Citrus Growers Forum

JoeReal · Posted: Mon 09 Jul, 2007 11:07 am

My family and I will be touring the western US up to Canada the next two months every now and then, in effect, I may not be able to follow-up on other topics that you may have direct questions for me. I will resume regular posting around September. Just extending my warm vacation wishes to everybody. I will pop up every now and then...

Joe

bencelest · Posted: Mon 09 Jul, 2007 2:38 pm

My family had plan something like that for years now but it's all a (wish) plan.
Do you have a plan ahead like stopovers, hotel accommodation's, etc...
I am ignorant about these things so I am afraid to start.
Can you give me some pointers?
And many good wishes to you and your family.
Benny

Millet · Posted: Mon 09 Jul, 2007 2:41 pm

Living on a farm, summer vacations are few and far between. - Millet

JoeReal · Posted: Tue 10 Jul, 2007 4:28 am

Millet wrote:

Living on a farm, summer vacations are few and far between. - Millet

That's quite the opposite for me. Living on a farm with greenhouse is like a vacation everyday. But if I retire and do it everyday, it would switch around on me.

JoeReal · Posted: Tue 10 Jul, 2007 4:31 am

bencelest wrote:

My family had plan something like that for years now but it's all a (wish) plan.
Do you have a plan ahead like stopovers, hotel accommodation's, etc...
I am ignorant about these things so I am afraid to start.
Can you give me some pointers?
And many good wishes to you and your family.
Benny

Not much planning to it Benny, we love the spontaneity of the trip. Many years of experience like that if we plan something and schedule something, then the motivation to follow the schedule and meet at definite time becomes too frustrating, and it will be the schedule that would take over, no longer the enjoyment that should dominate. We will just have a general plan, with a variance of 2 to 3 days to each destination. We will be stopping by various relatives and family friends...

Skeeter · Posted: Tue 10 Jul, 2007 11:24 am

I hope you have a great trip as I am sure you will. I hope you get to check in every now and then in case I have any question on the blueberry wine. BTW -- is there anything I need to measure? Like specific gravity, or acid content ( I would need to get kit for that)?

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Skeet

JoeReal · Posted: Tue 10 Jul, 2007 11:41 am

Thanks Skeeter!

Just buy the specific gravity meter (hydrometer). Get the starting SG, it should be between 1.092 to 1.100 to have good quality wine.

Record the SG before pitching in the yeast, then after one week, strain the juices unto another pail and record the SG. Then if you really want to make your blueberry wine sweet and strong, add 3 - 5 lbs of sugar and 5 tsp of yeast nutrient before transferring into the secondary fermenter. After mixing the sugar, record the SG again. And at the end of secondary fermente bubbling record the SG one more time.

With all of these SG and amount of sugars added, I would be able to calculate for you a very good estimate of you ABV, sweet wine or not, based on SG of various stages and before and after you added sugar during the secondary fermenter transfer.

The added sugar would lead to a sweet blueberry wine of around 18 - 20% abv, and it would be port style blueberry without adding brandy, that is, if you have used Lalvin EC 1118. But to make sure it will truly be port, just add a little brandy to bring the abv to around 24%, far beyond tolerance level of EC 1118 so that you won't have refermentation after bottling.

justjoan · Posted: Tue 10 Jul, 2007 11:44 am

Have a great trip Joe, will look forward to pics upon your return to us!

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