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The Best Book About Wine
2008-12-18 12:28:00
I was busy working on a blog post last Friday, when I heard a large thud outside my door. Not knowing if it was two cars colliding or a someone falling on my steps, I got up to take a look. To my surprise, my copy of Wine had arrived. Wine is published by Langenschedit Publishing Group.This book is awesome!!! A huge 928 pages full of wine info from around the world. Very well written, but what struck me the most was the maps and pictures. They are just plain excellent. The tips are very informative and will really help those just starting out in the wonderful world of wine. Here's a little more from the publisher:This abundantly illustrated book is an atlas, reference work and buying guide to the world of wine. Following a classic organization, readers are introduced to the history of wine, wine production, wine cellars and the enjoyment of wine. The reader is then invited on a journey through all the wine growing countries and regions of the world. Expert authors introduce ea...
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Is The IPA Myth, A Myth?
2008-11-11 18:33:00
Written by DJ Spiess Monday, 10 November 2008Was the IPA invented or did George Hodgson shoot Liberty Vallence too?I try to stamp out every beer myth I come across, so when Virgil G. another beer blogger pointed out I may be perpetuating a beer myth in my Thanksgiving, Pilgrims, and Beer Myth s article I was surprised (and somewhat embarrassed). It would be pretty bad if I wrote an article about myths and perpetuated one of my own - especially in the same article. Damn.The IPA legendThe IPA legend goes like this. Beer brewers were looking for a beer to take to India. The trip to India is hard on beer, since the beer is exposed to dramatically high temperatures including crossing the equator twice and a very long journey over time and distance. Time and high heat can be very harsh on beer.Read more at: FermentariumHave New Posts From Making Homemade Wine and Beer Delivered To Your EmailMy BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes - Diabetic Eats

We Turn 3!!
2008-10-15 08:50:00
Happy Birthday to Us!!! It's amazing to think that after three years, I would still be blogging about making wine and beer. I want to thank all of you that have visited or subscribed to the site over the past three years.Now that we have turned 3, there will be some major changes with this blog. Weekly posts will now be done at Makinghomemadewineandbeer.com and I will be posting on the original blog (this one) on a monthly basis. If you are a subscriber, I encourage you to change your feed to: http://feedproxy.google.com/makinghomemad ewineandbeer/VYrd or if you want posts delivered to your email, you can do that here.Thanks, and see you soon at Makinghomemadewineandbeer.comMy BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes - Diabetic Eats
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Benefits of Red Wine
2008-09-18 07:01:00
Photo by: kingriversza'sWe have heard over the past few years that drinking a couple glasses of red wine each day is good for you. So, is wine good for you. Let's look at some evidence. "Many studies investigated the benefits of red wine suggested that moderate amount of red wine (one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men) lowers the risk of heart attack for people in middle age by ~ 30 to 50 percent. It is also suggested that alcohol such as red wine may prevent additional heart attacks if you have already suffered from one. Other studies also indicated that red wine can raise HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol) and prevent LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) from forming. Red wine may help prevent blood clots and reduce the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits. Indeed, studies showed that people from the Mediterranean region who regularly drank red wine have lower risks of heart disease." Source: Health Castle"Research scientists in North Carolina have...
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Wine Labels and More
2008-09-17 07:01:00
It is not everyday that I take a paid endorsement for a website, today is an exception.   I was very impressed with all that Plazawine.com has to offer.  One of their offerings is personalized labels for your wine.  The label above is one of their stock labels that you might want to use for the upcoming holidays.  I know that I prefer to use another person's printer than mine. (Mostly because I hate using up all my ink).  You can also get bottles of wine with your own labels.  Here's a little blurb from their site.Personalize this bottle of wine in just four simple steps!Select the text for your personalized label. You can either:Use one of our Label Text Suggestions, orCreate your own custom label text. If you want to create your own custom text, please enter it in the “Customer Notes” section of the checkout after you add the bottle of wine to the shipping cartSelect one of our professional Custom Label Designs. If you prefer, you can also submit your own custom la...
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Cream Ale
2008-09-16 13:24:00
Photo By: thorntmAccording to the BJCP a Cream ale or also referred to as a "creamer," is related to American lagers. They are generally brewed to be light and refreshing with a straw to pale golden color. Hop and malt flavor is usually subdued but some breweries give them a more assertive character. Two examples are Genesee Cream Ale (made by High Falls Brewing) and Little Kings Cream Ale (by Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing.)While cream ales are top-fermented ales, they typically undergo an extended period of cold-conditioning or lagering after primary fermentation is complete. This reduces fruity esters and gives the beer a cleaner flavor. Some examples also have a lager yeast added for the cold-conditioning stage or are mixes of ales and lagers. Adjuncts such as maize and rice are used to lighten the body and flavor although there are all-malt examples available.  Source: WikipediaCream ale, also called American sparkling ale, is an American ale-hybrid style, now taken up residence ...

