My first attempt
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- jimjohson
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My first attempt
considering I now got a job where I have to talk wine making I figure it'll be a good idea if I actually make a few. For my first attempt it'll be a Cru, Orchard Breezin, Wild Watermelon.
"Filled with mingled cream and amber
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe
- LouieMacGoo
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Re: My first attempt
I know nothing about making wine accept that you use grapes. I look forward to hearing how it goes and any insights you end up sharing.
Worrying can spoil the taste of beer more then anything else! ~ Charles Papazian
Find out more about Yeast, Hops, Grains and Cleaning & Sanitizing
Find out more about Yeast, Hops, Grains and Cleaning & Sanitizing
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Re: My first attempt
Best of Luck and Happy Winemaking Jim!
Re: My first attempt
I was making wine before I started making beer. I don't make it anymore because I drink beer way more than wine. I never made it from the kits though. I always bought fresh grape juice in the spring. The reds would take about a year or so and the whites usually took about 9 months. Lot's and lots of waiting. I guess the kits don't take nearly that long.
Good luck with it!!!
Good luck with it!!!
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- RickBeer
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Re: My first attempt
I have over 9,000 posts on "another forum", which means absolutely nothing. Mr. Beer January 2014 Brewer of the Month with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with it...
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Sites to find beer making supplies: Adventures in Homebrewing - Mr. Beer - MoreBeer
Certificate in Brewing and Distillation Technology
Sites to find beer making supplies: Adventures in Homebrewing - Mr. Beer - MoreBeer
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Re: My first attempt
Diddo, except it was meads and a random maple wine (mead made with maple syrup, which is fooking awesome but also fooking expensive). But except for Hydromel or similar low low abv versions of Metheglin or Melomel or other style it takes a long time too. Even those can take a while unless you use a staggered yeast nutrient schedule.BlackDuck wrote:I was making wine before I started making beer. I don't make it anymore because I drink beer way more than wine. I never made it from the kits though. I always bought fresh grape juice in the spring. The reds would take about a year or so and the whites usually took about 9 months. Lot's and lots of waiting. I guess the kits don't take nearly that long.
Good luck with it!!!
- jimjohson
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Re: My first attempt
Well truth to tell I ain't much of a wine person. The only commercial ones I like are Franken wines (German white) French and Italian wines are way to dry for me. As stated this is just so I got some practical experience and hoping SWMBO likes wine(she's fascinated by the process so far). I know from experience she's going to want a sweet wine(and she picked a merlot style) but I have learned about "back sweeting" and am pointing her at it. Thanks for the good wishes, like a MrB this kit is pretty much idiot proof.(good thing too)
Bottle in 4weeks, the OG WAS ONLY .065...I wonder if Yankee dag's rule of thumb for aging works for wine...that'd be 6.5 weeks bottle conditioning minimum. Actually since you kill the yeast does it still condition in the bottle?
Bottle in 4weeks, the OG WAS ONLY .065...I wonder if Yankee dag's rule of thumb for aging works for wine...that'd be 6.5 weeks bottle conditioning minimum. Actually since you kill the yeast does it still condition in the bottle?
"Filled with mingled cream and amber
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe
- jimjohson
- Brewer of the Month
- Posts: 2603
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Re: My first attempt
This is 3 days after the first racking. Starting to clear nicely and when we racked the smell was incredible.
"Filled with mingled cream and amber
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe
- jimjohson
- Brewer of the Month
- Posts: 2603
- Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 9:14 pm
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Re: My first attempt
We killed the yeast, added the flavor pouch, and degassed last Sunday. We racked it off the sediment for bottling tomorrow.
"Filled with mingled cream and amber
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe
- jimjohson
- Brewer of the Month
- Posts: 2603
- Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 9:14 pm
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Re: My first attempt
Having a glass of watermelon wine. It's sweeter than I thought it would be. Sure tastes like water melon
"Filled with mingled cream and amber
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe
- FrozenInTime
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Re: My first attempt
Sure looks inviting. I LOVE watermelon, grow lots of it here. One of these days I *might* try to make a strawberry ruebarb since I have lots of those. Nice job jj.
Life is short, live it to it's fullest!
- jimjohson
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Re: My first attempt
Thanks FiT. It's just a kit wine http://www.rjscraftwinemaking.com/?meth ... rd-Breezin everything you need is in the box pretty much just add water.
"Filled with mingled cream and amber
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe
Re: My first attempt
I've done exactly two wines and both were the Orchard Breezin kits. They are very easy with step by step instructions and make a decent wine in a surprisingly short time. You just have to remember they're designed as 6 gallon kits and we normally deal in 5 gallons. It simply bumped up the OG in a 5 gallon version.
I kegged it up and have to say wine on tap is pretty cool
I kegged it up and have to say wine on tap is pretty cool
Re: My first attempt
I agree, I've made several of the Wine Expert kits and they have all come out great according to my wife. She and her girl friends LOVE wine so my original intent was to drive the consumption cost down. 9 - 10 bucks a bottle is rough on the wallet. I bought my kits on sale and usually yield 27 bottles. It comes in under $3 a bottle.jimjohson wrote:Thanks FiT. It's just a kit wine http://www.rjscraftwinemaking.com/?meth ... rd-Breezin everything you need is in the box pretty much just add water.
.... and dangerous. I've kegged a few batches of those cheap Welch's 100% Grape Juice recipies. I made the mistake of drinking these like beer from the tap. Knocked me on my arse several times.Pudge wrote: I kegged it up and have to say wine on tap is pretty cool
We are actually thinking about making a little "wine bar" with a kegerator conversion. Mrs Brewnewb loves wine. She's from Western NY where all those wineries are.
I've made a couple white zin from these guys https://www.homewinery.com/ that came out pretty good. Shipping is a little steep ($14). After talking to the guy last week, he said the most economical shipping was to order 4 at time as the price only goes up a few dollars for 4.
I must admit, I'm starting to like drinking wine.
Thirsting For Knowledge
- jimjohson
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Re: My first attempt
I plan on doing another orchard breeze(SWMBO wants to try the orange sangria) then I'll try my hand at a cabernet sauvignon.
Wine on tap...now that's an idea
Wine on tap...now that's an idea
"Filled with mingled cream and amber
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe
I will drain that glass again.
Such hilarious visions clamber
Through the chambers of my brain
-- Quaintest thoughts -- Queerest fancies
Come to life and fade away;
Who cares how time advances?
I am drinking ale today."
Edgar Allan Poe