What's going on in your winery today..

[RTPFUN]

Filtered and bottled the French Rose kit. Racked off two wine number 1's one made with the Lidl mixed grape juice so sorbate in that one as being a rose we'll be sweetening it a little and may be a tiny bit of tannin too. Racked off the port kit. The elderberry wine has stuck a little or rather been on a go slow so popped in half a teaspoon of nutrient see how that helps. And please to report that that had done the trick and its off again this morning. The wine hot cupboard is now empty ready to be the cloak room for Christmas and new year. This is what happens when Christmas is at ours. Two months no wine making I'll not know what to do with myself! Oh yes get my chefs hat out.

[NorthernWiner]

After 8 days, fermentation is still going full bore on the cranberry-red currant wine. Even fermenting, this stuff tastes so good I could put a straw in the demi and drink it from there.

Also got word that my Merlot shipment will arrive next Tuesday. Very much looking forward to that.

[spritzer]

I had a bit of a mad couple of days, sorting out stuff.
I made5 gal of pineapple number 1 wine, 3 gal of original number 1, and 3 gal of strawberry and forest fruits teabag wine
I filter 1 gal pomegrante zinfandel, 1 gal chianti, and 1 gal of rioja.
I bottled 5 gal of rhubarb, 3 gal of rhubarb and strawberry iced tea, and 3 gal of original wine number 1.
I also racked 3 gal or blackberry and elderberry, and a 5 gal of lychee blush.
I did want to start a 5 gal of pinot grigio, that I got on offer in Wilkinsons(buy 2, get 3rd free ) , but miscalculated the sugar I had, so I hope to start that over the next day or so.
Busy girl eh ?

[goldseal]

Busy indeed .

I have been taking it easy by comparison: 5 gals of rhubarb & elderflower bottled today, along with a gallon of 2011 Grapefest Merlot.

[spritzer]

I made up one of the Wilkinsons Pinot Grigio today. Although, I think the instructions are a bit out of kilter.... add finings, then degas ??
Also, it asked for 3.5kg of brewing sugar. I added normal sugar, but had to add another kilo for the correct amount of water to get an sg of 1.082.
Ah well, its only an xmas quaffing wine for the family.... I think I may have been better sticking with wine number 1 eh

[Delmonteman]

Or this....

http://www.homewinemaking.co.uk/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1299149563

[Cellar_Rat]

Bottled the first Joe.M Mead - very good.. Note to self don't use cinnamon powder next time.

[fatbloke]

Bottled the first Joe.M Mead - very good.. Note to self don't use cinnamon powder next time.

Ah! now I could have told you that one Brian. It's usually better to use whole spices, as ground ones are so fine that it's either a complete bugger to rack them off, or just too easy to over do it.

Sure, whole spices are different in size/weight, but the variations are close enough to be useful for describing or recipes.

I take it this was the batch with live yeast ?

[goldseal]

Dismantled my (portugese) floor corker after a malfunction right at the end of the last bottling run.

Houston, we have a problem.

One of the springs has punched through the end of one of the plastic jaws . I'm hoping Karl can get spares, but failing that I have a cunning fix lined up, involving a couple of bits of steel rod.

[Cellar_Rat]

.. it's either a complete bugger to rack them off ...

spot on.

..I take it this was the batch with live yeast ?

not yet - thats today's task (probably Monday - its raining) This was the first ever that I wants to taste before committing another 3.5 lb of honey.

[robwrx]

One of the springs has punched through the end of one of the plastic jaws . I'm hoping Karl can get spares, but failing that I have a cunning fix lined up, involving a couple of bits of steel rod.

Pete - Let me know if you have any problems with bits, I have access to a machine shop and might be able to help.

I have been having thoughts about converting my floor corker to brass jaws which should be more durable than plastic.

[goldseal]

Will do rob, thanks. Hopefully Mrs Goldseal will come up with the goods.

However, two sets of brass jaws would be more economical than one, wouldn't they?

[fatbloke]

spot on.
-----%<-----
not yet - thats today's task (probably Monday - its raining) This was the first ever that I wants to taste before committing another 3.5 lb of honey.

Ah, ok. JAO is a good, easy recipe, but I find it better to make it to 1 imp gallon, rather than 1 US gallon, that way its 20% more, but equally 20% less sweet, which is how I prefer it - still the same quantities of everything else, just more water.....

[fatbloke]

Pete - Let me know if you have any problems with bits, I have access to a machine shop and might be able to help.

I have been having thoughts about converting my floor corker to brass jaws which should be more durable than plastic.

Well as my floor corker has plastic jaws too Rob, if it happens that you use your contacts for replacements in brass, I'd take mine apart to compare them (pics etc) and probably ask to get on the band wagon.

It's working fine at the moment though......well it was fine the other day when I bottled a couple of gallons of mead.......

[Cellar_Rat]

Ah, JAO is a good, easy recipe, but I find it better to make it to 1 imp gallon....

.....aaaaar that might explain it. I was quite surprised that is wasn't v sweet. I did make it in one of the larger DJ's.
It has a spicy sweet white wine finish. Next one it on. 2 cloves this time and a proper cinnamon stick and fresh nutmeg.

To be honest I did wonder weather you could make this from white wine and just add the flavours.
Better still this flavour would make a great liqueur.
It is what I imagine a white white with a Cointreau in it would taste like....