tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13816083304521250342024-03-05T01:41:13.641-08:00Depth of Processing: Food & WineGregory Turco shares wine-making stories and favorite recipes.Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-53145749773376119862023-02-04T16:45:00.003-08:002023-02-04T16:45:56.229-08:00Alcohol-Free 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon<p> You may not know that I stopped drinking regularly. This is because of the risk of getting Alzheimer's Disease because I have a bad Alzheimer's gene. My goal is to have only a few alcoholic drinks per year. According to the research, alcohol really increases the risk of Alzheimer's. </p><p>I have a basement full of fermenting wine, about 200 gallons. I decided that I want to de-alcoholize it and drink it myself. I could not bear with pouring it down the drain. </p><p>I built a vacuum-distillation apparatus. It can strip off the alcohol from two bottles of wine in about 2 hours and thirty minutes. I have been saving the brandy even though I can't drink it. I can describe the vacuum-distillation apparatus later. </p><p>Today, I de-alcoholized the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. The machine can attain about 70 torr or 50MPa. Under those conditions alcohol boils at about 28C and water at about 40C. I trap the alcohol in an ice-trap. </p><p>One can watch the process by watching the boiling temperature. It begins about 28C and goes up to 40C as the alcohol boils off. At the end, I add back a cup of water. I don't can if I concentrate the wine a little, but not too much or the acidity is affected. </p><p>I make some additive additions at the end. </p><p><b>Dealcoholized Wine Recipe</b></p><p>1500 g de-alcoholized Cab Sauvignon</p><p>0.05 g sulfite preservative (0.03 would have been ok too)</p><p>1.4 g sucralose (to dampen the bitterness)</p><p>2 shakes (⅓ ml?) of Tabasco sauce (to mimic to "burning" sensation of alcohol)</p><p>1 ml artificial grape flavor (LorAnn Grape SS Flavor)</p><p><br /></p><p>Why do I add the artificial grape flavor? Because most of the natural grape flavor boils off with the brandy, or actually with the methanol fraction that gets thrown away. The deacoholized wine is strangely odor-free and a bit of grape candy flavor really helps. </p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-56066326764144792092022-10-07T10:23:00.010-07:002022-10-22T13:54:12.483-07:00Peppers Pickled in Pomace<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktIDmLLwiQCv8NJ8IbiotIk5vRGEYq7gnVp6OCAVVnT_Ah1NRzwPG6_Wym6Vaj5vEv-uIGjpKSYpgCXhv6u6c59C5gRGDViqMiS6OM4ZMCyjvAEixsnoLVlcoblhDUfeKrT1nbhMssdlO09Mt6I2BhvVK6rWMyqnjSPd1wqfDQcwBo7Jrl0w6i9rb/s1280/pepper%20relish.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="1280" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktIDmLLwiQCv8NJ8IbiotIk5vRGEYq7gnVp6OCAVVnT_Ah1NRzwPG6_Wym6Vaj5vEv-uIGjpKSYpgCXhv6u6c59C5gRGDViqMiS6OM4ZMCyjvAEixsnoLVlcoblhDUfeKrT1nbhMssdlO09Mt6I2BhvVK6rWMyqnjSPd1wqfDQcwBo7Jrl0w6i9rb/w640-h610/pepper%20relish.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">I read an <a href="https://www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com/blog/pepperoni-sotto-vinaccia-grape-pomace-pickled-peppers/">online article</a> about pickling peppers in wine pomace. Pomace is the pressed wine skins & pulp left over after pressing the grapes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">It was the author's old family recipe, and it even said "</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: 16px;">A thick layer of disgusting mold will form on top, but don’t worry about that."</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: 16px;"> Pretty rustic. </span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="background-color: white;">I thought, I can clean up that recipe -- find a way to make it in jars instead of in a bucket in the garage.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="background-color: white;">The recipe is clever because it does two things at once: first, the pomace and water ferment into wine vinegar, and second, the peppers get pickled in the vinegar. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="background-color: white;">It also gives you something to do with all that pomace besides fertilize the garden. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSKImM0YErk1TXvdj8sD5g-Oevk5kg8s3EBiChbWGbEpNvPwngj_47gvH-kXGzJu3A3fKCn5KBfww0KdXAaOWz8IAvBoTfrofnHpLDpd3G1esHk3hNc_mvi8t8lnGqrTsbsXqFPhQTpCvLMq0FZmkheDEifePDthxntRHWH2BjlODJhWRIg8H8n7t/s1280/pepper%20relish%202.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="698" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSKImM0YErk1TXvdj8sD5g-Oevk5kg8s3EBiChbWGbEpNvPwngj_47gvH-kXGzJu3A3fKCn5KBfww0KdXAaOWz8IAvBoTfrofnHpLDpd3G1esHk3hNc_mvi8t8lnGqrTsbsXqFPhQTpCvLMq0FZmkheDEifePDthxntRHWH2BjlODJhWRIg8H8n7t/w219-h400/pepper%20relish%202.png" width="219" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Pickled Peppers in Homemade Wine/Vinegar Recipe</b></span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">1.5 quarts grape wine pomace<br /></span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="background-color: white;">1.5 quart red or green peppers, cut into 1-2 inch pieces<br /></span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">water<br /></span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">85 g sugar</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;">The procedure is easy. Mix the sugar with the wine pomace. Layer the pomace and the peppers into quart jars. I place the bottles in a secondary container to catch overflow, if any. </p><p>Put the jar lid on loosely. Periodically (daily at first) open the jar and press down the contents to displace air bubbles forming inside.</p><p>The liquid will extract flavor from the grapes and pomace, and make a wine. After time, this wine may convert to vinegar. </p><p>It might not too. Recall, we did not add any vinegar yeast, and the pomace carried in a large amount of wine yeast. </p><p>If not the peppers will be preserved in wine -- still not so bad. </p><p>Let this go at least a week. When it stops bubbling, I am going to put them in a refrigerator. If you don't have room in the fridge, it will probably keep a while on the counter with the jar sealed. </p><p>When time comes to eat this, pick out the peppers to eat. The pomace isn't going to taste very good. </p><p><b>October 16 Update -- </b>The sugar and pomace have fermented into wine, and the peppers are now quite soft and wine infused. The wine is pretty harsh, so the peppers aren't really that pleasant to eat. </p><p><b>October 22 Update -- </b>What a difference a week makes! I strained off the "wine" liquid, and removed the pomace to the trash. I put the wine-infused peppers in their own bottle, and they have a pepper & wine flavor. Good on top of hummus & toast -- not too much tho because the their pretty intense. </p><p>So next year, I think these would be better with a fleshier pepper like a poblano or even red bell pepper. I can't grow decent red bell pepper is my garden.</p><p>Wine pomace in a kimchi recipe! Now I need to try that. I'll put the pomace in a silk bag, and then in the cabbage blend. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-86884897982491516212022-10-05T18:19:00.008-07:002022-10-22T13:54:42.878-07:00PZS2 Zinfandel/Syrah Pomegranate Wine: A Second or False Wine PZS2<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmy6vydhTpASYf_hcDZbDtcTB_zrqBP5sc4QigpUUQkEpW9C2XC2JGZXTv-scf5zyjfPjSSIw2bOMDFUymmbUnkCQBFQIQ6Qlg0-EjmIOJ2oQIqIMQNWTp64MoZQn8w6FQziX3nwqMSq-F8s8jsLtySpprL_AALlJT28mmU8IbgfDgJiFv75cm9jL/s1280/IMG_2111.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmy6vydhTpASYf_hcDZbDtcTB_zrqBP5sc4QigpUUQkEpW9C2XC2JGZXTv-scf5zyjfPjSSIw2bOMDFUymmbUnkCQBFQIQ6Qlg0-EjmIOJ2oQIqIMQNWTp64MoZQn8w6FQziX3nwqMSq-F8s8jsLtySpprL_AALlJT28mmU8IbgfDgJiFv75cm9jL/w400-h300/IMG_2111.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The fermenting must from my 2022 Second Wine.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>After I pressed my Zinfandel and Syrah, I put the pomace (or pressed grape skins) in the freeze mostly because I was out-of-energy to start another project. I came back two days later, and added the pomace to prepared sugar water. </p><p>Wine prepared from once-pressed grapes is called a second wine or a false wine. Commercial vintners call their lower quality wines "second wine," but that is a different usage. False wine is less ambiguous. </p><p>I am adding pomegranate powder to this to make it a little more interesting. I will probably ferment ten liters with pomegranate and ten without. I am always blend it later. I am also short of 20L glassware right now. