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

missychrissy

Hi Nitha. Cranberry and red grape makes a light red wine a bit like a rose. I use Jenny Jelly's recipe. It is also very quick to ferment. I racked some off yesterday that I started on 10 Oct. It is just about clear (filtering should finish it off) and tastes ready to drink. SG is .996 so I'm going to filter it next week. I find this wine only needs racking once.

On Youtube I watched a young man make wine using a large bottle of blackcurrant cordial. He tipped a bit out into another container to allow space for the addition of some sugar into the original bottle. He added yeast and a balloon and away it went in the original container. I think I might watch it again. There are lots of demos on Youtube for anyone interested.

nopot2pin

missychrissy wrote: »

I've got one that I was given but I cannot work out how to fill it. It looks like the boxes of wine that you buy in the supermarket.

The ones I have are like the number 2 in the link.
The back white area of the tap bit unscrews, leaving the yellowy bit attached to the bag.
I am not sure how the ones with the red tap works, as I dont have any sorry.
Is it the red tap one that you have ?
Do you live close enough to your home brew shop, to be able to visit and ask them ?
I really like them... my family is also quite large, and they are invaluable at family gatherings.

missychrissy

I don't have a homebrew shop handy. Apart from the odd yeast and nutrient from Wilkinsons I always order on line.

I have just looked at the box. It has a white fitting but I can't get the cap off. It doesn't screw off. The instructions on the box don't say how to get the cap off only to sterilise then fill the bag, fix the tap and then insert in the box. Help!

It's ok I've managed to pull it off. I will use this when my apple wine is ready.

Saban

Sorry to ask a silly question but what is racking off? We have a apple and cranberry wine in a demijohn that we started three weeks ago, it has stopped fermenting and there's quite a bit of sediment. Is it time to bottle it? How much longer should it be left?

Sorry for all the questions! Thanks to anyone who can help!

shandypants5

Saban wrote: »

Sorry to ask a silly question but what is racking off? We have a apple and cranberry wine on the in a demijohn that we started three weeks ago, it has stopped fermenting and there's quite a bit of sediment. Is it time to bottle it? How much linger should it be left?

Sorry for all the questions! Thanks to anyone who can help!

Racking means siphoning the clear wine off the muddy sediment at the bottom.
You may have to do it 2 or 3 times with a real fruit wine, or just once with a kit or juice wine, siphon it into another demijohn, then let it clear for a few weeks then sihon again into your bottles.

nopot2pin

missychrissy wrote: »

It's ok I've managed to pull it off. I will use this when my apple wine is ready.

:T:T:T:T:T

Well done

It might be worth while, having a practise putting the it back on again, when the bag is filled with water.
I find there is a bit of a knack to it.
You wouldn't want to find out that you cant get the thing back on, when its filled with wine :eek:;)

missychrissy

Good thinking nopot2pin. At least now I can see how to use it. I was given the box along with some wine making equipment from a freecycler.

Gigervamp

I've just put a gallon of teabag wine into the demi-john. I had a box of vanilla chai teabags, so used those and added a vanilla pod and a couple of handfuls of sultanas. I'm also planning on doing the coffee wine soon.
Bottled the tinned peach wine that I had going. It's ok, not unpleasant, but tastes like very dilute orange squash.

Nitha

That tea wine sounds like a lush idea. I love wines with vanilla notes.

Gigervamp

Yes, when I siphoned it off into the demi-john, the mouthful I got tasted really nice, so I'm really looking forward to this one!