Another busy month in the wine cellar of the Inn!
The brews struggled with the chilly temperatures of the late winter, made worse by a lack of insulation on the floor, and cheap windows. I tried a variety of solutions, ranging from electric heating pads to the occasional warm water soak in a filled sink. The basic solution, though, seemed to be to keep the brews up on the counter near the stove, so they could get some warmth from my daily baking. I have very understanding housemates, who patiently shift the carboys ever time they need to cook something on the stovetop. :)
The burnt honey mead is finally ticking down to its final stage, as is a quirky apple wine recipe. I have a small batch of blackberry mead that will take some time yet, but tastes great so far. I tasted the first bottle of a strange cold-mash oat ale, and it was not as unpleasant as I’d feared.
I cracked open several other bottles over Easter, and should be able to finish off those posts soon. Among that selection is my breakfast stout, a concord grape mead, a few cordials, and whatever else is kicking around downstairs. Then I have to prep for a small brewing competition in April, and make sure that none of my carboys are empty going into a new month!
New Posts:
- Maple Cider, natural fermentation
- Dried Elderberry Cordial, 1 month turnaround
- Elderberry-Lemon Shortbread, using berries from above recipe
Started:
- Imitation Port, c. 1829
- Counterfeit Malvoisie
- Honey Cider
- unnamed spiced ale
Hope you’ve got them covered up to keep the sunlight out!
Temperature fluctuations from having them near the oven isn’t ideal. Put a sweater on your carboy! You’d be surprised how much heat is generated during fermentation and how much can be retained with a small amount of insulation. You could even combine with a heating pad if necessary.