Winemaking Advice

QOTD

I've decided that I'm going to start making some wine and I'm trying to work out which is more cost efficient - to buy a kit or to buy everything individually!

I intend to just start off simple with a grape concentrate for my first attempt, since I don't want to be dis-heartened by miserable results and then I hope to be more adventureous in subsequent attempts.

I have this fab book with hundreds of recipes from all sorts of ingredients - but going back to my original question, since I want to start simple is it worth buying a kit to be sure that I have everything?

ALSO..... during my quick internet search I have noticed that they sell both glass demijohns and plastic fermentation buckets - again, please can someone give me some advice on the best item to use?

Thanks in advance...

Farway

If you have never made wine before I suggest you start with a kit, at least the basic tin of "gunk" & yeast in box. The gunk is grape concentrate, but it will have certain characteristics / flavours you may not get from basic concentrate

The demi johns, bungs, corks, bottles, siphon etc you need to buy seperately any way sooner or later so get them when you buy your kit

Fermentation bucket, any food grade one will do you, I used a nappy bucket bucket [new BTW] for years, but really all you need is a plastic bucket with a lid, ideally not dark so you can see any dirt sticking to it

tiff

I started making wine this year. I got all my demijons from Freecycle, I have the glass ones as I prefer those. All the other bits and pieces I got from Wilkinsons, they are cheaper than online home brew sites.

I havent used a kit, I've made my wine from wild fruit such as elderberries and blackberries, therefore all free. I've also made a tea wine and a pineapple juice wine, using 4 litres of pineapple juice and one litre of 100% white grape juice. I started it in Sept and drinking it now and have to say its as good as pinot grigio! Fruice juice wines work out about 50p a bottle I think.

I used this recipe

3 Litres any 100% fruit juice cartons
1 Litre of white or red grape juice
1 lb Sugar
1 tsp Pectolase
1 tsp nutrient
yeast

QOTD

That's great advice, thanks both of you. Tiff I noticed the Wilkinsons sold all the stuff, but I also have a reasonably local homebrew shop so I might take Farway's advice and get a kit to start off with

Cheers :beer:

richyg

Hi,

The demijohn approach will give if I remember 6 bottles of wine from 1 gallon made up from a standard kit or raw ingredients

The airlock ensures the fruit fly (dropsophylia ?sp) doesnt get in and turn it to vinegar.

The larger plastic vessels are generally for 5 gallon (30 bottle mixes) hic :beer:


I think it would be a mistake to do a 1 gallon kit in a large vessel as you would increase the risk of contamination with no airlock.

The white fruit based kits (apple etc) can be drunk quicker sometimes in as little as 30 days compared with pure grape based kits or those with freely picked ingredients. Things like elderberry are not good for beginners as they take an age to age :rotfl:

There is a book that has had several reprints called "First Steps in Winemaking" by C.J.J Berry which contains all you need to know including photographs, techniques and wines for each month. eg Elderflowers and elderberries through to tea , pea pod etc. A best seller with 3 mllion copies sold

There are also some cheap and easy to do wines suggested in that based in tinned peaches which are done with a hand blender.

A most enjoyable hobby that is moneysaiving as well.

Enjoy

tiff

I have the CJJ Berry book too, nearly everyone recommended it and its great for the beginner as it gives step by step instructions. A bit dated in style, but still relevant.

sylphraven

Try asking on your local freecycle if they've got any wine making apparatus going, theres frequently Demi-Johns going begging on the 1 I use.

sandy2_2

Friends of ours in Spain want to make their own wine, but we haven't managed to find any demijohns out here. Is there an alternative they could use

pol

They could use the 5 litre water bottles that you can buy in supermarkets, but will need to adapt the top to fit a bung and airlock.
It's fairly easy to drill a hole into the top, push the bung through and use a little clingfilm if necessary to make it airtight. (some people use glue guns or blutack to make the seal tight).
pol

[Deleted User]

Hi

I started wine making last year.

I got about 9 demijohns free from freecycle and bought the rest.

Advice is to start with a kit and stick to 1 gallon size demijohns. Trying to make wine from scratch is a skill. Like most things this takes a lot of practice, so its great to have some kit wine on the go for back up and something to drink! (Gooseberry home made wine is best drank after 2 years or so..........I think my patience would have ran out if I hadn't have had something else to do!)

I had some wines good enough to give away at Christmas and some that I throw into the risotto as they are 'rough' and only good to cook with.



I'm currently trying to make my first batch of 'champagne style' wine.


Try http://www.winesathome.co.uk/ Their explanations are better than mine and there is a beginners instruction area too.

Good luck

The site is based here but you'll find people from all over the world.

Farway

killmymortgage wrote: »

Hi

I'm currently trying to make my first batch of 'champagne style' wine.

I made my champagne style using elderflowers, a great success with all who drank it

BTW, nearly St George's day 23rd April. Traditionally the day for picking dandelions for wine as they are in flower then

Pick on St George's day, drink on Christmas Day :beer: