Home Wine Making

In what manner would you properly cook a troll? Would you bake & baste? Slow cook them over a fire? BBQ? Stir-fry? Brown them in a pan and make them into a casserole?

Would it be proper to serve wine with the meal, considering they supply so much of it already?

Would this be a good dinner to have friends over for or not even your worst enemy?

This is an excerpt that I find online….

What Wine Matches Roast Troll

The movie "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover" has a most unusual final scene. After the thief, who has control of a French restaurant, kills his wife’s lover, the wife has her revenge. She has the French chef cook her lover whole in an elaborate presentation. She then forces her husband to start eating her roast lover, calls him a cannibal, and then shoots him. I am not certain what wines were being served, but they likely were French. If the meal was around January 22, then the wines most likely included Burgundy, since January 22 is Saint Vincent’s day, and St. Vincent is the patron saint of wine.

Now suppose a tribe of cannibals catches a troll. A troll is likey not nearly as tender as a young virgin, but if they are hungry enough they likey would eat it. The question arises if a troll is really a deformed member of the human species or is some other type of creature. It probably would take DNA testing to answer that question. Thus eating a troll might or might not be cannibalism. The cannibals most likely would roast the troll whole on a spit. One would expect troll meat to be very tough and gamy. The jowls probably would be extremely tough from all of the screams and diarrhea of the mouth that characterize trolls. The cannibals most likely would like a wine to make eating the troll more enjoyable. Thus, what wine should be served wth roast troll. I am guessing one of the monster California Cabernets from the 70s such as the David Bruce 74 might do. Australia, the South of France, and Italy also have some huge wines that go with game. Perhaps you can come up with a better suggestion.

I do have some regular tasting notes. I am saving them for now, because people would wear their fingers out scrolling to the bottom of several pages before reading them because of a massive thread that keeps coming to the top.

Anders wouldn’t troll be better served with Aqua vit?Drink a bottle of Aquavit first and then throw out the troll.

I want to start making my wedding invites but not sure how to word this:

We are having a cash bar for the wedding since we can’t simply afford to pay for everyones drinks. BUT we are having an unlimited amount of wine supplied for free. Should I put on the invites cash bar or should I leave it off since we are serving unlimited wine for no cost?

Hold on a second, you are right, such wording is needed.

Your wedding invitation is one thing, "Mr. and Mrs. request the honour of your presence…reception to follow ceremony"…and then:

There’s the enclosures with the RSVP, that includes: the guest having a space to indicate number of guests, a space to indicate "Meal preference: "Chicken" or "Prime Rib" (or check it off). Having a buffet or set meal? Then notate this. At any rate: That enclosure is where you would denote "complimentary wine and cash bar" exactly worded like that.

Oh and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the guest to RSVP, of course! That’s all, honey! Congratulations!!!

i have built several amplifiers now with the TDA2005 using this circuit: http://www.hobby-hour.com/electronics/tda2005-power-audio.php (in stereo, the 2×10 watt amp schematic) and every time i have built it, with the correct parts, it always seems to degrade in sound quality after a little while. i am driving a 4 ohm load and that is above the 2 ohm limit that the chip can drive so i’m not overbearing the chip on that. the input power supply is a 12v lead acid battery. what could be messing up the amp??? i usually drive the speaker pretty loud but the largest speaker i have right now is a 4 ohm, 3w rectangular type speaker….i accidentally broke my 4 inch woofer. ( i know it’s a small woofer but that was what it was used for in the speaker system i took it out of) i’ve learned that it definitely distorts at high volume for that small of a speaker but that can’t possibly be what is making the chip degrade….i don’t think i am exceeding the output power for one channel because from what i could measure on my voltmeter, it’s around 2vac give or take a volt, and to get 10 watts from that i would need roughly 5 amps….my chip can only handle a max of 3.5A continuous and 4.5A max repetetive and my chip barely gets warm….so i’m not overbearing the circuit. what could be going on here? is there anything i can do to make the circuit better? should bridging the circuit fix it? i’ve already gone through 3 chips (the first one i really did overload it, the second did the same thing that i just described to you now) also one other thing…..i put a volume control pot in and it makes the circuit oscillate and distort even worse than before…i get a high pitched wine that is super terrible and when i take out the pot from the circuit, i most of the time get these weird "bloop" type noises coming from the speaker…i’ve double checked my wiring and it’s correct with no short circuits or accidental connections…what the heck is going on here??? how do i fix this!
EDIT: also i forgot to mention that the 33 oh m resistor is a 10 ohm resistor and the 1.2 k resistor is a 1.9 k resistor….i know that those resistors set the feedback so did i somehow screw that up? how do i calculate how much feedback, negative or positive, i created in the circuit?

It sounds like something is wrong with your feedback circuit. You should be using all electrolytic or ceramic capacitors for best results. Also, as the voltage runs down on your battery, the quality will get worse. Measure the battery voltage while the amp is running. If it falls below 10 volts, the circuit becomes unstable. Also, even if it doesn’t feel too warm, make sure you have a heat sink on it.

TDA2005 ICs can be tricky to work without playing with them a lot.

I am the manager of a bookshop which not only sells "remainders" but also art and craft supplies. I wanted to hold a teacher’s evening and am planning on sending out invites to all the schools, nurseries and playgroups in the area. I wanted to make it a little bit more than just a bunch of teachers coming to the shop so need ideas! I will have wine and cake (or something like that) and am offering 10% off if anyone spends over £100 (head office’s limit) but was also thinking of holding a draw – the winner would have a book or two donated by us to whichever school or nursery the winner is from.
any other ideas to make it more interesting would be great!!!

also, does the beginning of March seem like a good time to hold the evening?

Honestly, even though I live in the US, if the teachers in the UK are paid the same low wages, then a gift certificate of some sort would be more beneficial than a book donation. I believe that if you want teachers to come out that you must give them something that "THEY" can use and not something that will benefit the school.

Hey there everyone – helping a friend organise her approaching 21st, and a little confused how much alcohol we should buy (nothing worse than running out, but we don’t want to go overboard on the $’s!). So, we are thinking of making a big container/bin of punch, having some light and heavy beers, red and white wine, and some bubbly. We are Aussie’s, so talking in terms of slabs (24 beers). Not sure of the final invite list, but could you help me out in how much you would buy for say, 100 people? They will be mixed in age and lifestyle, some older family and family friends, and plenty of school, uni, and college friends (who can all drink alot!). Please help? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!!!! thanks again!

make it easy on yourself and stick to 2 (maybe 3) categories… either wine and beer, or beer and hard liquor, or punch and beer. having too many combinations not only complicates the organizers of the party, but you’re more likely to have a greater instances of people mixing too many varieties which = yak.

if you’re going to be entertaining older guests, i’d stay away from the jungle juice/punch and keep it strictly cocktails and beer (and maybe wine). if its an all out back yard frat style party, then bring the jungle juice and a few kegs, don’t forget the ice and the tap, and do a few keg stands for me.

also, consider your budget as booze ain’t cheep. if its going to be a nite of mindless boozing and your guest aren’t picky, stick to the generic brands and get as much as you can afford. alcohol doesn’t go bad, and you’ll probably drink it b4 it gets even close to expiring.

if your guest don’t want to drink wine in boxes and down 40’s of malt liquor, get Heinekens and Coronas (w/ some light beer for the ladies), and hit Costco for the XL sized bottles of decent hard liquors. make sure you also stock some good mixers (coke, sprite, cranberry juice, rockstar, tonic, lime wedges) and plenty of ice. one way to keep it simple and make it fun is to offer two or three premixed cocktails, like 3 variations of vodka drinks (apple martini, rockstar n’ vodka, cranberry n’ vodka) and serve them all nite.

as for quantity, i say calculate about 4-6 drinks per person and do the math. a keg of decent beer will run you less than $100, and you’ll get more out of that than 4 cases (or slabs) of beer for the same $$. make sure you get it early and let it sit for a few hours on ice or else you’ll be pouring foam all nite.

hope this helps!

For now I siphon it, about 3 times, and try to not get the sediment each time. there is always some sediment left. Is it OK to drink as long as I don’t drink all the sediment? I usually leave about a 1cm-2cm liquid at the bottom. How bad would it be to just drink the sediment mixed in with all the drink? Btw my wine never comes out looking clear, is that bad?

You might be able to answer multiple of these questions with one answer, sorry, but I had to ask each one specifically to know for sure.

I’m using Honey, water, Montrachet yeast, and a 3-5gallon container from my work to make it. That is literally all of my supplies, except for the clear hose I bought from LOWS to use as a siphon.

While the sediment won’t taste good it isn’t harmful either. That said your supplier for mead and wine making should have a number of filtration systems that can remove all yeast and sediment and will clear your wine and mead a great deal.

I was wondering if anyone out there would hire a cook/chef to cook at thier own home for a csual midweek meal. Say this person doesnt cook very well and wants a great meal , but not from the box, or resturant. Take this scenario, a man wants to make a great romantic dinner for his girlfriend, not bieng the best cook he calls this guy , gives an idea of what he wants, the guy gets all the supplies and comes to your house to make it… I was just curious if anyone here would do that and if so what would you feel was a fair price. for lets say, baked chicken with artichokes and mushroom wine sauce, with fresh green salad and a homemade vinegarette, and grilled asparagus with apple smoked bacon.. thanks for any input on this

Yes, there are indeed LOTS of people who will pay for trhe services of a professional, Personal Chef. And if you would like some suggestions for such a service, you should check out this site:

http://www.gourmet-food-revolution.com/gourmet-personal-chef.html

I wanted to try wine charms or even try to do a bracelet that was beaded hoops connected somehow…can anyone help? FYI I do enjoy making jewelry and have lots of supplies…I’m just a little stumped!

ooh, go with the wine charms. Make sets of 4-6 charms, using either different colored seed beads or E beads for each one (a red one, blue one, green one, etc) or use silver beads with a single themed larger charm dangling down. I made a set with a witch, a cat, a pumpkin and a bat once. Hobby Lobby/Joann will have silver toned charms for less than a dollar; search out the clearance charms at Joann and they might even be 50 cents. Anyway, make up several sets and keep them on hand for Christmas gifts. You can buy wrist sized memory wire (get the smaller diameter) and make a wine bottle charm. It goes around the neck of the bottle and you could then hook all the little charms onto it. Buy a bottle of wine, add the charms and viola! Gift!

