I've just added a search gadget to my blog, so I hope it helps you to find what you're looking for.
On the winemaking front ... the Blueberry & Cranberry rosé has got going.
I do like taking the lid off a 5 gallon fermenting bin and seeing it full!
So lots of stirring for a few days and I really should get on with some bottling and racking too. And taking piccies, it's been a few posts and I know piccies brighten up a blog.
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Monday, 27 September 2010
Just Can't Get Enough
Well that Blueberry & Cranberry quickie wine is just delicious and I can't get enough of it, so started another 5 gallons today. What's more I didn't try to improve it 'cos I reckon that's a waste of time. 6-8 weeks time and it'll be getting enjoyed.
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Stabilising and Topping up
After a few days of degassing I've just stabilised and topped up each of the 5 gallons of blackberry wine. Time to forget about them for some time ... maybe time to bottle some of last years
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Drinking Tonight
Tonight's homebrew reflections are mostly about opening a bottle of Tanglefoot '09. It's so good it just makes me want to shout it from the rooftops. But I would still urge novices to give it a wide berth for some time as anything but utter attention on the 'snips will lead to disappointment.
On the more boring stuff ... I've been agitating DJ's of blackberry wine to degas them. It's almost done now, funny old thing sitting yourself down every time you pass the "brewery" - for 10 mins or so - shaking big bottles. The highlight of the day was definately the drinking ;-)
On the more boring stuff ... I've been agitating DJ's of blackberry wine to degas them. It's almost done now, funny old thing sitting yourself down every time you pass the "brewery" - for 10 mins or so - shaking big bottles. The highlight of the day was definately the drinking ;-)
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Racking Blackberry Wines
I've just racked 5 gallons of blackberry wine. These were two batches, one made with Sauternes yeast (my trusted favourite) and the other made with GV1 (a recommendation). I wanted to see what all the fuss is about so made them as identical as I could with the one exception of the yeast strain.
They have both pretty much cleared already, both were low foaming (so not messy), both thrown a similar amount of compact sediment too, and both took about the same time to ferment. Very similar all in all. The proof of the wine will be in the drinking which probably won't happen for some months yet. Tho I may sneak a glass when I bottle in a few months.
Next up will be degassing and stabilising. Shouldn't need any finings for either batch ... so vegan wines, good stuff!
They have both pretty much cleared already, both were low foaming (so not messy), both thrown a similar amount of compact sediment too, and both took about the same time to ferment. Very similar all in all. The proof of the wine will be in the drinking which probably won't happen for some months yet. Tho I may sneak a glass when I bottle in a few months.
Next up will be degassing and stabilising. Shouldn't need any finings for either batch ... so vegan wines, good stuff!
Friday, 17 September 2010
Fining
I've been patient, but some wines I'm keen to try soon haven't cleared yet. So the finings had to come out. Which means I had to find 5 gallons of wine altogether otherwise I would be wasting some finings.
And the lucky wines were Original Elderflower (3 gallons) and Oaked Rosé (2 gallons)
The piccies are (L>R) Oaked Rosé (tartaric acid), Oaked Rosé (citric acid) and Cheapskate Rosé Light. Sorry about the grubby DJ's (the one on the left is very grubby which makes the wine look far more hazy than it actually is, it's only a little worse than the middle one in reality). So far the Cheapskate version is looking nice cos it doesn't need fining, but the most important thing by far is the taste. I'll post again with news of how fast they clear, and maybe even piccies too. No piccies for the Elderflower, believe me it's way cloudier, beyond a haze.
And the lucky wines were Original Elderflower (3 gallons) and Oaked Rosé (2 gallons)
The piccies are (L>R) Oaked Rosé (tartaric acid), Oaked Rosé (citric acid) and Cheapskate Rosé Light. Sorry about the grubby DJ's (the one on the left is very grubby which makes the wine look far more hazy than it actually is, it's only a little worse than the middle one in reality). So far the Cheapskate version is looking nice cos it doesn't need fining, but the most important thing by far is the taste. I'll post again with news of how fast they clear, and maybe even piccies too. No piccies for the Elderflower, believe me it's way cloudier, beyond a haze.
