Yes, I know, I am a little late. But school had me and I was busy with life.
I got this tip off a wine forum I am on. This may not be helpful to all of you, but it was a nice thought for me, though I don't have room for it now.
The tip is to wash and sanatize your equipment after use, then store in the freezer. So your siphon tubes, spoons, maybe hydrometer, don't take me responsible for any glass you put in. I am not suggesting it, but you are free to do so. This helps eliminate any bacteria around.
Well, it may not be much, but I am very busy. Have a great week, I will try to be on sometime this week, but I won't garruntee it. I hope if not, to post the new tip in less then a week. God Bless,
English Vintner
Wednesday 18 February 2009
Monday 9 February 2009
Winemaking Tip
So, its been another week, life has been busy for me. I am drinking a glass of mulled cider right now, pretty good. The wine turned out to thin, so I brought about 2 1/2 cups to a boil (yeah I know, some of the % goes away, who cares) and before that added some cinnamon (go easy on it, I added to much and had to dilute with more wine) some whole alspice, dash ginger and nutmeg. Brought to boil added 1/2 cup or so of brown sugar, let cool slightly and served. The cider was dry, so it was not overly sweet.
Alright, on to winemaking. This past week has been busy, planning the new wall and adding up expenese. But I will still push to check my wine and post the weekly tip.
I am taking this from a book by Alison Crowe, a very good winemaker, and get puts it all into an answer and question style book. You can get this from amazon and I higly recommend it. It is a book that you don't just have to sit down and read to find the answer, you flip through the pages and chapters to find the question that you are asking your self.
Anyway on to the tip. The question raised in the book was, How do I know there is enough CO2 on top of my wine to protect it while it ages? And in short she goes on to say that, the gas does disspait over time, especially with the conitually opening of the wine to taste (sample :)). And then she tells about a oxygen meter that will tell you, but it cost alot and is not economical for the home winemaker. So she then shows us the way the French wine makers do it, she puts it "the quick-and-dirty" trick. You take a match and hold it above the opening of the carboy, if the match goes out then there is not enough o2 to keep it going, so, your safe. Now this mainly is for those bulk aging, and have some way to spray this gas inside while it bulk ages.
Well thats it ladies and gentlemen, another week come and gone and life goes on just the same. Hope to be posting some this week, if not then I will try to post next monday, till then. God Bless you, English Vinter.
Alright, on to winemaking. This past week has been busy, planning the new wall and adding up expenese. But I will still push to check my wine and post the weekly tip.
I am taking this from a book by Alison Crowe, a very good winemaker, and get puts it all into an answer and question style book. You can get this from amazon and I higly recommend it. It is a book that you don't just have to sit down and read to find the answer, you flip through the pages and chapters to find the question that you are asking your self.
Anyway on to the tip. The question raised in the book was, How do I know there is enough CO2 on top of my wine to protect it while it ages? And in short she goes on to say that, the gas does disspait over time, especially with the conitually opening of the wine to taste (sample :)). And then she tells about a oxygen meter that will tell you, but it cost alot and is not economical for the home winemaker. So she then shows us the way the French wine makers do it, she puts it "the quick-and-dirty" trick. You take a match and hold it above the opening of the carboy, if the match goes out then there is not enough o2 to keep it going, so, your safe. Now this mainly is for those bulk aging, and have some way to spray this gas inside while it bulk ages.
Well thats it ladies and gentlemen, another week come and gone and life goes on just the same. Hope to be posting some this week, if not then I will try to post next monday, till then. God Bless you, English Vinter.
Thursday 5 February 2009
Winery
I am doubling my winery size. And I will finally be sealing it off with a real 2x4 wall and door. I can roast coffee, ferment wine and beer, and have my soda in their.
E.V.
E.V.
Monday 2 February 2009
Update
Well, I decided to do it on this one, let the wild yeast have it. I added sugar to bring it up to 12%, if the yeast dies out to soon then I will add Lavlin D-47, a wonderful strain of yeast.
I took it down to the winery where their are less yeast and bacteria floating around. I did the tip I posted, and I can see the results. I added some yeast nutrient, but thats all I am adding for now. I will add acid blend at bottling if I think it needs it, and pectic enzyme when its time to clear.
The smell is wonderful, light fresh smell of pine needles, and fresh apples. I plan on puting pine chips to age it on. I saw someone do this with beer, so I decided to give it a try.
E.V.
I took it down to the winery where their are less yeast and bacteria floating around. I did the tip I posted, and I can see the results. I added some yeast nutrient, but thats all I am adding for now. I will add acid blend at bottling if I think it needs it, and pectic enzyme when its time to clear.
The smell is wonderful, light fresh smell of pine needles, and fresh apples. I plan on puting pine chips to age it on. I saw someone do this with beer, so I decided to give it a try.
