Natural ferment "church wine" Q:

I visited a religious colony that makes a lot of grape juice wine but add no yeast and doesn't use any real method other than tasting to tell when it is done. They take a tub of juice + sugar and leave it for like a month, then put it in barrels and taste it once a month to judge how much sugar to add. The wine is sweet in taste but very strong in alcohol.
My Question: What is the fuss about "fermentable sugars" only in beer making? all they do is leave sugary grapejuice sit and then get booze? They use naturally occuring yeast in the air and granulated cane sugar! I thought this was not possible.

The wine tastes fine but if you get a really big buzz plan on having a headache!!

Waboom!! said:

I thought this was not possible.

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That is how it was done for centuries before yeast was even understood to exist.

Where is this religious colony? Sounds interesting. Have you had much of their wine? Does it taste consistent from batch to batch?

- magno

In the Midwest, it is a Christian colony called the Hutterites almost like the Amish.
Yes I have had quite a bit of the wine, This season I have had this wine from the 3 previous seasons and it tasted the same from each year (2003, 2004, 2005) evidently it is consistant from batch to batch. The wonderful old woman who gave it to me said to keep the lid unscrewed because it was not finished yet (the '04 and '05 bottles). Its really sweet... very. Its almost like Cabernet+sugar+vodka!

If they are open to it, you could try to help out with a wine making session with them. It would probably be very interesting.

A few years ago a friend and I had the opportunity to bale hay with a group of Mennonites who live near her farm in Kentucky. It was an experience I wont soon forget.

the simple visit is few and far between it seems like. They are great people and I don't want them to think that all I care about is alcohol. They have however given me many experiences that I will remember forever. They live a pure lifestyle that admittadly I am fond of.

let go, let go of religion

OK "god emporor" !!!!

God Emporer BillyBrew said:

let go, let go of religion

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I definitely dont see eye to eye with the Mennonites on their religious beliefs, neither does my friend, their neighbor, and that is no secret between them. They lead a pure and simple life that has many merits. They are nice people who never tried to force any of their customs on us, other than not accepting car rides and things of that nature (which isnt really forcing anything on us at all).

- magno

Waboom!! said:

My Question: What is the fuss about "fermentable sugars" only in beer making? all they do is leave sugary grapejuice sit and then get booze? They use naturally occuring yeast in the air and granulated cane sugar! I thought this was not possible.

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The answer is, yes it is possible. But you aren't going to get a reliable product. You can get an infection. You can get off flavors. The fuss about fermentable sugars and pure strains of yeast is about trying to brew something that tastes good and has all the same profile characteristics every time you make it.

magno said:

I definitely dont see eye to eye with the Mennonites on their religious beliefs, neither does my friend, their neighbor, and that is no secret between them. They lead a pure and simple life that has many merits. They are nice people who never tried to force any of their customs on us, other than not accepting car rides and things of that nature (which isnt really forcing anything on us at all).

- magno

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I did a little drunk typing last night. It doesn't sound like you're offended, but just in case, no offense meant!

Waboom!! said:

OK "god emporor" !!!!

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It's a Dune reference.

God Emporer BillyBrew said:

It's a Dune reference.

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Shai-Halud.

zoebisch01 said:

Shai-Halud.

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He who controls the spice, controls the universe!

God Emporer BillyBrew said:

He who controls the spice, controls the universe!

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The worm is the spice, the spice is the worm.


I always think of this whenever I have Aquavit.

I prefer Goodfellas quotes. "Now go get your ****in' shinebox"

zoebisch01 said:

The worm is the spice, the spice is the worm.


I always think of this whenever I have Aquavit.

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That one went by me, mainly because I don't know what Aquavit is.

THE WATER OF LIFE! a schnapps like concoction with many added herbs or other flavors. I think it is swedish or norwegian.