-Details- 2026-2027
The sections below provide more information on non-kit projects. Most recent projects at top.
Apple wine 2026
I used apples from my trees. A mix of Gala and Empire with a few Granny Smiths. The apples selected were those that fell from the trees when shaken. Apples were cored, cut into sixths and eights then frozen for about a month. Ended up with about 11 lbs. of apples.
The intent is to end up with 8-10 bottles of apple wine half off dry and half sweet.
What I did:
10/11/2026-
- Added apples to 5 gal primary lined with a mesh bag.
- Heated one gal. well water with two lbs. sugar. Added water to frozen apples at a temperature of 150ºF Added one gal. room temperature well water to primary. Stirred. Temperature now about 33ºF. Added .5g potassium metabisulfite. (KMB).
- Prepared additives: Acid blend (1.5 tsp.) - Pectic Enzyme (1tsp.) - tannin (1 tsp.) - yeast nutrient (1.5 tsp.) mixed with half a cup of distilled water.
- Prepared yeast starter solution: dry yeast (3.5g) - yeast nutrient (0.5 tsp) - sugar (4 tbs.) - distilled water (250 mL) Allowed to sit overnight.
- Added another pound of sugar to must. Stirred. Specific Gravity (SG) now about 1.060 Temp about 50ºF.
Plum wine 2026
Purchased plums from the farmers market. Removed seeds, quarterd and froze plums for about a week. Had 6 lbs 12 oz.
Sept.20 2026-
- Placed frozen plums into mesh bag within 5 gal. primary fermenter. Heated (150ºF) Half a gal. well water with two lbs. sugar. Poured into primary fermenter with plums. Added a quarter gal. cool water. Stirred. Allowed to warm to 55º F added another pound of sugar. Specific Gravity (SG) now 1.070.
- Prepared additives and mixed into must:
- potassium metabisulfite- (KMB) 0.5g.
- acid blend- 4g.
- tannin- 0.5g.
- pectic enzyme- 2.5g.
- yeast nutrient- 7.5g.
- Prepared yeast starter solution: Red Star Premer Rouge (3g.) Yeast nutrient (just a bit) sugar (some)
9/21/2026-
- AM Temp. 65ºF SG now 1.084. Added just under half a pound (200g.) sugar. SG up to 1.094 {Total sugar 3+ lbs. 1450g}
- PM - Starting SG 1.094 Pitched yeast.
9/24/26- SG 1.073 Sealed with airlock Active bubbling.
9/27- SG 1.020 still bubbling
9/28- Racked to plastic carboy just under 2 gal.
10/4- SG 0.996 Racked again.
Cabernet Sauvignon (2023)
Livermore - California
Frozen wine must shipped from California to my house; from grapesforwine.com.
- Arrived Dec. 8, 2025. Temperature 26ºF
- 12/9/2025- Morning Temperature 45ºF Mixed pail to pail. Added 1g KMB. By afternoon temperature 51ºF SG-1.093. Added:
- - 0.9g. KMB-
- 8 g. Fermaid-O
- 10g. FT Rouge Tannin
- 10g. Go Ferm Protect
- 8g. Opti-Red
- 12/10/25- SG- 1.090 Temp. 61ºF Pitched yeast (sprinkeled)
- 12/13- SG 1.080 Punched cap added 15g dark oak chips.
- 12/15- SG 1.042
- 12/16- SG 1.015 Sealed with airlock. Active bubblig.
- 12/19- SG 0.996
- 12/21- Pressed got 3 gal. Added 0.8g KMB (Stupid you want to do MLF) SG 0.996.
- 12/23- Added clarifiers.
- 12/24- Added French Oak cubes (18.8 g)
- 12/25- Racked and added malolactic bacteria. Hoping the racking will dissapate some of the KMB I stupidly added previously. Now the waiting game 60 days.
- 2/28/26- Racked Degassed
- 3/13- Racked. Added 0.3g. KMB
- 3/19- Racked
- 3/29/26- Bottled (13 bottles). 12.7% ABV. At bottling tasted; seems a bit tart. ML fermentation may not have worked. We'll see what time brings.
- 8/14/26- Tried a bottle. Actually taste pretty good. Hopefully even better in a few more months.