Stowaway Wine.

[joechianti]

Don't know if anyone here's already doing something like this, but thought I'd share the idea just in case. I ferment my LBK batches of beer in a 48 quart cooler and I've been using 'semi-washed' yeast from the previous batch, bottling then brewing again on the same day. I usually use about half the yeast and end up dumping the rest.

I got to thinking I had unused space in the cooler and unused yeast both going to waste. Then it hit me. I've been making larger batches of wine or cider timed far apart and using another cooler alongside the one with the beer in it. Why not try making smaller batches more often, sharing the extra space inside the one cooler as well as the unused yeast.

I'm on my second effort with this now, both times being one gallon batches of cider. First one being all apple and second being a more risky venture, with apple, cranberry, and some sorghum syrup left over from my awful attempts at using it for gluten free beer.

So far it's been working out pretty nicely, sharing the space, the yeast, and even the ice bottles to control temps. I'm sure when I try this with wine instead of cider, the washed beer yeast may not fly and I'll have to use wine yeast. But I can still share the space and the water bottles. In fact, having the cooler packed more with less air space has actually made controlling the temp even easier. Seems to remain more stable and fluctuate less quickly now.

Hey, you just gotta try stuff sometimes. Once in awhile one of the ideas may work out, right?

[John Sand]

I like experiments too Joe. Even if they don't work, you still learn something.

[swenocha]

+1 on the sorghum syrup. I finally finished the last bottle of the pale I made with the sorghum LME. So glad it's gone.

I've done ciders this way, and a long time ago I did "redneck wine" way back when starting out. What type of wine do you make? How complicated is the process? I may be interested in going down that path for an experiment...

[joechianti]

Swen, my typical everyday wines and ciders are nothing fancy at all. I usually start with either a frozen concentrate or a bottled juice, always using 100% juice, no preservatives beyond citric acid. I like to add pectin, tannin and acid blend to aid the process. Also enough dissolved sugar to get the OG I want. Sometimes I add some lactose either up front or at bottling time. I also like to add more frozen juice concentrate at bottling to give it more flavor. Because of that, I use very little priming sugar. I usually start out with sparkling wines and ciders, and as they age, I often select some of them to de-carb and age more as a still wine. Some of these turn into pretty fine wine. I pretty much play it by ear and make adjustments as I go along, using instinct to guide me. I wouldn't necessarily suggest this to just anyone, but I know that you are able to do such things. In fact, I avoid telling most people because I'm afraid they'll think I'm nuts. I'm even more worried they could be right.

[DaYooper]

Good idea Joe! I tend to keep mine pretty clean, so the whites tend to have a shorter shelf life than sometimes I can polish off three cases of that batch. Making 1/2 or 1/4 batches would solve that problem - keeps plenty of wine available but eliminates the need for preserving for shelf life. At least for whites. For the reds I like them to age a lot longer so will stick to the larger batches for those.