Any other Vinters out there have this experience?

[alricflaim]

I just had a unique (I hope) and heart stopping experience. Sitting here, quietly minding my own business reading some email, when I hear a loud POP and feel something whizz past my foot. As I turn to see what the hell the noise was, Another pop. Good thing I'd moved or I would have taken a cork from some 3 week old Mead (a type of wine made from honey rather then grapes) in the ankle! That'll learn me not to buy too few bottles and use the empties my friends provided! Jeez!

 

[phrodeau]

Yep, I've been near the path of a flying cork from home-brewed bubbly. But only because I had removed the cork cage before tossing the bottle in the car.

Cork cages. Gotta have them.

BTW, New Year's Day is the best time to find large collections of discarded champagne bottles and cork cages.

 

[Carp]

Yep, I've been near the path of a flying cork from home-brewed bubbly. But only because I had removed the cork cage before tossing the bottle in the car.

Cork cages. Gotta have them.

BTW, New Year's Day is the best time to find large collections of discarded champagne bottles and cork cages.

Ah. but he wasn't making bubbly. Mead is a still wine.

DId you check the Specific Gravity before adding the yeast, and then again after they seemed to be done? If there was some sugar left, the yeasties were gonna process it. Yeast will frequently become active again as we near spring time, so if the alchohol content was not high enough to inhibit their action, and there was sugar left in your mead...BOOM. I don't think it had anything to do with the bottles you used.

 

[alricflaim]

Yup, SG looked alright to me. *shrugs* As a percaution, I may have to have some people over to drink the last bottles from this batch. The guy I split the batch with took all the new bottles, and he's had no trouble with em, just me and my older bottles. *shrugs* Tommorow night is Shadowrun night, so we'll just have to drink it all and I'll start another batch. For that matter does anyone have any good recipies for making mead, or even good fruit wines?

 

[Nora]

I get all warm and gooey when boys trade recipes.

alricflaim, don't mind me. I'm just jealous cuz i've never tried winemaking. And it's my sworn duty to tease carp constantly.

 

[alricflaim]

Just

Alric please Ma'am. And Shucks, anyone can make wine. Best way to start is to go to a brewing store, buy a wine kit and a starter set. Everything you need. It's not quite as satisfying as doing it from scratch but it's none to bad.



Oh and BTW, teasing is fine. feel free!

 

[Nora]

Thanks, Alric! Unfortunately, I'm not much of a wine drinker, I pretty much only use the stuff for cooking, honestly.

Hubby's interested it in, but not enough to actually make a hobby of it. lol

 

[fuzzel]

Norella, I've got an entire beer making kit that's never been opened. If you're interested, you could start with that and work up to wine...

 

[Nora]

Norella, I've got an entire beer making kit that's never been opened. If you're interested, you could start with that and work up to wine...

lol he'd actually LOVE that, fuzz. I may have to take you up on it!

 

[Carp]

Hi Nora. I knew you loved me!!!

 

[Nora]

Hi Nora. I knew you loved me!!!

Of course!
Now give alrick some happy recipes. You know it does things to me to see you talk food & drink.

 

[Johnny Mayberry]

I've brewed beer before, and had this happen...ugly, just ugly! My precious beer spilt, my heart broken in twain.

 

[Carp]

Of course!
Now give alrick some happy recipes. You know it does things to me to see you talk food & drink.

No.

 

[Guest]

 

[Nora]

No.

NO???

 

[Carp]

NO???

No.

 

[Nora]

No.

I don't think I know that word. What's it mean?

 

[Carp]

It means No. Makes ya hot, doesn't it?

 

[James G 5]

Recipe

Here's one : (and yes, you can reduce the portions)

Midsummer Rose Strawberry-Rose Mead (5 gallons)

4 bottles of Boons Farm Strawberry Hill. The presence of alcohol
will destroy any bad bacteria (non-alcohol producing) in the yeast. Any wine will do. I picked this one for it's complimentary flavor and the fact that it's inexpensive and I'm on a budget.