E.V.
Pine apple wine
Well, I let it sit out without campden and now it has started its own yeast. I think I will either stop it with campden, or else measure the s.g. and add sugar to bring it up to the level of what I want it at.
There is a certain strain of yeast that only lives around pinetrees, I am wondering if that could be whats in the wine.
I will give an update of what I will do.
The weather is nice right now. Good temp in my winery.
E.V.
There is a certain strain of yeast that only lives around pinetrees, I am wondering if that could be whats in the wine.
I will give an update of what I will do.
The weather is nice right now. Good temp in my winery.
E.V.
Sunday 1 February 2009
Winemaking Quick Tip of the week
I will be trying to post a once a week wine/beer making quick tip of the week on here, so keep your eyes open.
When trying to keep the place you work in sanatary consider using this method. It works well and last for a few days, enough to keep it sanatary while your doing all the open vessel primary fermentation etc. I learned this from reading Jack Kellers blog.
Mix up a solution with your campden tablets, you can make it strong, say 3-4 tablets per gallon. Heat the water up and put it on the counter where you are working. After several hours it the steam will have gotten on to certain parts of the walls/ceiling etc. and now you can move it to another part.
The other way, not reccomended for weekly, or even daily basis is this. Mix up a strong solution and get out a rag. This time your actually wiping down every surface with it. The ceiling, cupboards, bowls, bottles, and anything that would have bacteria. Then take some and put it in a bucket and stick it in the cupboard for 10-15 minutes, to let the steam sanatize everything in it.
So next time you are having problems with your wine spoiling try this. I am right now trying it. And to leave with that I will say one last thing. Just get a bucket that you don't normally use and fill it with it and let it sit in your kitchen/winery all week, then use the solution to sanatize something and get start with some fresh solution.
E.V.
When trying to keep the place you work in sanatary consider using this method. It works well and last for a few days, enough to keep it sanatary while your doing all the open vessel primary fermentation etc. I learned this from reading Jack Kellers blog.
Mix up a solution with your campden tablets, you can make it strong, say 3-4 tablets per gallon. Heat the water up and put it on the counter where you are working. After several hours it the steam will have gotten on to certain parts of the walls/ceiling etc. and now you can move it to another part.
The other way, not reccomended for weekly, or even daily basis is this. Mix up a strong solution and get out a rag. This time your actually wiping down every surface with it. The ceiling, cupboards, bowls, bottles, and anything that would have bacteria. Then take some and put it in a bucket and stick it in the cupboard for 10-15 minutes, to let the steam sanatize everything in it.
So next time you are having problems with your wine spoiling try this. I am right now trying it. And to leave with that I will say one last thing. Just get a bucket that you don't normally use and fill it with it and let it sit in your kitchen/winery all week, then use the solution to sanatize something and get start with some fresh solution.
E.V.
Wines I have made
I have been adding up the batches I have made. I think this is all of them. This does not count the batches that have gone bad, one or two.
Wine I’ve Made
5 gal. Riesling Wine%?
5.gal White cran strawberry%12
1.gal Tea %?
3 gal. Hard Cider%14-17
5 gal.Wildberry Shiraz %6.5
5 gal. Cran-Blueberry%?11
3 gal. Cran-Pomegranite
3 gal. Strawberry
1 1/2 gal. Blueberry Port
1 gal. Plum Port
1 gal. Pineapple Port
1 gal. Banana
1 gal. Whitecran Peach
6.5 gal. Concord Cranberry
5 gal. Dessert Wine
1 gal. Cranberry
1 1/2 gal. cabbage
7 gal. cider
4 gal. Fig port
5 gal. blackberry
5 gal. exotic fruits white zin
Thats about 63 gallons of wine
And about 315 bottles
I consider it a small amount made. And I hope to make
52 batches of wine this year alone.
Wine I’ve Made
5 gal. Riesling Wine%?
5.gal White cran strawberry%12
1.gal Tea %?
3 gal. Hard Cider%14-17
5 gal.Wildberry Shiraz %6.5
5 gal. Cran-Blueberry%?11
3 gal. Cran-Pomegranite
3 gal. Strawberry
1 1/2 gal. Blueberry Port
1 gal. Plum Port
1 gal. Pineapple Port
1 gal. Banana
1 gal. Whitecran Peach
6.5 gal. Concord Cranberry
5 gal. Dessert Wine
1 gal. Cranberry
1 1/2 gal. cabbage
7 gal. cider
4 gal. Fig port
5 gal. blackberry
5 gal. exotic fruits white zin
Thats about 63 gallons of wine
And about 315 bottles
I consider it a small amount made. And I hope to make
52 batches of wine this year alone.
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