What's going on in your winery today..

[modofodo]

No potatoes here tonight, veg chilli.

On the wine side of things I have just started a WN1:

With Lychee and Germanic Yeast

[Rich]

With Lychee and Germanic Yeast

Now that does sound nice. Could only find a riesling here today, no Gurty

[modofodo]

Certainly smelt the biz! The yeast is a Young's one I happened upon on Ebay, it was that or a generic 'white' yeast so I thought to hell with convention, let's mix it up a bit.

I will report back.

[ms67]

..... so I thought to hell with convention, let's mix it up a bit.

nice one, i hope your convention defying is as successful as mine, me and the better half love it, as do our family, guests and friends and random strangers at festivals etc. Makes it very easy to chuckle at the sceptics and nay-sayers who haven't tried it.

[lockwood1956]

and random strangers at festivals etc.

love it

[spritzer]

I have a list of stuff to do....

1. Bottle the bits and bobs that need bottling.
2. Bottle the 70 half bottles that I need to bottle for my brothers wedding, which will be done over the weekend too.
3. Rack Strawberry
4. Rack and filter Cab Sav

I also have some stuff to start, but I need to have a think about what to do first.
I did buy a carton of Pineapple and Coconut juice in Lidl earlier... so I think I will start off a cheeky Pina Colada gallon of that , amongst other stuff

[Richard S]

I have a list of stuff to do.... [LIST=1]I did buy a carton of Pineapple and Coconut juice in Lidl earlier... so I think I will start off a cheeky Pina Colada gallon of that , amongst other stuff

Hmmmm, wine number 1 with half off the pineapple & coconut juice in at the start and the rest at about 1.010???

[Richard S]

A question was asked on the forum about beefing up the body on a wine #1 so I started one using the juice from some boiled bananas. Once the gravity is down below 1.020, a full (crushed) vanilla pod is going in.

[lockwood1956]

Now that sounds really interesting...

[koomber]

Bottled a Wine number 1 made with the infamous Welch's Apple Grape and Pear Juice.
Bottled the survivors of the King of Yeast (again AGP juice).
Kegged a Muntons Connisewer IPA (thin, but a really nice quaffing beer)
Started some Elderflower cordial.

[spritzer]

Hmmmm, wine number 1 with half off the pineapple & coconut juice in at the start and the rest at about 1.010???

Bummer
I put the whole lot in at the start.
Now I will have to go back to Lidl, and try it this way

[spritzer]

A bit of an update

I have been MEGA busy today, getting back into things
So............ here goes of my days occurances

Bottled 3 gallon Pineapple
Bottled 5 gallon Sauvingnon Blanc
Bottled 1 gallon Pinot Grigio (this would have been left overs, from the stuff I need to bottle for my brothers wedding)

Racked and degassed 3 gallon Strawberry.

Started 3 gallon Pink Grapefruit
Started 1 gallon Lychee (from juice)
Started 1 gallon Watermellon
Started 1 gallon Pineapple and Coconut (pina colada )
Started 5 gallon Beverdale Pinot Grigio -no oak
Started 5 gallon Beverdale CabSav - extra oak fm the PG, and some extra from HBS too

A very productive day

Tomorrow, I have to bottle 6 gallons of the Pinot Grigio, in the half bottles &... and rack my Limited edition Cab Sav
Then I need to faff about with labels for the Pinot Grigio....

[spritzer]

Tomorrow, I have to bottle 6 gallons of the Pinot Grigio, in the half bottles &... and rack my Limited edition Cab Sav
Then I need to faff about with labels for the Pinot Grigio....

Nowt got done
I had all the bottles done in sterilising solution by about 6pm.
My sister was supposed to be here at 7pmish.... so I thought that I could bottle after she had gone, about 8pmish, and have everything done by 10pmish
She didn't turn up till after 10pm
Not chuffed. And she was a cheeky little so and so when she turned up

<breathe>

Needless to say, the bottling, racking WILL be done tomorrow

All ferments started yesterday, bloooooping away nicely

[ms67]

Tonight a neighbour dropped in and we opened a couple of bottles. So as best as I can reliably describe opinions here we go ...

We started with an Aussie Shiraz (Margaret River). Delicious, fruity, medium/dry, soft, easy drinking. Served at room temp. Meanwhile my blackberry wine was being rather hurredly chilled in the freezer followed by the fridge. Despite being a very dubious follow up to a Shiraz this was well received as a big rosé, tho a touch sharp. Having despatched that, a dessert wine was suggested. So my sweet and strong Orange & Elderflower was rolled out and went down a storm as very much a dessert wine, and to paraphrase ... "elderflower dominating, citrus giving a frizz like feel, plenty of viscosity, loads of body, ample acidity. Not typical of a dessert wine cos of the citrus and the flower bouquet but nevertheless completely at home as a dessert wine for those bold enough to defy convention".

So I feel good!

The blackberry wine was an on the pulp wine, made with blackberries from a trained and pruned cane. The Orange & Elderflower was a 50/50 blend, largely resulting from the better half suggesting it. Our neighbour has a palate that I trust but to say more than that could be seen as bragging. Which leaves me in a pickle cos now I have said too much already!

Over the course of the week I've enjoyed a few bottles, but having a neighbor drop in has made for a rare "winery" event that eclipses (but happily re-inforces) my personal thoughts.

[ms67]

And all of the above means that my reports on stabilising this years elderflower wines, and bottling of a variety of last years blackberry wines, will have to wait a wee while. cos now I'm too !hic! happy to bother.