Category: fermentations

#21 2025-01-04 Apple Strawberry Banana
~ Grandpa Frederich
~ primary 1.5gal jar (1gal recipe)
~ oo apple strawberry banana 100% juice concentrate x2 cans
~ sugar from juice 372g
~ sugar 4c
~ ab 2tsp ~ pe 1/2tsp ~ ye 1tsp
~ IG 15%
~ prepped 2025-01-04 - complete
~ yeast pitch 2025-01-05 ~ lavlin 71b
~ first fermentation 29 days - complete
~ rack 1 2025-02-02 - complete
~ second fermentation 438 days - in progress
~ next milestone Second Rack 2 overdue by -408 days
~ notes
~~~ 2024-11-20 bottleday, semi-sweet, less sugar or diff yeast

#20 2025-01-04 Grape
~ Buster Boyd
~ primary 1.5gal jar (1gal recipe)
~ oo grape 100% juice concentrate x2 cans
~ sugar from juice 432g
~ sugar 4c
~ ab 2tsp ~ pe 1/2tsp ~ ye 1tsp
~ IG 14%
~ prepped 2025-01-04 - complete
~ yeast pitch 2025-01-05 ~ lavlin 71b
~ first fermentation 29 days - complete
~ rack 1 2025-02-02 - complete
~ second fermentation 438 days - in progress
~ next milestone Second Rack 2 overdue by -408 days
~ notes
~~~ 2025-03-15 bottleday, very sweet, less sugar or diff yeast

#19 2024-12-13 Apple Cherry
~ primary 1.5gal jar (1gal recipe)
~ oo apple cherry 100% juice concentrate x2 cans
~ sugar from juice 348g
~ sugar 4c
~ ab 2tsp ~ pe 1/2tsp ~ ye 1tsp
~ IG 15%-16%
~ yeast pitch 2024-12-14 ~ Lavlin 71b
~ first fermentation 10 days - complete
~ rack 1 2024-12-23 - complete
~ stabilize 1 camden 2025-01-18 - complete
~ stabilize 2 ps 2025-01-26 - complete
~ stabilizing - complete
~ backsweeten/bottle 2025-01-26 - complete

#17 2024-12-13 Apple Raspberry
~ Irene Moore
~ primary 1.5gal jar (1gal recipe)
~ oo apple raspberry 100% juice concentrate x2 cans
~ sugar from juice 348g
~ sugar 4c
~ ab 2tsp ~ pe 1/2tsp ~ ye 1tsp
~ IG 15%-16%
~ yeast pitch 2024-12-14 ~ Lavlin 71b
~ first fermentation 10 days - complete
~ rack 1 2024-12-23 - complete
~ second fermentation 35 days - complete
~ rack 2 2025-01-26 - complete
~ stabilize 1 camden 2025-01-18 - complete
~ stabilize 2 ps 2025-02-02 - complete
~ stabilizing - complete
~ backsweeten/bottle 2025-02-02 - complete
~ notes
~~~ 2024-12-20 well, made a wine instead
~~~ 2024-11-26 brilliant idea. Make a mead using juice concentrate and honey. sugar whammy.