Steam Beer
2008-09-09 07:01:00
Photo by Orin OptiglotA name trademarked by the Anchor Steam Beer brewery of San Francisco. This brewery's principal product is made by a distinctive method of bottom-fermentation at high temperatures and in unusually wide, shallow vessels. This technique, producing a beer with elements of both lager and ale in its character (though also distinctive in its own right), is said to have been common in California when, in the absence of supplies of ice, early brewers tried to make bottom-fermenting beers. The very lively beer was said to "steam" when the casks were tapped.   Source: Beer HunterBrewing Process:In 19th-century California, not only ice, but even sources of naturally cold water, were probably unavailable to brewers. California brewers were forced to use lager yeast at higher ale temperatures.Final flavors of beer are influenced by the strain of yeast and the fermentation temperature. Lager yeast is best used at temperatures from 55°F down to 32 °F. Classic lagering of...

10 Tips for a Succesful Harvest Day
2008-09-04 07:08:00
Nice article from Winemaker Magazine.Harvest comes once per year and being prepared is vital. You can’t make up for poor farming in the last week before harvest, but you can prepare your home vineyard for harvest just like the pros. An entire year’s work in the vine rows can either pay off in delicious wine or it can produce wine that underperforms and makes you wonder why you went to all the trouble of growing grapes.My job is to shove you gently toward the delicious and away from the disappointing. I’ve written articles on most aspects of backyard grape farming. (I’ve also met many of you and answered your questions at the wonderful WineMaker Conference in Sonoma this past May.) However, I’ve never broken down my professional harvest experiences into a top ten list for what to do in the days leading up to harvest.The take home message is this: farm smart all year and then make that hard work count by being fully prepared when the alarm clock goes off on harvest day. Happ...
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Altbier
2008-09-02 07:01:00
Alt is German for "old", and these beers are of a style older than the lagered beers, a remnant of the time before lager was invented. Altbier is top fermented then cold lagered for a few weeks. Altbiers are copper-bronze in colour and mostly brewed around Düsseldorf. Altbier is the closest Germany gets to the style of a British bitter but the lagering period gives them a quite different character. The best English bitters are cask-conditioned or bottle-conditioned but Germany does not have the tradition of cask-conditioning ales so Altbiers are not cask-conditioned and, when bottled, are not bottle-conditioned. Generally around 4.8abv, mildly fruity, with a typically dry finish, there is more hop bitterness here than in most German beers. A good sessional drink, and goes well with cheese. Source: German Beer GuideA little history from Wikipedia.comThe Bavarian Reinheitsgebot (beer purity law; literally "purity order") of 1516 was drawn up to ensure the production of decent-quali...