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Zinfandel/Syrah Pomegranate Wine</b></p><div style="text-align: left;">Pressings/pomace from 72 lb of Syrah and 108 lb of Zinfandel<br />20 L Water<br />10.8 pounds of sugar (sucrose)<br />3 t of year nutrient<br />2 t of wine tannin<br />After 4 days of fermentation, I added:<br />5.5 T 4007 Malolactic Blend from Wyeastlab</div><p style="text-align: left;">As the pomace melted the mixture was too cold to ferment, so it got a good cold soak for at least twelve hours. There was slow fermentation in the morning. No additional yeast we needed. the Zinfandel used Lalvan EC1118; the Syrah used Lalvan 4B. </p><p>After pressing I added:</p><p>1 lb Pomegranate Juice Powder (Microingredients of Montclair CA)</p><p><br /></p><p>The idea of adding the pomegranate powder late is to have the fermentation going robustly before the power is added in case there is an off-label fermentation inhibitor.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>October 22, 2022</b>: pH = 3.1 TA = 0.8% as tartaric. 0.8% might be OK if I decided to finish it sweet, but probably I will add some potassium carbonate to finish it dry. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-65702111331003803402022-09-20T09:13:00.013-07:002022-10-22T13:55:29.072-07:002022 Syrah<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIZIVYCVFbuMJeY6QposbhtQAbQhH0k2gmJrNV7aQ2YeacLmjQgoIvxdhiMDiGTjVde3Dbrx_m_q3Q53jojfYK2GhLj7pTX5Qk2LJjveTe4AJifL7onD52TVlWPecrdjECIPgBAGRmJS2IoRyAslBt78FGEQO4ILaQEoTIcP7BtsSC-yu8fyla3I_/s1280/Jenny%20squishing%20Syrah.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1022" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIZIVYCVFbuMJeY6QposbhtQAbQhH0k2gmJrNV7aQ2YeacLmjQgoIvxdhiMDiGTjVde3Dbrx_m_q3Q53jojfYK2GhLj7pTX5Qk2LJjveTe4AJifL7onD52TVlWPecrdjECIPgBAGRmJS2IoRyAslBt78FGEQO4ILaQEoTIcP7BtsSC-yu8fyla3I_/w510-h640/Jenny%20squishing%20Syrah.png" width="510" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;">The Syrah grapes were small and a bit dehydrated, and many of them did not break in the crusher, so we went old school and macerated the grapes with our feet. Here is my wife crushing grapes.</span> </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>I have never made a Syrah varietal, tho I <a href="https://depthofprocessingfoodwine.blogspot.com/2009/09/2009-merlot.html">made a Syrah blend</a> in 2009. I just made a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot last year, so it seemed like a good time to try Syrah. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Syrah Wine Recipe</b></p><div style="text-align: left;">72 lb<span> <span> Syrah grapes (Lodi Gold from Delta Packing; Lodi CA)<br /></span></span>2 g<span> <span> <span> yeast energizer<span> <br /></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span>4 g<span> <span> <span> pectic enzyme<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>1 pk<span> <span> Lalvin 4b<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>After six days of fermentation add:<br />1 t<span> <span> Chestnut wood tannin (Vintner's Best; LD Carlson) (t means teaspoon)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><br /></span></span>Ferment to near dryness, then press. <br />After one week added:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />3.5 T 4007 Malolactic Blend from Wyeastlab </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">----------------------------------------------------</div><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The density was 1.108 before formation. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The refractive </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>index gives 26.2 deg Brix. This is destined to make a 14.8 to 15% alcohol, which is a lot. </p><p>The idea of the tannin add is to prevent grape proteins from pulling out all the grape tannins by putting in other tannin. Also the chestnut wood tannin is fairly desirable in terms of flavor complexity being similar to tannins extracted from charred wood. </p><p><b>October 22, 2022: </b> pH = 3.4; 0.8% total acid as tartaric. This is a little high, so I will probably add some alkali to get about 0.6%. </p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-21135311014893808082022-09-20T09:11:00.007-07:002022-10-22T13:56:26.013-07:002022 Zinfandel<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRSELxp4ebl7rhBLlscVfIxX762cv4uSZljsMpt5AmO-CAV7BTG8bcMf84giUfKWB7bfwz6cr83Ho5-q1PDi4XrP7fXp0XBgi1eixnKwhNUfkyzsjJTnwP6bXuOav5p9aQBDCp_scR4ve01-jO3Ckg7YZS6jB8ioab_5kbEXtOM1VtCoK2SxvEEIH/s1280/IMG_2080.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1172" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRSELxp4ebl7rhBLlscVfIxX762cv4uSZljsMpt5AmO-CAV7BTG8bcMf84giUfKWB7bfwz6cr83Ho5-q1PDi4XrP7fXp0XBgi1eixnKwhNUfkyzsjJTnwP6bXuOav5p9aQBDCp_scR4ve01-jO3Ckg7YZS6jB8ioab_5kbEXtOM1VtCoK2SxvEEIH/w366-h400/IMG_2080.jpeg" width="366" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Zinfandel has been some of my favorite homemade wines. I did not make one last year, so I wanted to try another one. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBx-8SWZHtdb7YX3q4fy7N9mo9EA5t0GaHIap9gmU_Q-dsCaDsTCEKu0kY6Cb1obRBIS5D0vptDRmNnxSUelbRLj-gJGiuYhTsvUEUyI8RLNwx9CFjkFrli37UOCrJ19Zh-UvHn8NzKAtl6a45DqRJEy7z2vHNOY1Bk9Am_kmbEldMIX9nhiwtI_f/s1280/2022%20zinfandel%20crush.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBx-8SWZHtdb7YX3q4fy7N9mo9EA5t0GaHIap9gmU_Q-dsCaDsTCEKu0kY6Cb1obRBIS5D0vptDRmNnxSUelbRLj-gJGiuYhTsvUEUyI8RLNwx9CFjkFrli37UOCrJ19Zh-UvHn8NzKAtl6a45DqRJEy7z2vHNOY1Bk9Am_kmbEldMIX9nhiwtI_f/s320/2022%20zinfandel%20crush.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grapes after crushing</td></tr></tbody></table><p>These grapes seemed pretty good. I worked hard at pre-stemming the grapes. Other years I would crush the crapes and then manually remove the stems from the must. This year m wife and I manually removed stems on half, and then used milk-crate as a screen to do the other half. </p><p><b>Recipe</b></p><div style="text-align: left;"> 144 pound<span> <span> Zinfandel grapes Valley Beauty/Delta Packing Loci California<br /></span></span><span><span>6 g <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> pectic enzyme<span> <br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>5 g<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> yeast energizer<br /></span></span></span></span></span>2 packs<span> <span> <span> Lalvin EC1118</span></span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span>After one week add:</span></span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span>5.5 T 4007 Malolactic Blend from Wyeastlab</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span>______________________________________________</span></span></span></div><p>The density was 1.102 which should make 13.2% alcohol. The refractive index gave 23.5 deg Brix which should make 12.3% alcohol. Not sure why the discrepancy. </p><p>I looked it up in Pambianchi's new book, and both methods gave higher alcohol content of about 13. Maybe the new book's tables are better than his old book. I decided not to add more sugar. I hope I don't regret that. </p><p>The fermentation started quickly. </p><p>_____________________________________________</p><p><br /></p><p><b>October 22, 2022: </b>pH = 3.3; TA = 0.7% as tartaric. This is probably fine. I have no plan to adjust. </p><p><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-38317334137643838722022-09-20T09:07:00.006-07:002022-10-22T13:57:03.018-07:00French Colombard<p>I have never made a French Colombard, but there is always the first time. My impression is the juice is pretty flavorful, so the wine should be as well. </p><p><b>Recipe</b></p><div style="text-align: left;"> 72 pounds<span> grapes<br /></span><span>2 g<span> <span> <span> <span> yeast energizer<br /></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span>2<span> g<span> <span> <span> <span> pectic enzyme<br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>1 pack<span> <span> <span> Lalvin QA23</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The density of the juice was 1.096 which should make 12% alcohol. The refractive index gave 21.5 degrees Brix, which should make 12.6% alcohol. This seems good to me. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The fermentation started quickly. