Wine Making Hobby

[scgargoyle]

Mooseherder- What all did you put in that Peach wine? I can't quite make out all of the ingredients in your picture. And how big a batch did that make? 6 gallons? Thanks!

[Mooseherder]

The Peach Wine ingredients were 2 gallons Sweet Peach Tea,
Four-42oz. Cans of Peach Nectar,
36oz. of Peach Preserves,
Two-11.5 oz. Cans Welch's White Grape Frozen Concentrate,
One-15oz Box SunMaid Golden Raisins
10 lbs Sugar, one Wine Yeast packet,
Water to top off 6 gallon Carboy. ;)

[LeeB]

Have any of you ever run a second batch off the original fruit? How did it turn out?

[Mooseherder]

Friends tell me I need a Label. ;)
I was thinkin' maybe sumpthin like this.
My daughter took the apple picture on our Picnic table in Maine.
The Blackberry picture is from my Brother in Law in Tennessee.




My wife has some pictures of picking Blueberries.  I got a Peach Wine about ready and need some pictures. ;D
I'm working on gettin' the right Moose.

[Mooseherder]

Bottled the Peach Wine last night.  It is kinda on the strong side. smiley_heh_heh

[Coon]

I discovered a really neat carboy system.  Actually the system I now use is called the beer machine.  Has got the pressure relief and and a tap.  Works really good too.  Got a good batch of raspberry on the go right now that is ready to bottle in the next few days. Will get some pics of it when we do the bottling.  I actually have two of these systems but they only do a couple of agallons or so at a time.  Can't remember how long it's been since we have had them both sitting idle.  :D   Works real good in making brandy too.  ;) 

LeeB, Yup a year or two ago we made a batch of peach wine from some fresh B.C. Peaches we had bought.  It turned out real nice if'n you like brandy.  :D  Lots of taste to it and it'll set you on your ash if you're not careful. 

Brad.

[LeeB]

I just did the first racking of the second batch. It has a nice color and only just a little less flavor than the first. The first batch has been on the first racking for about three weeks now. The bubbling has slowed way down over the last two days. I realize that it will slow as the fermentation consumes the sugars. Is this about the right time frame for this or do you think it has stalled?

[Mooseherder]

Sounds like you're right on schedule with fermentation movements on your airlock.
My Blackberry batch was started on December 13th and is almost ready for Bottling.
It is clear enough and has had seven rackings.  I'm waiting on Bottles.

[Reddog]

Well I see lots of bottles, your problem is there full :D

[Mooseherder]

Yep, all full.  ;)
There's eight different style bottles on the last batch.  They are from my friends saving bottles.
They need to kick in. :D

[Mooseherder]

I've been playing around with making Labels.  This is a work in progress. ;D
My favorite is the Apple label followed by the Blackberry one.  The Blueberry is my favorite to drink though. 
Do you recognize da Moose ??? ;D   I'd like to incorporate the Moose in on one label somehow instead of two labels per bottle so back to the drawing board.
If anyone wants to share some Strawberry or Peach pictures from their folders you can save me a trip and photo shoot to the Grocery Store. ;D 

[Dan_Shade]

I always just wrap the neck with masking tape, and use a marker  :D

After the 4th bottle who reads the label anyways?

[Coon]

Dan, if it takes ya 4 bottles then it's not strong enough.  ;)   I can't seem to get through one bottle.  Maybe us northerners just make it that much stronger.   :D

[ohsoloco]

Well I see lots of bottles, your problem is there full :D

I don't understand how that is a problem  :D

[LeeB]

I did the second racking off the first batch I made today. Boy, I never realized there would be so much sediment in the bottom. The alcohol content is about 8% right now and it has a pleasant flavor. I would have waited a little longer but I have to leave for work Saturday and didn't want to leave it till I get back. I can't wait till it's ready for consumption.

[Mooseherder]

The more rackings the less sediment.
I had one bottle of Strawberry left and have been saving it for a special occasion.
When I went and put a label on it the other night I noticed some sediment that wasn't there weeks ago.  It was rather disappointing and also a learning experience.  More rackings is more better. ;D
It had a total of 5 from start to finish.  All future batches will have more rackings.  There will be no Wine before it's Time. :D

[scgargoyle]

I do a couple steps with mine that makes clearing go faster. First, I clear it with bentonite clay. The wine supply places sell it. You mix it with water and boil it a while. When you add it to the wine, it grabs all of the suspended stuff and drags it to the bottom- fast. The other thing I do is chill-proofing, which is artificial aging. You pour the wine into plastic gallon jugs, leaving some expansion room, and freeze overnight, preferably in the freezer part of a refrigerator, which doesn't get as cold. When it thaws and settles, there will be a bunch of white stuff at the bottom- the same stuff you see on the cork of a well-aged wine. These are acid crystals, and it takes long aging to get rid of them- or freeze it over night. As for when to bottle- shine a flashlight through your wine. If you see anything at all, it needs to rack longer. Once mine stops fermenting, I usually leave it for a couple months to clear, before I break out the clay.

The lady at our local winemaking store uses chill-proofing in a different way. She freezes it, but instead of thawing it, she pours the liquid part into a bottle, and throws the ice away. This makes VERY strong wine- in the 25-30% neighborhood. You get less wine, but stronger wine. I don't care for it myself; to each, his or her own. If I'm in a hurry to get schnockered, I'll just drink the hard stuff  :D :D :D

[Mooseherder]

I've used the Bentonite to clear the second batch of Apple Wine because the Cider I used just wasn't going to clear.  All the others have cleared by themselves without using the Bentonite.  I was trying to get away without using anything but some research told me Bentonite was all natural so what the hey.
I've also done the Freezing step you suggested and it does seem to speed up the clearing process.
Speaking of which, I think I'm gonna start my Weekend right now with a glass of something chilled. ;)

[splitter]

Ernie, sure would like to see a picture of your still. Splitter

[Mooseherder]

The Blackberry Wine is ready and Bottled.
It is purty DanG good too.

[Warbird]

That looks entirely awesome.

[LeeB]

Here is a shot of the second run through of the fruit from my first attemt at blackberry. I havent bottled anything yet. I did do another racking this morning, hence this glass. I'll bottle it off just before I head back to work this time.

[Mooseherder]

I had a little mishap with a Bottle of Blueberry that was on it's side and it Shot a Cork over night.
It was a bad mess.  We got things under control and I went to take a shower getting ready for work.
A second bottle 1.5 liter broke at the base on the counter after I had moved it. 
Then I had an even worse mess and an even angrier wife when I got out of the shower.
I think I know the reason why it happened.  I didn't use sulfites and wanted to keep things au-natural.
Gonna have to refigure a few things. :

[Dan_Shade]

do you do specific gravity checks?

do the sulfites kill the yeast?

[Mooseherder]

Yes to the Specific Gravity and after reviewing my notes it was all the way down to .99
The problem is when I resweetened it.
Yes the Sulfites kill the yeast.  I'll wait longer before bottling from now on.