Prince of Fatness
I have tried making melon wines several times, with various melons. It was always reminiscent of a fart. I always wanted it to be good, and it never was. Eventually quaffed by the sink drain.
I can tell you what I did. 11 qt batch, about a case. Simple recipe, 3 lb two row, 1 lb wheat malt, 1 lb flaked wheat. Lightly hopped ~20 IBU. Kolsch yeast. Ferment at 60 - 65 degrees. Plain Jane recipe because it's all about the watermelon.
Watermelon. I used half a soccer ball sized one. Seedless. Scoop out the guts. Stay away from the white stuff near the skin. Put in bowl. Take a potato masher and press just enough to get the juices flowing. Once done with that put through strainer, pressing lightly just enough to get the juice out. I got about 3 cups of juice. Add to fermenter. I bottle so I added the juice a week before packaging in order to allow the sugar in the juice to ferment out.
If I were to do it again I would add another cup of watermelon juice. Maybe. But dude, I gotta tell you, on a hot day I could throw back many of these just as they are.
Not at it at all.
Feeling the growl again
Melon, strawberries, and peaches all suffer from relatively "thin" flavor. It is very difficult to make good wines out of them. I quit trying early and moved on to apples, pears, cherries, raspberries, and black raspberries, all of which make stellar fruit wine.
I just got in from picking my Cayuga White grapes. Criminey. I got over twice what I did last year, should be 10-12 gallons of wine when finished. So it took me twice as long as planned to pick them. The problem is, I still have to get them all pressed tonight. Ugh. This stuff is more fun when you are not squeezed for time.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
The problem is, I still have to get them all pressed tonight. Ugh. This stuff is more fun when you are not squeezed for time.
This is the Hurtlocker. Stop crying. Crack a beer (you have lots), and get pressin'.
Melon, strawberries, and peaches all suffer from relatively "thin" flavor. It is very difficult to make good wines out of them. I quit trying early and moved on to apples, pears, cherries, raspberries, and black raspberries, all of which make stellar fruit wine. I just got in from picking my Cayuga White grapes. Criminey. I got over twice what I did last year, should be 10-12 gallons of wine when finished. So it took me twice as long as planned to pick them. The problem is, I still have to get them all pressed tonight. Ugh. This stuff is more fun when you are not squeezed for time.
Sounds similar to, "I shot this elk. Now what?" Long nights, or two, if you process your own. Whatever it is.
Good Bad & The Monkey
Ya, what Obsessor said.
I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.
Poor baby
I cracked a bottle of last year's red to remind my why I was doing it. And, a glut of too much future alcohol is not a bad problem to have. I will know tomorrow when I press the juice out of the skins, but I may end up with a full 15 gallons (3 complete batches). I actually ran out of appropriate containers to hold all the mashed grapes, looked like a hair over 20 gallons (!!!).
Ha, yeah, that was last year. Seems the adrenaline and macho factor make that a bit better. Or course once it's in the house the final processing of 200lbs of boned meat is quite monotonous as well.
Speaking of beer....I passed on it tonight due to weigh-in tomorrow. However I think it is time to drink Finn Beer tomorrow.
Heh, that's why I weigh in Friday morning.
As I recall, I left you two home brews numbered on the cap. 31 is a best bitter (British Pale). These have hop bitterness but not much hop flavor. Low ABV. If you like it a good commercial example would be Fullers London Pride. 32 is a US style pale ale. I used all Amarillo hops, so if you like the hop flavor you know you like those hops. You will taste the hops in this one. ABV ~6%. In both of these I did not use any specialty grains, instead I toasted some of the base malt in the oven.
Heh, that's why I weigh in Friday morning. As I recall, I left you two home brews numbered on the cap. 31 is a best bitter (British Pale). These have hop bitterness but not much hop flavor. Low ABV. If you like it a good commercial example would be Fullers London Pride. 32 is a US style pale ale. I used all Amarillo hops, so if you like the hop flavor you know you like those hops. You will taste the hops in this one. ABV ~6%. In both of these I did not use any specialty grains, instead I toasted some of the base malt in the oven.
Well, I expected to break even and lost a full pound so it was worth it.
I just finished pressing the grapes. I have about 19 gallons (!!!) in carbouys right now. I will know better tomorrow when I rack off the heavy sediment, but it seems certain I will end up with 15 gallons (that's 75 bottles) of finished wine. Perhaps as much as 16 gallons. This really pushed me to the limit; I did not really have the equipment and supplies ready to receive this volume but I pulled it together....it was pretty much double what I had expected. Last year, I started with 6 gallons at this point (from the same vines) and ended up with a full 5 gallons finished. Looks like I will not need to buy wine next year!
So now I'm kicking back with the first beer of the day, a Brooklyn Brewery Summer Ale. I will increase the quality as the day goes along. I have three Yazoo Hop Project 66s that were still in the kegerator, that now need a new home since it is occupied by 11 gallons of the wine.
Finn, I'm saving yours for when my wife gets home from work tonight so we can both enjoy.
Ostrich runner
I had elk burgers and Triton Sin Bin IPA tonight. Not a bad night.
http://www.runningahead.com/groups/Indy/forum
31 is a best bitter (British Pale). These have hop bitterness but not much hop flavor. Low ABV. If you like it a good commercial example would be Fullers London Pride.
Uncapped to a most ideal amount of pressure and poured with a nice head. The hops were very pleasant to the nose. I expected the typical homebrew trail of yeast at the bottom of the bottle as I poured to the glass, but didn't see any.
The flavor was excellent. A nice bit of hops but balanced.
The best compliment I can give this is that both my wife and I agreed that had we not known this was a homebrew we never would have guessed it. Well done, Tater.
The flavor was excellent. A nice bit of hops but balanced. The best compliment I can give this is that both my wife and I agreed that had we not known this was a homebrew we never would have guessed it. Well done, Tater.
I picked this one for you because I was quite pleased with the way it turned out and thought that the style would be to your liking. Hard to beat a good bitter. Good flavor at a low ABV. Glad that you enjoyed.
Hop Project #67 in hand, in glass, in mouth. Damn!
Different. Yum.
32 is a US style pale ale. I used all Amarillo hops, so if you like the hop flavor you know you like those hops. You will taste the hops in this one. ABV ~6%. In both of these I did not use any specialty grains, instead I toasted some of the base malt in the oven.
We actually thought this one had a deeper flavor but was less hoppy. Also a bit less carbonation in this bottle, even though I could see a tad more yeast on the bottom. The flavor was very good, but survey says that 31 edged it out overall.
You are indeed an excellent beermaker, Finn. It would almost be worth a road trip to pick up a full carbuoy's worth.