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><b>October 22, 2022: </b>pH is low at 2.9. The total acid or TA is 0.87% tartaric acid. Between the low pH and the high TA; it probably smart to bring this down. </p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-90642707354474233472021-09-18T09:42:00.006-07:002022-11-28T16:44:01.196-08:002021 Merlot Raspberry Wine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dUxyxAJGWtf0ZsBfINLwmgbjDsRfTxi-UyBpLxqwrjELyXtzwpjXId9m9fe3mcfJTRHLBS1CojcI4_bJhP59PNQHNHwvYFrb08kWJ5jQTAsB62qApOM_YdCCcy-YwIApUbW2mzBja6w/s640/frozen+raspberries.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dUxyxAJGWtf0ZsBfINLwmgbjDsRfTxi-UyBpLxqwrjELyXtzwpjXId9m9fe3mcfJTRHLBS1CojcI4_bJhP59PNQHNHwvYFrb08kWJ5jQTAsB62qApOM_YdCCcy-YwIApUbW2mzBja6w/w640-h480/frozen+raspberries.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My 2016 and 2017 raspberry wines were so good that I wanted to make more. While I liked small glasses of raspberry wine by itself, it was too intense to drink more than a little. Though I liked to drink it at Christmas. Mostly though I drank it blended with red grape wine. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I prefer red raspberries are superior to blackberries for wine-making and general eating because the flavor is better. (I am withholding judgment on black raspberries for now.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Last year (2020), I made a second/false wine of my zinfandel. I liked that, and I blended with some mediocre fruit wine to improve it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This year I want to make a second from the must of my main red wine, merlot, this year. And then add some fruitiness with raspberries. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">2021 Merlot Raspberry Recipe</span></b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">20.3 L water <br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">6 kg (=13.2 lb) sugar dissolved in the above water<br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Pressed must from about 90 lb of merlot grapes (with a 20% cabernet sauvingnon grapes)<br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">10 lb of frozen red raspberries (various brands)<br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">2 tsp yeast energizer<br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">2 tsp pectic enzyme</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">------------------------------------------------------------</span></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Yeast is primarily Lalvin EC1118 which was on the Merlot pomace.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Initial reading was 23.5 degree Brix which corresponds to 26% sugar and 12.3% alcohol. I am looking for 13-13.5% alcohol, so I added 426g of additional sugar. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The mixture has started foaming after 25 minutes as if the yeast is working, so I did not add any more yeast. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>April 2022:</b> <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 32, 32); color: #202020;">So far the malolactic fermentation has not completed.</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 32, 32); color: #202020;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 32, 32); color: #202020;">The pH is 2.7 and the titratable acid (as tartaric) is 12.7 -- somewhat higher than the 8 that I'd like.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202020; font-family: helvetica;"><b>September 2022: </b>I transferred this wine to jugs and a smaller demijohn to make room for the 2022 vintages. The wine seemed pretty harsh but without a compensating depth of flavor. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202020; font-family: helvetica;"> Perhaps aeration will help it, but if not I might try coagulating some of the tannin with an additive -- perhaps egg whites. Maybe it just needs to age? Honestly it seemed better sneaking tastes with my wine thief, then drinking it from a glass. The other idea is to buy a bunch of cheap Australian Merlot and dilute the harshness away. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202020; font-family: helvetica;"><b>November 2022: </b>After some tasting tests, I took 2 gallons (7.6 L) and added 3 L of Yellow Tail Australian red wine (Merlot and Cab. Sauv.). I also added 1% dextrose to take the edge off the harshness. (I tested all the way up to 5%, but settled on 1% which killed the harshness and didn't get too sweet. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202020; font-family: helvetica;">The plan is to blend the rest with the 2021 Muscato. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202020; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #202020; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWd8Lb4khQSpe79jamgqqzyLfPGFirnrMSDoFkbWRhA7BhhdAiTEl01Lyaj58FVhnn8Lnxu4AByV7RyBJG_YnhklcsbvNqt-bdb30i12gN_H1lk-DvaAdphQW0Aww5CB7J9TJT0Bw8bPSOymULA_E3OhZG7uh2xDg0NnlaFCLGJGSf7eHcrNwW-gpx/s3506/Green%20Bottle%20and%20Man.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3506" data-original-width="2805" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWd8Lb4khQSpe79jamgqqzyLfPGFirnrMSDoFkbWRhA7BhhdAiTEl01Lyaj58FVhnn8Lnxu4AByV7RyBJG_YnhklcsbvNqt-bdb30i12gN_H1lk-DvaAdphQW0Aww5CB7J9TJT0Bw8bPSOymULA_E3OhZG7uh2xDg0NnlaFCLGJGSf7eHcrNwW-gpx/w320-h400/Green%20Bottle%20and%20Man.png" title="The label image was painted with acrylics on paper imported into Procreate where the backgrounds and black outline was added." width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The label image was painted with<br />acrylics on paper then imported<br /> into ProCreate where the backgrounds<br /> and black outline were added.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202020;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202020;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202020;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202020;"><br /></span></span></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-67041581105503299652021-09-16T14:40:00.005-07:002022-04-02T10:59:13.699-07:002021 Cabernet Sauvignon Wine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRflsOMy5CC4IUGJl4zzFZcyc7ylCVy3MWJ1mU5EzfirZbu5MhDkTY-m_vpRCGD4KhST9bk6yRUdzSMOdD5UkS5tD2YjvA1xgmFbnsHTwfK0DDSizwKJqGh99SeycaH-j4DOkgAAuShX8/s1280/IMG_1289.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="1280" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRflsOMy5CC4IUGJl4zzFZcyc7ylCVy3MWJ1mU5EzfirZbu5MhDkTY-m_vpRCGD4KhST9bk6yRUdzSMOdD5UkS5tD2YjvA1xgmFbnsHTwfK0DDSizwKJqGh99SeycaH-j4DOkgAAuShX8/w640-h356/IMG_1289.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Although I still have Cabernet Sauvignon leftover from 2019, I wanted to make a third wine this year. I couldn't find any Sirah, and didn't manage to get up to Oregon Wisconsin to pick wine grapes during the season. I really wanted the white grapes from them, and they are ripened early this year. All of which is to say that, I made this small batch because they had it at my grape dealer which was Jennaro Brothers in Milwaukee this year. </p><p>The refractive index showed 23.4 degrees Brix which would make 12.1% alcohol. I added 233 g for a projected 13.5%</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Recipe</b></p><p>Grapes<span> <span> <span> </span></span> <span> <span> 36 lb</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Yeast energizer<span> </span><span> 1 g</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>Pectic enzyme<span> <span> 1 g<span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Sugar<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> 233 g</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p>Lalvin EC1118<span> <span> 1 packet</span></span></p><p><br /></p><p>This fermented quickly so on the fourth day I pressed it and transferred it to a glass demijohn. This made about 10 liters. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>April 2, 2022 Update</p><p>The Malolactic fermentation has finished. The titratable acid is high at 15.6g/L as tartaric. Last year's titratable acid was also high. The measured pH is 2.9.