Urgent help - oak leaf wine

[gordonmull]

I have 2.5 gal of loosely packed oak leaves in a bucket. I've based my next course of action on the Jack Keller recipe, but I'm not sure if it means 1 gal of oak leaves packed hard, packed gently or packed loose. If hard, I've got enough for a 1 gal batch if gently or loose I've got enough for a double batch.

All advice on how much to make would be appreciated!

Want to get these into water before they wilt!

[waggoner]

I'm sure someone more experianced will be along,,,but i'm sure they should just be packed gently into the container..

[gordonmull]

gone for 2 gal as packed gently after your own advice and that of a mate on the phone. Fingers crossed!

[lockwood1956]

For all of these type of recipes I always assume loosely packed, unless otherwise stated

regards
Bob

[gordonmull]

Cheers folks!

We picked enough for 2 gallons in 2 and a half hours, then, and many of them were still quite small. Absolutely sweet. 12 bottles instead of 6!


Waiting for the boiled oak tea to cool just now. Reduced the sugar slightly, aiming for an OG of 1085.

[NorthernWiner]

I have 2.5 gal of loosely packed oak leaves in a bucket. I've based my next course of action on the Jack Keller recipe, but I'm not sure if it means 1 gal of oak leaves packed hard, packed gently or packed loose. If hard, I've got enough for a 1 gal batch if gently or loose I've got enough for a double batch.

All advice on how much to make would be appreciated!

Want to get these into water before they wilt!

You may also want to keep in mind that Jack's recipes are based on the US Gallon, which is smaller than an Imperial Gallon by about 17%.

[gordonmull]

Ah thanks for that NorthernWiner, I hadn't considered it and i should have, d'oh!

Still, accouting for that I've still scraped through with enough for a 2 gal batch.

Thanks for the heads up.

[gordonmull]

Well, this one took an age to ferment. Finally stopped about 3 or 4 weeks ago and is now beginning to clear. Not crystal yet but getting there.

I took a sample yesterday.

Aroma wonderful. It actually smells kind of fruity. At first I thought I'd got the DJ mixed up with another wine and had to double check. Tasted great, despite only being partially clear. Bit of roughness, but I know that'll go. What really surprised me was good mouthfeel. From oakleaf tea? I thought it would be really thin.

All in all, it shows real promise. I'm just hoping that i can take a bottle with me when i'm picking more leaves in March!

[Leon]

That is about nine months to ferment, does such a thing happen often? I start sweating after a week! What is the overall taste, is it a white wine with an extra hint or does it have a distinctive taste? Is there a general rule on which leaves to pick, apart from being on an oak tree?

[gordonmull]

Patience is your friend.

I've heard of some people having quite amazing fermentation times. But that's my record anyway.

It tastes remarkably like a white wine. I have to say I'm absolutely astounded.

Jack Kellar's site has recipes for Young oak Leaf Wine and Old Oak Leaf Wine. I took this too mean young leaves as in the ones that are light green in spring, before they harden and turn darker as old leaves. Since then i've seen, but not tasted, two commercial oak leaf wines by Carn o' Mhor - One is spring oak leaf wine and the other is autumn oak leaf wine. I'm not sure if the Kellar recipe is meaning use brown oak leaves like I imagine in autumn or the tougher greener ones from summer.

Mine was made from the young green leves from spring. Your fingers get sticky with the sappy coating when you're picking them and it's a great excuse for an afternoon out with some homebrew in spring. Last years picking was accompanied with a picnic, a couple of bottles of turbocider and a bottle of wine #2 on a beautiful sunny day.

[Cellar_Rat]

nine months is nothing I have a apple wine that been goin for a couple of years (prolly more)

[Leon]

nine months is nothing I have a apple wine that been goin for a couple of years (prolly more)

Fermenting for a couple of years? Really?How do you know it hasn't stuck, the decline must be barely noticeable?