Writer: Alison Crowe
Cyser Apple Honey Mead
Digital and Plus Members OnlyA cyser is traditionally a “sack mead,” or a sweet mead, that’s made with honey and apples. This cyser is quite like a wine, and will have a wine’s higher alcohol content when it’s finished. An important note: When buying the apple juice or cider, be sure it doesn’t contain any preservatives — like potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate or sulfites — which would kill the yeast. Check at a health-food store or find a cider producer who’ll sell you juice right off the press.
Raspberry Melomel
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThis raspberry melomel is perfect for summer brewing. It’s even more perfect for conjuring up memories of summer when it’s opened and enjoyed later.
Step-by-Step Guide to Your First Fresh Grape Wine
Digital and Plus Members OnlyBasic Winemaking Equipment Here’s everything you need to make your first one-gallon batch of wine from fresh grapes. You can find this equipment at any well-stocked homebrewing or home winemaking supply store. Large nylon straining bag (boil bag) Food-grade pail with lid (2 to 4 gallons) Cheesecloth Hydrometer Thermometer Acid titration kit Clear, flexible half-inch
Fruit Cocktail: Make a Melomel
Digital and Plus Members OnlyRaspberries, blackberries, peaches and more: From grocery stores to farmers’ markets, fresh fruit is abundant come summer. So it’s the perfect time to try a melomel, a mead made with honey and fruit. Melomels are a very approachable style of mead, both to drink and to make. Mead isn’t for everyone, and those who object
Grapes or Not – It’s Still Good Wine
Digital and Plus Members OnlyMade from grapes or grass clippings, it’s still good wine.
Make Your Winemaking Mixes Match
Digital and Plus Members OnlyMake your mixes match.
How To Keep Your Wine Yeast Healthy
Digital and Plus Members Only Yeast cells, far from being just another ingredient to be
tossed into the pot, are living, breathing organisms that need certain
things to function properly.
Gearing Up For The Winemaking Crush
Digital and Plus Members OnlyGearing up for the crush. Reviewing production, equipment, sanitizing.
Personalizing Your Wine Package
Digital and Plus Members OnlySummer is approaching, and if you haven’t already, it’s probably time to start thinking about what to do with all that wine you made last harvest season (well, besides drink it). The wine at this point is probably sound, drinkable and ready to start accumulating some serious bottle age. You certainly could stop messing with
The Elusive Quality of Wine Terrior
Digital and Plus Members OnlyYou’ve probably heard it bandied around in boardrooms, seen it in the pages of pretentious periodicals, and even read about it on your favorite winemaking Web site. No, it’s not just another term cooked up by Wine Snobs Inc. to stymie would-be winemakers in their pursuit of a greater, Zen-like relationship with the fruit of
Preventing Three Big Wine Stinks
Digital and Plus Members OnlyPreventing Three Big Stinks You emerge from the cellar beaming, proudly cradling one of your prized bottles in the crook of your arm. You bring it to the table, pop the cork, splash out the first precious drops into the awaiting glasses of your dinner guests. And a sinister stink redolent of swamp water permeates
Easy Steps to Great Sparkling Wine
FREEEasy steps to great sparkling wine