</p><p><span><span><br /></span></span></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-29549031037298408202021-09-16T14:26:00.008-07:002021-09-17T13:22:39.305-07:002021 Merlot<p>These merlot grapes were fairly firm when I got them. (The grapes were from Delta Packing Co in Lodi CA. Smiling Baby brand.) I used a home-made milk-crate type destemmer, and then crushed them in my crusher. The crusher did not so a great job. While the grapes were generally cracked, the majority of the grape stayed in the skin. I ran most of the must through my old crusher to do a better job. The measured sugar content went up after the second crushing from 12.7 to 13.1 degrees Brix. </p><p><b>2021 Merlot Recipe</b></p><p>Merlot grapes<span> <span> 144 lb</span></span></p><p><span><span>pectic enzyme<span> <span> <span> 4 g</span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span></span></span><span>yeast energizer<span> <span> <span> 5 g</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span></span></span>sugar<span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> 741 g</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p>Lalvin EC 1118 2 packets</p><p><span><span><span>The Brix refractive index was 13.1 degrees, and corresponded to 13.1% alcohol. I added some sugar to get to 13.4%. </span></span></span></p><p>Fermentation started slowly. I added a second packet of yeast on the second morning. Of the three batches I started last Friday, this one is fermenting the slowest. At 6 days it is still significantly sweet. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6zxbL1G9qTKb6z6euLPQm3qLXzM1wB-357Mmr1zS7atHsw9iQjcEU44Oi6ccF34GuePMUjDWcMdIXQsyHKd3K_pM4AhPlpcIVmbtTjeyZ2pwA_TGH3f26rGxWZmFDRfjy8pMBC6fOHo/s1280/IMG_1294.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6zxbL1G9qTKb6z6euLPQm3qLXzM1wB-357Mmr1zS7atHsw9iQjcEU44Oi6ccF34GuePMUjDWcMdIXQsyHKd3K_pM4AhPlpcIVmbtTjeyZ2pwA_TGH3f26rGxWZmFDRfjy8pMBC6fOHo/w640-h480/IMG_1294.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-46477042659547086972021-09-16T14:12:00.005-07:002022-08-27T17:59:16.272-07:002021 Muscato Wine<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5aacELNiY65YWckDeXKfZRQA5HumEdfz5Tdsn99oSWc3ZgWkwCftHnvIU5HWfAfDOWhbkjsl-v0ENFyzCzPvQKU8chkXgfdgcsV7IXMCFuofEXJK-6wZ88PceU9XXo-CBIZ8-mWk4G0/s1280/IMG_1292.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5aacELNiY65YWckDeXKfZRQA5HumEdfz5Tdsn99oSWc3ZgWkwCftHnvIU5HWfAfDOWhbkjsl-v0ENFyzCzPvQKU8chkXgfdgcsV7IXMCFuofEXJK-6wZ88PceU9XXo-CBIZ8-mWk4G0/w435-h580/IMG_1292.jpeg" width="435" /></a></div><b><p><span style="font-weight: normal;">The muscato juice had a share content of 23% (Brix of 21 degrees) for a projected alcohol content of 11%. I thought about this a while, and decided not to add sugar. The thought is that Muscato is usually made at lower alcohol content, even as low as 7%. (I can always fortify it later, if I want to.) </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></p>2021 Muscato Wine</b><p></p><p>Grapes <span> <span> </span> </span> 108 lb</p><p>Yeast Energizer <span> <span> </span> </span><span> </span>3 g</p><p><span><span>Pectic enzyme<span> </span><span> <span> <span> </span> </span> 3 g</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Lalvin QA23 yeast<span> <span> </span> 1 packet</span></span></span></span></p><p>I pressed the grapes immediately. The grapes were very juicy and they extruded themselves through gaps in the press. </p><p>I kept the grapes in the press overnight, and drained two liters that way. In the morning I cranked-down on the press and got more wine out. In the morning, the drained grapes were firmer, and I could press them in the normal way. </p><p>Fermentation started immediately, and the juice was fairly dry after four days. I transferred it to a glass demijohn at that time.. </p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Spring 2022</b></p><p>I put this outside for about a week for cold aging to help the insolubles to fall out of solution. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Update: 8/27/2022</b></p><p>I backsweetened about half of this batch with 1.0% dextrose. This made the tartness milder, but still there. At 1.5 or higher, the flavor seemed less complex -- it is hard to describe, but I didn't like it as well. </p><p>The rest of the batch may be used for blending with my reds. </p><p>The wine has an OK flavor, but is not very complex. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-26238530304832524932021-09-06T12:45:00.001-07:002021-09-06T12:45:58.188-07:00Calculators for Wine Making<p>Here is a link to several calculators for wine making. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtDjVdOQy1WOn-85ayMG5e7ztOcNTb4aqmuHNy5uFnnZPoAPEdVr1MMD3i0B5S3KMmO4VVgmczUf5_xYa_6dW0nVubqxk7OsmCqVpb-W0HNuFHXEhvosvdGyn4cYgDj0yKxZ6AHDVH54/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="1012" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtDjVdOQy1WOn-85ayMG5e7ztOcNTb4aqmuHNy5uFnnZPoAPEdVr1MMD3i0B5S3KMmO4VVgmczUf5_xYa_6dW0nVubqxk7OsmCqVpb-W0HNuFHXEhvosvdGyn4cYgDj0yKxZ6AHDVH54/" width="190" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://techniquesinhomewinemaking.com/index.php/winemaking-tools/?fbclid=IwAR2RCslZUAw8Brb7P66Z4wwYGZ-6tPffohx-GQNT01_v3c79jPwNhT7Vm6M " target="_blank">https://techniquesinhomewinemaking.com/index.php/winemaking-tools/?fbclid=IwAR2RCslZUAw8Brb7P66Z4wwYGZ-6tPffohx-GQNT01_v3c79jPwNhT7Vm6M </a></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-68059161070485702862020-11-04T12:37:00.003-08:002021-09-06T12:53:49.169-07:00In Vino Falsus: 2020 Zinfandel Second Wine and the 2017 Sweet Merlot<p><a href="http://depthofprocessingfoodwine.blogspot.com/2017/09/2017-merlot.html">My 2017 Merlot</a> was finish two ways, most was finished dry and its great, but some was finished sweet. That's because my DW tasted the fermenting wine while it was sweet and liked it. I took ten liters out and finished it sweet by adding sorbet. Guess what? When the wine was done, she didn't like it anymore. I don't blame her, because this slightly sweet red was too robust to be a desert wine. </p><p>I was unable to restart the fermentation, so I made little wine from frozen white grape & concord grape juice, and while it was vigorously fermenting, I added it to the 2017 Sweet Merlot, but it didn't restart. </p><p>Last year with my 2019 Merlot, I added 2-3 quarts of rapidly fermenting must to the Sweet Merlot. No success. </p><p>A problem with working so hard to recover problem wines is that each time you blend it, there is now more of it. I started with 10L of Sweet Merlot, and now have 15L of blended sweet wine that no one wants. </p><p>Now, I am taking the pressed grapes from my <a href="http://depthofprocessingfoodwine.blogspot.com/2020/09/2020-petite-pearl-wine_18.html\">2020 Zinfandel,</a> and making a second wine -- also called a false wine. (And not the same as what the French in Bordeaux call a second wine.) A second wine is made from sugar water and the already-fermented pressed grapes from a regular batch of wine. The pressed grapes flavor the water, and while no expects it to be as good as the first wine, and can be good enough. In fact, I recall the weaker, lighter second wine as being better than some of my grandfather & father's first wines. (Which says something about how robust and oaky those wines were.)</p><p>In this case, I am going to use my problematic 2017 Sweet Merlot to buttress the flavor. If this works, I'll have 30L of good wine instead of 15L of undrinkable wine. </p><p><b>2020 Zinfandel Second (False) Wine and Blend with 2017 Sweet Merlot</b></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;">16 L <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span>Water</p><p style="text-align: left;">Pressed grapes from 110 pounds of fermented Zinfandel grapes </p><p style="text-align: left;">15 L <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span>2017 Sweet Merlot (modified as described above)</p><p style="text-align: left;">10 lb <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span>Sugar</p><p style="text-align: left;">4t (17g)<span> <span> </span></span>Yeast energizer</p><p style="text-align: left;">4t (15g)<span> <span> Pectic enzyme</span></span> <span> <span> </span></span></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>This fermented pretty well for a month, but did not go to dryness. I decided it was too acidic, and corrected it with calcium carbonate (and some Acid-X). Then I restarted the fermentation with Champagne yeast. </p><p>After another month one container was good, and the other container was still sweet. I blended the two containers, and am hoping for the best. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Sept 2021 Update:</b> This worked better than I could have hoped. The wine eventually did ferment to dryness. </p><p>The new wine blend is plenty good, and nothing to be embarrassed about. