Saturday, November 16, 2013

Update

I racked the pineapple wine after a month in the secondary with a PA of - 3% and a total ABV around 13%.
The blueberry wine continues fermenting, bubbling steadily after a month.
The citrus wine (3 weeks in) has about stopped bubbling but hasn't started clearing yet.
The tart cherry wine is still bubbling briskly after a week in the secondary.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Cherry Wine, Day 6

I racked the cherry wine to the secondary with a PA of under 1 %. It's a repulsive opaque pink, but I'm sure once the yeast settles out it will be better-looking.
Ch ch ch ch ch cherry bomb
Meanwhile, the pineapple wine has cleared up nicely, the blueberry wine continues bubbling pretty strongly (3 weeks so far!) and the citrus wine has slowed to the occasional bubble. I'm out of space now, so I have to wait until something gets bottled to start something new.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Cherry Wine, Day 1

I took a recipe from Terry Garey's book The Joy of Home Winemaking, with only slight modification. Here it is:
3 1/2 quarts of water
3 cans of tart red cherries in water (Oregon brand Montmorencies)
2 1/4 pounds of sugar
1 tsp acid blend
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1 pkg Montrachet yeast (Red Star dry)

I boiled the water and added the juice from the cherries and the sugar.
I put the cherries in a straining bag at the bottom of my primary fermenter.
I poured the boiling sugar water over the cherries.
I added the acid blend and yeast nutrient.
When the must cools, I will add the pectic enzyme and 24 hours later I will pitch the yeast.
I plan to let it go in the primary for five days, drain the fruit without squeezing and rack to the secondary.
I expect it to remain in the seconday (racked a couple of times) for 3 to 6 months before bottling.
Pie? No.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Citrus Wine, Day 6

The wine has fermented vigorously and got down to a PA of about .5% so I squeezed out the fruit and racked it to a secondary.
It's not just for breakfast anymore.
Meanwhile the pineapple wine is clearing up as the fermentation slows to a crawl and the blueberry continues bubbling merrily away with no sign of any clearing as yet.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Citrus Wine, Day 1

The primary was empty so . . . next batch.
Here is the recipe I slapped together:
4 lbs juice oranges
4 big tangerines
4 lemons (this might be too many lemons)
1 pkg Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast
2 lbs sugar
1/4 tsp grape tannin
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
3 3/4 quarts of water

I put the zest of 2 oranges, 2 tangerines, and 1 lemon in a nylon bag. Then I peeled and sectioned all the fruit, removing as much of the white pith as possible. This is a big pain in the ass. Then with freshly scrubbed hands I squooshed all the fruit in the nylon bag in the primary fermenting bucket. Meanwhile I boiled the water and dissolved the sugar in it. Once the fruit was squooshed, I poured the boiling sugar water over it and then added the tannin and nutrient. When it is cool, I will add the pectic enzyme, and then tomorrow I will pitch the yeast.
All the fruit, pre-squoosh
Edit: Potential Alcohol before I pitched the yeast on 10/30 was about 12%

Monday, October 28, 2013

Blueberry Wine, Day 12

I went ahead and racked to the secondary. PA is still 4.5%
Purplish, but not grapey
Bubbling slowly . . .

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Blueberry Wine, Day 9

Fermentation stuck at about 6% potential alcohol for the last couple of days (and was never very vigorous), so I decided to send in the marines.
The stormtroopers of yeast
I dissolved a packet of Red Star Premier Cuvee dry yeast dissolved in a 1/4 cup of warm water. These beasties are supposed to have a high tolerance for environmental conditions and ferment aggressively. 
Go get 'em fellas!