#18 2024-11-24 Wild Blueberry
~ Blue Moon
~ primary 1.5gal jar (1gal recipe)
~ Wymans frozen Wild Blueberry 3lbs
~ sugar from juice 57g
~ sugar 4c on fruit, 1c during prep, will back step in secondary
~ ab 2tsp ~ pe 1/2tsp ~ ye 1tsp
~ tea 1/4c black tea
~ IG 10%
~ yeast pitch 2024-11-25 ~ lavlin EC-1118
~ first fermentation 5 days - complete
~ rack 1 2024-11-29 - complete
~ stabilize 1 camden 2025-01-18 - complete
~ stabilize 2 ps 2025-01-26 - complete
~ stabilizing - complete
~ backsweeten/bottle 2025-01-26 - complete
~ notes
~~~ 2025-01-04 Still fermenting beautifully, leave in jar, no rack, wait
~~~ 2024-11-24 really wanted to make my first blueberry really good... today, mashed the wild blueberries, add to primary with water. Took gravity, 7%. Is this because I added the sugar to the fruit last night--bad mixing? Added more water than usual to account for 3lbs blueberry must and two weights. And added 1c sugar syrup bring gravity up to 10% or so... backstep backstep. Don't think I'll do that again, need an accurate gravity reading, sugar syrup + macerated fruit or
~~~ 2024-11-23 Weighed out 3lbs of wild blueberries tonight, begin prep for #18. Had an idea how to prep the berries and then saw a video from diy fermentation confirming my plan. All 3lbs into large bowl, pour in 4c of white sugar. Mix it up, seal and refrigerate over night.
~~~ 2024-11-20 will be first recipe to use both fruit and juice and 1c black tea for tannins. searching recipes and found this... uses blueberries AND blueberry juice... https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bjbXwUysMQ8
~~~ 2024-11-20 difficult to find this juice from OO
~~~ 2024-11-20 wow, so experience with fruit in muslin. assume wine will be better than just using concentrate but can't tell for 6-9 months. 3lbs frozen blueberries? Muslin bag with fruit or do i make a puree?

 

#16 2024-11-18 Apple Peach Mango
~ King Diamond
~ primary 1.5gal jar (1gal recipe)
~ oo apple peach mango 100% juice concentrate x2 cans
~ sugar from juice 324g
~ sugar 4.5c and more later
~ ab 2tsp ~ pe 2tsp (mistake) ~ ye 1tsp
~ IG 15%
~ yeast pitch 2024-11-19 ~ lavlin 71b
~ first fermentation 11 days - complete
~ rack 1 2024-11-29 - complete
~ stabilize 1 camden 2024-12-29 - complete
~ stabilize 2 ps 2024-12-30 - complete
~ stabilizing - complete
~ backsweeten/bottle 2025-01-04 - complete
~ notes
~~~ 2024-11-24 neglected this darling so far. robust fermentation to start, foam then foam disappears, blubbles then back to foam. haha.

#15 2024-11-16 Frozen Blackberries/Blended Berries
~ Xanadu
~ primary 1.5gal jar (1gal recipe)
~ frozen blackberries (2lbs), frozen blended berries (1lb)
~ sugar from juice 84g
~ sugar 2c mashing fruit... so far +2c +more later, almost 1c 11/23
~ ab 2tsp ~ pe 1/2tsp ~ ye 1tsp
~ IG 12%
~ yeast pitch 2024-11-17 ~ lavlin 71b
~ first fermentation 7 days - complete
~ rack 1 2024-11-23 - complete
~ backstep 1 2024-11-23 - 1c
~ second fermentation 31 days - complete
~ rack 2 2024-12-23 - complete
~ stabilize 1 camden 2025-01-26 - complete
~ stabilize 2 ps 2025-02-02 - complete
~ stabilizing - complete
~ backsweeten/bottle 2025-02-02 - complete
~ notes
~~~ 2024-11-23 had to rack to get this fruit tannin out... almost 1c sugar added, it's weak, will need to continue stepping this. ahh it's bubbling now... deep purple-red color, opaque.
~~~ 2024-11-21 tip... After a week lift out the straining bag with the pulp and allow to drain as much as possible, avoid squeezing the bag. that's 7 days from pitch. leaving it in too long adds to many tannins from berry skin.
~~~ 2024-11-16 Using up these frozen blackberries, blended have some strawberries plus raspberries and more blackberries. Low sugar so I'll need to back step this with sugar to raise abv to 14%. Second time using a muslin bag, messy, we'll see of the wine is so much better...