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div><br /></div><p> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span></span></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-37343389166020619592020-10-25T09:57:00.005-07:002021-09-06T12:55:33.557-07:00Yeast Strains<p>We know that yeast selection is important to avoid a wine-making disaster. </p><p>Yes, it is possible to use a wild strain to make a good wine. But what about the opposite, when you have already made a bad wine what can you do beside <b>whine,</b> nothing. You should have used a better yeast. </p><p>Here is a good <a href="https://winemakermag.com/resource/yeast-strains-chart?fbclid=IwAR2f7xI-2GA1POj_BcMqL90wCux0A1j_A-NXDtgHkca1tTVAg-2rbswxFi8">wine yeast selection chart</a>. Don't forget my <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1381608330452125034/6116446863641795647?hl=en">old Lalvin post.</a></p><p>Formerly there was also Red Star Yeast, which was purchased by Lasaffre, and whose wine products are now sold by the Fermentis (fermetis.com) division. Red Star in the USA is a joint venture of Lasaffre and ADM. It seems to be 100% commercial and not for hobbies. </p><p><br /></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-41391632287617712552020-09-20T12:37:00.005-07:002022-08-27T17:54:51.465-07:002020 Symphony Wine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMT0JLm15BHiIl7EvXnfB2HpSH6oFcVunAZwiiXCF_dR0JaDVl4RJhffZw8Bfj-SesTxgBjvQ678E4nBUL45u7njpOn5vZEbcDflZBAbnx-fIT2OKk3LlfEKNCbVrbWj4V2tE_d6b8Qvg/s1280/Symphony+grape+label.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMT0JLm15BHiIl7EvXnfB2HpSH6oFcVunAZwiiXCF_dR0JaDVl4RJhffZw8Bfj-SesTxgBjvQ678E4nBUL45u7njpOn5vZEbcDflZBAbnx-fIT2OKk3LlfEKNCbVrbWj4V2tE_d6b8Qvg/w640-h320/Symphony+grape+label.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I called down to my grape vendor, Caputo's, for Muscato grapes, but when I got there they were sold out. I purchased Symphony grapes because that was the only white grape in stock. (Aside from Chardonnay, which am not interested in.) </p><p>While I had never heard of Symphony, I learned it was developed in 1948 at UC-Davis by a famous viticulture professor, Harold Olmo, a cross between Muscat of Alexandra and Grenache Gris. Muscat of Alexandra is different from Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains, which is the usual Muscat. Both Muscats are among the most ancient grape varieties. Muscat of Alexandra was originally grown in Alexandra, Egypt. </p><p>I paid for the grapes, and got them in the car, and finally tasted them. They had a good grapey flavor, and tasted sweet at the time. Later I learned I still need to add some sugar. The juice was 1.098 g/ml and 22.8 Brix which should make 12% alcohol. I targeted 13% alcohol and added about 1 pound of sugar. The juice was fermenting nicely the next morning.</p><p>I had a hard time pressing them because the soft grapes kept extruding themselves out of the grape presser, and it took a long time to get the juice to drip out. I expect I got 17 L from the two cases. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>2020 Symphony Wine Recipe</b></p><p>72 lb Symphony grapes (DePalma)</p><p>2 teaspoons yeast energizer</p><p>2 teaspoons pectic enzyme</p><p>17 ounces of sugar</p><p>1 packet Lalvin 71B</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Update: 8/27/2022</b></p><p>I backsweetened this wine with 2.5% dextrose. This made the tartness milder and a little smoother. I tested a variety of sweetener levels, and 2.5% was the best. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-54399641974153345242020-09-18T18:37:00.003-07:002020-09-20T12:38:20.110-07:002020 Zinfandel Wine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlwYbexkZp9L73ZKjTkvZ-tE24k-lbziv4Fvi2GfPzAuJ9u-gkXp79V1vgxrchVFPOfMSknf3gcMggeETWM557u6-qyN_787cOQbgoM_ZOhYxvUwtHfMURKhuMHN-oqPLUyucdUNpijY/s1280/2020+Zinfandel+label.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="1280" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlwYbexkZp9L73ZKjTkvZ-tE24k-lbziv4Fvi2GfPzAuJ9u-gkXp79V1vgxrchVFPOfMSknf3gcMggeETWM557u6-qyN_787cOQbgoM_ZOhYxvUwtHfMURKhuMHN-oqPLUyucdUNpijY/w640-h318/2020+Zinfandel+label.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>This year I drove down to Caputo's in Carol Spring, Illinois for grapes. This is 95 minute drive for me. It was a clean professional operation with pretty good prices. Being a professional, Covid-19 compliant operation, I could not taste the grapes before buying them. </p><p>The Zinfandel grapes had a good strong flavor, and were sweet but not exceptionally sweet. The refractive index measured 25.2 degrees Brix, which gives 13.2% alcohol, and the density was 1.108 which predicts 13.4% alcohol. Target is 13.5% alcohol, so I added one pound of sugar, which is estimated to be 2.3% of the total sugar in the batch. </p><p>I noticed that the free run juice from the crusher was less sweet than the juice after stirring the must. I expect the sweetest juice was trapped inside the grapes. My new crusher may not crush the grapes as completely as my old crusher. On the other hand, it is about twice as fast. </p><p><b><u>2020 Zinfandel Wine Recipe</u></b></p><p>180 lb Zinfandel (DePalma)</p><p>7 g<span> pectic enzyme</span></p><p><span>5 teaspoons yeast energizer</span></p><p>1 pound of sugar</p><p><span>1 packet Lalvin RC212</span></p><p>1 packet of Red Star Premier Rouge, because fermentation was not noticeable at 18 hours</p><p>After another night the fermentation was vigorous. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-60681747723010963172020-09-17T09:11:00.013-07:002021-09-06T13:06:31.502-07:002020 Petite Pearl Wine<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2S-1zxF8m0t0svchgJVPouBar0IqL7_vgl6EOpWPffIjCrJZDJtHXilcHvEd2nQSIZpAh5VwWp9DsjDsUWPT_tHciuLhPPA4HOa1ZEFm155vHxjhVxbe3bjoExO6QXqxQSjvMgbz2QN4/s1280/Marshall+Vineyard.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2S-1zxF8m0t0svchgJVPouBar0IqL7_vgl6EOpWPffIjCrJZDJtHXilcHvEd2nQSIZpAh5VwWp9DsjDsUWPT_tHciuLhPPA4HOa1ZEFm155vHxjhVxbe3bjoExO6QXqxQSjvMgbz2QN4/w640-h480/Marshall+Vineyard.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marshall Vineyard in Oregon Wisconsin. Its in between Madison and my home base of Janesville Wisconsin. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>I found grapes at a local vineyard called Marshall Vineyard, which is in Oregon, Wisconsin. Sadly, they were sold out of white grapes. </p><p>I am skeptical of northern-grown red grapes, but after a little reading online, I decided to try Petite Pearl grapes. It is another U of Minnesota variety. </p><p>I ventured out in to the vineyard, and after a lot of walking, I found some vines that had not already been harvested, and hauled out 3 five gallon pails of grapes which weighed 56 pounds. They charged me $84 which seems steep, but on the other hand, they were rapidly selling out. </p><p>I suppose there is some romance in picking local grapes and making wine from them -- maybe I have to pay extra for that. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-6R1CYg3QE3eMF6tfXdlyjS4OnYN5MoUnlyEd7iyHFr5HYPb0nJVQ_Dux1cJwP74lv9taBWjFL-qmJPk_3mqBTaBKwB15mxfwUq6UU6xTJFy_r0L4kM-m83k9br6buvUuPRTkLicfic/s1280/More+Petite+Pearl.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-6R1CYg3QE3eMF6tfXdlyjS4OnYN5MoUnlyEd7iyHFr5HYPb0nJVQ_Dux1cJwP74lv9taBWjFL-qmJPk_3mqBTaBKwB15mxfwUq6UU6xTJFy_r0L4kM-m83k9br6buvUuPRTkLicfic/s320/More+Petite+Pearl.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petite Pearl grape vine</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>2020 Petite Pearl Wine Recipe</b></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>56 pounds Petite Pearl Grapes</p><p>4 pounds sugar</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">3 g pectic enzyme </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>2 teaspoons yeast nutrient</p><p>Lalvin EC-1118 yeast, 1 packet</p></blockquote><p>The juice had a sugar content of 19.4% which provides an alcohol content of 10%. I am shooting for 13% alcohol, and so I added 3.5 pounds of sugar. I dissolved the sugar in juice that I heated on the stove. When I blended it all together, the measured sugar content was still low. This suggest to me that the spiked juice just sank to the bottom. The next day the must was vigorously fermenting, and I remeasured the sugar content at 24%, which should produce 12.6% alcohol. That is okay, and since there had already been a night of fermenting, the actual alcohol content will be a little higher than that, perhaps 13% as targeted.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Sept 2021 Update</b></p><p>I made the wine as above in glass demijohns, and have not added any flavors. </p><p>It has a nice violet color with no haze. It tastes like a rose' more than a red wine. It has lemon note, strawberry, melon, a plant-y scent that I am calling hay, some tree fragrance that I need to pin-down, but perhaps hawthorn. It doesn't have currant, raspberry or blueberry fragrance or flavors one expects from California red grapes. Happily, there are no off-odors or flavors. </p><p>I like it pretty well. I think I'd like it more if the color were lighter. If this were a pretty pink or orange, I'd like that. </p><p>Maybe I will flavor some with my home grown Columbine flowers. </p><p><br /></p>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-67421199025496887022019-10-16T17:02:00.000-07:002019-10-16T17:02:09.771-07:00Interesting RecipesThis is a <a href="https://www.deliciouseveryday.com/mushroom-wellington/">mushroom Wellington</a>, which means that it is a mushroom filling in a puff pastry shell.<br />
