Recently, Chimney Rock Winery started a contest on Pinterest encouraging participants to creatively post pins on a Holiday in Napa Valley board with a chance to win a trip to Napa.
Yes, please.
I'm already addicted to Pinterest, so this is a fun project...even though I probably won't have much of a chance to win. That's ok!
Here's my Pinterest board if you want to take a gander: Amy's Napa Valley Holiday
The status of the wine-making process: same as yesterday, just waiting on the primary fermentation to complete its process--get to 0.996 Specific Gravity or less. The CO2 has really died down a lot, which is a good thing, because it was rather pungent!
For my next batch, hopefully it will be a little warmer and I'll be able to put the carboy outside in my garage to avoid the smell in my apartment!
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Some Useful Information During Fermentation
So I don't have much of an update on my wine during this part of the fermentation process (it's just bubbling away, exuding CO2 throughout my apartment...), but I do want to share some wine-making information that I've researched. I've found it useful and maybe you will too!
How To Make Wine - This is a pretty helpful blog that has a basic approach to making wine. It goes into making different fruit wines, not just grapes. It's also a way to make wine in a little cheaper way if you don't have access to getting a starter kit put together or if you don't have access to the actual wine kit.
GrapeStompers - This site is neat because it has a recipe for jalapeño wine! How cool is that? Lots of other things, too, like dandelion wine and elderberry wine.
How Wine Is Made - This has a nice illustration of how wine is made in a commercial winery. Maybe I'll get there someday!
Wine-Making Real Estate in the Caribbean - Yes, please. :)
How Wine-Making Processes Affect Wine's Flavor - This article could come in handy later on once I'm on my own and playing with different things that can affect how my wine will taste.
Hope you enjoy this information!
How To Make Wine - This is a pretty helpful blog that has a basic approach to making wine. It goes into making different fruit wines, not just grapes. It's also a way to make wine in a little cheaper way if you don't have access to getting a starter kit put together or if you don't have access to the actual wine kit.
GrapeStompers - This site is neat because it has a recipe for jalapeño wine! How cool is that? Lots of other things, too, like dandelion wine and elderberry wine.
How Wine Is Made - This has a nice illustration of how wine is made in a commercial winery. Maybe I'll get there someday!
Wine-Making Real Estate in the Caribbean - Yes, please. :)
How Wine-Making Processes Affect Wine's Flavor - This article could come in handy later on once I'm on my own and playing with different things that can affect how my wine will taste.
Hope you enjoy this information!
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Day 5!
Today was the day there was a bit more excitement in the wine-making world. Or at least in my wine-making world! I completed my first racking today! It was a little messy and a lot of work, but it's done and well on its way to making some high-class wine (haha).
I started, as usual, by cleaning and sanitizing all my equipment. There was quite a bit more today than the last few days, though. In addition to the hydrometer, thermometer, and stirring spoon, I needed to clean the measuring cup, a spoon, an airlock and bung, my auto-siphon, tubing, and of course, the carboy.
It was a little cumbersome and I spilled some of the water, but I didn't make as much of a mess as I thought I would! That came later... :)
After all the cleaning and sanitizing, I took everything I needed downstairs. I took my readings and I'm not sure if I waited too long, but the Specific Gravity was lower than the instructions range (1.040-1.050).
Temperature: 75 degrees Fahrenheit
Specific Gravity: 1.030
I'll have to see how this plays out, but I think as long as the SG is going down, it should be ok (I hope!). Maybe on future kits I'll know what is the better course of action, but I'm just learning now.
I got my packet of yeast nutrient and some cold water, mixed them together until the nutrient dissolved, then poured it into the wine. I stirred everything up to get everything re-suspended, and it was time to get that wine into the carboy.
I'm really digging the auto-siphon deal. It made life way simpler, even though it did take a good 10 minutes to get all of the wine from the bucket into the carboy.
The whole time I was thinking it looked like pineapple juice...
The last little bit was a surprise...I wasn't paying attention and then all of a sudden the carboy was overflowing! Hello, mess! It wasn't much, thank goodness, but it was enough that I had to use about 30 select-a-size paper towels. Oopsie!
I then filled up my airlock, put it in the bung, and put it in the carboy. It's really fizzy right now, so it's quite fragrant in my apartment. I'm hoping that doesn't last too long, lol. I don't need to be smelling like wine fumes any more than I already do. ;)
So now we wait. The blog will be on a bit of a hiatus until there's more to do, which should be between days 9-14. At that point, if the SG is 0.996 or less, I will do a second racking from the carboy, to the bucket, back to the carboy, and dissolve the clarifying chemicals to start clearing up this pineapple juice! :)
I started, as usual, by cleaning and sanitizing all my equipment. There was quite a bit more today than the last few days, though. In addition to the hydrometer, thermometer, and stirring spoon, I needed to clean the measuring cup, a spoon, an airlock and bung, my auto-siphon, tubing, and of course, the carboy.
