CC's not so fine WINE diary

[CrealCritter]

I signed up for on-line wine making classes last week. I just completed my first lesson and test. I got a 100% yippee!

Major take aways...

1) Yeast + must + sugar - oxygen = ethanol/alcohol (C2H5OH) + carbon dioxide gas (CO2)

2) Yeast + must + sugar + oxygen = water (H20) + sulfur dioxide gas (SO2)

3) Yeast needs a small amount of oxygen initially to multiply (ramp up). Once it consumes a certain amount of oxygen present in the must, then it will begin to produce ethanol and carbon dioxide gas.

4) All wine contains some level of sulfur dioxide. The acceptable level of ethanol & sulfur dioxide in commercial wine is regulated by big brother.

5) legal limits on how much wine you can make without a license. In most parts of the United States this limit is 100 gallons per person per year or 200 gallons for a married couple per year. Producing more than this will requires a license from big brother.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Has she given it the taste tester stamp of approval?

 

[CrealCritter]

Has she given it the taste tester stamp of approval?

Yep she sure did, It's her wine. I won't be drinking none. And no I don't want to be inclined to put my hair up in a man bun either.

It's my attempt of non snake oil wine tincture for ladies. 3 to 5 ml, 2 to 3 times per day; may be added to hot water as a tea.

http://pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=107&pid=33&gid=000270
"Modern scientific tests have shown that red clover contains isoflavones, plant-based chemicals that produce estrogen-like effects in the body. Isoflavones have shown potential in the treatment of several conditions associated with menopause, such as hot flashes, cardiovascular health, and osteoporosis."

 

[CrealCritter]

You can grow and smoke weed, but you can't make Brandy? what is this world coming to?
Answer: $$$$

Yep Dick loves money no doubt about that!

 

[CrealCritter]

Look at this YUCK that benonite pulled out of vintners best fruit watermelon wine base and dropped to the bottom of the craboy. What is that brown colored nasty stuff? I'm so glad I added a step to the directions, to bentonite and cold crash. I sure wouldn't want anyone to be drinking whatever that nasty brown stuff is .

I'm still not convinced it's clear enough to bottle yet. I'll have to take a sample in a wine glass and hold it up to the light to find out for sure. If its still not clear enough, I'll have to rack it, benonite and cold crash again .

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Glad it helped her!

 

[CrealCritter]

Dang... Ladies of our family and friends in for my Father in Law's funeral have put a major dent in my wine cellar. I'm going to have to make some more wine.

 

[CrealCritter]

I racked the 6 gallons of cranberry wine into my 6 1/2 gallon carboy. It's finished at a gravity of .990 which puts it at 16.2% alcohol by volume. I have about 6 gallons so I should be able to get a little more than 5 gallons of clear for bottling. I guess 3rd times a charm, I'll never try to make wine with dried cranberries again.

 

[CrealCritter]

I also racked my 3 gallon of apple juice wine after 3 weeks on the spice bag. It smells like an apple pie, tastes a little like one also but not near as sweet, the alcohol is front and center. I'll back sweeten it to taste with apple juice when I bottle it. It finished off at 18.2% ABV. Yeast is good to 18% alcohol tolerance, so I fed it to death.

I have it cold crashing after stabilizing and adding benonite and topping off with apple juice. I'm hoping it will clear out enough to make a nice warmed up mulled wine for thanksgiving dinner.

I still think it would make a wonderful bandy but distilling without paying Dick Durban $7000.00 for a license in Illinois is totally illegal.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

You're gonna have to build a new room on your house to store all this wine!