CC's not so fine WINE diary

[sumi]

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I have some mulberry bushes and my neighbor has a huge tree....ever thought about Mulberry wine?

 

[CrealCritter]

I have some mulberry bushes and my neighbor has a huge tree....ever thought about Mulberry wine?

I would like to give mulberry wine a try eventually.

 

[CrealCritter]

Next up... Red Clover Wine.

Recipe::
3 quarts fresh red clover flowers
4.5 lbs ripe bananas -or- 3 pints of frozen reconstituted 100% white grape juice
6 lb finely granulated sugar (tweak to OG ~ 1.090)
6 tsp acid blend
3 tsp yeast nutrient
3/4 tsp wine tannin
spring water to 3 gallons
Montrachet wine yeast 1 package.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Holy Cow - you are truly a mad wine scientist, lol!! I'm impressed!

 

[CrealCritter]

Nothing ventured nothing gained. Red Clover wine process.

First you need to wade out into the field and pick the red clover flower tops. They snap off pretty easy. Then you need to de-stem them. I found there is a soft spot at the base of the flower head that you can pinch off with your thumb nail and the stem and leaves come right off.

Next wash them well and figure out how many loose packed quarts you have.
4 quarts give or take.

Next add Pectic Enzyme and Potassium Metabisulfite (follow the directions for doseage amounts on the bottles) i dosed for 1 gallon split between 2 1/2 gallon jars. I know what your thinking Potassium Metabisulfite??? Well yes it's a sterilization agent can you just image all the different kinds of bacteria on these fresh field picked red clover flowers.

Next boil 1 gallon of spring water and pour over flowers when piping hot, enough to submerge the flowers and allow to sit 24 hours loosely covered for the Potassium Metabisulfite sulfur dioxide gas to gas off.

And because I know your going to ask... Yes I did... I did taste the red clover tea and i'm still alive you would be surprised what it tastes like. It smells a little like a bbq glazed pork butt cooking on the grill or maybe a beef roast with vegetables cooking in the oven (very inviting). The best way I can describe the tea taste it has a very sweet cleansing taste almost like a very very mild antiseptic and very sweet honey combined. When I say sweet I mean like linger in your mouth a long time sweet. Way longer than if you just eat a spoonful of honey and way sweeter.

This is a far as I got today I have to let it sit for 24 hours before I make up the must and pitch the yeast.

More info on red clover tea, if your interested ---> http://supplementsos.com/herbal-tea/red-clover-tea/

Started 27 August OG 1.094. Has a bit of a red tint about it.

 

[CrealCritter]

3rd racking on the sassafras wine, since it finally stopped fermenting. Gravity is .991 and I swear it smells and tastes like a mild Kentucky burbon whiskey. Anyways i stabilized and back sweetened to 1.000 gravity (about the same gravity as water).

Not to bad of clairity for the third racking.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It looks pretty good to me - and the taste you describe is so interesting.

 

[CrealCritter]

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

 

[CrealCritter]

Both red clover and Niagara (white) grape wines started yesterday. Amazing the red clover color change already.