Home made cherry wine anyone?

[choclatechef]

Since I mentioned it when talking about making my Drunken Smoked Ham recipe, I thought I would let you know what led up to it.

I didn't rebel in high school; but I was not an angel. What I did, I did in my 30's.

I had planted a hedge in front of my house with nanking, and the other kind of bush cherries. I had made wine out of the the year before [5 gallons]. The next year there was twice as many, so I wanted to make 10 gallons. The stuff was good.

My parents went out of town for a few weeks and asked me to watch the house, I had my own. So, I stayed at their house. While I was there, I started my wine.

I wanted to keep it cool, inside while it fermented in the 5 gallon jugs I had. I had no fermentation locks, so I put large balloons over the top of the jugs, so I could keep track of the rate of fermentation. The main bathroom was real large, and had a stall shower nobody ever used, so I thought it was the perfect spot. Just in case there was an overflow accident I mean.

When my folks came back, the wine was not finished, and I didn't want to move it. So, I figured if I kept quiet, nobody would ever know. Well, shortly afterward, I moved away, leaving my wine to work in peace.

My poor parents kept asking me, "don't you smell something funny?". I kept saying no, I don't smell a thing. Pretty soon, that working wine smell was overpowering the entire house! The minister and church board members came over.

That is when all of a sudden the balloons burst. Dad went in the bathroom, and found my wine. I got this crazy phone call from him - he was yelling and screaming. I said calm down, and put another balloon on it [I was safely 60 miles away].

He did, and in another couple of months, I had 10 gallons of the best homemade cherry wine! I bottled it, and put it in their basement, and by the next year, the sweetness was gone, and it was some tough stuff.

Then, mom and dad were serving it to guests!

Does anybody else make wine?

[ronjohn55]

I know this is going to come as a shock to a lot of people on the board, but I do!

Most of the fruit stuff though, is mead (a blend of honey and fruit/juice). Got a very nice sour cherry mead going in the basement right now, almost ready to botle. Can't wait.

Did you juice the cherrie or just crush them and ferment it all together?

John

[choclatechef]

I juiced the cherries with a steam juicer. Really easy to do.

I have some mead recipes I am just dying to try out one day! I mean, I want to make some mead.

[buckytom]

choc, great story. and the cherry wine sounds good. the baloon idea was genius. did you think of that one, or is it a normal thing to do to check fermentation?

[choclatechef]

I read about the balloon idea somewhere bucky. Don't ask me where, I forget!

I had a neighbor -- a relative who would come over everyday to drink that wine! I don't drink myself much of anything. That relative's wife got so mad at me! I heard later, she was jealous!

[In the Kitchen]

Mead? Isn't that some kind of honey wine? I find if I drink couple glasses of Port wine I can make the food seem to taste better. Isn't that strange? Plus you can' t believe what it does for me! I feel so happy when I drink couple of glasses. Does anyone else have this problem? I feel so good right now. Wish you the same. Being in the kitchen too long kind of makes you want company!!1

[ronjohn55]

Originally Posted by In the Kitchen

Mead? Isn't that some kind of honey wine? I find if I drink couple glasses of Port wine I can make the food seem to taste better. Isn't that strange? Plus you can' t believe what it does for me! I feel so happy when I drink couple of glasses. Does anyone else have this problem? I feel so good right now. Wish you the same. Being in the kitchen too long kind of makes you want company!!1

Yep, mead is fermented Honey.

As for the port, it seems to have the same effect on my wife! (Maybe that's whay we have about 8 bottles of it at the house?? :twisted:

John

[In the Kitchen]

ronjohn55, way to go. As long as it helps with work in the kitchen, I am for it!! Only 8 bottles? Only 4 more than I do. I drink Taylor Port, is that the kind you got? Anyway, it just seems to make the preparation of the meal go so much smoother. I kind of relax after all finished and just like sitting in a warm tub relaxes me same way with the port. Glad I am not alone. Thanks for making me feel like I am still normal ronjohn55! Keep the wife happy and that makes you happy too.

[ronjohn55]

Originally Posted by In the Kitchen

ronjohn55, way to go. As long as it helps with work in the kitchen, I am for it!! Only 8 bottles? Only 4 more than I do. I drink Taylor Port, is that the kind you got? Anyway, it just seems to make the preparation of the meal go so much smoother. I kind of relax after all finished and just like sitting in a warm tub relaxes me same way with the port. Glad I am not alone. Thanks for making me feel like I am still normal ronjohn55! Keep the wife happy and that makes you happy too.

LOL! Well, at about 18% alcohol, we don't need that many (plus all the other desert wines). Plus, we like to rotate through brands to try the different ones. Not sure what we have right now.

As for keeping the wife happy, I have no illusions - It's her house, I only live there..

John

[buckytom]

lol, i've said it before here but it could use repeating. happy wife = happy life...