Polk County White: First True Tasting

The Polk County White is 3 months old and has been in the bottle for a month.  I decided it was time to give one a try.

Nose:  Light fruity and tart aroma.

Taste:  Slightly Tart and Sweet at the same time.  Light fruit with a hint of Muscat or Muscadine taste and a good sweetness balance.

Alc:  I did not have a hydrometer when I started the batch, so I am unable to determine the alcohol content of the wine.  The feel is around 10% if I had to guess.  It definitely is not prominent or over powering at all just sort of in the background.

Final Notes: For a first batch, not bad. It makes for an average White Table Wine. I actually wish I had left it dry and had not sweetened it. It is very easy drinking and goes done very quick.  I might actually be able to make this stuff.
If I make this again I think I will leave it dry and definitely make the alcohol near 12%.

Try another bottle in a month.

Muscadine Update

I was going to wait another 30 days before messing with this wine.  But there had  not been a hint of a bubble in over a month and with cooler temps in the house the air lock level was moving back towards the wine.  So I decided this would be a good time to rack and sweeten.  Racked both gallons to one of my primary buckets.  Adjust the sugar to taste. (measured sg 1.006) Just a little off dry.  Taste other than being high in the alcohol department (over 15%) was good. similar to a high alcohol version Southern Red from Lakeridge Winery. A little lighter on the body but good.  Transferred back to the cleaned gallon jugs. To one jug I added 1/8tsp of Tannin. To the other a little more sugar (sg 1.012).  Airlocks back on and put away for a couple of months.

Tennessee Apple Racking

It has been about 3 weeks since the first racking.  Fermentation has slowed considerably  , bit still some signs of fermentation and thin firm deposit on the bottom of the jug.  Checked the SG and it is .995, that puts it at 12.9% abv.  Racked to a clean jug, added 1 Campden tablet and Potassium Sorbate. Did some degassing and topped up.  Put it away for 2 months.  Taste is a little rough but I could taste its potential.

Cranberry begins

10/9/09: Started my Cranberry Wine today.  The picture shows the cranberries I used in it. I am following the recipe in the previous post.  With one addition; 6oz grape juice concentrate to add a little more body to the wine.

10/10/09: Pitched the yeast this morning from a starter. Decided to use Lalvin 71B-1122.  The must started at SG of 1.110, the higher starting SG combined with the yeast should give about 13-14%abv semi-sweet to sweet wine.  I have about 5qts of must including the rehydrate Cranberries.  As of 12 hours the Must was showing very little signs of fermentation.  I snapped the lid down tight on the fermentor and it was pushing some bubbles but very slowly. If the fermentation does not improve by morning I will probably make a new starter and toss it in.

10/11/09: Checked this morning and the fermentation is starting to get going a little better, I can actually here the bubbles working through the fruit.  Starting to produce that distinct odor of fermenting fruit.  By the afternoon (almost36hrs.) it is rolling good now.

10/15/09:  Been punching the cap and stirring twice daily. Checked SG this morning now at 1.060 (6.5%abv). targeting 1.030 to rack.

10/17/09, Day 7:  Racked to secondary ended up with 1 gal + 750ml.  SG at 1.046.  Fermentation is a little slower than previous batches I have done. Hours later in the secondary lots of sediment appearing.

10/18:  Appears the 1 gal shows no sign of fermentation but the residual in the 750ml is going like gangbusters. The sg on the 1 gal had not changed from 24hrs earlier. Added 1/2 teaspoon of nutrient and by afternoon still no sign of active fermentation.  Recombined the 2 bottles in the primary fermenter and active fermentation again.  I am not sure what happened.  Maybe not enough of the yeast transfer with wine?  Will just monitor and try again in a couple days.  This time wait to rack/transfer until below 1.030.

10/19: Stll not making progress. Added a new yeast starter.  I will have really review my notes to see what went wrong on this one.

10/22-23/09: Fermentation has been continuing since adding a new starter.  Slow but still working.  On 10/22 stirred must and transferred to the secondary fermentation containers. (1gal and 750ml), after a couple of hours a lot of sediment.  10/23; fermentation is still continuing nicely and the lees (sediment) are compacting down.  I can actually see the bubbles coming up from the bottom of the sediment area.  I think it might end up being ok.

10/25/09: Checked on the secondary and it is bubbling good

11/11/09:  Still bubbling

Cranberry

I came across a recipe for using dried Cranberries on Jack Keller's site, that looked simple and inviting.  So I was at the store with my wife tonight and picked up some Cranberries, good ones, no sulfite or sorbic acid, Just cranberries and sugar.  This should be ready in time for Thanksgiving 2010.  I may use this or kick up sugar and alcohol content and make a dessert type. I will need to use a different yeast for that purpose.

Here is Jack's recipe:


DRIED CRANBERRY WINE

• 1 lb dried, unsulfited cranberries
• 2-1/2 lbs granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1/8 tsp tannin
• 1 crushed Campden tablet
• water to one gallon
• 1 pkt Lalvin RC212 (Bourgovin) wine yeast

Chop the cranberries or run them through a mincer. Place in primary and add one quart warm water. Stir in crushed Campden tablet. Cover and set aside 12 hours. Add pectic enzyme, recover primary and set aside another 12 hours. Meanwhile, bring remainder of water to boil and stir in sugar until completely dissolved. Cover sugar and allow to cool to room temperature. When 12-hour pectic enzyme treatment is complete, combine remaining ingredients in primary and add sugar water. Stir well and cover primary. Stir twice daily for 7 days. Strain out cranberries, rack liquid into secondary and fit airlock. Rack every 60 days for 6 months, topping up and refitting airlock each time. Stabilize, sweeten to taste, wait 10-14 days, and rack into bottles. Store in cool, dark place for additional 6 months.

Wine Labels

I challenged my daughter with designing me a label for my homemade wines.  We decided it needed a catchy fictitious Winery name as well. The picture shows what she came up with.  A very classy label with a Cool name.
(Click on image for a larger view)