Garlic Wine

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bluespook

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I just pitched a garlic wine of the following:
12 garlic blossoms--all cloves separated and peeled...cloves from 4 were carmalized at 350 for 2 hrs.
boiled in 2 qts water for 45 minutes and garlic strained out
12 oz apple concentrate added and boiled for another 5 minutes...removed from heat
2 tsp lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon added...cooled for 1 hr and then zest strained out
cooled to room temp and a starter added (1-1/2 cup orange juice + nutrient + peptic enzyme + Moncharet)

I plan to ferment in primary for a week with a loose top, then rack to 1 gallon jug with lock for a few months.

I plan to use this for a marinade or base for salad dressings.

I am wondering, however, about something. My OG was 1.028 which seems a bit low, allowing for less than 5% abv. Does anybody think I should add a half or full pound of sugar or some honey? I've never made a cooking wine before and really don't know what the abv should (if there is a "should" in wine making) be.
 
The ABV doesn't matter for a cooking wine, except from the standpoint of suppressing re-growth. I'd be tempted to add a pound of table sugar or plan on storing it in the fridge.
 
"I'd be tempted to add a pound of table sugar"

I have a stray pound of mesquite honey on the supply shelf...what would you think about that??
 
"I'd be tempted to add a pound of table sugar"

I have a stray pound of mesquite honey on the supply shelf...what would you think about that??

Well, I think that would be awesome. It would give it great flavor. But, for a cooking wine, do you want to use that expensive honey? You could use a pound or so of table sugar, just to boost the ABV a bit, and keep that nice honey for a mead or a nice drinking wine.
 
Posted this three times and have not seen it come up yet, so if there are dupes, could a Mod please delete the extra posts?


I made this tonight. Of course did not follow OP's exact recipe.....


boiled about 40 cloves of garlic with 1.5 pounds of sugar for about 20 minutes, added can of apple juice concentrate and boiled for another 5. added juice of a whole lemon as well as what was left after I pressed the poor lemon.

It is cooling now and I plan on dumping a packet of Montrachet into it and letting it ferment at room temp for about 2 weeks. After that I will decant into a secondary for some long-term maturing. I am guessing about 2 to 3 months before this will be a garlic marinating sauce to die for.

I will keep you posted.

cake
 
I made something like this, but with garlic and onion. I'm thinking about making a beer with garlic and onion too. I imagine covering chicken or london broil with it before throwing it on the grill.
 
I gotta tell you guys...this is the worst, most powerful smelling stuff I've ever seen or heard of. God help me, SWMBO made me move it out of the basement and into the garage. It was too potent for the garage also, so it went to the porch. I snuck it back into the garage for the night...will be in the low 50s tonight.
 
By the way, onion sounds like a good addition...if I'm ever allowed to try this again, I'll stick a handful in the pot.
 
I'm thinking that it will be a looonnnng time before THAT primary jug will be suitable for using with a fruit must!!

But, then again, who knows, garlic flavored Apfelwein might win a blue ribbon some day!

Pogo
 
Here's a picture of the chili wine as of today...October 18th. Sorry about the quality of the shot, but it's my phone camera. Not clear at all, but a nice yellow-green coloring.


photo.jpg
 
I'm thinking this will not likely rot too quikly owing to the various forms of sulfites, sulfates and sulfhydryls that may result from the garlic.

I really wonder if it will be palatable though?
 
I'm thinking this will not likely rot too quikly owing to the various forms of sulfites, sulfates and sulfhydryls that may result from the garlic.

I really wonder if it will be palatable though?

Oh, I think it will. I've had garlic wine before, and it's a great marinade and good in sauces. Jalapeno wine is actually tasty to drink, and not just to cook with. It's probably much better than you're imagining!
 
Is it possible to caramelize and ferment enough onions to make a wine? I'm just thinking instead of the apples if one wanted to? I like the idea of garlic, onions, jalapeños, carrots, and celery. Caramelize or roast then juice with the fresh celery used at the very last. Add water and boil for an hour or pressure cook for 30 minutes. Once cool, strain, aerate, and pitch your yeast. Does this even sound doable?
 
Is it possible to caramelize and ferment enough onions to make a wine? I'm just thinking instead of the apples if one wanted to? I like the idea of garlic, onions, jalapeños, carrots, and celery. Caramelize or roast then juice with the fresh celery used at the very last. Add water and boil for an hour or pressure cook for 30 minutes. Once cool, strain, aerate, and pitch your yeast. Does this even sound doable?

Sure, but you won't get much in fermentables from doing that. You'll still have to use sugar to boost the OG to get you a decent ABV. I'd say that 9-10% would be fine for something like that, though.

I'm wondering though- I've never fermented anything carmelized. I wonder if it would give the wine a bitter taste in the end? I mean, once the sugar flavor is removed from the carmelized onions, wouldn't it taste bitter? Just a random thought I had.
 
You know, I think you are right. I'm now debating uncooked and with something fermentable like apples or pears to get the 10% ABV. I just think celery is something a lot of people leave out of cooking, but I can tell when a meal lacks it I love it so much. Hope it does a mellow job in the mix. Thanks for the kick in the brain Yoop. :)
 
So how did this turn out?
A trick I do to knock the bite off garlic without burning/caramelizing it is do a quick blast in the microwave. It softens it and takes a lot of that raw bite away.
 
regarding caramelized onions in a wine:
I think that it would work pretty well. Consider crystal malt, basically it is mashed malt that has been heated to caramelize its sugars (actually I think it more maillard reaction than carmelization but close enough). These product are sweet non-fermentable and delicious in beer. I think the same might be true in a caramelized onion wine.

I think I'll be trying this tonight
 
I am thinking of doing this also, the only things I will be adding are some oak chips.
 
When I made my Garlic and Chillie wine the house smelled for about three days after the caramelising step. I must make more but I'll be adding alot more chillie to up the heat.

If you want to see it used in cookng , Orfy did a write up in the cooking and pairing section...
 
I've racked the original a couple of times now, and it seems to be tasting better...hot as the devil, but improving. It's been in the carboy about 5 months now and is clearing, but not clear. I'm planning on letting it set for a couple more months, then I may try some gelatin before bottling.
 
Well, I think that would be awesome. It would give it great flavor. But, for a cooking wine, do you want to use that expensive honey? You could use a pound or so of table sugar, just to boost the ABV a bit, and keep that nice honey for a mead or a nice drinking wine.


lol... I'm still quite the noob at brewing - but My Sicilian Grandfather (who taught me to cook) once told me:
"Jesse, Never cook with a wine that isn't good enough to drink"

(now obviuoslythis doesn't include exotics that are meant exclusively for cooking garlic, hot pepper, herbals etc.)

all I'm saying is don't EVER skimp just cause "you are going to cook with it."
just like your home brew is only as good as the ingredients in it, the same goes for the recipes you cook... I say put the expensive honey in there if you can afford it.

And yeah... that wine sounds like it would be AWESOME as a reduction with smoked pork.
 
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