Specific Gravity: 1.030
I'll have to see how this plays out, but I think as long as the SG is going down, it should be ok (I hope!). Maybe on future kits I'll know what is the better course of action, but I'm just learning now.
I got my packet of yeast nutrient and some cold water, mixed them together until the nutrient dissolved, then poured it into the wine. I stirred everything up to get everything re-suspended, and it was time to get that wine into the carboy.
The whole time I was thinking it looked like pineapple juice...
I then filled up my airlock, put it in the bung, and put it in the carboy. It's really fizzy right now, so it's quite fragrant in my apartment. I'm hoping that doesn't last too long, lol. I don't need to be smelling like wine fumes any more than I already do. ;)
So now we wait. The blog will be on a bit of a hiatus until there's more to do, which should be between days 9-14. At that point, if the SG is 0.996 or less, I will do a second racking from the carboy, to the bucket, back to the carboy, and dissolve the clarifying chemicals to start clearing up this pineapple juice! :)
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Day 4!
Just a quick update today! Nothing too big to report, but I think it might be time for my wine's first racking tomorrow!
Temperature: 74 degrees Fahrenheit
Specific Gravity: it bobbed between 1.050 and 1.054
Since the hydrometer was bobbing around a little above 1.050, I decided that I should leave the wine to ferment another day, just to be sure it'll be down in the right range for racking.
Tomorrow should be exciting! :)
Temperature: 74 degrees Fahrenheit
Specific Gravity: it bobbed between 1.050 and 1.054
Since the hydrometer was bobbing around a little above 1.050, I decided that I should leave the wine to ferment another day, just to be sure it'll be down in the right range for racking.
Tomorrow should be exciting! :)
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Day 3!
I love how this part of my day has become the bright spot. It gives me something to look forward to, which is something I haven't had in a while! I actually look forward to cleaning and sanitizing my equipment and going down to see how my wine is doing.
And what a lovely aroma I came downstairs to. The yeast scent has mostly subsided, now it just smells like a wine cave (if you've ever been in one, you'll know that scent I'm talking about).
My wine greeted me today with some nice bubbles:
Bubblebubblebubblebubblebubblebubblebubble...
I give the wine a quick stir and took the stats again today. It seems everything is coming along nicely!
Temperature: 74 degrees Fahrenheit
Specific Gravity: 1.076
Hopefully it will reach the right specific gravity soon (between 1.040 and 1.050), then I will be able to rack the wine into my carboy! Can't wait!
See you tomorrow! :)
And what a lovely aroma I came downstairs to. The yeast scent has mostly subsided, now it just smells like a wine cave (if you've ever been in one, you'll know that scent I'm talking about).
My wine greeted me today with some nice bubbles:
Bubblebubblebubblebubblebubblebubblebubble...
I give the wine a quick stir and took the stats again today. It seems everything is coming along nicely!
Temperature: 74 degrees Fahrenheit
Specific Gravity: 1.076
Hopefully it will reach the right specific gravity soon (between 1.040 and 1.050), then I will be able to rack the wine into my carboy! Can't wait!
See you tomorrow! :)
Monday, November 17, 2014
Day 2!
After work today, my alarm went off to let me know it was time to stir my must and get my daily specific gravity reading (haha, as if I'd forget!).
I cleaned and sanitized the equipment again and went downstairs to get my readings:
Temperature: 74 degrees F
Specific Gravity: 1.100
Notes: The specific gravity actually went up in the first 24 hours, which means my yeast is alive and thriving (I think!). It was also talking to me when I opened the lid! (hah) It was foamy and slightly bubbly (tiny bubbles), and some of the yeast was grouped up on the side of the bucket. From what I've read, this is normal behavior (yay!), so I stirred it up to re-suspend the yeast. It also smelled slightly yeasty, but not much. It actually reminded me of the smell in wine caves with a touch of yeast.
I found the link below for any issues that may arise or if anything starts to look or smell funny. Could come in handy, but I hope I don't have to use it too much.
