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 16, 2013
Update
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.
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.
Ch ch ch ch ch cherry bomb |
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.
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.
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.
It's not just for breakfast anymore. |
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Citrus Wine, Day 1
The primary was empty so . . . next batch.
Edit: Potential Alcohol before I pitched the yeast on 10/30 was about 12%
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 |
Monday, October 28, 2013
Blueberry Wine, Day 12
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.
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.
The stormtroopers of yeast |
Go get 'em fellas!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Blueberry Wine, Day 4
Yesterday I added the sugar, acid, nutrient, then twelve hours later I mixed in a crushed campden tablet.
I measured the potential alcohol at 13.5% and today I pitched the activated Red Star Pasteur Red dry yeast.
Looking good, meanwhile the pineapple wine keeps bubbling gently along . . .
I measured the potential alcohol at 13.5% and today I pitched the activated Red Star Pasteur Red dry yeast.
Looking good, meanwhile the pineapple wine keeps bubbling gently along . . .
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Blueberry Wine, Day One
As the pineapple wine bubbles away in the secondary, I start a new batch. This is the recipe I'm using (cobbled together from multiple sources):
50 oz. Frozen Wild Blueberries
9 oz. dark raisins, soaked in warm water, then chopped in the blender.
1 pkg. Red Star Pasteur Red dry yeast
3 1/2 quarts of water (including the raisin soaking water)
2 lbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp Acid blend
1 tsp Wyeast yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme.
I started today by bringing the water to a boil, then pouring it over the blueberries and chopped raisins which are in a straining bag in the primary fermenter.
I'm going to let that steep, covered for two days before I continue with the rest as recommended in an article by Jack Keller in the August/September 2013 issue of WineMaker.
+Jack Keller
50 oz. Frozen Wild Blueberries
9 oz. dark raisins, soaked in warm water, then chopped in the blender.
1 pkg. Red Star Pasteur Red dry yeast
3 1/2 quarts of water (including the raisin soaking water)
2 lbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp Acid blend
1 tsp Wyeast yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme.
Wild Blueberry Must |
I started today by bringing the water to a boil, then pouring it over the blueberries and chopped raisins which are in a straining bag in the primary fermenter.
I'm going to let that steep, covered for two days before I continue with the rest as recommended in an article by Jack Keller in the August/September 2013 issue of WineMaker.
+Jack Keller
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Pineapple Wine, Day 5
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Pineapple Wine, Day 2
Today I pitched the Cotes des Blancs yeast with a dose of Motorhead in order to stimulate the "Kilmister Effect" in which organisms continue to survive in high alcohol environments. This is an established scientific fact which I just made up.
For some reason the specific gravity went down after I added the fruit and nutrient and pectic enzyme. Maybe that's normal.
For some reason the specific gravity went down after I added the fruit and nutrient and pectic enzyme. Maybe that's normal.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Pineapple Wine, Day One
Let me start by saying that, I AM NOT AN EXPERT in this area. I don't need to be, and I'm not.
Today I started a batch of Pineapple wine, based on the recipe in Terry Garey's The Joy of Home Winemaking.
Heres the recipe as I used it:
1 3/4 pounds of sugar dissolved in
3 1/2 quarts of water with the juice from
2 20 oz. cans of crushed pineapple which went into the primary fermenter with
1/2 lb. of chopped golden raisins and
1 tsp of Wyeast Wine Nutrient.
I boiled the water and dissolved the sugar in it. Then I added the pineapple juice from the cans and measured the PA (about 13%.) I poured the sugar water over the fruit (which I put in a nylon straining bag) in the fermenter and added the nutrient. When the must is cool I'm going to add 1/2 tsp. of pectic enzyme, and tomorrow I'm going to pitch the yeast. Stay tuned . . .
Today I started a batch of Pineapple wine, based on the recipe in Terry Garey's The Joy of Home Winemaking.
Must Ingredients: Canned Pineapple, Golden Raisins, Sugar and Red Star Cotes des Blancs dry yeast |
1 3/4 pounds of sugar dissolved in
3 1/2 quarts of water with the juice from
2 20 oz. cans of crushed pineapple which went into the primary fermenter with
1/2 lb. of chopped golden raisins and
1 tsp of Wyeast Wine Nutrient.
I boiled the water and dissolved the sugar in it. Then I added the pineapple juice from the cans and measured the PA (about 13%.) I poured the sugar water over the fruit (which I put in a nylon straining bag) in the fermenter and added the nutrient. When the must is cool I'm going to add 1/2 tsp. of pectic enzyme, and tomorrow I'm going to pitch the yeast. Stay tuned . . .
Pineapple Must. Smells Pineppley. |
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