ZOWEEEE! That stuff is good!
[Okay, brag engine off]

Some empirical fiddling with scales and measuring cups ended up
calibrating a specific "1-Cup" measuring cup to yeild 7.2 dry ounces of
granulated sugar. With a more sensitive scale, I could probably refine the
precision. But that would require upgrading the accuracy factors as well. It
ain't rocket science, after all. I did repeat the "calibration" five times
with the same results, so I'm happy.
Since 7.2 was darn close to the 7.4 I had calculated for, that was what
I started with for taste trials and subsequently ended with. While it is a
tad drier than the Muscat Canelli I had targeted, my sweetie-pie and I agree
that it is great as is.
The starting SG was 0.996 and went to 1.012 after sweetening. TA after
sweetening is somewhere between 0.4 and 0.5 using the titration kit scheme.
I plan on doing a titration measurement again before I bottle it. That is...
as soon as my new pH meter probe arrives along with a more accurate pipette.
The wine is beautifully clear with a color just on the dusky side of
scarlet.
All the fruit wine articles and recipes I've read say I should set it
aside for six months to a year before drinking. That is going to be a strain
on my self-control.

On Tue, 13 Mar 2007 21:00:14 GMT, "Casey Wilson" >
wrote:

>ZOWEEEE! That stuff is good!
> [Okay, brag engine off]
>
> Some empirical fiddling with scales and measuring cups ended up
>calibrating a specific "1-Cup" measuring cup to yeild 7.2 dry ounces of
>granulated sugar. With a more sensitive scale, I could probably refine the
>precision. But that would require upgrading the accuracy factors as well. It
>ain't rocket science, after all. I did repeat the "calibration" five times
>with the same results, so I'm happy.
> Since 7.2 was darn close to the 7.4 I had calculated for, that was what
>I started with for taste trials and subsequently ended with. While it is a
>tad drier than the Muscat Canelli I had targeted, my sweetie-pie and I agree
>that it is great as is.
> The starting SG was 0.996 and went to 1.012 after sweetening. TA after
>sweetening is somewhere between 0.4 and 0.5 using the titration kit scheme.
>I plan on doing a titration measurement again before I bottle it. That is...
>as soon as my new pH meter probe arrives along with a more accurate pipette.
> The wine is beautifully clear with a color just on the dusky side of
>scarlet.
> All the fruit wine articles and recipes I've read say I should set it
>aside for six months to a year before drinking. That is going to be a strain
>on my self-control.
>

I'm glad it turned out good....

What recipe did you use?

Thanks
A.J.
The Anchorage Fishwrapper and Litterbox Liner Press

"A. J. Rawls" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 13 Mar 2007 21:00:14 GMT, "Casey Wilson" >
> wrote:
>
>>ZOWEEEE! That stuff is good!
>> [Okay, brag engine off]

>
> I'm glad it turned out good....
>
> What recipe did you use?
>
> Thanks
> A.J.
> The Anchorage Fishwrapper and Litterbox Liner Press

Hi A.J.,
Thanks for asking. I must confess that I made it up as I went along
with encouragement from denizens of this group and reading a bunch of stuff
in books and on the Internet.
What few recipes exist in books and on the 'net all seem to call for
starting with some weight of fruit and want to add copius quantities of
white concord grape juice or some other kind of filler.
I had 2 gallons of pomegranate juice left over from havesting mine and
the neighbor's trees and making more pomegranate jelly than we could use in
a year, counting giving lots of it as gifts. Problem was, I had no idea how
many pounds comprised the volume. Couple that with wanting to make
pomegranate wine, not white concord grape wine flavored with some
pomegranate and I was out in the cold.

So,
What I did was:
Dilute the acidity by adding 0.44 gallons of boiled well water to
get the acidity down to 0.7%; added 30 ounces of sugar to correct brix from
12 to 15; added 2 Campden tablets to kill any natural yeast; put the must
away for a week.
Then, transferred must to 5-gallon carboy; added one rehydrated
packet of Lalvin K1-V1116; bunged it up with an airlock and let it go to
work.
Two weeks later, the SG was down to 0.996 so I racked it into a
3-gallon carboy that I sparged with CO2 and let it sit for three weeks.
Then, I added Kielosol and Chitosin after I racked it into 2
one-gallon jugs and put it in a frige out in the garage to cold-stabilize.
Yesterday, I did the back-sweetening and here I am...

I plan on bottling it next weekend.

If I sinned, I'm sure the Gods of the Vineyard [in this case the orchard]
will punish me, but I won't know for at least a couple of months.

Go Drink!

--
Regards,

Casey Wilson
Freelance Writer
and Photographer

On Thu, 15 Mar 2007 02:51:12 GMT, "Casey Wilson" >
wrote:

>
>"A. J. Rawls" > wrote in message
.. .
>> On Tue, 13 Mar 2007 21:00:14 GMT, "Casey Wilson" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>ZOWEEEE! That stuff is good!
>>> [Okay, brag engine off]
>
>>
>> I'm glad it turned out good....
>>
>> What recipe did you use?
>>
>> Thanks
>> A.J.
>> The Anchorage Fishwrapper and Litterbox Liner Press
>
>Hi A.J.,
> Thanks for asking. I must confess that I made it up as I went along
>with encouragement from denizens of this group and reading a bunch of stuff
>in books and on the Internet.
> What few recipes exist in books and on the 'net all seem to call for
>starting with some weight of fruit and want to add copius quantities of
>white concord grape juice or some other kind of filler.
> I had 2 gallons of pomegranate juice left over from havesting mine and
>the neighbor's trees and making more pomegranate jelly than we could use in
>a year, counting giving lots of it as gifts. Problem was, I had no idea how
>many pounds comprised the volume. Couple that with wanting to make
>pomegranate wine, not white concord grape wine flavored with some
>pomegranate and I was out in the cold.
>
>So,
> What I did was:
> Dilute the acidity by adding 0.44 gallons of boiled well water to
>get the acidity down to 0.7%; added 30 ounces of sugar to correct brix from
>12 to 15; added 2 Campden tablets to kill any natural yeast; put the must
>away for a week.
> Then, transferred must to 5-gallon carboy; added one rehydrated
>packet of Lalvin K1-V1116; bunged it up with an airlock and let it go to
>work.
> Two weeks later, the SG was down to 0.996 so I racked it into a
>3-gallon carboy that I sparged with CO2 and let it sit for three weeks.
> Then, I added Kielosol and Chitosin after I racked it into 2
>one-gallon jugs and put it in a frige out in the garage to cold-stabilize.
> Yesterday, I did the back-sweetening and here I am...
>
>I plan on bottling it next weekend.
>
>If I sinned, I'm sure the Gods of the Vineyard [in this case the orchard]
>will punish me, but I won't know for at least a couple of months.
>
>Go Drink!

Thank you Casey...
We don't grow Pomegranates here in Alaska... But I went to Sams and
bought two gallons of their Pomegranate Juice. I will start it this
weekend.

Later,
A. J.
The Anchorage Fishwrapper and Litterbox Liner Press