Beer and Wine Resources
2008-07-10 07:02:00
Here is a list of e-books that you can purchase to help you make your own wine and beer.641 Beer RecipesEasy Brewing TechniquesThe Complete Grape Growers GuideTips and Secrets To Making Great Wine Wine Making Made EasyHome Winemaking: Step by StepMy BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes - Diabetic Eats
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How Beer Works
2008-06-09 07:01:00
Nice little article on how beer is made. Great reminder that it really is a simple process.My BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes - Diabetic Eats
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Brew Pub Video
2008-06-05 07:01:00
One can only wish that you could have a brewing set up like this.My BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes - Diabetic Eats
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Where in The Helles Munich
2008-05-29 13:43:00
This recipe is taken from Victory Beer Recipes and is an all grain recipe.Makes 5 Gallons8 pounds two-row malt2 pounds light crystal mat2 pounds Munich malt1 1/4 ounces Hallertauer hops - 90 minuteswyeast no 308 liquid yeastBoiling time 90 minutesPrimary fermentation 3 weeks at 50 degreesSecondary fermentation 4 weeks at 32 degreesMash grains at 151 degrees for 1 hour.Force carbonateMy BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes - Diabetic Eats

Robert The Bruce Barleywine
2008-05-27 13:41:00
This recipe is taken from Victory Beer Recipes. To learn more about barley wine, check out this link at Making Homemade Wine and Beer.5 gallonsIngredients12 pounds Wander light malt extract4 pounds pale ale malt1 pound crystal malt 20 degree2 ounces British bold hops - 10% for 45 minutes1 1/2 ounces Centennial hops 7.5% for 45 minutes2 ounces Kent Goldings hops 5.9% finish1 ounce Kent Goldings hops 4.8% finishWyeast no. 1084 Irish ale yeastVierka champange yeastPrimary fermentation 10 days 72 degreesSecondary fermentation 21 days 60 degrees in oak or oak chipsMy BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes - Diabetic Eats
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Fountain Head Black Magic
2008-05-22 13:46:00
This recipe is taken from Victory Beer Recipes and makes 2 1/2 gallons3 1/3 pounds Munton and Fison old ale kit malt extract2 1/2 pounds Munton and Fison light dry malt extract6 ounces black patent malt6 ounces roasted barley6 ounces caramel malt 40 degree1 1/2 ounces Nugget hops - 60 minutes1/2 ounce Nugget hops - 10 minutes1 1/2 teaspoons gypsum1 packet Red Star champagne yeast2 ounces corn sugar to primeBoiling time 60 minutesPrimary fermentation 7 weeks at 70 degreesSecondary fermentation 6 weeks at 70 degreesCrush grains and add to 3 quarts cold water. Slowly raise temperature to gentle simmer and hold for 10 minutes. Sparge with 2 quarts hot water. Add to brewpot to make 3 gallons. Heat to boil and add malt extract.My BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes - Diabetic Eats
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BME Pilsner
2008-05-20 13:47:00
This recipe is taken from Victory Beer Recipes and makes 5 gallons.6 2/3 pounds BME Munich gold malt extract1 1/4 Ounces Halleratuer hops - 45 minutes3/4 ounces Saaz hops - 30 minutes1/2 ounce Saaz hops - 2 minutes1/4 ounce Saaz hops - dry1 pint m.ev. no 001 German yeastprimary fermentation - 1 week 50 degreessecondary fermentation - 2 weeks at 35 to 40 degreesforce carbonateMy BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes - Diabetic Eats

Beam Me Up Scotty
2008-05-15 13:28:00
"Beam Me Up, Scotty " This recipe is taken from Victory Beer Recipes boiling time 75 minutes.Makes 5 Gallons5 pounds Diamalt light malt extract5 pounds Diamalt amber malt extract1 pound caramel malt2 ounces chocolate malt2 ounces Oregon fuggles hop pellets - 60 minutes1/2 ounces Styrian golding hop pellets - 30 minutes1/4 ounce Wlliamette hops - 10 minutes2 teaspoons gypsum1 tablespoon irish mossWyeast Irish Ale Yeast1/4 cup corn sugar to primeboiling time 75 minutes primary fermentation 1 1/2 weeks at 68 degrees Add grains to 6 gallons cold water, bring to a boil and remove grains just before boiling.My BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes - Diabetic Eats

