I should really start trying to make wine now that I am a homeowner again and have plenty of space.
A Fine Time For Fine Wine
- Thread starter RednekF350
- Start date
Update: I've ordered all of the stuff I need to do it and now it just needs to show up and I just need to get the grape juice!
I think I may also try my hand at cider, too.
I think I may also try my hand at cider, too.
Good to hear Ben.
Gino's should have Italian juice very soon. I am thinking about maybe a bucket of that.
I'm just going to do a batch of Sauvignon Blanc so I'll need to do their California juice. Depending on how this goes I might get Pinot Grigio next year.
That's just clip art I found. This is my cat, Kodak. He's a British Shorthair.
Congratulations Ben ! I have a new apprentice !
Your Holiday parties will take on a whole new twist. You might want to consult with an attorney.
In April'ish-May'ish, Gino's will have Chilean juice. If you have the ability to keep it cool after fermentation (I do not), you could be a year-round winemaker !
Your Holiday parties will take on a whole new twist. You might want to consult with an attorney.
In April'ish-May'ish, Gino's will have Chilean juice. If you have the ability to keep it cool after fermentation (I do not), you could be a year-round winemaker !
Well, here I am again 12 years to the day after my original post. It's wine season and Gino's in Hammonton is well stocked and now operating 7 days per week until this rite of fall is over.
I am cooking up 36 gallons of Mixed Black, Barbera and Red Zinfandel this year. Awesome food-grade buckets with gasketed lids and pouring spouts are just one of the many benefits of home wine making.
2021 Pricing: https://ginopinto.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2021-Homewinemaker-juice-pricing_1pg.pdf
Get you some !!
I am cooking up 36 gallons of Mixed Black, Barbera and Red Zinfandel this year. Awesome food-grade buckets with gasketed lids and pouring spouts are just one of the many benefits of home wine making.
2021 Pricing: https://ginopinto.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2021-Homewinemaker-juice-pricing_1pg.pdf
Get you some !!
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My father and grandfather used to make wine in the cellar of their home where they had a wine press up against the main beam of the building. They'd press the grapes as much as they could, take a break and have a cigarette. They'd take a couple of more turns on the press, , take a break....this went on for a while. My father tells me during one break they noticed a small shaft of light coming across the cellar. Upon investigation it turns out they were actually lifting the house off the foundation. They (rightfully) decided they were done turning the press that day.
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That is great story and a monumental testimony to what real men will do to have a good time together. Smoke some cigarettes, chew some tobacco and maybe wreck a house just to make a little good homemade wine. And of course, the homemade wine leads to even more rib-splitting laughter and lifelong memories, or even arrests.
I salute you ninemileskid !!
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I'm making my second ever batch of wine, three gallons of Welch's finest Concord thanks to Scott's encouragement.
I started with five 96oz bottles of not-from-concentrate Welch's, added two pounds of sugar, a packet of Mangrove Jack's VR21 wine yeast. I let it ferment in a 5 gallon glass carboy from Oct 9 and then racked it into three one gallon jugs yesterday (Oct 15th). With the readings I've taken, the wine is at 13.65% alcohol and it's continuing to (slowly) ferment in the smaller jugs.
Right now most of the sweetness of the concord is gone, and you can definitely taste the alcohol. My eventual plan is to stop the fermentation before it hits 14%, kill the active yeast, and then re-sweeten the wine with some cane sugar. I've always loved the concord wine Scott has made and I hope that this is even 1/10th as good.
I started with five 96oz bottles of not-from-concentrate Welch's, added two pounds of sugar, a packet of Mangrove Jack's VR21 wine yeast. I let it ferment in a 5 gallon glass carboy from Oct 9 and then racked it into three one gallon jugs yesterday (Oct 15th). With the readings I've taken, the wine is at 13.65% alcohol and it's continuing to (slowly) ferment in the smaller jugs.
Right now most of the sweetness of the concord is gone, and you can definitely taste the alcohol. My eventual plan is to stop the fermentation before it hits 14%, kill the active yeast, and then re-sweeten the wine with some cane sugar. I've always loved the concord wine Scott has made and I hope that this is even 1/10th as good.
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Nice work Ben. It's great to see another successful apprentice !
The yeast must have been voracious to chew up 2lbs of sugar in 6 days. I had the same experience this year,
I am going to rack next weekend, stabilize and back sweeten as well.
Knock knock!
Yep, it’s that time of year. Continuing my 13 year old thread on wine season.
36 gallons of Barbera starting to work in the garage. Surprisingly, the pricing is stable this year. Just $59 tax-free dollars per 6-gallon bucket of must.
Last year was the first year I actually did any stabilization using sulfites and it really did work well. For once I did not have to fear exploding jugs in the kitchen. Don’t ask.
Yep, it’s that time of year. Continuing my 13 year old thread on wine season.
36 gallons of Barbera starting to work in the garage. Surprisingly, the pricing is stable this year. Just $59 tax-free dollars per 6-gallon bucket of must.
Last year was the first year I actually did any stabilization using sulfites and it really did work well. For once I did not have to fear exploding jugs in the kitchen. Don’t ask.
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I still have bottles left from my first batch in 2019 otherwise I'd probably make some more.
If you change your mind Ben, let me know. I would be happy to help you get everything together.
To the left is four gallons of plain apple cider, and to the right is one and a half gallons of apple cranberry mulled spice cider.
Fingers crossed for success this time.