Bottled up the Meyer Lemon water kefir last night. First degassing this morning before heading off to work. That headspace just adds a little forgiveness for the pressure build up while I'm away.
View attachment VID_20221114_043142958.mp4
Vinter thread, brewing and ferminting.
- Thread starter Skunky Dunk Farms
- Start date
Bottled up the Meyer Lemon water kefir last night. First degassing this morning before heading off to work. That headspace just adds a little forgiveness for the pressure build up while I'm away.
View attachment VID_20221114_043142958.mp4
Skunky Dunk Farms
Cannabinoid Receptor
Just finished up canning a bunch of whole fruit cranberry sauce and had 12lbs.of cranberries left so we whipped up a 3 gallon batch of cranberry wine.
Sorry no pics but it'll consist of the above 12lbs of cranberries
6lbs of sugar
3/4 gallon bottled water
All brought to a boil so the berries pop.
Into the fermenter, we use 5 gallon polyester paint strainer bags to contain our fruit, tyied off and the syrup poured over it.
After cooling to around 80* added
3 crushed Campden tablets
1 tbs. yeast nutrient
1 tsp. pectic enzyme
1 tsp. wine tannin
Mix well, I just flip the bag around and round a few times. Let set for 24 hours.
Then hydrate yeast of choice, that would be by using bottled water heated to about 99*, add a half tsp honey or use some sugar and add yeast and mix , cover and wzit 15 minutes.
I use Lavlin 1116 for colored wines but most any would work.
Cover on, airlock in place and wait for the sugar to start farting Co2.
In 8 to 12 days, when the ferment slows, pull the fruit and squeeze out the bag of fruit and discard the fruit.
Cover again with the airlock and let it go to taste. We'll go 6 months or more in the last ferment.
We usually pull down mighty dry versions ourselves as my wife prefers hers near brandy, that's why I only add 3/4 of a gallon of water for a 3 gallon batch.
It's the well kept secret to "very good" homemade fruit wines.
Honestly, I've seen a large party of women, my lil wifey included, at the lake with my wine and get blasted way worse than if they'd been drinking bourbon!
Sorry no pics but it'll consist of the above 12lbs of cranberries
6lbs of sugar
3/4 gallon bottled water
All brought to a boil so the berries pop.
Into the fermenter, we use 5 gallon polyester paint strainer bags to contain our fruit, tyied off and the syrup poured over it.
After cooling to around 80* added
3 crushed Campden tablets
1 tbs. yeast nutrient
1 tsp. pectic enzyme
1 tsp. wine tannin
Mix well, I just flip the bag around and round a few times. Let set for 24 hours.
Then hydrate yeast of choice, that would be by using bottled water heated to about 99*, add a half tsp honey or use some sugar and add yeast and mix , cover and wzit 15 minutes.
I use Lavlin 1116 for colored wines but most any would work.
Cover on, airlock in place and wait for the sugar to start farting Co2.
In 8 to 12 days, when the ferment slows, pull the fruit and squeeze out the bag of fruit and discard the fruit.
Cover again with the airlock and let it go to taste. We'll go 6 months or more in the last ferment.
We usually pull down mighty dry versions ourselves as my wife prefers hers near brandy, that's why I only add 3/4 of a gallon of water for a 3 gallon batch.
It's the well kept secret to "very good" homemade fruit wines.
Honestly, I've seen a large party of women, my lil wifey included, at the lake with my wine and get blasted way worse than if they'd been drinking bourbon!
Skunky Dunk Farms
Cannabinoid Receptor
Hmm,, this is cool.
homebrewing.org
Green Tilt Hydrometer and Thermometer
Tilt hydrometer and thermometers in color green can be found online at Adventures in Homebrewing along with other beer making equipment, hardware, accessories and testing supplies.
homebrewing.org
JollyPete
In Bloom
Tilts are neat, handy little things.Hmm,, this is cool.
Green Tilt Hydrometer and Thermometer
Tilt hydrometer and thermometers in color green can be found online at Adventures in Homebrewing along with other beer making equipment, hardware, accessories and testing supplies.
Trichitect
Canna-bacchus incarnate
A family member turned me on to homemade ginger beer.
I made a gallon for my first batch, already finished half.
This stuff is incredible, I added loads of fresh ginger, a bunch of black pepper, ground cardamom, and star anise.
One tiny sip is fucking flavor explosion! It's really spicy on the tongue, but it settles my stomach so well. A glass of this after a big doob and I'm melted right into the couch, lol.
It's definitely a good non-alcohol night cap.
I can post the recipe here if anyone is interested.
I made a gallon for my first batch, already finished half.
This stuff is incredible, I added loads of fresh ginger, a bunch of black pepper, ground cardamom, and star anise.