Wine Video
2008-05-08 07:01:00
Watch the latest videos on YouTube.comMy BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes - Diabetic Eats
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Making Malt Extract
2008-05-06 16:36:00
Very excellent article from Brew Your Own on making malt extract. It's amazing how many things contain one of the basic ingredients of beer. Here's a little excerpt:Malt extract is in everything from pretzels to breakfast cereals to, well, beer. But how is it made, and where did it come from? Learn about its history and creation and what it means for your brewing. Connecting with your food and its ingredients is one of the most rewarding parts of being a brewmaster or chef. Learning where ingredients come from and how they are made gives an understanding of how the variance in breeding, growing conditions, harvesting, storage and processing creates the ingredients’ different flavors and colors. For homebrewers, there are many articles on the “life and times”of differentmalts and hops, yet little information on the origin of one of their most widely-used ingredients — malt extract. Read the whole article by clicking here.My BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine...
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Vegan Wine
2008-04-29 07:01:00
Vegan wine is wine made without animal products. As such it can be part of a vegan diet. While wine is essentially made from grapes, on occasion animalic products are used in small amounts in the production process. Wine ries might use animal-derived products as finings. To remove proteins, yeasts, and other organic particles which are in suspension during the making of the wine, a fining agent is added to the top of the vat. As it sinks down, the particles adhere to the agent, and are carried out of suspension. None of the fining agent remains in the finished product sold in the bottle, and not all wines are fined. All Kosher wines are vegan.Source: WikipediaThis is something that I really never gave much thought to. Generally, I don't use any finings in my wines primarily because I think just a little bit of sediment leaves some extra flavor. For those of you that want to try a vegan wine prior to making one, check out this list.My BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and ...
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Earth Day, Elections, Tax Freedom Day Thoughts
2008-04-22 16:43:00
With today being Earth Day and Election Day (here in Pennsylvania) and tomorrow being Tax Freedom Day, I just felt that it was time to sit down and evaluate how making your own wine and beer relates to all 3 days.Earth Day - The biggest thing this Earth Day is the climate changes and our carbon footprint. Personally, I'm still not sure on the whole global warming/climate change thing but carbon footprinting is something that I can see. If possible, you should grow as many of the ingredients for your wines and beers. Hops and grapes are rather easy to grow and harvest and will cut down on use of fossil fuels (harvesting and transportation). Another benefit is that you can control the amount of chemicals that go on into your beer or wine.Election Day - It is our duty as a good citizen to vote on election day. Today our problems are a lot more complex and laws making wine and beer and nowhere on the candidate's radar. But a little over 200 years ago, it was a major issue in West...
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How To Prune Raspberries and Blackberries
2008-04-18 01:22:00
This is a nice video on how to prune your raspberries and blackberries. Both make fine wines.My BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes - Diabetic Eats

