Many like to post about a first successful ferment (or first all grain mash), or first still built/bought or first good run of the still. Tell us about all of these great times here.
Pics are VERY welcome, we drool over pretty copper
Can't even remember where I got the recipe and normally would not have run it as fruit is so expensive this time of year.
I have a buddy that works at a grocery store and they had a few watermelons that were getting a little long in the tooth...so he gave them to me for free.
I let my mash work on fermenting for about 10 days till it was done...then racked and left it for 3 months.
today I ran it.....WOW does the melon taste ever carry through!
I will slightly age this with oak....more for the color than anything.
Sampling will be at this weeks poker game
1 1/4 large watermelon
10 peaches
1 1/4 cup chopped golden raisins
15 limes (juice only)
25 cups sugar
water to make 5 gallon
yeast
Extract the juice from watermelon and peaches, saving pulp. Boil pulp in five quarts of water for 1/2 hour then strain and add water to extracted juice. Allow to cool to lukewarm then add water to make five gallons total and all other ingredients except yeast to primary fermentation vessel. Cover well with cloth and add yeast after 24 hours. Stir daily for 1 week and strain off raisins. Fit fermentation trap, and set aside for 4 weeks.
For the life of me, I cannot remember where I got the recipe from. Internet of course but lost where.
I used pears instead of peaches as I got some very over ripe ones. Also I only used about 6 limes ( grocery store scabbed up old ones that were 6 for a dollar), but they only had 6.
I am currently running a watermelon mash. I blended two average sized watermelons minus the outsides. Added ten lbs of sugar to water and fermented with lavlin ec-1118.
Racked the mash off its lees after a week. It finished up about a week later. At this point I am on my fourth jar. The first three were 160,160, and 158. As mentioned above the watermelon taste really carries though. The house smells wonderful, the brandy smells and tastes wonderful. I think my game plan as of now is to prof down to 80 and age half with medium American oak. I am undecided about what I want to do with the other half. Next on my list is either peach or banana brandy.
just an update. When all was said and done i ended up with a little less than a gallon of 40%. It has a very strong flavor and taste. It is in desperate need of aging. I used a sample qt jar with some french oak and it really produced a nice color and has smoothed it out a good deal and the overall flavor is much better. It will be needed more time before its something that can be enjoyed but all and all. watermelon has been a big success
I'm glad to hear others have had success with the watermelons. It can be hard to ferment as it tends to sour so quickly. But it does produce a fine drop...