Hi there we have just moved into a cottage in the country and there is like a huge workshop shed in the back garden and we have decided to turn it into a home/micro brewery. Anyway there are alot of kits out there that supplies you with all the ingredients but there all like certain tastes and we want to create our own our own flavor to it, something unique. So is there any sites out there that can tell us all the equipment we need to but to create our own Beer, Ale, Cider, Wine etc and how to make it basically?

Too many to list in fact.

I would tell you to get a book on brewing. Wine is easier to do only because it requires less steps then beer. Of brewing relies upon yeast to eat sugar and create alcohol. How much alcohol it takes depends on how much sugar was at the begging and the yeast itself.

What come out in the end varied from batch to batch. These variances are usually due to increments but can also be things like the temperature at which it was brewed. Recipes are like opinions. There are about as many recipes as there are people brewing that recipe. Do not get so caught up in finding the exact one.

I would suggest you start by getting a kit. Follow the instructions and get an idea of what to expect. After this invest in some brewing equipment. The equipment is fairly minimal and are things like a plastic bucket and glass bottle. The entire setup can be obtained for under $100. The only real reoccurring costs you have is what you store the product in (this would be bottles).

The kit will give you an idea of what to do, give you step by step instructions and introduce you to brewing. If you have a beer kit it will most likely have extracts rather then grain. If you have a wine kit it will have concentrated juice instead of fruit. As you get more familiar with it you can invest in some extra equipment (a mesh bag for wine, a mashing tun for beer, etc). But for now take it slow and simple.

Try a few kits, see how you like them, get an idea of the differences in what you brew. Taste the wort (that is the raw stuff you brew) to see what it tastes like. After primary fermentation taste it again. And when you bottle it taste it a third time. Get a feel for what it is you are brewing and what it should taste like.

When you want to start on newer things you will already know how to brew and what it was like. It is not a difficult thing to do. But it can be very ominous to someone who has never brewed. You can also check out local homebrew shops, see if they have classes, or see if someone is willing to show you how they brew. Most brewers are quite proud of their work and would be very happy to demonstrate to you. It is possible they also have a local brewing club. There are plenty of places to get help.

We are having our rehearsal dinner in 4 days (Friday night) and we’re doing it at a 5 star restaurant that my brother is a manager at and was able to get us into. We purchased our own wine with his help and will bring it to the rehearsal dinner and have it corked there… so we will only be paying for everyones dinner, dessert, beverage (non alcoholic), and wine if people would like it. My concern is that people will order cocktails (which are not cheap at this restaurant) off the menu when the server comes around and the server will just tack it onto the bill. The wedding the next day is open bar, so we are not supplying that for the rehearsal dinner as well. How do I express to people in a tactful way that we are only supplying the wine, if they order beer or cocktails at the rehearsal it’s on them?! Or can I make that clear to the server so that they express it to anyone who may ask for cocktails?
Kikidee: You’re ridiculous!

These are your days! Unfortunately there are some sticklers who have to have there beers or hard alcohol. Be blunt and tell them "We are supplying you with food and limited wine and unlimited non alcoholic drinks.. You don’t need to explain or feel guilty. It is the rehearsal dinner not the wedding reception. Let them know they are welcome to purchase beer or cocktails but they would need to go to the bar. I would STRONGLY suggest that the waitstaff put on notice that they are not to serve any other alcoholic drink other then the wine. So you don’t end up shelling out a few hundred more dollars!
So if your guests want something other then wine they need to go to the bar and order and pay for it. I have a
suggestion though I know it is just a few days away but to be fair you may want to consider a couple cases of beer or even 1 case too. That way people can have the choice of wine or beer. I know a lot of people who prefer wine but i know a lot that only drink beer. This way they have wider choice and the likelihood of many going for cocktails would be slim to none. A lighter beer and a darker beer maybe. Good luck!
Again, do not let the waitstaff give hard alcoholic drinks. Your guests will need to get it from the bar!
Personally, I would supply beer and wine that way people will stay away from the hard stuff at least until the next day:-) ! But there is NO HARM with going with the wine only.

Don’t feel guilty or concern yourself that you would be looked at as being cheap. You just don’t want people to be hungover and late to your special day.. Wine and beer !!

Good luck and congrats !!