack them without getting banned. Don't tell Alex.
I create threads just so I can safely hijack them without getting banned. Don't tell Alex.
89.) bluecat - 09/22/2014
[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;25733]Actually, the entire thread scared me off. I was thinking of tinkering with it a bit, but now realize it is intensely involved. Not sure I have what it takes to stick with it till the end.[/QUOTE]
Well that actually makes me sad, because the point of it all was to show you guys how easy it really can be. I started at absolute ground zero. Knew nothing about wine. Of course, now I'm a genius. :wink
Well that actually makes me sad, because the point of it all was to show you guys how easy it really can be. I started at absolute ground zero. Knew nothing about wine. Of course, now I'm a genius. :wink
90.) bluecat - 09/22/2014
If you can disassemble a 1911 without poking out your eye, you can make wine.
91.) bluecat - 09/22/2014
Don't let all the fancy smancy equipment throw you off either. People have been making wine in old buckets for ever. This equipment is more refined and is available at any homebrew store or online.
92.) DParker - 09/22/2014
[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;25733]Actually, the entire thread scared me off. I was thinking of tinkering with it a bit, but now realize it is intensely involved. Not sure I have what it takes to stick with it till the end.[/QUOTE]
My advice (which is almost worth what you're paying for it) is to start out by brewing some beer. It's less complicated than wine (though making wine isn't really all that [I]complicated[/I]), and you can easily make a product that's at least as good or better than what you can buy at the store. It's not only an easier way to get into homebrewing, it's also a great confidence builder, as you're far less likely to put in a bunch of work on your first batch just to have it go south on you. Plus, most of the basic equipment used for brewing beer is the same as the basic gear needed for making wine (primary and secondary fermentation vessels, fermentation locks, tubing, sanitation gear/supplies, et al).
My advice (which is almost worth what you're paying for it) is to start out by brewing some beer. It's less complicated than wine (though making wine isn't really all that [I]complicated[/I]), and you can easily make a product that's at least as good or better than what you can buy at the store. It's not only an easier way to get into homebrewing, it's also a great confidence builder, as you're far less likely to put in a bunch of work on your first batch just to have it go south on you. Plus, most of the basic equipment used for brewing beer is the same as the basic gear needed for making wine (primary and secondary fermentation vessels, fermentation locks, tubing, sanitation gear/supplies, et al).
93.) Wild Bob - 09/22/2014
Is that why you have an eye patch Luv2...did you tangle with a 1911...? :-) LOL
You can make wine...frick, if you can work up jobs the way you do at work; then you can handle this, stop being a negative nancy.
On another note: Holy crap dudes; we're in trouble! :shocked: I just read that 'other thread' by you know who...did someone else get banned too? Or was he refering to Kenny???:cf:
You can make wine...frick, if you can work up jobs the way you do at work; then you can handle this, stop being a negative nancy.
On another note: Holy crap dudes; we're in trouble! :shocked: I just read that 'other thread' by you know who...did someone else get banned too? Or was he refering to Kenny???:cf:
94.) bluecat - 10/06/2014
The mango wine just wasn't clearing like it should because of the proteins in the honey. Clear wine will not taste any different it is just more pleasing to the eye.
I am going to use a slurry of a fining agent to help with the process. I believe the fining agent binds with the proteins creating a heavier molecule so it will precipitate out.
Not sure about the chemistry on it though.
Here is the mixture.
One week later, the wine has become clear. I will let both of these sit until December before bottling.
I am going to use a slurry of a fining agent to help with the process. I believe the fining agent binds with the proteins creating a heavier molecule so it will precipitate out.
Not sure about the chemistry on it though.
Here is the mixture.
One week later, the wine has become clear. I will let both of these sit until December before bottling.
95.) Swamp Fox - 10/06/2014
It's magic!
:tu:
:tu:
96.) bluecat - 10/06/2014
You have to use it to know what's in it...:wink
97.) Swamp Fox - 10/06/2014
LOL...Reminds me of something called Scent Ammo that was out a few years ago. I can't find it anywhere these days. It was made for restoring deer scents that had gone "sour" ("turned to" or smelled like ammonia). If I recall, it removed nitrogen (nitrogen oxide?) from the lure and played with the pH. It was granular and you added it to your lure and let it sit for a while...Also magic, but you couldn't drink it afterwards. :wink
I'm sure it was just some simple catalyst, but it was brilliant. If I knew where to get some, I'd see if I have my old lab coat and safety glasses in the Bronco...If you hear a loud explosion from over this way, tell Claudia Schiffer I love her...
I'm sure it was just some simple catalyst, but it was brilliant. If I knew where to get some, I'd see if I have my old lab coat and safety glasses in the Bronco...If you hear a loud explosion from over this way, tell Claudia Schiffer I love her...
98.) bluecat - 12/15/2014
December is here and it is time to finish up the wine so it will be ready for Christmas. The last steps are the most labor intensive. Until now, most of the time has been spent just letting the wine ferment and clear. If you recall the strawberry wine cleared nicely but the honey mango did not on account of the proteins in the honey. I added a clearing agent and it eventually cleared. So what do we do now?
At this point we've turned water into wine essentially with the help of some yeast and sugar. I know I have 12% alcohol because I added (using the hydrometer) enough sugar to create a 12% wine under the condition that the yeast eat all the sugar, which they gladly did. First thing that we need to do is take the wine out of the glass containers and put it into buckets.
