Homemade wine - demijohn alternatives?

Ytaya

I acquired a demijohn from Freecycle yesterday, and also scored an old wine-making book for 50p at a charity sale. I read through all the wine-making threads I could find on here and now I'm all fired up and want to get brewing!

It looks to me like there are advantages to having more than one demijohn (not least of which is being able to brew more wine!). Until I can find more on Freecycle/charity shops, I'm wondering about alternatives. I looked at some mail-order homebrew shops and they all seem to advertise plastic demijohns. These look suspiciously like those very big bottles of mineral water/squash you can get in the supermarket. Can I use a supermarket 5-litre water bottle instead? Will it work? I know I can use a balloon or some cotton wool as an airlock...

2cats1kid

I did a batch of what was intended to be apple wine, but turned out more like cider, in a 5l water bottle. It turned out fine. I tried to cut a hole through the lid for the airlock. Actually I *did* cut a hole through the lid, but the airlock wasn't airtight (no ploops through the water) so I went back to a balloon with a hole in it. I think the water I got was 80 or 90 pence, so pretty cheap, but if you want the real thing then Wilkinsons have them at £4.99 so they aren't expensive, even new.

Ytaya

Thanks, 2cats1kid! I know a fiver isn't much, but 80p is a lot better for my budget... The fruit is free, so I'm not out much if it all goes horribly wrong!

2cats1kid

Cool. I have a blackberry wine on the go (just mashed it all up yesterday) and that was from the heath near us, so my fruit was free too. Have fun!

Magentasue

Every time I go to our recycling centre, there are demijohns by the glass recycling bin.

Ytaya

I'm certainly keeping an eye out on Freecycle/recycling/charity shops, etc, for more glass ones. But in the meantime, it's good to know I can use a plastic one if I have to

sandy2_2

2cats1kid wrote: »

I tried to cut a hole through the lid for the airlock. Actually I *did* cut a hole through the lid, but the airlock wasn't airtight (no ploops through the water) so I went back to a balloon with a hole in it.

Here in Spain we can't get demijohns, and they are too difficult to bring over.
So interesting to hear you use the 5litre water bottles, but how do you use the balloon with a hole in it for the airlock

2cats1kid

Not my idea, but someone on the homebrew thread did it and it does seem to work. You stretch a balloon over the screw top of the water bottle. This keeps bacteria etc out, and the gas escaping from the brew can get out of the hole. Someone else recommended blowing up the balloon first to stretch it a bit, as the balloon can fill and blow right off otherwise. You seem to need to make a bigger hole than just a pin !!!!! or the balloon just fills up without the gas escaping.

Ytaya

I must've talked this up! I scored not one, not two, but FIFTEEN demijohns off Freecycle! I collect tomorrow! For the sake of my liver, I'd better give some to my dad!

sandy2_2

2cats1kid wrote: »

Not my idea, but someone on the homebrew thread did it and it does seem to work. You stretch a balloon over the screw top of the water bottle. This keeps bacteria etc out, and the gas escaping from the brew can get out of the hole. Someone else recommended blowing up the balloon first to stretch it a bit, as the balloon can fill and blow right off otherwise. You seem to need to make a bigger hole than just a pin !!!!! or the balloon just fills up without the gas escaping.

Sorry to be dim but it's early in the morning........Do you mean you stretch the neck of the balloon over the open top of the water bottle
I don't understand 'when you say the gas escaping from the brew can get out of the hole.' what hole and where,,,,,, surely if you make a hole in the ballon, that allows air into the demijohn

N9eav

sandy2 wrote: »

Sorry to be dim but it's early in the morning........Do you mean you stretch the neck of the balloon over the open top of the water bottle
I don't understand 'when you say the gas escaping from the brew can get out of the hole.' what hole and where,,,,,, surely if you make a hole in the ballon, that allows air into the demijohn

Air is not the big issue although it could cause a stored wine to oxydise (go cloudy like tawny port) But you need to let the co2 out. The fermentation will produce enormous amounts of co2 and it must escape. The big thing here is stopping flys or anything getting in that will introduce bacteria into your wine. A piece of cotton wool in the opening is as good as any.

Keep everything very sterile!