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Welcome Aboard
Hi Acmejc and Robyn, thanks for hopping aboard, it's great to have you here.
I hope you find what you're looking for ... and more.
I hope you find what you're looking for ... and more.
Bottling Done
Woohoo, got my bum into gear and bottled 2 gallons of Blueberry & Cranberry Wine. Jolly nice it is too. Best of the quickies I have made so far. Unlike the pineapple it doesn't give me a bad head, and unlike the pomegranate (which is delicious) it was ready quickly.
As you can see there was a bit of a bottle shortage so its a motley collection of glass and plastic in various sizes. Not really much of a problem as this is wine to consumed soon. So we'll start with the part full bottle and then the plastic bottles which leaves about 5 proper, full-sized, corked, wine bottles which will be laid down on the wine rack.
As you can see there was a bit of a bottle shortage so its a motley collection of glass and plastic in various sizes. Not really much of a problem as this is wine to consumed soon. So we'll start with the part full bottle and then the plastic bottles which leaves about 5 proper, full-sized, corked, wine bottles which will be laid down on the wine rack.
Friday, 10 September 2010
Time Flies
.... g' grief time flies, I must bottle that Bleuberry & Cranberry as a week has passed and the weekend is nigh!
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Racking etc
Have you missed me?
Sorry about going all quiet on you ... I've been away at a festival, Shambala, and jolly good it was too. Tho we expected that 'cos we've been before.
Anyway, onto wine-making talk. The Blueberry & Cranberry quickie wine is now about 5 weeks old. It's stopped fermenting, dropped a sediment and is beautifully clear. So it was time to rack, degas, top-up, and stabilise all 3 gallons. It should be ready to drink and bottle in a week, which is exactly what you want from a quickie wine. The sneak taste I got at racking was very pleasant, if a little sharp (but only a little). These wines tend to do their aging quite quickly, so what you may notice in months in another wine, could happen in weeks with these. Tho obviously they won't turn into vintage wine, they are meant to be table wines that are cheap, quick and easy to brew.
The astute amongst you may have noticed that these are not full; the piccie was taken at the degassing stage.... and also that there are 4 DJs in the picture. The furthest away contains a kit wine I bought by mistake. I meant to get Blackcherry, and got Blackberry instead. Bit annoying cos I can pick heaps of blackberries here but blackcherries are another matter! Anyway it's also about 5 weeks old and had stopped fermenting and dropped a sediment. So it got racked, degassed, topped-up, stabilised and had finings added (they come with the kit so no point wasting them). Tastes fine already, so not too annoying as it wasn't very expensive at all, less than £1.00 per bottle.
Sorry about going all quiet on you ... I've been away at a festival, Shambala, and jolly good it was too. Tho we expected that 'cos we've been before.
Anyway, onto wine-making talk. The Blueberry & Cranberry quickie wine is now about 5 weeks old. It's stopped fermenting, dropped a sediment and is beautifully clear. So it was time to rack, degas, top-up, and stabilise all 3 gallons. It should be ready to drink and bottle in a week, which is exactly what you want from a quickie wine. The sneak taste I got at racking was very pleasant, if a little sharp (but only a little). These wines tend to do their aging quite quickly, so what you may notice in months in another wine, could happen in weeks with these. Tho obviously they won't turn into vintage wine, they are meant to be table wines that are cheap, quick and easy to brew.
The astute amongst you may have noticed that these are not full; the piccie was taken at the degassing stage.... and also that there are 4 DJs in the picture. The furthest away contains a kit wine I bought by mistake. I meant to get Blackcherry, and got Blackberry instead. Bit annoying cos I can pick heaps of blackberries here but blackcherries are another matter! Anyway it's also about 5 weeks old and had stopped fermenting and dropped a sediment. So it got racked, degassed, topped-up, stabilised and had finings added (they come with the kit so no point wasting them). Tastes fine already, so not too annoying as it wasn't very expensive at all, less than £1.00 per bottle.