Homemade wine

shandypants5

nuttybabe wrote: »

Sunnyday and Norman Bean thank you but I am not worried about the bottles (i hadnt actually thought about that!!!) i am just wondering why the starter kit did not have anything inbetween big bucket and bottles so no demijohn. Do I need a demijohn and what are they used for? The 30 bottles kit of wine makes 30 bottles so I will start collecting old bottles now i think!!! :P

Thanks

You will need another container large enough to sipon ALL the wine into once the fermentation has finished. (you need to get it off the yeast mud that will have settled at the bottom)

Then you should leave it to clear for a while longer before putting into either demijhons or bottles for long storage.

I just store ours in demis as it gets drunk way too fast to bother with bottling.:D

The Youngs cellar 7 kits are great for beginers, £30 for 30 bottles and no extra sugar required, we make them a lot and find them very nice.

They are supposed to be ready in 7 days but realistically it takes about two weeks, still pretty fast for a kit though so great for a beginner.

nuttybabe

Thanks shandypants5. So if i get a beginners kit that has this in it:

CONTENTS:
1 x wine fermenting bin 33 litres
1.5 metres of 5/16" flexible syphon tubing
1 x plastic syphon pick-up tube
1 x syphon tap
1 x airlock grommet
1 x plastic bubbler airlock
1 x cleaner/steriliser 100g

I will also need another large container to put the wine in AND demijohns?

shandypants5

Really yes, although you can siphon the wine into sterile pop bottles and then put it back into the bucket for its second clearing if thats all you have.

You just need somewhere sterile to put it while you wash out your first bucket to get rid of the mud.

A second bucket makes things much easier though, then after it has cleared in the second bucket you can put it into "either" demis or bottles, 5 demis is easier to wash than 30 bottles though.

nuttybabe

Brilliant. Thank you. I have put a wanted add on freecyle so fingers crossed I can get a few things from that. Might need to rethink the space needed as well!!! Looks like i will have to have a clearout under the stairs!!! :P

shandypants5

If you do go for bottles, screw tops are great and much easier then faffing around with corks..

You can probly tell, my wine is for drinking .. not winning shows for presentation:beer:

missychrissy

Sunnyday wrote: »

OO quick question,

do the 5 gall fermentors come with the tap attached or is it seperate and you have to attach it yourself? i`ve found one in the shed without a tap, DH is using it to store dry dogfood as fishing bait and i could easily empty it out and just buy a tap :j

Hopefully i`ll not end up with a leaky tap but just considering it as an option.

SD

Have a look on Hop & Grape's website. The 5 gall fermenters with taps only require you to screw the tap into the hole - instructions included.

Sunnyday

missychrissy wrote: »

Have a look on Hop & Grape's website. The 5 gall fermenters with taps only require you to screw the tap into the hole - instructions included.

Ta! think i shall get one thats pre-drilled and also have an experiment with the one in the shed too- then if i mess it up it won`t matter too much.

The coffee wine has settled down nicely now and has the airlock back on top *breathes sigh of relief*

SD

craftlady

Well my first effort into wine making was a disaster. Elderflower chamagne using this recipe http://www.wine-making-guides.com/elderflower_champ.html It has not gone fizzy and has started to get a little mould on top:( Can I strain it through muslin, add some yeast and try again or do I bin it?

We have lots of cherry plum trees nearby. Anyone got a tried recipe for wine from these?

Sunnyday

craftlady wrote: »

Well my first effort into wine making was a disaster. Elderflower chamagne using this recipe http://www.wine-making-guides.com/elderflower_champ.html It has not gone fizzy and has started to get a little mould on top:( Can I strain it through muslin, add some yeast and try again or do I bin it?

We have lots of cherry plum trees nearby. Anyone got a tried recipe for wine from these?

Craftlady i`ve never made elderflower champagne before but have read many stories on these very forums about it going mouldy. I`m off out to work now but have a look around on old style and i`m sure that you will find some of them.

IIRC the mould doesn`t matter and it can be removed, yeast can also be added to start the mixture bubbling but its a while since i read about it.

Good luck

SD

Gigervamp

Craftlady, I replied when you asked the question on the preservers year thread here.