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Another idea is<a href="https://www.savorytooth.com/pumpkin-hummus/"> pumpkin humus.</a><br />
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<br />Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-43781794403319774852019-09-25T18:07:00.002-07:002020-09-12T10:29:52.867-07:002019 Merlot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I decided to make a Merlot last year because I still have a stock of Zinfandel. This years grapes were sweet and juicy -- maybe not as grapey. I had a bottle of cherry juice concentrate, and I added it here for some added complexity. I added after two days of fermentation, because I have experienced slow fermentation with it -- though it doesn't say it is inhibited. </div>
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<b>2019 Merlot </b></div>
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144 lb Lodi Gold Merlot Grapes (Lodi Gold Brand from Delta Packing in Lodi CA</div>
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8 ounces of tart cherry juice concentrate (added after fermentation was vigorous)</div>
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5.5 g pectic enzyme</div>
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14 g yeast energizer</div>
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1.5 packets of Lalvin Baugouin RC212</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1MZx62532MeLMyLKNgV4Yo2sVS7V2ARdHbnHxa5m2Ssi8NJWzwdiDhDoGoC2e5yUIRkBo1E2Hy63ql684tvSGERecMaz9o6wojQFsnLa6wworIbnhI22LRyurHL5ZxbX4yHny2t6yU0/s1600/IMG_0827.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="640" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1MZx62532MeLMyLKNgV4Yo2sVS7V2ARdHbnHxa5m2Ssi8NJWzwdiDhDoGoC2e5yUIRkBo1E2Hy63ql684tvSGERecMaz9o6wojQFsnLa6wworIbnhI22LRyurHL5ZxbX4yHny2t6yU0/s320/IMG_0827.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This made about 42L after racking for 10.5 L/case, which means these were juicy grapes. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-51565605927416889012019-09-25T17:59:00.003-07:002020-09-12T10:28:37.583-07:002019 Cabernet Sauvignon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDgx95QQKloNXBz7kmj9BLvZv2hDGEVVZg9FBvV-3FuY7zHkEyFNPQAOMjzZKEIhwC6O5i6dpI6VUW2hTyMxQDdskUXjtr_lc4zIuS9KW74TaLoNmbdUC7SZluaNTgh7p4mC2gYVrV7I/s1600/IMG_0830.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDgx95QQKloNXBz7kmj9BLvZv2hDGEVVZg9FBvV-3FuY7zHkEyFNPQAOMjzZKEIhwC6O5i6dpI6VUW2hTyMxQDdskUXjtr_lc4zIuS9KW74TaLoNmbdUC7SZluaNTgh7p4mC2gYVrV7I/s320/IMG_0830.png" width="320" /></a>I found a new source of grapes at Tropic Banana in Milwaukee's Third Ward. It is a full line produce wholesaler that also does a business in wine grapes. I bought four 36 pound crates of Cabernet Sauvignon there. Unlike my old source in Detroit, I had to order these in advance -- sight unseen. Maybe the price is a little better.<br />
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Happily the grapes seem to be both juicy and sweet. Juicy grapes make more wine, and sweet grapes avoid the need to add sucrose sugar. </div>
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My wine cellar is bottoming out as last year I made much less wine because I was moving to a new house. </div>
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<b>2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Recipe</b></div>
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144 lb Cabernet Sauvignon (Lodi Gold; Delta Packing; Lodi, CA)</div>
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I pitched the yeast on Sunday night, and noticed slow fermentation by Monday AM, medium by Monday PM, and fast fermentation by Tuesday, and that continued into Wednesday. </div>
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The flavor of the juice was very sweet and grapey. The Brix was 24. and the juice's density was 1.106. This should make 13.8% alcohol, which is fine.<br />
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Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-35789613890068071812019-04-21T17:13:00.000-07:002019-04-21T17:42:39.558-07:00Vegetarian Frittata for Six<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I used to make frittata regularly when I was younger. Recently I don't eat so many eggs, but I made one this Easter. There are two kinds of recipes, ones that need to be flipped over, and ones that finish in the oven--fully cooking the egg without overcooking the bottom. With eight people coming, I thought I should try recipes for the non-flipping kind, even though I have less experience with those, and even though the buttery-brown egg crust is one of the best parts.<br />
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Easter Frittatas are often full of sausage, but I wanted it this one to be vegetarian. My favorite holiday frittata are cheesy and light, so I wanted to use cream or milk to soften the egg. I wanted flavorful cheese to compensate the missing meat. I wanted potato and mushroom to help cut the richness; some people use flour to cut the richness, but it changes the texture too much.<br />
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I started with a Martha Stewart online recipe, and I soon learned that she has at least six frittata recipes. I liked her use of heavy cream instead of milk; she used goat cheese instead of ricotta; and gruyere cheese instead of mozzarella. I found the gruyere inexplicable.<br />
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I found great recipes in the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/taste-memories-Columbus-Park-neighborhood/dp/096263462X">The Taste of Memories from Columbus Park</a>, a book of Italian recipes from my home town in Kenosha by Catherine Murray. (I was surprised to see the book is up to $600 for a used copy on Amazon.) There are a few frittata recipes including a baked Frittata with vegetables. I also checked <a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-Calabria-Rustic-Cooking-Undiscovered/dp/0393065162/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=my+calabria&qid=1555891114&s=books&sr=1-1">My Calabria</a> by Rosetta Costantino, and that had a ricotta frittata with twice as much as I show below.<br />
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Here is the final recipe. I decided to use cauliflower with less potato to help the texture. I am using feta because I like the stronger flavor.<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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12 eggs<br />
¼ c whipping cream<br />
1 t salt<br />
1 ¼ cup ricotta (drained if wet)<br />
<br />
⅓ c spinach ( I used frozen.)<br />
1-2 T shopped basil, fresh<br />
4 oz feta cheese, chopped<br />
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, diced<br />
1 med potato, boiled and mashed<br />
1 c boiled crushed cauliflower<br />
6 boiled and sliced mushrooms, yes boiled<br />
<br />
¼ c olive oil or as needed (maybe I'll use butter next time)<br />
<br />
¼ c grated Parmesan<br />
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<b>Instructions</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Heat oven to 375F. I used the convection setting.<br />
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Premix the items from the first group, eggs, cream, salt, and ricotta, and then beat lightly to break up the yokes and larger lumps of ricotta.<br />
<br />
Prep the items in the second group so they are available to add quickly. It is ok vary the vegetables a bit, but take care to avoid vegetables that will produce water when cooking.<br />
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Use the oil to generously lubricate a large frying pan and heat the pan on medium heat.<br />
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Pour the egg mixture into the preheated pan. When a solid egg layer forms on the bottom and sides of the pan, about 60-90 seconds, pour the vegetable and cheese mixture in to the pan. Spread the dry materials evenly and submerge them in the egg mixture.<br />
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Cook on medium heat until the bottom is well set, but not so long that the sides or bottom brown. A lid on the pan is useful.<br />
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Sprinkle the grate parmesan cheese on top.<br />
<br />
Place the pan in the oven until the top is just set, taking care not to over cook. I used convection heating in the oven. This took 25 minutes for me.<br />
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Martha suggested a table sauce based on Creme Fraiche. Mine was simple, garlic powder, parsley, and vinegar.Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-50142083969240347222018-10-07T06:56:00.000-07:002019-04-21T15:51:59.628-07:002018 Nebbiolo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWKXPhvF9NXWC2A4YMkYP3_PLSR2D0dzotsIIFAIo21DK-IU-sg8vYU18OIKXNv_iGwwNDpwk2VyBstAoMZrBfPa1YbiF_HEAqQOfkB317D21VhSZ0vH5dNUHtiAvWmALuyaqgAATk-E/s1600/Nebbiolo+grapr+label.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="295" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWKXPhvF9NXWC2A4YMkYP3_PLSR2D0dzotsIIFAIo21DK-IU-sg8vYU18OIKXNv_iGwwNDpwk2VyBstAoMZrBfPa1YbiF_HEAqQOfkB317D21VhSZ0vH5dNUHtiAvWmALuyaqgAATk-E/s400/Nebbiolo+grapr+label.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was in the Piedmont region of Italy last December, and Nebbiolo grapes are native there. I had Nebbiolo wine, and I really liked the richness of flavor. When I went to buy grapes, I was happy to see they had California grown Nebbiolo. I bought five cases, because I am only making one batch this year.<br />
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While I was crushing the grapes, my grape crusher broke, and after a crash program of roller repair, I finished crushing the last case. The sugar content was 23.1% with a 21.2 Brix, which I thought was a little low. This was easy to see from the juiciness of the grapes; one could see the grapes were flush with water. The free run juice was clear and sweet. The flavor saying in the pulp of the grape. It will need a while to get the flavor out. I added 6 pounds of sugar, and afterwards the sugar content was 26.9% or (24.5 Brix) which should get 12.8% alcohol.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JbyamvSljckhLSLAk8jdwQELeTJpohdsZbc6tZmvstLmREhinUcdA3-kWrQefURdAWSqJVfOQ_oVO_bdi0onN7EJU1EgkxnG7aw5V-kVzi3df8OJ85bgqk9DHdYKMcF142pgV5ENyvM/s1600/Nebbiolo+grape+crush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JbyamvSljckhLSLAk8jdwQELeTJpohdsZbc6tZmvstLmREhinUcdA3-kWrQefURdAWSqJVfOQ_oVO_bdi0onN7EJU1EgkxnG7aw5V-kVzi3df8OJ85bgqk9DHdYKMcF142pgV5ENyvM/s320/Nebbiolo+grape+crush.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>2018 Nebbiolo Wine Recipe</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
180 lb Nebbiolo grapes (Pia, California)<br />
6 lb sugar<br />
32 g yeast energizer<br />
1 pack 71B-1122 in the blue container<br />
1 pack RC 212 in the red container<br />
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<b>21 April 2019 Update</b><br />
The batch fermented normally. At this time the wine is light, like a rose, and with a similar taste. This is surprising since the grape skins were kept on the juice for a week. The taste does not have the grapeiness that I had hoped. The flavor is a little harsh, something that I expect will improve with age.Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-25254584715914563762017-12-15T11:36:00.002-08:002020-09-17T12:29:19.201-07:002017 Orange Wine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ER5x7jZYEcKa_Cdl5VqebZzN1ZMGAUkEiFz9u0WHimENtcbJwVGp0EOS9OukD2sbkFuDl6pJlcMUDAyK5a32QxtZZzjAN4wN4n0VPjcxK9vBxND9FNRfpt5INCe6CVSUXuxVM4cBt2A/s1600/IMG_0092.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ER5x7jZYEcKa_Cdl5VqebZzN1ZMGAUkEiFz9u0WHimENtcbJwVGp0EOS9OukD2sbkFuDl6pJlcMUDAyK5a32QxtZZzjAN4wN4n0VPjcxK9vBxND9FNRfpt5INCe6CVSUXuxVM4cBt2A/s320/IMG_0092.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It is December and wife Jenny bought oranges to be healthy, but later we decided we’d rather make wine from it. Orange wine is a little unusual, but there are recipes on line. Jenny and I decided o make a very sweet wine, where the yeast would die leaving the wine sweet.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Orange Wine Recipe</b><br />
7 oranges, squeezed<br />
1 lemon, squeezed<br />
57 oz orange juice (Meijers Organic)<br />
1 Tablespoon orange zest<br />
3 lb 1 oz sugar<br />
2 g yeast energizer<br />
1 pack Lalvin 71B-1122<br />
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<br />
I measured the sugar at 13.6% (specific gravity of 13 Brix and a density of 1.05 g/ml). This would make a wine of just 6.5%. I added 3 lb of sugar to just 2.6 L of juice to bring the sugar up to 20%. The idea is for the yeast to die and leave the wine sweet.<br />
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I just converted from Red Star to Lalvin yeast. I used 71B-1122, which is for white wines, and especially wines with residual sweetness.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>===================================</div><div><br /></div><div>2020 Follow-up: This wine turned out to be a disaster. It tasted terrible. For a while I thought I could blend it with my Riesling, but it just wrecked the Riesling. I am probably going to pour this down the drain. I mourn the lost Riesling.</div>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-44018203255750303772017-12-10T12:49:00.003-08:002017-12-10T12:49:39.851-08:002017 Hard CiderMy wife bought a gallon of organic apple juice because she thought it would be good for her stomach. She decided not to drink it, and so it was available to make wine. It is a true juice rather than a cider, so the apple selection is more for little kids rather than adults.<br />
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The sugar content was 14% Brix. This should make 7% alcohol.<br />
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<b>Hard Apple Cider Recipe</b><br />
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1 gallon Apple Juice (Organic from Manzana Products, Sebastopol CA)<br />
3/4 lemon chopped with rind<br />
3/4 tsp of pectic enzyme<br />
1/2 tsp of yeast enzyme<br />
1 packet of Red Star Cotes des Blancs<br />
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The plan is to ferment to dryness, then rack, filter, chill, add sorbate and sulfite, and then sweeten.Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-71663370974198069982017-12-08T16:11:00.000-08:002017-12-08T16:11:29.183-08:00Nebiollo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEyuC-pcDJZ9nBgFl5LDBWVgDbMziCh72nOKYv100iqnoBf6TiIFcFG3SVXskM4d-BMucqL-ItwzqEdmTMMsmU9zxJ6ikFBBbf3RmitOAN-QdefNCVfOBv9DYorYHL-EPPh402-KFMxo/s1600/440px-Close_up_of_Nebbiolo_cluster_in_Italy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEyuC-pcDJZ9nBgFl5LDBWVgDbMziCh72nOKYv100iqnoBf6TiIFcFG3SVXskM4d-BMucqL-ItwzqEdmTMMsmU9zxJ6ikFBBbf3RmitOAN-QdefNCVfOBv9DYorYHL-EPPh402-KFMxo/s320/440px-Close_up_of_Nebbiolo_cluster_in_Italy.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
I had a chance to go to Italy, and stayed in the Piedmont region near Alba. They had this nice Nebbiolo wine made from the grape that is a regional specialty. Wikipedia has an excellent article and a whole paragraph full of alternate names for Nebbiolo.<br />
<br />
Anyway, it had a clear taste with nice berry-like fruitiness. I wish I could buy some, but of course I never really have looked for it.<br />
