Down the Drain

I had to pull the plug on the Cinnamon Wine. The fermentation stalled at 1.052. Which gave it about 10.5% alc. But it was the taste that did it. The cinnamon taste was ok, but there was a woody taste that followed. Something like I was sucking on an old popsicle stick. So down the drain she went.

Muscat

Started another new batch of Vino.  This is from a can of Sun Country's Muscat Juice Concentrate.  Originally I was going to blend this with peaches for a 3 gallon batch of Peach/Muscat Wine.  But I decided to just make a 2 gallon batch of a full/medium body Muscat Wine.  Using the Recipe from the can as a guide here is what I came up with.

---

Dry Muscat (Concentrate) 2 gal

1 Can  (46oz) Sun Country "Muscat" Juice Concentrate
Sugar to SG 1.085 about 2 cups (just a little over)
Water to 2g + Finger width over Mark
2 tsp Yeast Nutrient
3 tsp Acid Blend (acidity to .6-.7)
4 drops Liquid Pectic Enzyme
Lavlin  71B-1122 Yeast
1oz Light Toast American Oak

Added Concentrate and most the water near the 2gallon mark, took SG reading 1.070.  Created a simple syrup of sugar and water bases upon some calculation from charts I have found at Jack Keller's site. and then added in and checked SG.  with temp correction measured 1.085. right were I wanted it.  Adjusted the Acid level and added Yeast Nutrient and Pectic Enzyme. soaked the Oak in Sulfite solution for 30 mins and then added to the primary fermenter (actually a 4 gallon carboy I have).  Re-hydrated yeast and made a starter.  Added The yeast starter after 60 mins and lots of foaming action.  I am trying for a Dry Muscat wine with a little hint vanilla maybe from the oak in the primary.  Alcohol between 11-12%. I plan to leave the wine for 3 weeks before racking. Stirring twice daily for the first 5 days and then adding an airlock. Hopefully this achieve my desired outcome.

Zinfandel/Blackberry Updates

12/27/2009:  Created starter with Premier Cuvee.  After adding the Yeast energizer it appeared to die.   Started a new Yeast Starter with Montrachet without energizer.  After a few hours the starter was foaming real good.  Added to Must.

1/1/2010:  Stirred the must twice daily until the SG was 1.023 in the AM.  Racked in the afternoon.  Split between a 3g and 3l carboys.

1/14/2010 Checked SG 0.990  Waiting for my Orange Muscat to reach 1.030 to free up my 3.5g carboy.

as of 1/20/2010 still waiting  Orange Muscat is now at 1.036

2/27/10:  Taste tested today for Oak Level.  The Oak is definitely present in the wine and at a level I think will be good.  So I racked it off the oak and topped up the 3g carboy with the non-oaked wine in the small second container. The Mouth feel of the wine is getting better with a nice Oak taste on the palette.

New Label (Cranberry)

She did it again.  I need a label for my Cranberry wine, so I asked my daughter, and she pulled out real winner again.

Bottling day

Bottled the Orange/Muscat Port Kit today.  It's taste is good.  I think it will get better with time. Here is the picture of another killer label from my daughter.

Grapefruit

I was in Webbs Candy the other day and was looking at their Florida Wines.  They sell a lot of Wines made by Florida Orange Groves Inc, and Winery.  I noticed a wine from Grapefruit, it had a nice pale straw color. Then I remembered I had a fellow co-worker give me a big bag of Ruby Red Grapefruit the other day. I got thinking, OK, I could make make Grapefruit wine.  Did some looking on the internet, of course Jack Keller was the first instinct.  And of course he did not let me down.  Several versions of Grapefruit Wines.  And here is the one I decided on using:

----------------------------------------

GRAPEFRUIT WINE (Dry) (1)

• 6 large grapefruit
• 2-1/2 lbs granulated sugar
• water to 1 gal
• 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1 crushed Campden tablet
• 1 tsp yeast starter
• Sauterne yeast

Scrub grapefruit clean. Peel one grapefruit thinly, making sure no white pith adheres to peel. Put peel in primary with half the sugar, the crushed Campden tablet, juice from all six grapefruit, yeast nutrient, and enough water to bring up to one gallon, stirring well to dissolve sugar. Cover primary with clean cloth. After 12 hours, add pectic enzyme. After additional 12 hours, add yeast. After two days of vigorous fermentation, add remaining sugar, stir well, and allow additional two days vigorous fermentation in primary. Discard peel, transfer to secondary and fit airlock. Rack every 30 days, topping up each time. After fifth racking, bottle and set aside at least 6 months. [Adapted from Dorothy Alatorre's Home Wines of North American

----------------------------------------

I did not have what I would call large Grapefruit, so I used 8.
I added 1.5lbs of the sugar. Fermex Yeast Nutrient and used Montrachet Yeast.
SG=1.080
Recipe calls to add 1lb more sugar, the only problem that would put the PA way above where I would like it.  So I will probably add only 5-8oz more sugar to add 0.015 to the SG. This should make a nice dry wine around 12-13% abv.

2/21/10:  Added the rest of the sugar about 6oz raised the SG by 0.010 so the effective starting SG would be 1.090 which will put it in the 12% range when finished.

Cranberry Bottling

Cranberry stayed clear and only small dusting on the bottom of the carboy after racking off the Bentonite 2 weeks ago.  Wine finished at about 13% abv with some residual  sugar at a SG of 1.012, for a semi-Dry Finish, Tastes a little like a White Zinfandel with a some tartness from the Cranberry.  Now to let it age for a couple months before tasting.  Hopefully it will smooth out some.