CC's not so fine WINE diary

CrealCritter

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Watermelon is out of 34 degrees cold crash after 10 days. It still doesn't look clear to me despite the instructions say it should clear after a week. I think I may need to clear it with bentonite but I'm going to let it warm up first before deciding.

I'm still on step 7 waiting for it to clear.
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CrealCritter

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Wife's Red Clover wine is done except for bottling. I didn't feel like getting all my bottling gear out for just a gallon of wine. So just racked the clear wine into a clean and sterile gallon jug and capped it. I'll bulk age for a little while until next time I bottle.

I also backsweetened with with the same white grape juice I used as a wine base to ferment the red clover wine according to my wife's taste buds. Both my wife and I agree we like it, i've not tasted a wine quite like it before, it's different and mildly earthy tasting...

It finished golden colored at 13.6% ABV.
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I taste tested my apple juice wine this evening. I must say the addition of 6 cinnamon sticks, 6 whole cloves and 6 whole allspice in a muslin bag really helped bring out the apple flavor. It smells and tastes delightfully delicious, it reminded me of thanksgiving apple pie desert.

Of course it made me burp a few times because its still actively fermenting and has not be degassed of CO2 yet. This is my highest ABV attempt yet with a OG of 1.135 plus topping off with apple juice and whatever sugars are in 6 cinnamon sticks, 6 whole cloves and 6 whole allspice. If this finishes out to just 1.000 it will be at least 18.5% ABV. Its most definitely "hot" right now and makes my ears heat up on the way down.

I might need to purchase a Proof and Tralle Hydrometer so I can get a better reading of the alcohol in the wine. I've been wanting one for a while now anyways.

I sure would like to take this spiced apple wine and distill it into brandy. But that is totally against the law here in Illinois :( Illinois already gets enough of my money through taxes and licenses, I sure don't want to give them anymore through fines.
 

CrealCritter

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My buddy gave me another free cider kit, passion fruit and peach he said ladies like it. My daughter came over and we put it together for the wedding Oct 25. We spiked the gravity a little. It's fermenting like crazy, I guess she has the touch :)
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Wife likes "Kickin' Cranberry" as she calls it. Bottling now and figured I needed to back sweeten with sugar. But nope, its good as is and she's right... It does have a bit of a kick. Most definitely a body warmer. This will be real nice to serve at thanksgiving.
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28 750ml bottles, plus about 2/3rd which is in the refrigerator. Very good favor, nice color and crystal clear. Cranberry was my most difficult wine yet, I would not recommend to try and make cranberry as your first wine.
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i couldn't read my own writing, I thought I wrote 15.2% but after doing the math it's 16.2% ABV. So my wife was right it's some kickin' cranberry alright.
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Easy Smeazy Grape Juice Wine.

Aldi's had Nature's Nectar grape juice on sale. 1/2 gallon for $1.89 so why not give it the old ferment try.

This is my own recipe so if you make it yourself be careful... It's some high octane stuff. When I made up this must I measured the gravity (fermentable sugar) of aldi's Nature's Nectar grape juice and I about fell out of my chair... 1.070 which if I just pitched the yeast without adding any additional sugar it would finish out dry around 10% alcohol by volume And people actually buy this stuff for their kids to drink?

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Sugar (cane or table sugar is fine) this will put original gravity at about 1.110 or ~ 16% alcohol by volume
  • 2 half gallons 100% Grape Juice 100% Grape Juice NOTE: Make sure your grape juice doesn’t contain any sorbate preservatives such as potassium sorbate/sorbic acid or else it won't ferment.
  • 1 tsp. Yeast Nutrient
  • 1 tsp. Acid Blend
  • 1/2 tsp. Pectic Enzyme
  • 1/4 tsp. Wine Tannin
  • 1 packet Red Star Montrachet wine yeast

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Forgot I had a gallon of this, wow this is a really good dry white wine and I don't even like white wines, let alone dry ones. Well It ain't forgotten anymore... Not bad, not bad at all for a self created recipe. At 16% ABV, It's got quite a little kick 😂 really weird though... What's that vanilla hint I taste?
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