Ideas for some wines?

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rustang64

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Its nearing autumn again and I'm thinking about pulling out the empty carboys to start a few new batches. I can get my hands on tons of cherries, chokecherries, peaches and apples for very very cheap or free in most cases. I also have a good source for honey at the local apiaries. I'm up for experimenting and was wondering if anyone could throw out some ideas for me to try. I think I will have 4 open carboys after I bottle last years cider and pomegranate wine (mead stays in for ~ another year). I have lots of patience so time isn't an issue.

any ideas???

Thanks:D
 
Hi rustang64: I'm also in Missoula. I've been experimenting with a high alcohol lemon melomel, and just racked some prune juice I've been fermenting with 71-B narbonne. As for experimentations, maybe a huckleberry/chokecherry combo, or a cherry/plum... Or maybe a cherry cordial? I'm curious as to your source of honey, I've been using "wildflower" honey from Arlee Apiaries & I'm not too happy with it. I've checked around, but everything I've found is about the same price as what you get in the supermarket & is usually still "wildflower" honey. Apple harvest will be here in another month or two, I plan on trying a "champagne-like" sparkling apple wine. One last question: did you happen to find ANY tart cherries in the flathead this year? Regards, GF.
 
I also go for arlee apiaries and I have had good luck with their honey. Flatheads were definitely sweeter this year which I like. The hucks seem to be done for the year for the most part, so I might not have much luck getting my hands on them... maybe a chokecherry apple cider or something?
 
gratus -

Prune juice???

Aren't prunes and raisins heavily oxidized?

Wouldn't this oxidation be very difficult to keep from turning to vinegar?

Plus, won't the finished product look about like motor oil?

Pogo
 
rustang64 said:
I also go for arlee apiaries and I have had good luck with their honey. Flatheads were definitely sweeter this year which I like. The hucks seem to be done for the year for the most part, so I might not have much luck getting my hands on them... maybe a chokecherry apple cider or something?
Click to expand...

A chokecherry/apple cider? The chokecherries will add some tartness, and I think with a touch of added tannin, you'll have a winner! Great idea, wish I'd thought of it. :D
 
Pogo said:
gratus -

Prune juice???

Aren't prunes and raisins heavily oxidized?

Wouldn't this oxidation be very difficult to keep from turning to vinegar?

Plus, won't the finished product look about like motor oil?

Pogo
Click to expand...

Hi Pogo: So far, so good on the prune juice. After 19 days in primary, it's not vinegar yet, nor does it seem to have any tendency (yet) to acetify. It's a bit more tart than I expected, but not unpleasantly so; actually tastes more "plummy" than "pruney", but significantly different from fermented plum juice. As an experiment I fermented 1 gallon prune juice without adding any sugar, just added yeast nutrient & energizer. I made a starter with the yeast (Lalvin 71-B Narbonne) out of the must & nothing else. OG: 1.074, At 1st rack SG: 1.025, For a current ABV of 6.66% It may continue to ferment slowly, but I seriously doubt it will push more than 7% ABV without added sugar. It started out looking more like a guinness than juice & now is between the color of a Hershey bar & coffee with cream. So far it's an odd flavour, but not unpleasant. I'll just see where it goes from here, that was the idea from the start. I you have any thoughts on this experiment, let me know; I'm all ears. Regards, GF. I need a "mad scientist" smiley LOL
 
rustang64 said:
Its nearing autumn again and I'm thinking about pulling out the empty carboys to start a few new batches. I can get my hands on tons of cherries, chokecherries, peaches and apples for very very cheap or free in most cases. I also have a good source for honey at the local apiaries. I'm up for experimenting and was wondering if anyone could throw out some ideas for me to try. I think I will have 4 open carboys after I bottle last years cider and pomegranate wine (mead stays in for ~ another year). I have lots of patience so time isn't an issue.

any ideas???

Thanks:D
Click to expand...

Hi rustang64: Just a thought here, but what about adapting Ken Schramm's ginger/peach melomel recipe to a wine? I tried his recipe, but changed out the peaches for apricots & it turned out REALLY good; just thought that since you mentioned peaches, you might be interested in that sort of a recipe. Page #167 in "The Compleat Meadmaker". Maybe pure peach juice & fresh ginger (blanched & crushed) in primary... OR, a ginger/peach riesling? Now that might just have some potential. Like I said, it's just a thought. Regards, GF. :)
 
GF -

Wow! Unsweetened prune juice starts out at 1.074! That's exactly where my last batch, Hard Lemonade, started AFTER I kicked it in the pants with cane sugar.

It stopped at 0.999, yielding an ABV of 9.8%.

Unless you decide to tamper with it, I'm thinking that (of course, be advised that I have very little to think with, being very new to all of this, Apfelwein & Hard Lemonade, 3 batches, total) it will go below zero, too.

The taste of plums is heartening! I'll have to try a gallon of this when an empty jug becomes available.

Thanks for posting the specs, I wish I had an idea or two to offer, but I'm so new that I'm still not sure if I know up from down. There are many old German families in this area though, I'll see if any of them know of any good twists.

You mentioned racking once already, even before it has fermented out, isn't this a bit premature?

Being juice based, like Apfelwein, couldn't you go for like six months or so, using the primary as the secondary, too? Is there much sediment?

Thanks for the update,

Pogo
 
Pogo said:
GF -

Wow! Unsweetened prune juice starts out at 1.074! That's exactly where my last batch, Hard Lemonade, started AFTER I kicked it in the pants with cane sugar.

It stopped at 0.999, yielding an ABV of 9.8%.

Unless you decide to tamper with it, I'm thinking that (of course, be advised that I have very little to think with, being very new to all of this, Apfelwein & Hard Lemonade, 3 batches, total) it will go below zero, too.

The taste of plums is heartening! I'll have to try a gallon of this when an empty jug becomes available.

Thanks for posting the specs, I wish I had an idea or two to offer, but I'm so new that I'm still not sure if I know up from down. There are many old German families in this area though, I'll see if any of them know of any good twists.

You mentioned racking once already, even before it has fermented out, isn't this a bit premature?

Being juice based, like Apfelwein, couldn't you go for like six months or so, using the primary as the secondary, too? Is there much sediment?

Thanks for the update,

Pogo
Click to expand...

I think the OG reading on the prune juice may be a little misleading. I know there's quite a bit of fiber in prunes, and it would make sense that the juice would also have a considerable amount of this fiber as well. I'm thinking that this may have thrown the reading off a couple of points; though that's just a guess. In theory, this stuff (I used Sunsweet brand) could ferment out with 10% ABV, but I seriously doubt it; I'll be amazed if it pushes to 8% ABV. It's still fermenting very slowly, and has continued to produce lees after 1st rack, but shows NO clearing at all & is still about the color of a Hershey bar. As far as sediment, there was about a 1/2 inch in primary when I 1st racked (19 days) and there's currently about about a 1/4 inch in secondary (10 days so far). I'll leave it alone for a month or so & see what happens. I'm wondering if I should've started a new thread for this, I didn't mean to hijack rustang's thread; my apologies to you rustang. Regards, GF
 

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