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trendal
J♠
Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial)
#11262215 - 10/16/09 07:49 PM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Well, it's that time of year! We just had thanksgiving here in Canada, and those in the USA will have it next month! I thought about getting some Pumpkin Wine going, so it will be ready for next year!
First off, I got my recipe from here: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques53.asp
OK! So after a little (not much) deliberation...I decided to go with "pie pumpkins". They are supposed to be sweater and much less starchy (that's a good thing, in winemaking)! I bought 5 small pumpkins from the grocery store, each weighing about 1 1/2 pounds. I needed 5 pounds of flesh, and I thought I might loose at least a pound between gutting and pealing them all.
I started by cutting each pumpkin in half, then removed all the guts, and finally I pealed all of them! Dear god...it took a while!
Here they are, about half way done (or so I thought...):
A good while later, and I had them all pealed and gutted:
I then proceeded to grate them all, by hand, with a cheese grater:
A little more than I need...better than less!
I then got about 3 liters of water boiling, and added 3 1/4 pounds of white table sugar. After placing the ground pumpkin in my primary, I poured the boiling water/sugar mix over them:
I have to pause now, for a few hours at least, while I wait for the whole mess to cool down to room temperature. Then I'll add a crushed campden tablet, and leave it all to sit overnight. In the morning I'll add 1 tsp of pectic enzyme, and leave it about 12hr to break down all the pectin. Tomorrow evening I'll finish it off by adding some acid blend, yeast nutrient and energizer, and wine yeast.
On that subject (yeast)...I'm using Lalvin EC-1118 yeast, which the guys at the local wine shop all swore to me would only do to about 15% alcohol. Lalvin themselves say it's 18%...and I'm more inclined to believe them!
(day 2)
Last night, before I went to bed, I put a crushed up and dissolved campden tablet in. Then, this morning, I put about a teaspoon of pectic enzyme in, and mixed it all up.
Smells like a lot of pumpkin!!
Later on...
Just made my yeast starter...
It's just re-hydrating for now, in water. In another 4 hours I'll add in about a 1/4 cup of the must, then again in another 4 hours. It'll be ready to add to the must tonight, hopefully!
Even later...
Added the acid blend, yeast nutrient and energizer, and pitched in my yeast starter! Here we go...
(day 4)
Definitely fermenting!!!
Before stirring:
After stirring:
It has a strange sweet smell that I can't quite put my finger on...the pumpkin smell is completely gone from it though (or, at least, overpowered). It also smells strongly of alcohol.
A good sign, no doubt
(day 5)
Put it into a secondary and slapped on the airlock!
Very yellow!!!
(day 12)
Still fermenting!
It's almost done, though...you can tell by the colour. It's starting to clear out!
(day 22)
Looks like you were right, dstark! It's clearing out nicely, now!
(day 36)
It's finished clearing out now! I'll probably rack it tomorrow, and give it a wee bit of a taste...can't rack without a taste
(day 39)
Racked it today, and gave it the first tasting!! It's got a unique taste to it! That's about the best I can give it..."unique"
Then again, it isn't supposed to be ready until next October!
Definitely has good taste hiding in there! There is a strong Champagne sense to it...probably from the yeast I used. I'm used to this yeast adding this kind of flavour to wine in it's early stages, though, so I expect it will age out nicely!
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Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
Edited by trendal (11/23/09 04:08 PM)
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LiquidSmoke
My title's cooler than yours DBK
Registered: 09/04/01
Posts: 25,335
Loc: S.A.G.G.Y.B.A.L.L.S.
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: trendal]
#11262347 - 10/16/09 08:22 PM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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whoa
-------------------- "Shmokin' weed, Shmokin' wizz, doin' coke, drinkin' beers. Drinkin' beers beers beers, rollin' fatties, smokin' blunts. Who smokes tha blunts? We smoke the blunts" - Jay and Silent Bob strike Back
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Chespirito
Stranger
Registered: 02/13/09
Posts: 3,259
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: trendal]
#11262354 - 10/16/09 08:23 PM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Sounds fun, I might try this out. Im going to try making fresh pumpkin pie this year so I might throw this into the mix. Im having trouble finding a good pumpkin pie recipe though, some call for allspice instead of nutmeg, some use cardamom etc... Not sure I agree with the cardamom frankly, though Im going to run some experiments
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dstark
Manifesting Minds
Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 4,144
Last seen: 7 months, 30 days
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: Chespirito]
#11263921 - 10/17/09 03:33 AM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Trendal! Didnt see you in a while, and you are back with kickass brew as-usual :P Well thats looks like a great idea Good luck but i believe you wont screw here =]
-------------------- What is a mind, if not something to be messed with? What is consciousness, if not a state to be altered? ~I Feelat Home~
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trendal
J♠
Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: trendal]
#11264232 - 10/17/09 06:45 AM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Last night, before I went to bed, I put a crushed up and dissolved campden tablet in. Then, this morning, I put about a teaspoon of pectic enzyme in, and mixed it all up.
Smells like a lot of pumpkin!!
--------------------
Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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trendal
J♠
Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: dstark]
#11264237 - 10/17/09 06:46 AM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Hey dstark! Yeah I've been working full-time lately...doesn't leave much time for anything but a little lurking
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Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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trendal
J♠
Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: trendal]
#11264304 - 10/17/09 07:23 AM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Just made my yeast starter...
It's just re-hydrating for now, in water. In another 4 hours I'll add in about a 1/4 cup of the must, then again in another 4 hours. It'll be ready to add to the must tonight, hopefully!
--------------------
Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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dstark
Manifesting Minds
Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 4,144
Last seen: 7 months, 30 days
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: trendal]
#11264473 - 10/17/09 08:52 AM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Seems like you know what you do
What you plan for your pumpkin wine? will there be a secondary? any spices will be added?
-------------------- What is a mind, if not something to be messed with? What is consciousness, if not a state to be altered? ~I Feelat Home~
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trendal
J♠
Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: dstark]
#11264562 - 10/17/09 09:19 AM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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I plan on leaving it in the primary for 3-5 days, or until vigorous fermentation has stopped, then transferring it into a secondary and putting an air lock on it. I'll leave it in there for a few weeks, then rack into another carboy, and rack it at 3 month intervals until it falls clear.
As this is my first Pumpkin Wine, I don't think I'll spice it at all. I want to see what plain pumpkins taste like!
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Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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dstark
Manifesting Minds
Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 4,144
Last seen: 7 months, 30 days
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: trendal]
#11264654 - 10/17/09 09:44 AM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Fair enough! Hope you will remember to update
-------------------- What is a mind, if not something to be messed with? What is consciousness, if not a state to be altered? ~I Feelat Home~
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trendal
J♠
Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: trendal]
#11266125 - 10/17/09 02:47 PM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Added the acid blend, yeast nutrient and energizer, and pitched in my yeast starter! Here we go...
--------------------
Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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Heffy
BrauMeister
Registered: 08/30/04
Posts: 3,262
Loc: International Traveller
Last seen: 5 years, 10 months
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: trendal]
#11267898 - 10/17/09 08:33 PM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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What was your Original Gravity?
-------------------- I am the king of Rome, and above grammar! - Emperor Sigismund
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trendal
J♠
Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: Heffy]
#11268204 - 10/17/09 09:30 PM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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About 1.090, which is actually a lot lower than I figured I would get for the amount of sugar I added!
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Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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dr_gonz
Registered: 08/18/03
Posts: 44,654
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trendal
J♠
Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: dr_gonz]
#11270286 - 10/18/09 09:31 AM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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About $10...makes 1 gallon.
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Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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dr_gonz
Registered: 08/18/03
Posts: 44,654
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ambargh
Registered: 08/15/09
Posts: 3,433
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: dr_gonz]
#11270355 - 10/18/09 09:44 AM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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A Canadian Thanksgiving, eh?
-------------------- "The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.." - Douglas Adams ambargh's easy agar
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dr_gonz
Registered: 08/18/03
Posts: 44,654
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dstark
Manifesting Minds
Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 4,144
Last seen: 7 months, 30 days
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: dr_gonz]
#11275952 - 10/19/09 07:47 AM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Any kind of updates Trendal? =]
-------------------- What is a mind, if not something to be messed with? What is consciousness, if not a state to be altered? ~I Feelat Home~
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trendal
J♠
Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Re: Pumpkin Wine (A Pictorial) [Re: dstark]
#11278458 - 10/19/09 04:24 PM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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(day 4)
Definitely fermenting!!!
Before stirring:
After stirring:
It has a strange sweet smell that I can't quite put my finger on...the pumpkin smell is completely gone from it though (or, at least, overpowered). It also smells strongly of alcohol.
A good sign, no doubt
--------------------
Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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