Homemade wine

missychrissy

hi mochyn cwta

I use clear apple juice and buy whatever is the cheapest - it doesn't appear to make any difference to the quality of the wine. I do it in 4 gall batches as I have several 5 gall fermenters with taps. It is just as easy to do 4-5 galls at a time as it is to do 1 gall. The taps also make it very easy to 'rack off'.

The recipe I use is a jennyjelly recipe from the 'if things get tougher thread' but if you want it I will quote it for you.

mochyn_cwta

Thanks for your reply missychrissy. I'm OK with jennyjelly recipe thanks as I've found it in your previous threads. I'll have another go with the apple wine and might even try Tesco value apple juice although I noticed in Tesco this morning that the Princes apple juice (100% fruit) is at half price (50p).

Optimisticpair

nopot2pin wrote: »

Seen this somewhere else... but if you put "winexpert" in to youtube it brings up a few tutorials...
http://uk.youtube.com/results?search_query=winexpert&search_type=&aq=f

Thanks, I don't want to do a kit though so I've just spent a good 2 hours watching various other youtube vids- :rotfl: I think I know where I went wrong with my first foray 30 something years ago. I put my elderflowers, sugar and lemon juice into a lidded plastic bucket and then "racked it off" into large plastic fruit juice containers which bulged.

Still some questions though. I'd like to do wine so

Q Does the room temperature have to be fairly constant?
Q What's the ideal temperature?
Q Is there a recipe for a red and a white that is quick to do (I'd like to drink it sooner rather than later)

Austin_Allegro

Optimisticpair wrote: »

Thanks, I don't want to do a kit though so I've just spent a good 2 hours watching various other youtube vids- :rotfl: I think I know where I went wrong with my first foray 30 something years ago. I put my elderflowers, sugar and lemon juice into a lidded plastic bucket and then "racked it off" into large plastic fruit juice containers which bulged.

Still some questions though. I'd like to do wine so

Q Does the room temperature have to be fairly constant?
Q What's the ideal temperature?
Q Is there a recipe for a red and a white that is quick to do (I'd like to drink it sooner rather than later)

Q1. Ideally, but fluctuations don't seem to make much difference to my wine. In winter it would be best to keep it near to a heat source (radiator etc) in a room that won't get too cold in the night. Avoid keeping it in sheds, garages etc...
Q2. Doesn't seem to make much difference to my efforts.
Q3. I do herbal teabag wine ('Reds' can be done well with blackcurrant or cranberry, 'whites' with nettle, camomile or vanilla) which is drinkable after about 3 weeks. Stew at least 10 teabags (or 20 if you want a fuller bodied wine) in a litre of water for about half an hour, add to 750g-1kg of sugar (depending on your taste), top up the jar with cold water, allow to cool until lukewarm, add yeast and nutrient, leave for 3 weeks. It's very much trial and error but I've never had a bad result with this method, whereas I have with making wines from fresh fruit juices. (it's also cheaper!) You WILL need the nutrient otherwise you'll likely get a stuck fermentation.

jinny

Hi have posted on here before and got some great advice looking through the thread
can you tell me the best method for sterilizing the demi-johns and the other equipment?

Kevie192

jinny your best bet is to use something that is specialist.

The stuff you use to sterilise a baby's bottles will do just fine, or there are specialist ones such as WVP (this is what I use).

Please, whatever you do, do NOT use bleach to sterilise your equipment!! I'm sure I will get shot down for this but I know people who thought they washed all of the bleach out to find their wine tastes awful because there is still some in there. Bleach is designed to cling to surfaces which is not what you want. A specialist product will wash off with much less water.

HTH

Kevin x

jinny

thanks for your quick reply could i be a pest and ask stage by stage how you go about it would steeping the equipment in a bath do?

Kevie192

Well if I'm using a bucket to ferment in, I just dilute as per instructions, stuff all my equipment in the bucket and put the liquid in there. I just give it a really good shake every 5 mins for 30 mins then make sure i give everything a really good rinse. Obviously, don't put your glass thermometer or hydrometer in there though or you'll smash it!

If I'm not using a bucket, I usually just use the kitchen sink. Shove it all in, add the powder and some water. Again, I fill the demijon with a little of the solution and slosh it all around every 5 mins for 30mins.

I understand you CAN use boiling water to sterilise but that it's very risky as it's hard to work with water thats so hot and may not kill off all the beasties. For the sake of a couple of quid, I bought the powder rather than risk it.

Kevin x

jinny

oh thanks very helpful thank you very much

jinny

just another question its been quite chilly here lately so could put the demi in the bottom of the airing cubby but i keep my bed linnen and unironed clothes in there too would the fermenting wine make the linen smell of booze is there any way round this