I'm at it again, I started a pomegranate/raisin wine this weekend. It's at the rolling boil stage of fermentation already.   It looks like it will be a nice pink color. It's a turbulent, mucky mess right now, though. Next weekend I'll remove the fruit and start a second wine with it. The lighter second wine is for topping off and blending purposes. Ill keep you posted. Hugs, Devlyn

Have a friend in Eastern Washington that usually has half a dozen carboys percolating. His wines are rather nice as I can recall, but the alcohol content is hard to control. After several years of sampling his product I have a serious case of CRS.

Yes, fruit wines can get quite strong! I held back a bit on the sugar, this is going to finish out bone dry. It's for cooking, so that's preferable. Last years mango wine stopped with a trace of sugar still in it, the alcohol content is what killed off the yeast. That wine made the best sloppy joes I ever had!

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on February 03, 2013, 05:08:05 PM
Yes, fruit wines can get quite strong! I held back a bit on the sugar, this is going to finish out bone dry. It's for cooking, so that's preferable. Last years mango wine stopped with a trace of sugar still in it, the alcohol content is what killed off the yeast. That wine made the best sloppy joes I ever had!

Never heard of wine used in Sloppy Joes, don't you mean that Joe got sloppy drinking your wine?

You're not getting my sloppy joe recipe that easy! OK, here it is. Brown up 1 lb of ground beef and a chopped onion. Drain the fat, deglaze with a cup of mango or other wine, add a can of tomato sauce and a can of water, 1/4cup molasses, salt to taste and every seasoning on the shelf. And a spritz of soy sauce. Stir and cook down until it's almost dry again. Serve on your choice of bread. Hugs, Devlyn

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on February 03, 2013, 05:33:03 PM
You're not getting my sloppy joe recipe that easy! OK, here it is. Hugs, Devlyn

Cool, it's cut and pasted in my recipe book already, thanks Dev!

Two gallons are in carboys for secondary fermentation,  and I have a one gallon second wine in the primary. The pomegranate really gave up its color during fermentation, it's more like a burgundy now. Racking in a month or so.

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on February 18, 2013, 05:41:00 PM
Two gallons are in carboys for secondary fermentation,  and I have a one gallon second wine in the primary. The pomegranate really gave up its color during fermentation, it's more like a burgundy now. Racking in a month or so.

I'll be booking a flight for a wine tasting session and to pick up my new raccoon skin hat! 

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on February 18, 2013, 05:59:08 PM

OMG I feel a wine headache coming on!  Wish you were my neighbor we'd sit out on my patio on summer nights and be loud!

Wow Devlyn, that wine is such a pretty color (and I like your coocoo clock). How long have you been making wines for?

You're the second person who noticed the clock.I bought it in the Black Forest when I was stationed in Germany. I made a batch of kit wine when I was young, never got back to making more. About five years ago I put some raisins in a soda bottle with sugar, water, and a pinch of bread yeast. Blind luck handed me back a bottle of white wine. I've made a raisin wine with a handful of black pepper, mango wine, the dandelion wine, and this one, raisin/pomegranate. I want to do a jalapeno wine for making chili and other dishes that can stand heat. Hugs, Devlyn

Ah that's really cool, I had no idea you could make wine out of jalapenos and raisins. I knew someone who used to make wine with the concord grapes that grew wild in his backyard, he had a big vat that he kept in the bathroom.

Sugar+water+yeast=alcohol and carbon dioxide. How it tastes is a matter of ingredients. This is a great site:

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/

I go to the wine tasting events at two of the large chain grocery stores and photo the labels with my cell phone of the wines I like best for various occasions. I have a wine rack full for friends and family when we have company. I used to drink a lot of wine, but rarely touch it now because the calories and sugar is astronomical and I don't want to wear it. Part of the woman crap in my brain that I have  to cope with I suppose. When I was a guy I could have cared less I think, although I'm not sure because of the blackouts. 

Devlyn, do you know how to make brandy? I am looking for a plum brandy

Brandy is a distilled product. Anyone can make up to two hundred gallons of wine, no permit required.  You can't make a drop of distilled spirits or you're moonshining!

ah despite being a certified bartender I was never sure what the difference was 

While we're here, you reminded me  to check on it. Look how nicely it's cleared up!

Wow it's so pretty!