15 lbs of honey
½ box of raisins
peel (orange part only) & juice of one orange
1 pkt Champagne Yeast (from any winemaking store)
enough rose water to make up 5 gallons when added to other ingredients

In a large (8 gal or more) food grade container, with a lid that
accommodates a stopper and air-lock (available at beer/winemaking stores)

1. Warm honey so that it flows easily. It is also OK to add a small bit of hot water to facilitate this.
2. Add the strawberry wine. This will kill any non-alcohol
producing bacteria that could be in the yeast.
3. Dissolve ½ cup of honey in 2 cups of warm water.
4. Add yeast to honey water. Give it time to activate. (lots of foam on top of liquid)
5. Add rosewater, raisins and active yeast to container, cover and
install airlock
6. Wait at least 5 months, rack into secondary (5 gal glass) container w/airlock.
7. Allow to further clarify, then bottle, age and enjoy.

*Special note on libations: it would be an ethical crime to pour any of this on the ground. I suggest a salute to Baccus while slowly savoring the first glass.

rose water: Take fully blooming, unwilted roses and pull the petals off. Discard everything but the petals. Boil water and steep petals as if making rose tea. (which is also good with a bit of honey) When I did this it involved cutting roses into a bowl and occasionally emptying it into a laundry basket. The project took *many* laundry baskets full. I recommend any strongly aromatic rose.

 

[Nora]

It means No. Makes ya hot, doesn't it?

It's...different. Confusing. Kinda alluring, in an odd way. Hmm. "no" It's one of those words you just have to taste a bit before you decide.

 

[Carp]

Honestly Nora, i couldn't deny you for long, or on many things. But I always like to try and offer new experiences.

 

[Nora]

Honestly Nora, i couldn't deny you for long, or on many things. But I always like to try and offer new experiences.

YOU SCARED ME!! I thought i was losing my touch and you no longer luvved me!!!

 

[Carp]

Re: Recipe

Here's one : (and yes, you can reduce the portions)

Midsummer Rose Strawberry-Rose Mead (5 gallons)

4 bottles of Boons Farm Strawberry Hill. The presence of alcohol
will destroy any bad bacteria (non-alcohol producing) in the yeast. Any wine will do. I picked this one for it's complimentary flavor and the fact that it's inexpensive and I'm on a budget.

15 lbs of honey
½ box of raisins
peel (orange part only) & juice of one orange
1 pkt Champagne Yeast (from any winemaking store)
enough rose water to make up 5 gallons when added to other ingredients

In a large (8 gal or more) food grade container, with a lid that
accommodates a stopper and air-lock (available at beer/winemaking stores)

1. Warm honey so that it flows easily. It is also OK to add a small bit of hot water to facilitate this.
2. Add the strawberry wine. This will kill any non-alcohol
producing bacteria that could be in the yeast.
3. Dissolve ½ cup of honey in 2 cups of warm water.
4. Add yeast to honey water. Give it time to activate. (lots of foam on top of liquid)
5. Add rosewater, raisins and active yeast to container, cover and
install airlock
6. Wait at least 5 months, rack into secondary (5 gal glass) container w/airlock.
7. Allow to further clarify, then bottle, age and enjoy.

*Special note on libations: it would be an ethical crime to pour any of this on the ground. I suggest a salute to Baccus while slowly savoring the first glass.

rose water: Take fully blooming, unwilted roses and pull the petals off. Discard everything but the petals. Boil water and steep petals as if making rose tea. (which is also good with a bit of honey) When I did this it involved cutting roses into a bowl and occasionally emptying it into a laundry basket. The project took *many* laundry baskets full. I recommend any strongly aromatic rose.

This actually looks pretty good. I have 2 concerns-
1. I am not convinced that the alchohol concentration would be high enough to kill bacteris- i would still sulfate the wine.

Making the rose ater looks like apain in the ass. I'm sure it would make the wine smell great! But I would look for an alternative.

 

[Carp]

Re: Re: Recipe

This actually looks pretty good. I have 2 concerns-
1. I am not convinced that the alchohol concentration would be high enough to kill bacteris- i would still sulfate the wine.

Making the rose ater looks like apain in the ass. I'm sure it would make the wine smell great! But I would look for an alternative.

 

[Carp]

Re: Re: Re: Recipe

Hmmm Quoting myself. I must be losing it.
Honestly, doen't knows how that happened...