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12 six-inch cinnamon sticks
3 lbs granulated sugar
7-1/2 pts water
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/8 tsp tannin
3 tsp acid blend
1 crushed Campden tablet
Champagne wine yeast

Put cinnamon sticks and one quart water in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a simmer and hold for 10 minutes with the lid on, turn off heat, and let steep for two hours.

Strain the water into a secondary and discard the cinnamon sticks. Add sugar to remaining water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Add all remaining ingredients to secondary except Campden and yeast and then pour in the sugar-water. Cover with a napkin held in place with a rubberband and allow to cool. Add Crushed Campden, stir, and allow to sit 24 hours covered.

Add activated yeast and recover. Ferment 5-7 days, or until specific gravity falls below 1.030. Fit with airlock and continue fermentation 30 days.

Rack into sanitized secondary, top up, and refit airlock. Ferment another 3 months, rack again and ferment additional 3 months. Stabilize, sweeten to taste, and let sit under airlock additional 10 days. Rack into bottles and store in dark place.

Source: Jack Keller

Popularity: 1% [?]

By Matt Granger


One of the things that I always found to be beautiful when I was young was to see a trellis covered with clusters of grapes hanging from the vines. Not only did the vines have a function but they brought beauty as well. I always found backyard grape growing to be fun even as a child and I would like to share with you some of my experiences.


Grape growing is actually something that is not too hard to do. For thousands of years people have been growing grapes and perfecting the art of pruning and caring for them. Now there are many modern twists to make it even easier. We don't have to haul water from a creek that is a mile away and we don't have to keep the soil nice with a hoe in the bright summer sun.


The art of grape growing is one that should be showed to our younger generation so that they realize that not all produce has to come from a grocery store. They can grow them right in their own backyard and be overjoyed when they see the first clusters begin to form on the vines. So often the younger generations have no idea where things really come from and grape growing would be a wonderful way to show them.


When you decide that grape growing is something that you want to do, all you will need is some soil that has been fertilized and some patience. I say patience because these vines will need love and attention for a few months before you are able to reap the fruits of your labor, pardon the pun. Gardening of any type takes patience and grape growing is no exception.


To achieve the best soil possible for grape growing you will of course need to fertilize the soil. There are many types of fertilizer available from organic to a chemical fertilizer, all able to help you achieve a beautiful grape vine.


Organic fertilizers such as manure are great because they have been around since time began and have been able to still keep this world green. Seems to me that most of the chemical fertilizers can't say that about themselves. But there are many people who would rather not spread manure as they think it's gross and so if you are one of those people, the store bought fertilizers might be for you. They will achieve the same goal, just with a different ingredient.


If possible, try to fertilize the soil before you go planting. I know that many, like myself, are terrible at planning ahead. So if you are one that didn't plan ahead, then you are always able to spread fertilizer once the vine roots have been placed in the ground.


The last thing to remember about grape growing is that these grapes do need to be watered. On average a grape vine needs to get an inch of rain a week to grow properly. When you are going through a dry spell you will of course need to water the plant yourself. If you fertilize appropriately and water when needed, you should get some super growth on your vine the first year. Growth on the vine the first year is very important for the future of your plants.


So remember, with grape growing you mainly need some patience, water and a little manure and you'll be set.


Matt Granger has been growing grapes for over 30 years and is an expert in backyard grape growing and grapevine farming. For a bundle of free tips and advice on how to grow grapes, visit his personal grape growing website here: www.grapegrowingsecrets.com


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Granger
http://EzineArticles.com/?Grape-Growing---Some-Basic-Tips-For-The-Home-Grape-Growing-Gardener&id=1205015
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By Matt Granger

Growing Grapes is one the few overlooked yet most promising and exciting outdoor hobbies one can become involved in. It is fun, challenging, and best of all rewarding in the sense that once you have a fully grown grape farm or grape garden, you will enjoy the benefits of having fresh wine grapes to eat at your convenience. Plus, since growing grapes is an outdoor hobby, it will force you to get out of the lazy chair and out into the open and truly become one with nature.