#14 2024-11-08 White Grape
~ Crescent Park
~ primary 1.5gal jar (1gal recipe)
~ oo white grape 100% juice concentrate x2 cans
~ sugar from juice 432g
~ sugar 4c+more later
~ ab 2tsp ~ pe 1/2tsp ~ ye 1tsp
~ IG 1.11 14%
~ yeast pitch 2024-11-09 ~ red star premier blanc
~ first fermentation 10 days - complete
~ rack 1 2024-11-18 - complete
~ stabilize 1 camden 2024-12-11 - complete
~ stabilize 2 ps 2024-12-12 - complete
~ stabilizing - complete
~ backsweeten/bottle 2024-12-13 - complete
~ notes
~~~ 2024-11-19 small bubbles, fermenting continues
~~~ 2024-11-18 add 1/2c sugar today

#13 2024-11-03 Apple Strawberry Banana
~ Grandpa Frederich
~ primary 1.5gal jar (1gal recipe)
~ oo apple strawberry banana 100% juice concentrate 2x cans
~ sugar from juice 372g
~ sugar 4c+more later
~ ab 2tsp ~ pe 1/2tsp ~ ye 1tsp
~ IG 1.11 15% holy cow
~ yeast pitch 2024-11-04 ~ red star premier blanc
~ first fermentation 13 days - complete
~ rack 1 2024-11-16 - complete
~ backstep 1 2024-11-16 - 1/4c
~ backstep 2 2024-11-19 - 1/4c
~ stabilize 1 camden 2024-12-11 - complete
~ stabilize 2 ps 2024-12-12 - complete
~ stabilizing - complete
~ backsweeten/bottle 2024-12-13 - complete
~ notes
~~~ 2024-11-20 pretty dead now, add 1/4c sugar diluted
~~~ 2024-11-19 Calmed down, added diluted 1/4c sugar... go to sleep darling and in the months that come bring forth a delicious ice cold beverage.
~~~ 2024-11-16 Big rack and 1/4c sugar, foamed up, calmed down in 30 seconds, topped with new airlock. go to sleep darling and in the months that come bring forth a delicious ice cold beverage.
~~~ 2024-11-04 6x31x2cans = 372grams of sugar, think this is the highest sugar content yet.
~~~ 2024-11-03 fun day watching football, prepping another fermentation and racking two previous.

#12 2024-10-26 Black Cherry
~ Baba Yaga
~ primary 1.5gal jar (1gal recipe)
~ 64oz 100% Black Cherry Juice
~ sugar from juice 264g
~ sugar 4c+more later
~ ab 2tsp ~ pe 1/2tsp ~ ye 1tsp
~ IG 12-13%
~ yeast pitch 2024-10-27 ~ red star premier classique
~ first fermentation 6 days - complete
~ rack 1 2024-11-01 - complete
~ backstep 1 2024-11-01 - 1/2c
~ backstep 2 2024-11-08 - 1/3c
~ second fermentation 29 days - complete
~ rack 2 2024-11-29 - complete
~ stabilize 1 camden 2024-12-11 - complete
~ stabilize 2 ps 2024-12-12 - complete
~ stabilizing - complete
~ backsweeten/bottle 2024-12-13 - complete
~ notes
~~~ 2024-12-01 this one has been dead quiet for 10 days or so. taste reveal harshness. maybe i added too much sugar. Aging will help says everyone... we'll see.
~~~ 2024-11-20 after back stepping, this is still fermenting with a nice krausening line...
~~~ 2024-11-08 made mistake 8 days ago and racked back to 1.5, I need the 1.5. don't do this again, always rack1 to 1gal. Racked to 1gal... last upd added almost 1/3c sugar splashed into the 1g... hoping for more fermentation
~~~ 2024-11-01 so much lees and all sugar gone per 1.0 gravity check. racked to fresh 1.5g, added 1/2c sugar, 1/4tsp ye and its starting to brew again...
~~~ 2024-10-28 wild robust fermentation, raging storm...
~~~ 2024-10-27 juice: 264g of sugar... going to sugar step this batch, add 1/2 cup diluted sugar as fermentation slows... and maybe some ye too