One tiny sip is fucking flavor explosion! It's really spicy on the tongue, but it settles my stomach so well. A glass of this after a big doob and I'm melted right into the couch, lol.
It's definitely a good non-alcohol night cap.
I can post the recipe here if anyone is interested.
Skunky Dunk Farms
Cannabinoid Receptor
Ginger ale or beer is bomb for gut health!
We ferment fresh ginger root, it so explosively full of flavor and mighty carbonated.
Haven't tortured this thread w/ a water kefir for quite a while. Still running them.
Vid below is an Elderberry, Hibiscus, Raisin. Getting close to going in the fridge for consumption. Just trying to get it as dry as possible, w/o being flat.
On deck in the pitcher is some backyard lemons, ginger, hibiscus, raisin.
View attachment VID_20230303_042345155.mp4
Vid below is an Elderberry, Hibiscus, Raisin. Getting close to going in the fridge for consumption. Just trying to get it as dry as possible, w/o being flat.
On deck in the pitcher is some backyard lemons, ginger, hibiscus, raisin.
View attachment VID_20230303_042345155.mp4
JollyPete
In Bloom
Kefir is a lacto-ferment, right?
Pete - we're running the milk kefir, too -
but this is water kefir. Uses grains to fermet like the milk, but they're adapted to sugar.
That pitcher w/ the lemons, hibiscus, ginger and raisin now in the bottle being degassed on day 1 followed by day 2. You can really see the viscosity difference as the residual sugars are digested. We're shooting for extra dry.
View attachment VID_20230304_043907227.mp4
View attachment VID_20230305_042421775.mp4
Snapped a pic of the latest water kefir ferment before popping it in the fridge and leaving town for the weekend. Will bottle it up on Sunday. Backyard grapefruit, ginger, elderberry and raisin. That's the short story. Will post the longer version below - but please feel free to skip - it's a longish story.
Ok - I'm pretty sure the grapefruit used in this ferment came from a crop that killed a man. YES!
On Monday, Feb 27 - word spread at work that the warehouse clerk called out, saying that her husband (60yrs old) had died that morning. She had woken up, went looking for him and found him laying in the garage, unconscious with a faint pulse. As the ambulance drivers were loading him up, they remarked to her that he had extremely low blood pressure. He didn't survive the trip to the hospital.
Really sad. I had met the man 2yrs ago. Really liked him. Great personality, really sharp. Seemed in decent shape. He had a plane, and loved to fly on the weekends.
There have been a few sudden death/ heart attacks happening at work this year to either employees or close family. An average of 1 every week. It's a big organization, though.
Now - as a naturalist, you can figure what I was thinking. We won't say it here. Nobody really knows for sure.
So, the following Monday - March 6, I'm in the warehouse with a colleague in the early morning. She shows up, and intends to work that week, saying she needed the routine. I get it. You could tell she was scrambled, because her priorities were a little strange. She gets real serious about me picking up all of his brewing equipment. I'm not up for another hobby, but said "sure" figuring I would do anything to satisfy and comfort the poor woman.
In addition, it was weird that she had me help her carry in two crisp Home Depot brand cardboard boxes full of grapefruit into the employee break room. She said they were given to her and the husband, and she couldn't/wouldn't eat them all.
As a scavenger, I helped myself to quite a few (thinking ferments).
The next day, Tuesday, I'm back at work. Later in the day, the two boxes of grapefruit had been picked down, so I consolidated them, and brought the empty new Home Depot box to her in the warehouse. Figured she paid for it, and might want it back. She tells me that the boxes and grapefruit were from friends, and her husband had soley been consuming them in large quantities via a juicer for the vitamin C and overall health benefits.
A couple hours later, it struck me to Google "can grapefruit cause heart attacks?" ....??? Turns out they contain a chemical that can prevent you from breaking down certain prescription meds - especially certain high blood pressure drugs, and statins... click here
I've got no idea what he was taking, but based on national averages, he was likely taking both blood pressure and cholesterol meds. Doctors here prescribe them pretty much by default when you reach the age of 50.
I'll never speak of this at work. It wouldn't do any good, and might inflame the poor woman...but damn. Who would have thought??
Ok - I'm pretty sure the grapefruit used in this ferment came from a crop that killed a man. YES!
On Monday, Feb 27 - word spread at work that the warehouse clerk called out, saying that her husband (60yrs old) had died that morning. She had woken up, went looking for him and found him laying in the garage, unconscious with a faint pulse. As the ambulance drivers were loading him up, they remarked to her that he had extremely low blood pressure. He didn't survive the trip to the hospital.
Really sad. I had met the man 2yrs ago. Really liked him. Great personality, really sharp. Seemed in decent shape. He had a plane, and loved to fly on the weekends.
