What's going on in your winery today..

[NorthernWiner]

Because I am running out of carboys, we are bottling some of last year's Merlot today. I guess I shouldn't say "we", as it will only be myself. Rather than helping, the girls decided to skip out and go shopping instead.

[Technotrucker]

It's a hard life NW... I don't know how we guys survive all the stress... these females don't know how lucky they are...the other half didn't hear that did she??

[Cellar_Rat]

Racking cabinet sauvignon - really pleased with this - malo is done, also time to take the planks out. Really please these grapes made it.

[NorthernWiner]

I'm trying to figure out how to make more room. I just started three more wines, but I think I've finally reached the point of saturation. I had to move carboys off the floor because there was no room to move around, but now I have no space on my workbench.

[lockwood1956]

You will just have to utilise that worktop upstairs, you could get loads of carbuoys on there


I'm sure Kellie wont mind!

[NorthernWiner]

Lol, that's what prompted my tidying effort to begin with. I have another half dozen containers upstairs I need to move downstairs before she arrives back home from her trip this afternoon.

[NorthernWiner]

Three more wines on the go today... sour cherry, plum, and pineapple. Also started a batch of ginger beer.

[NorthernWiner]

350 lbs of frozen Pinot Noir arrived yesterday from Sonoma California. Good quality (and spendy) grapes from one of the oldest vineyards in the country. I don't spend a lot on most grapes, but Pinot is one of the few varieties where price really seems to make a difference in the end result. I bought cheap Pinot once and it made light colored, flavorless wine that smelled like water from a vase. I only make it once every 3 or 4 years, and only in good vintages.

[lockwood1956]

Sooooooooo jealous

[Cellar_Rat]

I am trying to put it out of my mind. What ginger beer recipe do you use. I can't seem to get the balance right!

[NorthernWiner]

I am trying to put it out of my mind. What ginger beer recipe do you use. I can't seem to get the balance right!

This is the recipe I used. It's pretty decent and has the right amount of zip from the ginger, but I really need to get a CO2 setup for carbonating. This sediment-in-the-bottle stuff is for the birds. About 20% ends up going to waste.

http://www.scienceinschool.org/repository/docs/issue8_gingerbeer.pdf

[Cellar_Rat]

well, that certainly was not what I was expecting ..

I am currently at:.

2 kg syrup
450g fresh ginger (not frozen)
9 lemons
1 jar of marmalade
Water to 20 litres
50 g Bread yeast

The method is pretty much a blitz ginger / Peel lemon (no pith) / combine all ingredients & ferment.

I just can't get the depth of flavour - it gets better if I back sweeten it, but somehow misses the mark.
However, I see the science in school recipe uses 150 g ginger per litre. somehow, in my head 3 kg of ginger does not compute.

however, wheat beer with the gentle ginger tang is quite something!

[NorthernWiner]

well, that certainly was not what I was expecting ..

Ah, you were looking for ginger beer with a buzz? Sorry, I should have clarified. In addition to wine, I sometimes dabble in homemade soft drinks for the kiddies at family gatherings (and for adults, too, as I sometimes enjoy a good soft drink).

The recipe above makes a drink similar to this:

http://www.fever-tree.co.uk/drinks.php

[RTPFUN]

A year late but I've just managed to get some Xmas puddings on offer. Missed out last year so I've just put on triple the recipe for the Christmas pudding wine. Pudding wine here we come. Also put on a Kenridge classic Viognier kit and one of my own Viogniers (recipe on here in the recipe section) the kit will be ready to drink in half the time.
Update
Had to add lots of sugar to these puddings to achieve the SG1130 more than half as much again as the recipe. However my hydrometer is my friend

[RTPFUN]

Well that’s the Christmas pudding wine racked off and a second run put on with the left over fruit. The second run however is much less fatty and has much less of the insoluble pudding mix such and flour and the like no need for any yeast started straight away in the time it took for the sugar to cool.