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

missychrissy

I need to rescue this 2 galls of apple wine. I added 6 pints of water but only the top inch has cleared after adding finings. The rest is a very alcoholic apple puree. Anyone got any suggestions?

missychrissy

My apple wine does seem to have cleared a bit more. However, I have just tried a glass and even though cloudy it tastes good so I'm just gonna drink it. I've got it in a fermenter with a tap so will just have it on draft. I'm just not prepared to waste it.

I joined freecycle yesterday and put in a request for winemaking equipment. I got a response today. I have just spoken to a lovely 73 yr old man who says he doesn't have the time anymore and I am collecting his unwanted equipment on Monday. Success!

Zoelikesjam

I've just done the same misschrissy! Got a load of winemaking stuff off a wonderful couple who have given me loads of advice. I am so excited about starting this weekend!!!!! whooooo!

snugglepants

Hi all

Found this thread last night, and I've read it all now

I've brewed several things from kits, the latest being ale and strawberry wine Ale is bottled, maturing for a couple of weeks. Strawberry Wine is bottled, ready to mature until next summer, if I can hold out that long!! :eek: Also bottled 5 gallons of red wine. Leaving most of that for a few months - it's ok, but has an edge to it that I think will disappear after maturing for a while.

I've got black cherry wine on the go at the moment, and starting off some "proper" wine, which is a combination of berries and pure pressed red grape juice + water. Not sure how it'll turn out, as only had around 1.25lbs of fruit and 1l of red grape juice. Doing 1 gallon of that. Got a stout kit at the ready, but need to collect some more bottles!

I had a little idea.....do you think it would be good to start a "Recipes Only - No Chat" thread, to put all our recipes in one place, easily accessible? We could edit the recipes when finished to give an idea of the outcome? I love this thread, but the recipes are scattered about, so thought it might be easier for looking up different ones? I'm not trying to tread on anyones toes, but sorry if I do

snugglepants

Oooo and joined freecycle, thanks to the posts of people saying they had success in getting euipment from there! Thank you I hope I'm lucky I have too many things to do but too little equipment!

missychrissy

Hi everyone

I've been into production big style this week. I ordered some 5 gallon fermenters, with taps (makes it much easier for racking and bottling), from Hop and Grape. I've now got 4 gallons of cranberry/raspberry/red grape going and 4 gallons of cranberry/blueberry/red grape going courtesy of jennyjelly's recipe. I will post back in a few months on how successful this is. I also set off 3 gallons of wheat and raisin, a second ferment of a rice and raisin and bottled 1 gallon of red currant wine (tastes a bit like sherry).

I've bunged down (how it's described in the recipe), 2 gallons of Chinese Rice wine. I acquired 4 glass demijohns on freecycle for this purpose. I thought the latter was very dry and not sure what to make of it but intend to leave it now for several months so will report back on it eventually.

I would like to reach a stage where I am drinking wine that I produced 3 years earlier so that it's had a chance to mature in the bottle.

I have a feeling that patience is required to produce some of the best quality home brewed wines but not sure how good I'm gonna be at that.

hope6804

I just acquired 6 bottles off freecycle picking up tomorrow, all because I saw a recipe on a thread using orange juice & cranberry juice!!! OMG what have I let myself in for:eek:

shandypants5

missychrissy wrote: »

I would like to reach a stage where I am drinking wine that I produced 3 years earlier so that it's had a chance to mature in the bottle.

I have a feeling that patiance is required to produce some of the best quality home brewed wines but not sure how good I'm gonna be at that.

I find the best way is to make a few cheap 5 gallon KIT wines along side your country wines, that way you have plenty of cheap stuff avaliable for everyday drinking with meals and such, so your "best" wines get chance to mature for longer.

Kits are ready to drink after a week or so, but most wines made from real fruit or vegetables tast MUCH better after a year.:beer:

missychrissy

Today I strained 3 galls of wheat wine into a fermenter with airlock, started off 4 galls of apple and white grape (jennyjelly's recipe) in fermenter with airlock and started off 5 galls of plum wine (given 21lbs of them at work) in a bucket. The latter will go into a fermenter in 4 days time.

I now have 12 5 gall fermenters or buckets in action and 5 one gall. That's a lot of wine and not sure where I am going to store it all. I stacked 6 strong wine boxes in my hall cupboard that will hold 72 bottles (already nearly full) and I have a 28 bottle and a 10 bottle wine rack in the utility room (also nearly full). I have 4 boxes full of wine bought when on special offer that I will use when empty. However, I only drink about one bottle of wine per week so could be a while. Has anybody ever kept wine in the garage over the winter? Does it freeze? I keep my empty bottles in the garage in wine boxes until I need them so could use these boxes but only if the wine would survive the sub zero temps in the winter.

Gigervamp

I don't have a garage, but you could try insulating the bottles with bubble wrap.