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While I was at the restaurant at <a href="http://www.villadamelia.com/">Villa d Amelia </a>, they had the excellent jam made from Nebbiolo. It had a rich more complicated flavor. I don't think that is sold online.Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1381608330452125034.post-61164468636417956472017-10-21T09:43:00.001-07:002020-10-25T10:19:48.387-07:00Lalvin YeastsI bought some yesterday from <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lalvin-Wine-Yeast-5-Packs-Per-Sale-YOUR-CHOICE-/261002580831?var=&hash=item3cc4f7535f:g:X8kAAMXQaOVRkqow">Grape Grain and Bean Home Brewing Supply</a>, and because I am switching from Red Star to Lalvin, I wanted to copy out their notes on Lalvin yeast.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">71B-1122</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">Selected in Narbonne at the Institut national de recherche en agriculture (INRA) by J. Maugenet. The selection was designed to isolate yeasts that would produce a fruity yet fresh character in wine that would live long after fermentation.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="font-family: Arial;" /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: blue;">Oenological properties and applications</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">The 71B strain is a rapid starter with a constant and complete fermentation between 15° and 30°C (59° and 86°F) that has the ability to metabolize high amounts (20% to 40%) of malic acid. In addition to producing rounder, smoother, more aromatic wines that tend to mature quickly, it does not extract a great deal of phenols from the must so the maturation time is further decreased.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">The 71B is used primarily by professional winemakers for young wines such as vin nouveau and has been found to be very suitable for blush and residual sugar whites. For grapes in regions naturally high in acid, the partial metabolism of malic acid helps soften the wine. The 71B also has the ability to produce significant esters and higher alcohols, making it an excellent choice for fermenting concentrates.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">An excellent choice for blush & residual sugar whites, nouveau & young red wines. Also a good choice for late harvest wines.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">EC-1118</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">The EC-1118 strain was isolated, studied and selected from Champagne fermentations. Due to its competitive factor and ability to ferment equally well over a wide temperature range, the EC-1118 is one of the most widely used yeasts in the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="font-family: Arial;" /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: blue;">Oenological properties and applications</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">The fermentation characteristics of the EC-1118 — extremely low production of foam, volatile acid and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) — make this strain an excellent choice. This strain ferments well over a very wide temperature range, from 10° to 30°C (50° to 86°F) and demonstrates high osmotic and alcohol tolerance. Good flocculation with compact lees and a relatively neutral flavor and aroma contribution are also properties of the EC-1118.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">The EC-1118 strain is recommended for all types of wines, including sparkling, and late harvest wines and cider. It may also be used to restart stuck fermentations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">An excellent choice for champagnes and late harvest wines. Also a very good choice for dry whites</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline;">.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">ICV D-47</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">This strain was isolated from grapes grown in the Côtes-du-Rhône region of France by Dr. Dominique Delteil, head of the Microbiology Department, Institut coopératif du vin (ICV), in Montpellier. ICV D-47 strain was selected from 450 isolates collected between 1986 and 1990.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="font-family: Arial;" /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: blue;">Oenological properties and applications</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">The ICV D-47 is a low-foaming quick fermenter that settles well, forming a compact lees at the end of fermentation. This strain tolerates fermentation temperatures ranging from 15° to 20°C (59° to 68°F) and enhances mouthfeel due to complex carbohydrates. Malolactic fermentation proceeds well in wine made with ICV D-47.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">Recommended for making wines from white varieties such as Chardonnay and rosé wines. An excellent choice for producing mead, however be sure to supplement with yeast nutrients, especially usable nitrogen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">An excellent choice for dry whites, blush wines and residual sugar wines.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Arial;" />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">K1V-1116</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">Selected by the Institut coopératif du vin in Montpellier among numerous killer strains isolated and studied by Pierre Barre at INRA, the K1V-1116 strain was the first competitive factor yeast to go into commercial production and has become one of the most widely used active dried wine yeasts in the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="font-family: Arial;" /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: blue;">Oenological properties and applications</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">The K1V-1116 strain is a rapid starter with a constant and complete fermentation between 10° and 35°C (50° and 95°F), capable of surviving a number of difficult conditions, such as low nutrient musts and high levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2) or sugar. Wines fermented with the K1V-1116 have very low volatile acidity, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and foam production.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">The K1V-1116 strain tends to express the freshness of white grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Seyval. The natural fresh fruit aromas are retained longer than with other standard yeast strains. Fruit wines and wines made from concentrates poor in nutrient balance benefit from the capacity of K1V-1116 to adapt to difficult fermentation conditions. Restarts stuck fermentations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">Highly recommended for dry whites, aged reds, and late harvest wines.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Arial;" />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">RC-212</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">The Bourgovin RC 212 strain was selected from fermentations produced in the Burgundy region by the Bureau interprofessionnel des vins de Bourgogne (BIVB). It was selected for its ability to ferment a traditional heavier-style Burgundian Pinot Noir.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="font-family: Arial;" /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: blue;">Oenological properties and applications</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">The RC 212 is a low-foaming moderate-speed fermenter with an optimum fermentation temperature ranging from 20° to 30°C (68° to 86°F). A very low producer of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), the RC 212 shows good alcohol tolerance to 16%.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">The RC 212 is recommended for red varieties where full extraction is desired. Lighter red varieties also benefit from the improved extraction while color stability is maintained throughout fermentation and aging. Aromas of ripe berry and fruit are emphasized while respecting pepper and spicy notes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">An excellent choice for both young & aged red wines.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Arial;" />
<u style="font-family: Arial;"><b>QA23</b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">An excellent choice for wine styles like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonel and Gewurztraminer. Low nutrient and oxygen requirements, and it has been known to ferment juice at low temperatures (59 degrees F) to dryness. An excellent thoil converter making it a complementary yeast for developing varietal Sauvignon Blanc passion fruit character. It also produces large amounts of the enzyme beta-glucosidase during growth which allows for the release of bound terpenes in aromatic varieties. </span><div><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: medium;">==============================</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Here is another good <a href="https://winemakermag.com/resource/yeast-strains-chart?fbclid=IwAR2f7xI-2GA1POj_BcMqL90wCux0A1j_A-NXDtgHkca1tTVAg-2rbswxFi8">wine yeast selection chart</a>. </span></div>Greg Turcohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14047416857522227643noreply@blogger.com0