Introduce Yourselves here

[astra]

Hi!

Hi there! Hope I'm in the right place to say hello to everyone.Have tried a few country wines before but without too much success. A poster on Downsizer directed me here so I'm hoping to pick up some tips and make some good stuff next time.

[lockwood1956]

Hi Astra
you most certainly are in the right place....welcome aboard.


regards
Bob

[aligator]

Hi every one
i have been lurking in the back ground for some time now and would like to say a big thankyou to all , for sharing you knowledge and wisdom.
i used to make wine and beer back in the 80s, wine from kits (not good)
beer by hop and grain method (excellent) results.
since reading this site i have started again and been really impressed by the
quality of both wine and beer kits now available and we are currently drinking and making connoisseurs ,beverdale and brupaks.
wine #1 is having trouble clearing, second dose of finnings and teaspoon of
youngs pectin still no improvement ,any ideas?
aligator

[goldseal]

Hi Aligator, and welcome.

Wine No 1 - what finings have you been using? Have you tried Kwik Clear? Works every time for me.

[aligator]

Hi pete
i used 2 part kwick clear i think it was called it came in two small orange packets, i now have some vin clear but have not yet used this,
how many times can i rack and add finnings with out affecting the wine?
thanks
alistair

[goldseal]

With finings, the standard practice seems to be 'if product X doesn't work, try product Y'.

Two orange packets - sounds like Youngs Wine Finings to me. Kwik Clear comes in a green and white box and contains two bottles. I think the Part A finings are the same, Part B are different.

I haven't use Vinclear so I can't tell you whether it will work.

If you have been making wine for some time this might be obvious, but you have checked that fermentation is actually finished and you have degassed fully, haven't you?

[aligator]

yes used a hydrometer after the air lock stopped popping for a couple of days
and degassed the same way as i did for the kit wines Shock the demijon over a period of 2 days ( quite a lot actually as i was at home and couldn't stop fiddling with this and a kit wine that needed de gassing)
it tastes fine just not clear, i will try another brew with a different supermarket juice used lidils last time, to see if that makes a difference
alistair

[Kevin]

Hi everyone

I'm Kevin from Norwich in Norfolk and I'm just starting out with homebrewing.

During the daytime, I work for a large insurer in one of their pensions departments. In my spare time, I run my own business making and selling candles, home fragrancing, soaps and bath & body products. I've always been a very 'crafty' kind of person and homebrewing is another craft I'd like to take up.

I discovered this site a few days ago searching for a recipe for tinned fruit wine and I've been reading all of the info here ever since! There is so much I want to make now...

I currently have a Strawberry Cider kit on the go right now, should be ready to bottle on Sunday! Looking forward to tasting my results

Once that's done, I'd like to try a ginger ale in the bucket and get my hand on a few demijons as I'd like to try a wine with tinned strawberries and the other one with tins of fruit cocktail! I've placed an ad on freecycle and freegle for demijons but nobody has contacted me yet so I may have to go and buy some...

Look forward to getting to know you all.

Kevin

[goldseal]

Welcome Kevin.

Can I suggest buying 5 litre plastic fermenters rather than demijohns? They are half the price and much less likely to break.

You can make your own, using 5 litre sized bottles of waters from a supermarket, some airlock grommets and a step-cutter drill bit. You get a cheap fermenter and 5 litres of free water

I have found that DJs are much sought after on Freecycle. Have patience though - you will eventually accumulate plenty. Charity shops are a good source too.

[Kevin]

Hi goldseal

I was under the impression that plastic might taint the flavour of the wine? No idea why I think that though!

Are there instructions on how to make a fermenter? I've no idea what a step-cutter drill bit is!

Kevin

[goldseal]

I don't think there is a tutorial. I keep meaning to write one

The plastic won't taint your wine provided you use either supermarket bottled-water bottles, plastic fermenters form your local Homebrew shop, or things called Better Bottles (a posh, near-indestructible plastic bottle).

A step cutter drill bit is cone-shaped, but with cutting surfaces at regular intervals along the cone. It lets you drill holes of a variety of sizes:

http://www.thesitebox.com/Category/4163/step-cutter.aspx

Most homebrew shops sell airlock grommets: drill the hole in the water bottle cap so that the airlock grommet fits snugly, pop a standard airlock in the top, and hey presto, one cheap fermenter.

[wisp]

I'm about to do this with a 5 litre bottle of water purchased from ASDA for 99p. I have a number of glass DJs, but with the different problems I have, medically, my grip is fading and they are becoming far too heavy. The water bottle also comes with its own carry handle - like a case - which makes it easier for me to lift.

It really is so easy to do. I use a 12mm drill bit. Place screwtop of bottle on a block of wood and drill a hole. Remove any loose plastic and fit the gromit; with the long end of the gromit pointing into the bottle. Fit airlock into the gromit and hey presto you're in business.

You can get gromits from HB and hardware shops. I'm not sure if Karl has a picture of a gromit to show you or not; afraid I haven't. Pete is right, it won't taint your wine. Hope this helps.

[koomber]

I have a major thing for the 5 litre water bottles. I've got a table kind of thing where I keep them on and the square shape is much better for storing and they are, as mentioned above, ALOT lighter.

I've gotten a few of my mates into the wine making and I gernerally set them up using a 5 litre bottle and rather than an airlock do the following:

• Buy a length of flexible 6mm silicone (shouldn't be more than a couple of quid a meter).
• Drill a 5 or 5.5 mm hole in the lid of the bottle. Poke one end of the tube through. As the hole is smaller than the tube it'll form a pretty air tight seal.
• The other end gets poked into a beer bottle half full of water. You only need enough to go from lid to bottom of bottle so make it this length.
• Stick a small plastic bag over the top of the bottle. A bit of clingfilm will do just make sure air can still get in/out of the bottle. This is just to keep any falling fluff and rubbish out.

I hope that is clear, but I have trouble explaining something as I know what I'm talking about so I don't know how clear it would be if I didn't know what I was talking about!
CJJJJ Berry recommends a similar approach. The beauty of this setup is one beer bottle + 1 metre of tube = lots of airlocks. It also make a VERY satisfying sound when it bubbles through.

PS: I use this method because I live in Aberdeen and there are no Homebrew Shops near by. If there were any near by I would go for the airlocks since they are only a quid or so.

PPS: I'm find that 'the more the merrier' is VERY true in Homebrew, whether it's beer or wine. IF you have a few different brews on the go, the wine from each will be better than if you have 1 wine on the go.

[wisp]

instead of a plastic bag/clingfilm, wouldn't cotton wool do the job as it does with airlocks?

I can just see your table with adapted DJs, tubing and beer bottles ... are you sure you're not a Borg ambassador?

[spritzer]

instead of a plastic bag/clingfilm, wouldn't cotton wool do the job as it does with airlocks?

I can just see your table with adapted DJs, tubing and beer bottles ... are you sure you're not a Borg ambassador?

Yes... in the absence of an airlock, cotton wool could be used.
I think I prefer the airlock method though... but cotton wool, is a good emergency measure.


Kevin.... Welcome
Grommets can be found here....
There is another orange/red coloured type grommet, and there was a link on this site, that had loads of pictures from Zebedee, which was very helpful.....
But for whatever reason, I think Zebedee has removed the pictures
I can take a pic and post, if you think it will help.