Homemade wine

16011996

parsnip whisky, sounds good.

MimiJane

I've never tried making it myself, but homemade parsnip wine is fantastic. The best homemade wine I've tasted is gooseberry and sultana ... lovely mixture of sweet and sour.

N9eav

As promised wine recipee.  Peaches, apricots, mandarines anything in syrup will do.

3lb of tinned fruit per gallon (drained weight)
1 small can of grape concentrate (1/2pt)
675g sugar
1tsp citric acid
1/2 tsp grape tannin
1 tps pectin
1tsp yeast nutrient
1 package of wine yeast

If you don't want to use grape concentrate, soak a 1lb of raisins in boiling water and add to the must instead.

This is a gallon recipee, but just increase everything for a 5 gallon jug, except the yeast.

1. Sterilise everything.
2. Put all the tinned fruit into a bucket, juice and all, and mash it up.
3. bring the sugar to boil in 1 pint of water and then add this straight to the fruit in the bucket.
4. If you are using raisins, Add the soaked raisins at this stage.
5.  add 4 pints of cold water to the bucket and all the other ingredients EXCEPT the yeast.
Cover and leave overnight or about 12 hours.
6.  Add the yeast ( most yeasts are quick acting now and do not need to be started beforehand)
leave in the bucket for 2-3 days, covered, stir 2-3 times a day.
7. Strain the liquid into a fermentation vessel (demijohn for 1 gallon),  Top up to the neck with cool water, and fit the airlock. ( If you are using the grape concentrate add this to the demijohn now and then top up with cool water)
8. Let ferment until the airlock stops bubbling.
9. Check for specific gravity, a dry wine will be about 1.000 ( you can sweeten it a bit later if you wish)
10. Rack off the liquid into a clean demijohn leaving the sediment behind.  re-fit the airlock and leave to mature for 6 -12 months. It works out at between

Now if you want a stronger sweeter wine, when the fermentation slows down and the specific gravity is about 1.000 or less, add a tablespoon of sugar, and keep doing this every few days to keep the fermentation going, taste for sweetness every now and  again, until you get an idea of what you may like.

What happens is as the yeast eats the sugar and produces alcohol the alcohol content gets so strong it kills the yeast and it stops working.  So be carefull you don't over add sugar and make it too sweet.  Should be about 15-17% this method

16011996

that sounds good, thanks.

Austin_Allegro_2

N9eav thanks for the recipe!

Math, this is what you need to get started, you can get this mail order or from a wine making shop, or perhaps try ebay:

Demijohn (big glass jar)
Airlock and bung
syphon tube
hygrometer (optional)
bottles
corks
corking machine
sterilising tablets (Campden tablets)

However, you can make 'prison booze' by just getting a demijohn, adding juice and yeast and putting a balloon over the top to seal it. As the wine ferments the balloon fills with gas then deflates as the fermentation completes. Never tried it but should be ok as long as you sterilize everything - check the net for advice and recipes.

Galtizz

Or better still, Wilkos sell it all cheaply.

16011996

wilkos do, and so do Ardrons if you have one near you.

bugs

Pardon for another blatant plug for the website, but there's an introduction to winemaking on http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Home_Brewing/Home_wine_making/

(Not my article, but I help with the website, and it's free and you don't have to register so I hope nobody will mind).

We (I say we, it's my other half that does the chemistry, I'm just chief tester) use a book called Fruity Passions which says it's from a BBC TV series. Just the name would make me watch it, if only they'd repeat it!

N9eav

Keep an eye out at boot sales or the local paper, there is often cheap wine and beer making stuff for a few quid. People get bored of making it.

N9eav

The balloon thing is only an airlock to stop the flies getting in and turning your wine into vinegar.  Cotton wool will work too.  But plastic bubblers and a cork costs about a £1
Buy wine with screw caps and then re-use the bottles.
Try your local re-cycling dump for demi johns, I get mine there for as little as 30p each. Sterilise well!