Wine Kit First Aid
Until tomorrow! :)
I cleaned and sanitized the equipment again and went downstairs to get my readings:
Temperature: 74 degrees F
Specific Gravity: 1.100
Notes: The specific gravity actually went up in the first 24 hours, which means my yeast is alive and thriving (I think!). It was also talking to me when I opened the lid! (hah) It was foamy and slightly bubbly (tiny bubbles), and some of the yeast was grouped up on the side of the bucket. From what I've read, this is normal behavior (yay!), so I stirred it up to re-suspend the yeast. It also smelled slightly yeasty, but not much. It actually reminded me of the smell in wine caves with a touch of yeast.
I found the link below for any issues that may arise or if anything starts to look or smell funny. Could come in handy, but I hope I don't have to use it too much.
Wine Kit First Aid
Until tomorrow! :)
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Day 1!
Ok ok, so it took me a little while to get started. My weekends have just been too crazy busy...or at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it! :)
Back in early October, my parents bought my birthday presents for me: a starter kit of wine-making equipment as well as a wine kit to make a French-style Chardonnay by Mosti Mondiale in their Vinifera Noble line. The varietal is the Bourg Royal Blanc.
I carefully re-watched the DVD that covers the process from FineVineWines.com so I could make sure to get all the details down pat, and I re-read the instructions from the kit to see if there were any nuances that shouldn't be overlooked (there were a few contradictions, but I think I figured them out). I finally got my confidence up and decided it was time to clean and sanitize my equipment.
I decided to use the tub since I figured I'd surely be making a mess (and I definitely know I would've been discouraged from continuing if something as silly as spilling 6 gallons of water happened--that would've been a big oopty-oop). Before I cleaned or sanitized anything, I started by figuring out if my bucket and spigot were leak-resistant (thanks to Carl for the advice, as always), loaded the 6 gallons of water into the bucket, and voila! No leaks (yes, I know you can see water under the spigot in the picture, but trust me, it wasn't leaking...anymore...)! I was ready to clean.
I used the B-Brite Cleanser that came in my starter kit, and it absolutely made everything very slippery, just as the guy in the video said it would. It seems to be a pretty mild cleanser though, no chlorine or anything, and it didn't dry out my hands at all like I was expecting it to.
I used the metabisulphite powder to sanitize my equipment, but I did not use the full 2 oz to 1 gallon like it says. Since it's actually the fumes from the solution that sanitize the equipment (and the guy in the video only used about 1/3 of his solution), I used 1/2 oz in 32 oz of warm water, dumped it into the bucket, and set all my equipment I was going to use inside. I covered the bucket with its lid and waited about 15 minutes for everything to get good and sanitized...and oh boy what a lovely aroma was waiting for me under that lid after said 15 minutes. Enchanting sulfur bouquet. It brought back some olfactory memories from an old apartment with bad plumbing, but luckily I could just pour it right down the drain.
To be honest, with so much concern about cleansing and sanitizing, I was a little surprised that the instructions didn't say to use gloves or anything. With the nastiness that some people have on their hands these days, touching any part of what was cleansed and then sanitized would be shot to hell with one bump of a finger or hand. But who am I to question... It did clean the bucket pretty well though, just look at the yucky leftover cleaner water (I saved it just in case I forgot to clean something..it's still good! It's still good!). Definitely don't want any of that in my wine!
I was almost ready for start dumping everything in the bucket. I read over my instructions again and saw that I needed to rehydrate my yeast and put my bentonite into warm water while I put everything together. I heated up some water in my electronic water boiler (thanks, Mom!), tested the temperature with my thermometer and waited for it to cool down to 109 degrees Fahrenheit, then I put the yeast in and set my timer for 15 minutes.
Then it was time for the must! Technically speaking, the grape juice is called 'must' until the yeast is added, then it is legally called 'wine.' I gathered up all my cleansed and sanitized equipment I moved everything else downstairs where I planned on keeping the wine while it fermented in its bucket (it's too cold outside right not to keep in my garage). I then pulled out the juice bag from the box. A very unappetizing bag to say the least, lol. And don't worry, that dark stuff at the bottom of the bag is just sediment. Also unappetizing, but necessary. :)
It opened up with ease using my handy dandy church key and I poured it into the bucket (while also checking for leaks...whew...none to be seen!). It smelled absolutely wonderful while I was pouring it out of the bag--so fruity and concentrated..grapy goodness. I poured in additional water to the 23 L line, then added the bentonite and rehydrated yeast.
I meant to take some pictures of the yeast and bentonite before I poured them into the bucket...buuutttt...yeah, I got too excited and forgot, so here's the aftermath!
After a quick stir, I took a hydrometer reading and its specific gravity was 1.090, which means it'll end up around the 12% alcohol mark.
And behold, the finished product thus far! Yes, it's cloudy...no, it probably doesn't taste very good right now...but it's a work in progress. Give me about 3 months and it'll be my super awesome first attempt at making my own wine. :) A first step in much greater things to come! (Maybe!)
