August 12, 2008

It's rather like an adult science fair...

I set my Johannisberg Reisling to fermenting on Saturday amidst two little kids pulling at my legs. By Monday morning, the primary fermenter was hissing and bubbling happily away. It is rather smelly in that pleasant "Hey, I'm making my own alcohol so why should I care" kind of way. And to put your nose over it and catch a whiff, you can almost taste the alcohol being created. This is so cool!

This is a wine kit that I am using, so the directions are rather foolproof. I'm anxious to proceed with using fresh produce to create a vintage, as there is a great deal of chemistry and science involved. True, you can just follow a recipe, but I am eager to learn about what a good wine's chemistry profile looks like and how to go about creating my own recipes based on knowing the must's composition.

It's like high school chemistry class all over again. Except this time, the reward is in the product!

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