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

missychrissy

I'm in the process of filtering 6 galls of barley wine. It is progressing very slowly so I have changed the filter. Last time I tried it it was very quick so not sure what I'm doing wrong.

fiftyeighter_2

Hi, this thread is really inspiring me to start my own wine. However i have collected all the things i need (i hope) plus 2 cartons of orange juice and 2 cartons of apple juice. I thought i'd seen arecipee for it on here but try as i might i can't find it.
Please can someone help me with a foolproof recipee in detail as i have never ever made wine before.
I would be so grateful for your help.
Waiting patiently in anticipation. (well sort of)

missychrissy

fiftyeighter wrote: »

Hi, this thread is really inspiring me to start my own wine. However I have collected all the things i need (i hope) plus 2 cartons of orange juice and 2 cartons of apple juice. I thought i'd seen arecipee for it on here but try as i might i can't find it.
Please can someone help me with a foolproof recipee in detail as i have never ever made wine before.
I would be so grateful for your help.
Waiting patiently in anticipation. (well sort of)

I use jennyjelly recipe for wine using cartons of juice. It was post 363 on the 'if things get tougher' thread.

I will quote her recipe

'You'll probabley be best to make 2 galls at a time, unless you want to drink the leftover half carton of grape juice - personally I'd rather drink it after it's fermented!

Dissolve 1 kg sugar in 2 pints water in a pan. Turn off the heat as soon as it is clear, no need to boil. When it's cool enough so that it won't crack the glass, pour it into the dimijohn, then top up to the middle of the curved shoulder with cold water. Add 1 level tsp each of pectolase, citric acid and yeast nutrient and shake. Stick a bung and fermentation lock in the top and leave it to ferment the same as with the expensive kits. Then just clear, filter etc as you would with any wine. I never bother bottling, just keep it in a spare demijohn and pour into a decanter. It doesn't hang around so chances of it going off are minimal!

You can make this with practically any carton fruit juice, our favourites are cranberry and red grape for a good red, apple and white grape juice for a white. I don't recommend using orange juice, we thought it was ugh. I reckon this costs a max of 70p per bottle and it's lush.'

I have had great success with this recipe especially with the apple and white grape combination. I found that over the summer months I did this wine from start to finish in 6 weeks.'

fiftyeighter_2

Thanks so much Missychrissy. I am going to start on this today. Wish me luck and I'l keep you informed.

fiftyeighter_2

HELP just realised where and when do the cartons go?

fiftyeighter_2

Please help a recipee i have tells me to put in wine stabilisor then 24hrs later wine finings. i have neither can i substitute it for anything else.

leon103

fiftyeighter wrote: »

Please help a recipee i have tells me to put in wine stabilisor then 24hrs later wine finings. i have neither can i substitute it for anything else.

You can get these from hop & grape, check out their site

pol

The stabiliser is to stop the wine fermenting, so that you can bottle it without it exploding. ( I learned by experience!) Some people don't bother if they're going to leave it in the demi with the airlock.
Finings are a matter of choice. They will clear a wine fairly quickly, but if you choose to leave it for six months or so, then they don't matter.
Neither are urgent, so you have time to order some as leon103 says.

fiftyeighter_2

Thanks for help Everyone. I'l stop panicking then.....

missychrissy

I never use wine finings or stabiliser. Apart from a disastrous attempt at apple wine using pureed apples I have never had a bottle pop it's cork. I can usually tell when a wine is ready for bottling and a hydrometer also helps.

I do however now filter my wine with a Harris filter I think I paid about £17.99 for. I too like Hop and Grape and am expecting a delivery from them tomorrow. My corker conked out the other day whilst bottling my Barley wine.

I usually rack off my first fermentation after 2 months and then do another racking after a further 2 months. I can tell at this point if it is ready for drinking and if it is I then filter it. I usually have a few drinks 'on draught' leaving it for about a week and then bottle. It seems to work for me.

I'm just enjoying a glass of apple wine made using Jenny Jelly's recipe.