WNC-PrivateStock
Member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2013
- Messages
- 11
- Reaction score
- 1
Hi, I've been lurking around the forum and reading quite a bit.
My Dad was a rather renowned local winemaker and liquor distiller in the town I grew up in... so good in fact that during the Eric Rudolph search, he kept the FBI and ATF guys drunk nearly every night without worry about them interfering with his operation.
Well, I helped a little when I was much younger, late teens and early twenties. I especially loved his strawberry and apple wine. Since I seldom drank, I didn't have much of it over the years, but when I did...I loved it. I generally hate the taste of wine and beer...but I've been trying to re-create his recipes since he died to keep the tradition alive (well, the wine making anyway...just things I can get by with legally).
My apple wine has gotten just as strong, and just as good as his. I let both my apple and strawberry ferment until the potential alcohol is zero.
My wife, and a number of friends who really do not like wine say that both taste just perfect.
However...
My strawberry is tasting a little weak...not nearly as strong as his. Tastes just as good, my wife says a little better than his. But his was as strong as any fortified wine, like right at 20% alcohol.
My recipe is very simple.
3 cans of Welch's Strawberry Blast
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
Enough water to fill to one cup short of a gallon
I use red star yeast (I think he may have used champagne yeast because it had a bit of a bubbly feel in the mouth).
My yeast starter is simple
1 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit for 15 minutes.
Add to wine and give a good swirl.
Now I put an airlock on and let it work.
I give it a good swirl every day for the first two weeks.
I rack it off to let it settle for the next two weeks.
I rack it again to get rid of the sediment
Add 1 campden tab
Add 1/4 teaspoon potassium sorbate to prevent re-fermentation and to preserve it
Add 1 teaspoon icinglass to help it settle more.
When cleared, rack again and bottle.
--------------------------------------------
Now for my question... to get it stronger... more sugar (2 more cups) in the wash? Sorry if the wrong term, grew up with a moonshiner ... don't know what the winemaking community's term for it is. Must???? I think????
Add some 160 proof liquor to fortify it?
-------------------------------------------
Next question... would it possibly be better if I used strawberry daiquiri mix for my strawberry flavoring and if so, how much should I use?
--------------------------------------------
Note: I'm making my strawberry in one gallon jugs until I get it just the way I want it, then I'll move up to my 5 gallon fermenter.
Thank you.
My Dad was a rather renowned local winemaker and liquor distiller in the town I grew up in... so good in fact that during the Eric Rudolph search, he kept the FBI and ATF guys drunk nearly every night without worry about them interfering with his operation.
Well, I helped a little when I was much younger, late teens and early twenties. I especially loved his strawberry and apple wine. Since I seldom drank, I didn't have much of it over the years, but when I did...I loved it. I generally hate the taste of wine and beer...but I've been trying to re-create his recipes since he died to keep the tradition alive (well, the wine making anyway...just things I can get by with legally).
My apple wine has gotten just as strong, and just as good as his. I let both my apple and strawberry ferment until the potential alcohol is zero.
My wife, and a number of friends who really do not like wine say that both taste just perfect.
However...
My strawberry is tasting a little weak...not nearly as strong as his. Tastes just as good, my wife says a little better than his. But his was as strong as any fortified wine, like right at 20% alcohol.
My recipe is very simple.
3 cans of Welch's Strawberry Blast
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
Enough water to fill to one cup short of a gallon
I use red star yeast (I think he may have used champagne yeast because it had a bit of a bubbly feel in the mouth).
My yeast starter is simple
1 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit for 15 minutes.
Add to wine and give a good swirl.
Now I put an airlock on and let it work.
I give it a good swirl every day for the first two weeks.
I rack it off to let it settle for the next two weeks.
I rack it again to get rid of the sediment
Add 1 campden tab
Add 1/4 teaspoon potassium sorbate to prevent re-fermentation and to preserve it
Add 1 teaspoon icinglass to help it settle more.
When cleared, rack again and bottle.
--------------------------------------------
Now for my question... to get it stronger... more sugar (2 more cups) in the wash? Sorry if the wrong term, grew up with a moonshiner ... don't know what the winemaking community's term for it is. Must???? I think????
Add some 160 proof liquor to fortify it?
-------------------------------------------
Next question... would it possibly be better if I used strawberry daiquiri mix for my strawberry flavoring and if so, how much should I use?
--------------------------------------------
Note: I'm making my strawberry in one gallon jugs until I get it just the way I want it, then I'll move up to my 5 gallon fermenter.
Thank you.