There have been a few sudden death/ heart attacks happening at work this year to either employees or close family. An average of 1 every week. It's a big organization, though.
Now - as a naturalist, you can figure what I was thinking. We won't say it here. Nobody really knows for sure.
So, the following Monday - March 6, I'm in the warehouse with a colleague in the early morning. She shows up, and intends to work that week, saying she needed the routine. I get it. You could tell she was scrambled, because her priorities were a little strange. She gets real serious about me picking up all of his brewing equipment. I'm not up for another hobby, but said "sure" figuring I would do anything to satisfy and comfort the poor woman.
In addition, it was weird that she had me help her carry in two crisp Home Depot brand cardboard boxes full of grapefruit into the employee break room. She said they were given to her and the husband, and she couldn't/wouldn't eat them all.
As a scavenger, I helped myself to quite a few (thinking ferments).
The next day, Tuesday, I'm back at work. Later in the day, the two boxes of grapefruit had been picked down, so I consolidated them, and brought the empty new Home Depot box to her in the warehouse. Figured she paid for it, and might want it back. She tells me that the boxes and grapefruit were from friends, and her husband had soley been consuming them in large quantities via a juicer for the vitamin C and overall health benefits.
A couple hours later, it struck me to Google "can grapefruit cause heart attacks?" ....??? Turns out they contain a chemical that can prevent you from breaking down certain prescription meds - especially certain high blood pressure drugs, and statins... click here
I've got no idea what he was taking, but based on national averages, he was likely taking both blood pressure and cholesterol meds. Doctors here prescribe them pretty much by default when you reach the age of 50.
I'll never speak of this at work. It wouldn't do any good, and might inflame the poor woman...but damn. Who would have thought??
Skunky Dunk Farms
Cannabinoid Receptor
3 gallons of cherry finishing up and 12 gallons of plum at day 11 of ferment.
Gonna start a batch of nectarine this coming week. Nectarine always comes out like moonshine, I don't know why but it givs the highest alcohol content of any fruit we've ever used.
Gonna start a batch of nectarine this coming week. Nectarine always comes out like moonshine, I don't know why but it givs the highest alcohol content of any fruit we've ever used.
Skunky Dunk Farms
Cannabinoid Receptor
No, I'm old fashioned and every batch is new.
I generally make them all to the,same ratio of 4lbs fruit to 2lbs sugar except for apples which uses 8lbs fruit 2 lbs sugar.
I use pectic enzyme to help with the conversion of sucrose, yeast nutrient, acid blend, tannin and campden tablets.
Another thing Skunky does that is unheard of in the vino world is I only use 1 liter of water to each gallon of wine.
So,for example, if I were making a 5 gallon batch I use , in the example of plum as follows,,
20lbs plums stoned and quartered
10lbs sugar
5 liters bottled water
5 campden tablets
2tbs pectic enzyme
2tbs yeast nutrient
2tbs acid blend
1/4tsp tannin
Wine yeast
Method,,,
Put water in appropriate size pot and bring to boil with lid on.
Process fruit, I like to put mine i 5 gallon paint strainer bags
Then add and desolve sugar In boiling water.
Put fruit in your fermentation vessel and pour the hot water over the fruit, cover untill cool.
When at room temp crush and add the campden tablets,stir and cover and set for 24 hours. This kills all wild yeast and bacteria.
After 24 hours, hydrate the yeast by warming bottled water to 90* and add a drop of honey to it and stir in the yeast and cover for 20 minutes, nake sure there is head space for it to grow , then add in the remaing ingredients, including yeast stir , cover with airlock.
If the room temp is good you should start to see bubbles within 24 hours.
Once fermentation starts let it rock for approximately 8 days, remove and squeeze fruit and add juice back to bucket. Recover with airlock and ler her go.
Now you literally can have finished wine about a week after the bubbling stops,,,, but,,,, if this is what you want you should just buy store wine.
Every batch we run here at the farm sits in a carbouy for a minimum of 5 months, many times longer.
This is how you get a wine that rivals brandies!
I don't personally partake of the vino, but my wife and many friends enjoy much of my brews. And even the most regular drinker has trouble finishing a bottle.
Well that's about it, my wife takes samples from the carbouys and let's me know when it ready to be bottled.
I generally make them all to the,same ratio of 4lbs fruit to 2lbs sugar except for apples which uses 8lbs fruit 2 lbs sugar.
I use pectic enzyme to help with the conversion of sucrose, yeast nutrient, acid blend, tannin and campden tablets.
Another thing Skunky does that is unheard of in the vino world is I only use 1 liter of water to each gallon of wine.
So,for example, if I were making a 5 gallon batch I use , in the example of plum as follows,,
20lbs plums stoned and quartered
10lbs sugar
5 liters bottled water
5 campden tablets
2tbs pectic enzyme
2tbs yeast nutrient
2tbs acid blend
1/4tsp tannin
Wine yeast
Method,,,
Put water in appropriate size pot and bring to boil with lid on.
Process fruit, I like to put mine i 5 gallon paint strainer bags
Then add and desolve sugar In boiling water.
Put fruit in your fermentation vessel and pour the hot water over the fruit, cover untill cool.
When at room temp crush and add the campden tablets,stir and cover and set for 24 hours. This kills all wild yeast and bacteria.
After 24 hours, hydrate the yeast by warming bottled water to 90* and add a drop of honey to it and stir in the yeast and cover for 20 minutes, nake sure there is head space for it to grow , then add in the remaing ingredients, including yeast stir , cover with airlock.
If the room temp is good you should start to see bubbles within 24 hours.
Once fermentation starts let it rock for approximately 8 days, remove and squeeze fruit and add juice back to bucket. Recover with airlock and ler her go.
Now you literally can have finished wine about a week after the bubbling stops,,,, but,,,, if this is what you want you should just buy store wine.
Every batch we run here at the farm sits in a carbouy for a minimum of 5 months, many times longer.
This is how you get a wine that rivals brandies!
I don't personally partake of the vino, but my wife and many friends enjoy much of my brews. And even the most regular drinker has trouble finishing a bottle.
Well that's about it, my wife takes samples from the carbouys and let's me know when it ready to be bottled.
Kanzeon
In Bloom
That all sounds fucking awesome!
If you're not familiar with carbonic maceration, it might be worth looking into if you want to experiment a bit.
winemakermag.com
Hypothetically you could cut out any addition of water and just use the juice to drive the ferment, which will end up more along the lines of limoncello (or kirschwasser) than wine. I've done a rudimentary version by coating cherries in sugar and putting them in a sealed mason jar in the fridge for a few months. The pressure builds inside the jar, forcing the juice out of the fruit and amplifying the top notes (think Beaujolais vs Burgundy), it ferments in the jar, and then you can just strain it and go in a couple months.
If you're not familiar with carbonic maceration, it might be worth looking into if you want to experiment a bit.
Carbonic Maceration - WineMakerMag.com
Carbonic maceration is a 19th-century technique (which was probably practiced in some amount, or in a hybrid style, much earlier) currently enjoying an en vogue resurgence in some parts of the US wine industry. It is defined by a zero or limited-oxygen fermentation, in the presence of at least a...
winemakermag.com
Hypothetically you could cut out any addition of water and just use the juice to drive the ferment, which will end up more along the lines of limoncello (or kirschwasser) than wine. I've done a rudimentary version by coating cherries in sugar and putting them in a sealed mason jar in the fridge for a few months. The pressure builds inside the jar, forcing the juice out of the fruit and amplifying the top notes (think Beaujolais vs Burgundy), it ferments in the jar, and then you can just strain it and go in a couple months.
WillieP
In Bloom
I started a batch of a spiced baked apple bochet mead today.
I have made this one other time and was really impressed by the way it came out.
Think a boozie caramel apple pie.
If you're not familiar with a bochet, it is when you caramelize the honey before fermentation.
I'm still playing around with this one. I started with a single one-gallon batch, this time I doubled it.
Cheers,
WillieP
I have made this one other time and was really impressed by the way it came out.
Think a boozie caramel apple pie.
If you're not familiar with a bochet, it is when you caramelize the honey before fermentation.
I'm still playing around with this one. I started with a single one-gallon batch, this time I doubled it.
Cheers,
WillieP
Skunky Dunk Farms
Cannabinoid Receptor
Oh man Willie, my wife says yum yum.
Got a rundown on this process to share?
WillieP
In Bloom
Hey Skunky,
This will give you the idea...
I don't let my honey go nearly that dark. This round I went 2 hours 40 minutes, in a crock pot on high, to a temperature of 240 degrees F.
(After it started to darken, I tasted it every 10 minutes, till it reached the color and taste I wanted.)
The first time I used 1 lb raw honey and 1 lb bocheted honey. This time I went 1/2 lb raw and 1 1/2 bocheted.
My original gravity was 1.080 (a little low) so I plan on adding another 1/2 pound of raw honey after this starts to slow down.
(Keep in mind that I was making two 1.4-gallon batches, so I can end up with 2 gallons of finished product.)
Everything else is pretty spot on with the video. If you want, you can dig around in their YouTube channel and see the bottling and the tasting after one year of aging too. I've made several of their recipes. I like their trial-and-error approach, and that they don't take themselves too seriously.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.
Cheers,
WillieP