How To Brew Antioxidant Rich Beer
2008-04-15 11:40:00
My son sent me an e-mail about this brew that he found on Wikihow. It's a very interesting article and closely mirrors my techniques when brewing. Here's a snippet of the article.Beer is a source of readily absorbed antioxidants. Scientific studies indicate that the moderate consumption of beer, as well as beer-specific antioxidants, may help to promote cardiovascular health [1] and help to reduce the incidence of certain types of cancer.[2] Beer that is particularly high in antioxidants may have a longer shelf life, as it may be more resistant to oxidation.[3] This should result in higher quality, more stable sensory characteristics, such as flavor and aroma. Certain hop polyphenol antioxidants can also contribute to desirable foam stability. Beer is a complex beverage that is brewed using various ingredients and various types of equipment. Therefore, beer can be brewed to contain greater concentrations of antioxidants.If you want to read the steps on to make this beer, you can...
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Maddalena Wines From The San Antonio Winery
2008-04-10 07:15:00
Since 1917, The San Antonio Winery has added flair and flavor to celebrations of friends and families throughout Los Angeles and the West. Today, it is the last of more than one hundred producing wineries that once lined the Los Angeles River Basin. It is a popular restaurant and legendary banquet location, a comprehensive tasting room, and an international wine shop with hundreds of domestic and imported labels. The winery is an oasis of good living in the heart of the city. Family matriarch, Maddalena Riboli, has inspired both a restaurant and a brand of high quality varietal wines from California’s Central Coast. Grapes are grown in renowned viticultural regions that include Monterey and Paso Robles. Maddalena Vineyard features balanced wines with ripe fruit flavors and an elegant finish. They include Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat Canelli and White Zinfandel. Living in Central Pennsylvania and having never visited LA, I don’t g...
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Loos Lucy Ginger Beer
2008-04-08 13:44:00
This recipe is taken from Victory Beer Recipes4 1/2 pounds Laaglander light malt extract1 1/2 pounds honey3 ounces freshly grated ginger root1 ounce Cascade hops - 60 minutes1/2 ounce Cascade hops - 30 minuteszest of 4 oranges - 10 minutes1/2 ounce Cascade hops - 2 minutesAmerican lager liquid yeast3/4 cup corn sugar to primeBoiling time 60 minutesPrimary fermentation 6 days at 50 degreesSeconadry fermentation 13 days at 50 degreesSpices added at beginning of boil, orange zest for last 10 minutes of boil.My BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes - Diabetic Eats
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Easy Wine Labels
2008-03-27 12:06:00
If you happen to stop by my house, you would find that I generally store my wine in gallon jugs. I'm just too darn lazy or getting too old to mess around with filling wine bottles.Christmas time is a different story. I love to give my better wines away as gifts to friends and family. My problem is that I generally spend hours making the perfect wine label to make my bottles look professional.This year my problem is solved. At Wine Label Builder you can make a professional looking label in less than a minute.Not only did I find this as a real time saver but if your making several cases for that special occasion you can have professionally looking labels. Even though Wine Label Builder paid for this review, I found their collection of labels to chose from quite extensive.Price wise, Wine Label Builder is very reasonable. You can also upload your own custom label and have them print them for you. So, if your looking for some professional looking labels, give Wine Label Builde...
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Stu Brew
2008-03-21 12:49:00
This recipe is taken from Victory Beer Recipes and makes 10 gallons. 17 pounds two-row pale malt2 pounds Munich malt 1 Carapils malt6 ounces crystal malt1 ounce Perle hops - 60 minutes3 ounces Saaz hops - 30 minutes1 ounce Tettnanger hops - 12 minutes1/2 teaspoon gypsumWyeast no 2206 liquid yeastBoiling time 60 minutesPrimary fermentation 14 days at 49 degreesSecondary fermentation 28 days at 49 degreesMash grains at 120 degrees, raise to 153 degrees, then to 165 degrees. sparge with 175 degree water. Force co2 to carbonate.My BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes
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De-Gassing Your Wine
2008-03-18 13:05:00
Searching through Youtube and I found this unique way to de-gas your wine. Really worth watching.My BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes

Redesigning Site
2008-03-13 20:19:00
I'll be spending the next few days doing an overhaul of the site. Those of you that subscribe to the site's feed my get several feeds during this process. I hope to be back on schedule next Tuesday.My BlogsBeer Recipes – Making Homemade Wine and Beer – Wine Recipes
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India Pale Ale
2008-03-11 11:18:00
India Pale Ale, otherwise known as an IPA, is a distinct style of beer and is characterized as a sparkling pale ale with a slightly higher level of alcohol and hops than a typical Pale Ale; the hops lend it a distinct bitterness.The IPA came about in the mid 1700's as a way for British brewers to ship unspoiled beer to India. The increase in hops and alcohol prevented the beer from spoiling and made for a rather strong tasty brew.Characteristics of this beer can, as with other styles, vary somewhat, but an IPA will always exhibit the alcohol and hopping that distinguished the original. English brewers designed their IPAs with original gravities of 1070 and above, which translates to alcohol levels of a whopping 7.5 to 8%. Modern recipes usually attain a more modest level of 1050 to 1060 OG, for a subdued, yet still noticeable strength of 5.5 to 7%. Specialty malt additions of carapils and crystal contributes to the deep copperamber color and provides an undertone of faint but per...
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