Homemade wine

MoJo

tipsychick wrote:

When you say making wine, do you mean twelve or thirteen percent proof like a standard bottle of wine, or is it more like sloe gin, etc. at thirty or forty percent proof? Sounds a lovely idea, although God knows what I'd make it from in London!

TIA

I was talking about wine, but I make Sloe Gin & Sloe Vodka using cheap gin & vodka - both delicious - but you would have to get out in the countryside to pick sloes.
I've also made Rumtopf - you put fruit & sugar in a big jar and cover it with rum & keep topping it up. Delicious drink and good, alcofrol soaked fruit *hic*

Being in London shouldn't deter you?

My mum once made a Still - but I guess I shouldn't talk about that :beer:

robowen

thriftmonster wrote:

I make a fair bit and I would recommend anything by CCJ Berry esp 1st steps in winemaking - you could try the library or charity shops for a copy. The elderflower and lemon is good - we gave some to family & friends for Xmas pressies

The elderly lady across the road from us, comes over every year to pick the elderflowers growing at the bottom of our garden.
She chastises us for not doing anything with them. She's even posted a few elderflower recipes through the door as a subtle hint :rolleyes:

fraid my wine brewing is the same as my gardening skills...I've never had greenfingers like my grandad. . I suppose it's a generation thing. People were encouraged to grow veg and fruit during the war years.

rob

robowen

Pink-winged wrote:

Squeaky,

My next door neighbour makes his own wine and he recommended this website for beginners. Homemade wine

Pink

I like this site already....and I've only read the front page. :j

Theres a link for detailed instructions and one FOR AN INSTANT
METHOD FOR THE NOVICE. :rotfl:

rob

pol

I make lots of wine for family and friends. The fruit teabag is ready in about a month, so I can let the other 'proper' wine mature while I drink that. Once you have the basics, it can cost as little as £2 for a gallon (6 bottles).
This site is brilliant, loads of help for every level of winemaker.

http://www.homewinemaking.co.uk/cgi/yabb/YaBB.cgi

the boards nearly always have someone on to help quickly if needed.

pol

tonyhamm

Can I ask the experts if teabags can be used instead of grape tannin for wine?

Apple wine is not cider - its pretty good stuff for drinkning and cooking in place of white wine at around 40p per bottle.

mehefin

This thread has awakened old memories! Used to make loads but OH got fed up with waiting for the results. One of the best was carraway and (fresh) cold tea with the usual raisins etc. Came out something like a fino sherry if I remember correctly - absolutely gorgeous and very potent.
Find white wine acidic so prefer reds these days. I was told by an old chemist that one reason home made induce headaches/hangovers is that they contain more ketones... All Greek to me!
Bakers yeast is the wrong type, get cloudy results and a sod to shift - get brewers - designed for the job so to speak.

MrsTinks

mmmmm now where could i fit a home brew experiment in at home without more discussions about "who's shed is it anyway!" I ask you! You store 4 alloys, a drawer unit and a few bits and pieces and they get all protective over their sheds these men...

tonyhamm

Bought a food bucket, and winemaker from wilkinsons, with pectic enzime. £20. Bought a 'Barolo' Kit (nebbilo grape) from Ritchie Homebrew for 30 bottles for about £36 (comes with everything including oak chips, yeast, finings and instuctions)

Mixed it with water, and added yeast June.
Transfered it off the dead yeast in the food bucket, (the transfer is the one Key, Critical step in which you need everything clean - later on, the higher alcohol in the wine kills most bacteria spoiling your efforts, but not at this stage), when it slowed its bubbling down 14 days later into the wine maker bucket, then made a hole in the top of the food bucket and added an airlock.

Created a LIDL brew. Straight away, adding 17 L of lidl red grape juice with some suger and pectic enzime, using some of the yeast remains on the bottom to get it going.

lidl stuff was then ransferred it into 10 x 2L bottles, cleared the dead yeast out of the food bucket, and poured it all back again for its longer ferment (off the dead yeast, so the dead yeast doesn't impare the flavour)

Its August, 2 months later (1 month from the Lidl brew) - Have 60 litres of wine.
Haven't needed to do anything further to it, seems to have cleared naturally. Am drinking it now, the lidl wine tastes like good red wine 'plonk', no doubt it would taste better if I left it to age for a few months, but for about 60p per litre its pretty incredible. It looks a slightly weak red as I added water and suger unfortunately, I should have used just red juice.

The Barolo I was highly sceptical about, but, although its favour has not fully developed, you can tell from its deep ruby red clear colour, and plesently smooth taste, its going to be a cracker when it develops favour from a few months of aging.

I like this new hobby, but I don't see how on earth I am going to drink it all. Want to collect blackberries now to make another 22 Litres of deep red for free this time, using 11 x 2L bottles for storage. Its just so easy - you basically just leave it!

Yes - they are as good as the bottled stuff in the supermarket!
Plus you don't get taxed to pay for Browns huge expansion of the state, non-jobs etc... !

Anyone have any recipes?

LydiaSophia

I am completely skint and would like to start making my own wine as I seem to get through quite alot at the weekends when my friends come over.

Does anyone have any cheap recipes. I also have a small flat so I need some ideas that aren't going to take my place over.

Thank you!

Penelope_Penguin

Hi, if you've never made wine before, I'd recommend trying first with a kit. Try here for equipment. Total cost for your first 5 gall (30 bottles) will start at around £35. After that, the kits will start at around £20 for 30 bottles.

You'll also need empty bottles and corks. Start saving bottles now (ask your friends) and purchase push-in corks (like those in Port bottles) from the web site.

If you take to this, PM me and I'll point you in the direction of some wine from fresh ingredients - elder (flower and berry) apple, grape.

HTH, Penny. x