On a side note...a little hard to see, but someone decided to snoop in the box, as is her way. Don't worry, though, I had already taken the must out, so no kitty-contamination. :)
Back in early October, my parents bought my birthday presents for me: a starter kit of wine-making equipment as well as a wine kit to make a French-style Chardonnay by Mosti Mondiale in their Vinifera Noble line. The varietal is the Bourg Royal Blanc.
I carefully re-watched the DVD that covers the process from FineVineWines.com so I could make sure to get all the details down pat, and I re-read the instructions from the kit to see if there were any nuances that shouldn't be overlooked (there were a few contradictions, but I think I figured them out). I finally got my confidence up and decided it was time to clean and sanitize my equipment.
I decided to use the tub since I figured I'd surely be making a mess (and I definitely know I would've been discouraged from continuing if something as silly as spilling 6 gallons of water happened--that would've been a big oopty-oop). Before I cleaned or sanitized anything, I started by figuring out if my bucket and spigot were leak-resistant (thanks to Carl for the advice, as always), loaded the 6 gallons of water into the bucket, and voila! No leaks (yes, I know you can see water under the spigot in the picture, but trust me, it wasn't leaking...anymore...)! I was ready to clean.
I used the B-Brite Cleanser that came in my starter kit, and it absolutely made everything very slippery, just as the guy in the video said it would. It seems to be a pretty mild cleanser though, no chlorine or anything, and it didn't dry out my hands at all like I was expecting it to.
A delicate balancing act after cleansing...very surprised my clumsy self didn't break the thermometer or hydrometer. Yay me!
I used the metabisulphite powder to sanitize my equipment, but I did not use the full 2 oz to 1 gallon like it says. Since it's actually the fumes from the solution that sanitize the equipment (and the guy in the video only used about 1/3 of his solution), I used 1/2 oz in 32 oz of warm water, dumped it into the bucket, and set all my equipment I was going to use inside. I covered the bucket with its lid and waited about 15 minutes for everything to get good and sanitized...and oh boy what a lovely aroma was waiting for me under that lid after said 15 minutes. Enchanting sulfur bouquet. It brought back some olfactory memories from an old apartment with bad plumbing, but luckily I could just pour it right down the drain.
To be honest, with so much concern about cleansing and sanitizing, I was a little surprised that the instructions didn't say to use gloves or anything. With the nastiness that some people have on their hands these days, touching any part of what was cleansed and then sanitized would be shot to hell with one bump of a finger or hand. But who am I to question... It did clean the bucket pretty well though, just look at the yucky leftover cleaner water (I saved it just in case I forgot to clean something..it's still good! It's still good!). Definitely don't want any of that in my wine!
I was almost ready for start dumping everything in the bucket. I read over my instructions again and saw that I needed to rehydrate my yeast and put my bentonite into warm water while I put everything together. I heated up some water in my electronic water boiler (thanks, Mom!), tested the temperature with my thermometer and waited for it to cool down to 109 degrees Fahrenheit, then I put the yeast in and set my timer for 15 minutes.
Then it was time for the must! Technically speaking, the grape juice is called 'must' until the yeast is added, then it is legally called 'wine.' I gathered up all my cleansed and sanitized equipment I moved everything else downstairs where I planned on keeping the wine while it fermented in its bucket (it's too cold outside right not to keep in my garage). I then pulled out the juice bag from the box. A very unappetizing bag to say the least, lol. And don't worry, that dark stuff at the bottom of the bag is just sediment. Also unappetizing, but necessary. :)
It opened up with ease using my handy dandy church key and I poured it into the bucket (while also checking for leaks...whew...none to be seen!). It smelled absolutely wonderful while I was pouring it out of the bag--so fruity and concentrated..grapy goodness. I poured in additional water to the 23 L line, then added the bentonite and rehydrated yeast.
I meant to take some pictures of the yeast and bentonite before I poured them into the bucket...buuutttt...yeah, I got too excited and forgot, so here's the aftermath!
After a quick stir, I took a hydrometer reading and its specific gravity was 1.090, which means it'll end up around the 12% alcohol mark.
And behold, the finished product thus far! Yes, it's cloudy...no, it probably doesn't taste very good right now...but it's a work in progress. Give me about 3 months and it'll be my super awesome first attempt at making my own wine. :) A first step in much greater things to come! (Maybe!)
On a side note...a little hard to see, but someone decided to snoop in the box, as is her way. Don't worry, though, I had already taken the must out, so no kitty-contamination. :)
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