Winemaking esp Blackcurrant

Norman_Bean

Is there a winemaking thread? I can't find one for wine, I could only find beer threads ...

Also I started my first ever wine yesterday - blackcurrant! I've put it all in the fermenting bucket with a lid on as per recipe (Mollie Harris - A Drop O Wine) but I'm concerned about explosions .... will the wine be ok if I let some of the gas out? Mollie says to leave it in a 'tightly closed bucket for 6 days' before transferring to a demi-john and airlock but I'm not sure the roof will still be on the house if I leave it another 5 days there seems to be a lot of pressure already....

Thanks

Norman x

Pink.

Hi Norman Bean,

This is the main winemaking thread with some advice on making fruit wines:

Homemade wine

Although this thread is not specific to only wine there it should help too:

Adventures in Homebrewland (image heavy - you have been warned!)

Pink

Norman_Bean

Thank you Pink-Winged I will have a look at the first link ... if I don't find an answer to my question do I just add my question at the end? There hasn't been any action on there since 2008? <thicko icon needed>

I've looked at the second link before but it's mostly beer and cider.

Thanks again

Norman

Pink.

Norman_Bean wrote: »

Thank you Pink-Winged I will have a look at the first link ... if I don't find an answer to my question do I just add my question at the end? There hasn't been any action on there since 2008? <thicko icon needed>

I've looked at the second link before but it's mostly beer and cider.

Thanks again

Norman

You can either add your question to the end of that thread or just leave this thread as it is (which might draw more attention to it) and when it drops down the board I can add it to that thread which will bump it up and notify anyone who is subscribed to the older thread.

I wouldn't discount the other thread though and perhaps add your question to it as it's more recent and people who are subscribed to it might be able to help.

Pink

Edit in the second thread there are some experienced winemakers posting here. Perhaps it would be worth sending a pm?

Norman_Bean

Good plan!
Thank you - I will wait and see what happens and hope I get a response before any explosions!

Norman x

Farway

Norman, if your bucket is plastic with plastic lid, the lid will just pop off, no need to worry, the reason for tightly closed is stop wild yeast spores getting in, but a peek will be ok, go on you know you want to

Norman_Bean

Thanks Farway - the bucket is plastic so I'll try and leave it alone
Ye gads what on earth is a wild yeast spore!!??? Now I'm proper scared!

Thanks again

Norman x

camelot1001

If it is a fermenting bin you can drill a hole in the lid and fit an airlock. This way the spores can't get in but the air can get out. Just be prepared for lots of "plopping" noises!!

Farway

Norman_Bean wrote: »

Thanks Farway - the bucket is plastic so I'll try and leave it alone
Ye gads what on earth is a wild yeast spore!!??? Now I'm proper scared!

Thanks again

Norman x

Wild yeast spores are everywhere, for centuries that was how wine & booze was made, just crush the fruit / apples etc and leave it, sooner or later it will start fermenting using the wild yeast on it's skins

As brewing / wine making advanced special yeast strains were developed, some to give distinctive flavours, some to withstand high alcohol levels, which is why today we tend to use specific brew yeast, the wild ones may not give as nice a result

Sunnyday

Hi Normanbean - I started making wine a while ago from a recipe posted on here by jennyjelly, i don`t have time to find it now as i`m off out but hopefully i`ll be back online later.

I made my first elderberry wine based around jennys recipe but altered slightly at the beginning as she uses juice instead of fruit. This will probably be the same as you are doing now.

I bottled it last week and it tasted fab! I`ll try and find out the details and hopefully post them later.

SD

Sunnyday

Right i`m back and i`ve found it lol, i got a bit mixed up and it seems that i used jennyjellys recipe for the white wine, this is fab and i make it constantly.

I actually used Pen Pen`s recipe for the elderberry which is here
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2703429&postcount=34

It`s ready to drink now and is lovely, we pinched a bit when bottling as we had a half bottle extra.
The rest is going to be left as long as we can so that it is better as Pen Pen says that it gets better with age

I shall try the same recipe with different fruit later in the year.

HTH

SD