Growing Grapes while appealing to most because of the delicious home grown wine grapes can be quite challenging at times. There are a few common mistakes that many new grape growers commit. I would like to cover them briefly with you now.

Growing Grapes Common Mistake #1:
One of the most common grape growing mistake new grape gardeners commit involves purchasing already grown grapevines and planting them in their garden. Here is the problem that lies with this situation. Your local nursery will buy grapevines in bulk for a low price and will put them on sale. They will look all nice and pretty at the nursery since they just brought them in. However, what you the customer doesn't know is that these grapevines have come from different parts of the country, places where in fact the grapevines were growing really healthy and strong.

You see, climate and atmosphere plays a key role in successful grape growing. When growing grapes in different parts of the country, you can expect totally different results with your grapevines. Different in climate alone will affect the types of disease your grapevines might get plagued with or when they will fruit better, if at all. Therefore, do not be fooled by what is being sold to you at the nursery. It is best to verse yourself on how to grow grapes from an expert and understand how the climate in your area will affect your vines.

Growing Grapes Common Mistake #2:
The second most common mistake committed when growing grapes is the eagerness for spraying.
I understand it is frustrating to see a few insects on your vines and can become quite irresistible to hold back from spraying your grapevines clean. Well, don't go too trigger happy. There are plenty of other procedures that you can use to keep your grapevines under pest control. Spraying should only be used when it is truly needed because you can risk killing off everything else in the area that normally would've controlled those pesky pests.

Growing Grapes Common Mistake #3:
Finally we come to the third most common mistake of growing grapes. This one involves planting grapevines without learning how to train grapevines first. That's like buying a car without knowing how to drive. Grapevines require proper training and pruning in order for them to grow successfully and most rookie grape gardeners just do not understand that growing grapes takes more than just planting a few grapevine seeds and watering them everyday.

Growing grapes can start from a fun hobby to ultimately becoming a full time career. However, it takes some skill and knowledge to fully succeed in growing grapes. Otherwise you will probably commit some of the costly, rookie mistakes covered above.

Visit this link to begin learning the skills necessary for growing grapes . Matt Granger has been growing grapes for over 30 years and is an expert in backyard grape growing and grapevine farming. Visit his personal grape growing website here: http://www.grapegrowingsecrets.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Granger
http://EzineArticles.com/?Growing-Grapes---3-Common-Mistakes-To-Avoid-When-Growing-Grapes&id=603506

2 lbs cracked corn
1 lb chopped golden raisins
3 lbs granulated sugar
4 tsp acid blend
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp tannin
water to one gallon
1 crushed Campden tablet
Champagne or Sherry wine yeast

Rinse the corn well, checking for any pebbles or other foreign matter. Put chopped raisins and corn in a bowl and cover with enough water to cover the corn. Soak overnight.

The next day, pour corn and raisins in a fine nylon straining bag, tie the bag closed, and put in primary. Pour the soaking water into primary. Put remaining water on to boil with sugar in it. Stir well as water heats up until sugar is dissolved and water comes to a boil. Pour water into primary.

Add the acid blend, yeast nutrient and tannin. Cover primary with a sheet of plastic held in place with a large rubber band or loop of elastic. When cooled to room temperature, add crushed Campden tablet, recover, and set aside for 24 hours.

Meanwhile, boil a cup of orange juice, transfer to a sterilized pint jar and set in refrigerator 30 minutes to cool. When cool, add yeast to orange juice and cover with plastic wrap. After 24 hours, add orange juice to primary.

Stir daily for two weeks. Remove bag of corn/raisins and allow to drip drain (do not squeeze). Discard corn/raisins, recover primary and allow liquor to settle overnight. Rack into secondary and fit with airlock. Rack every two months for six months.

After sixth-month racking, check for dryness. If not completely dry (specific gravity of 0.990), allow another two months and rack again. When dry, bottle the wine. May drink immediately.

Source: Jack Keller

Popularity: 1% [?]