A lot of home brewing can be accomplished in plastic buckets. You can purchase a spigot from your home brew store and you are ready. Once the wine is in the bucket,I am going to turn a clear wine into a brilliant wine by the use of a high pressure filter process. This is the same as a commercial winery would do but just on a smaller scale.
Filtering is not necessary but it further adds to the beauty of the wine. The filtering process removes sediment down to the micron level.
Next we add some potassium sorbate. This will keep the yeast (if any remain) from reproduction in the future. Think of it as the Rosie O'Donnell of the chemical world. We will also add some potassium metabisulphite to kill any yeast that might be living and to aid in the maturation process of the wine. And finally, our wine is bone dry as it sits. I want to add sugar to bring it back to the amount of sweetness I want. This is called backsweetening. I can leave the wine as is which will be very dry or add sugar and turn it into a semi-sweet or dessert wine. Once this is all added I will let it sit for a several hours as I tweak the sugar content. One can also add additional fruit acid to the wine to give it a nice crispness. I always do that.
As the wine is sitting, it is time to clean and sanitize all the bottles. Each bottle is washed inside and out. The inside is then pressure rinsed, dipped in a sanitizer and pressure rinsed again. The wine is then bottled, corked using a floor corker. It makes the job of corking very easy. One of the best investments I've made. Then a shrink wrap capsule is added to make the wine look more professional. Labels will be added.
More later...
99.) Deerminator - 12/15/2014
I always woundered how do you cork the bottels:-)
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFN9Km9KFXU[/url]
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFN9Km9KFXU[/url]
100.) Pa bowhunter - 12/15/2014
Looks good, as of now I just do Beer and mead but am setting up and getting ready to try wine, I might have to pick your brain for some info when I start..
101.) bluecat - 12/15/2014
Glad to help. Mead is just honey wine so if you are making that then you already know how to make other types of wine. I've never made a straight mead. Hmmm, maybe that's something I'll do next year.
102.) Deerminator - 12/15/2014
Are egg whites in the process? When I was into french Bardot's(sp) I think I heard something about egg whites.
103.) Pa bowhunter - 12/15/2014
Mead is great, I tend to like to make it with a blueberry Honey, but over my Christmas vacation I need to brew a batch or two of beer, I think I am going to make a IIPA and an Imperial Porter..
104.) Swamp Fox - 12/16/2014
The next installment of [I]Vikings[/I] is coming in 2015...I expect an excellent thread about mead from somebody....You know the Vikings didn't drink vodka...
:wink
:wink
105.) Pa bowhunter - 12/16/2014
I will see what I can do over the Holidays or shortly there after..
106.) bluecat - 12/16/2014
[QUOTE=Deerminator;27847]Are egg whites in the process? When I was into french Bardot's(sp) I think I heard something about egg whites.[/QUOTE]
I think egg whites have been used to clear wines before. There are several types of compounds that cause haziness in wines. Depending upon the type of compound will determine the type of solution you use. Don't know a lot more than that except that sometimes it's a trial and effort situation.
Pectin in the fruit can cause cloudiness. To combat that, the home winemaker often adds pectic enzyme to the must (solution) when making to counteract.
I think egg whites have been used to clear wines before. There are several types of compounds that cause haziness in wines. Depending upon the type of compound will determine the type of solution you use. Don't know a lot more than that except that sometimes it's a trial and effort situation.
Pectin in the fruit can cause cloudiness. To combat that, the home winemaker often adds pectic enzyme to the must (solution) when making to counteract.
107.) bluecat - 12/23/2014
Turned out fabulous. Very light, crisp and fruity.
I know you have all been on the edge of your seats waiting for the outcome. :wink
108.) Swamp Fox - 12/23/2014
Cool!
I looked up Idylwild in case it was a literary or musical reference I was blanking on, and this is the only thing I came up with...
[url]http://theidylwildgroup.wordpress.com/about/[/url]
That's you and your friends when you're not making wine and smoking cheese, right? Please tell me it's true! DParker wants to join...LOL
:-)
I looked up Idylwild in case it was a literary or musical reference I was blanking on, and this is the only thing I came up with...
[url]http://theidylwildgroup.wordpress.com/about/[/url]
That's you and your friends when you're not making wine and smoking cheese, right? Please tell me it's true! DParker wants to join...LOL
:-)
109.) Deerminator - 12/23/2014
CHEERES
110.) Wild Bob - 12/23/2014
Nice. Gald it turned out well...now pass a glass around!
111.) bluecat - 12/23/2014
Idylwild was the street I lived on when I was in Nebraska. I did all my homebrewing in the basement. Kind of a neat name so it stuck.
112.) bluecat - 12/23/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;27977]Cool!
I looked up Idylwild in case it was a literary or musical reference I was blanking on, and this is the only thing I came up with...
[url]http://theidylwildgroup.wordpress.com/about/[/url]
That's you and your friends when you're not making wine and smoking cheese, right? Please tell me it's true! DParker wants to join...LOL
:-)[/QUOTE]
LOL!
I looked up Idylwild in case it was a literary or musical reference I was blanking on, and this is the only thing I came up with...
[url]http://theidylwildgroup.wordpress.com/about/[/url]
That's you and your friends when you're not making wine and smoking cheese, right? Please tell me it's true! DParker wants to join...LOL
:-)[/QUOTE]
LOL!
113.) crookedeye - 12/24/2014
that's a good year!
114.) crookedeye - 12/24/2014
my dad and brother made some beer one time..they actually bottled it and caped it.i went over there one nascar weekend and it was brutal down in the basement ..they must of put to much yeast or fiber in it...it was good tasting beer but...I think my mom came down to see if we where alright...