More on winemaking.

[robby]

I have two batches of wine fermenting, and have discovered a large, neglected but bountiful plum tree east of the banana grove. The fruit is almost ready, and is now ripening quickly in our 95 degree weather. I am toying with the idea of picking enough fruit to crush into 5 gallons of juice and making plum wine. I need to read up on fruit wines and crushing techniques. Could I go to a thrift store and buy an old crank operated grinder? In the old days, the best wine was made from grapes crushed under the feet of virgin girls.

I have 5 gallons of black raspberry merlot that should be ready to bottle on Saturday, and 3 gallons of apple blush that could be ready to bottle in 10 days. I'm drinking some of the apple blush that was left in the primary fermenter when I siphoned the bulk into the secondary fermenter. It's raw and yeasty, but I filtered it, and chilled it, and I like it already. It will be fun to have a cellar full of my own vintages.

I have some books on brewing sake and beer, and that's a whole other story. One book has a complex plan to build a mini-brewery in the garage, using propane fired boilers, with a copper cooling apparatus, and two refrigerators. Those guys are hard core, but I admit it's interesting.

Comments

When I was about 13...

[ankh156.livejournal.com]

... I used to make fruity wines. Rose-petal was a nice one, Teabag wine was excellent. Fruits were always the best, eg, damson, pear, apple & rhubarb (the oxalic acid in rhubarb is a problem - hence the apples). I was mainly looking to get as drunk as possible for as cheap as possible, but they WERE nice to drink. If I were a bit further south I think I'd be involved in vinticlture. You live in California ?

[Dean Martin voice : ]
"Ah'm prayin', for rain in California..." (etc...)

[robby.livejournal.com]

I live near San Jose, and wine grapes are grown in the rural areas. I did add some rose petals to the apple blush wine, but 'teabag' wine is a new one for me. This is a creative outlet, and I'm willing to drink my mistakes. I can cook, and can be experimental, and enjoyed chemistry in college, so it's all good. If I make the plum wine, I'll have 13 gallons put away for a rainy day.

[crackpipe.livejournal.com]

i know some virgins.

I'm making Spirits, after all.

[robby.livejournal.com]

In the ancient days, making wine was mystical. Some magic, unseen force made sweet juice into wine, but could be capricious, and make it sour. Think back to the days of Bacchus and Dionesus. In Spanish the word for yeast and spirit are still are the same.

Re: I'm making Spirits, after all.

[crackpipe.livejournal.com]

thats cool you do it yourself. i dont really like wine, my drinks vodka and cranberry,
robby has a
hobby.
so when are we gonna raise the mutherfuckin rucus?we have to wait for me to get better though.
you knows how long that might be.some say 6 to get weeks!
i'm thinking of going into an institution.

[tinacrawford.livejournal.com]

Oooh Robby boy... now I see what my mommie saw in you... you must be a tiger in the bed.. I'd love to drink your sweet wine anytime soon.. Mommie won't be home for a few days, so come on by, and let me ride that love joystick

Se l'amore.

[robby.livejournal.com]

Woody Allen might play with fire, but an ageing cabana boy like me doesn't have the stomach for it. Your mother is a powerful and vindictive woman. If Joan discovers that we're an item while she's "indisposed" there will be hell to pay. If I were distilling gin, instead of making wine, I would have some leverage, but with a jealous Bette Davis already reading my journal, an affair for us is doomed.