Introduce Yourselves here

[jonesthephones]

Hello one and all

Hello all, I'm far from new to wine-making, but I am new to this forum site, which looks absolutely spot-on for swapping tips / queries / recipes etc.... Many thanks to those who set it up. I'll be looking through all sorts of posts for info.

I generally make wine in 4.5 to 5 gall lots, on basis that for making just one mess, I may as well get 25 or so bottles. I do have many DJ's but haven't used them for some time.

Bubbling away at present I have:

a) my second 4.5gall lot of 2010 elderberry, picked at their very ripest - high hopes for this brew.

b) Just started 4.5 gall APPLE & BLACKCURRANT using ROBINSONS fruit cordial (5 litres of the full sugar type not the deadly "No Added Sugar" variety - very cheap)

c) 4.5 galls of STRAWBERRY, made using 4 litres of good old Ribena, with usual chopped raisins, bananas, tea, etc.

In c) above, boiled up Ribena for 30 mins to remove preservatives, but it was still slow to start. I used Youngs Super Yeast Compound, making it up as a starter and adding it to the brew (in bucket incl fruit) when it was fizzing away nicely.....

Saw little evidence of ferment in next couple of days, so repeated with fresh yeast starter. Did same once more and was about to give up, when I read the Youngs label which recommended adding it directly to the must, without needing to start it. I did exactly this and hey presto, I have a thriving ferment... Do I perhaps need to boil the Ribena for longer than 30mins, or should I just add yeast directly every time???

[robwrx]

Hello

What a fantastic forum, I can't believe the huge amount of information available to any wine maker who stumbles across it as I have.

I live in north Dorset and have just got into wine making. I've had two grape vines growing in my garden for the last 6 years and every year as I watch the birds eat the grapes, I think I really ought to have a go at making something with them. This October I picked enough grapes to make 4 gallons of wine but unfortunately this was before I'd found this forum or read enough on the subject to not make some major errors. I currently have 3 gallons (1 gallon spoiled) of very acidic wine that I'm not sure what to do with.

Having read the tutorials I've now also got 2 gallons of wine No.1 on the go, one made with orange juice and one with apple juice. I'm now completely hooked and can't wait to collect a few more demijohns to get something else brewing.

Rob

[goldseal]

Welcome aboard Rob.

Regarding your acidic wine: if you wish, start a new thread in this section:

http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=46

- include your starting and finishing SG, quantities of sugar added (if any), and any other additions, we'll try to suggest a way to turn it into something more palatable.

[Platypus]

Hi all,

I used to make wine from kits in the past but lost interest for a while when the kids were growing up and supermarket wine became so cheap.

I have recently become interested again, especially around autumn when the hedgerows become such a wonderful source of raw material.

Currently I have 1G of Bullace, 1G of Light Elderberry & Blackberry, 1G Innocent & Welch's Purple, and 1G of Ancient Spiced Orange. All going well but the ASO doesn't seem to be clearing so I'll probably post a query in the relevant thread soon.

PS Great site with lots of good info. Like it...

[hawkeyetim]

Hi All And Merry Xmas
Am very new to wine making but have done a couple of Youngs and Berverdale kits in the last couple of months and looking forward to trying a few fruit/flower wines when available.
Just got an Xmas pud and a few cartons of juice to try in a few days and also looking at some pinot grigio kits but can not decide between Berverdale, Solomon and Cantina. Which do you guys/gals recommend.

Hello all and hope to pick your vast brains over the next few weeks, months and years.

Thanks

Tim

[spritzer]

but can not decide between Berverdale, Solomon and Cantina. Which do you guys/gals recommend.

Hello all and hope to pick your vast brains over the next few weeks, months and years.

Thanks

Tim

Welcome Tim

Personally, I love the Beaverdale kits, if I have the money. Their Pinot Grigio is lovely
Cantina/Solomon are good when you a bit short of time, and are good quaffing wines.

[hawkeyetim]

Welcome Tim

Personally, I love the Beaverdale kits, if I have the money. Their Pinot Grigio is lovely
Cantina/Solomon are good when you a bit short of time, and are good quaffing wines.

I guessed you might say that and i bet its probably better to go for the better kits first just to see what good wines can be made before you try some slightly cheaper kits.
Trying our first homemade tomorrow which is a very very young (5 weeks) Barolo i know its young but i did promise the wife one for Xmas.

Thanks Spritzer

[tribalfather]

Okay, hooked again. Pity I gave all my equipment away, hopefully get some back?????
Just started 2xgallons of no1, blueberry and a cranberry fingers crossed cranberry sg 1.086 and blueberry 1.090, a little high but both need topping up after first vigorous fermentation. Due to more on the spur than carefull planning, have no demi johns at present so fell back to old equipment (gallon of whiskey bottles, hence leaving a large top up volume). Now have to just wait and see what happens.

[wispa]

Hi

Hello everyone,

new to wine making but an old hand at beer and cider making, I have just found the forum by looking for recipes using SM grape juice as I live near a Lidl and found 1L white and and red for 85p a litre :0) so I have used the newbie recipe 1 but modified it a bit .....just started 10 L of white using the 5 litre "plastic DJ's" I have left over from ASDA as I use there water at 90p for 5 litres "in a plastic DJ that my local Homebrew shop sells £1.80" to make my Beer kits as I don't like using tap water. I just drill the top of the 5L water bottles "DJ" with a 25mm hole bit and bang in a bung and Airlock....anyway I will see how it tastes and let you know...oh the other DJ has 5 litres of ginger beer fermenting happily away...

[Mamgiowl]

Hi Wispa and welcome to the forum.

I use the plastic water bottles too and have never had any problems.

Let's know how the wine gets on

[SE11]

Hello everyone,

new to wine making but an old hand at beer and cider making, I have just found the forum by looking for recipes using SM grape juice as I live near a Lidl and found 1L white and and red for 85p a litre :0) so I have used the newbie recipe 1 but modified it a bit .....just started 10 L of white using the 5 litre "plastic DJ's" I have left over from ASDA as I use there water at 90p for 5 litres "in a plastic DJ that my local Homebrew shop sells £1.80" to make my Beer kits as I don't like using tap water. I just drill the top of the 5L water bottles "DJ" with a 25mm hole bit and bang in a bung and Airlock....anyway I will see how it tastes and let you know...oh the other DJ has 5 litres of ginger beer fermenting happily away...

I've been using the supermarket water bottles too - very convenient especially when a quick clear out of under the stairs is required! Although they're creeping up in price - they’re now over a pound each in my local T*sco. I blame the bankers!

I bought new caps with the small grommet that takes a bubbler. Don’t know about anyone else but I find that a bit of blu-tak is needed to ensure a proper seal from the grommet.

Trying some lychee (a very interesting thread) and a rose comparison in 4 of them atm.

[Rich]

Trying some lychee (a very interesting thread) and a rose comparison in 4 of them atm.

Great thread that

[koomber]

I've got 5 or six tins in the flat and I'm REALLY tempted to chuck them in some beer that I've got brewing. It's a hoppy beast but I think it might just not be awful

[jayv]

Hi All,

Greetings from the Middle East (the dry part ). I'm new to wine making, apart from being chief bottle washer for my Dad when I was a kid. I didn't bring any equipment or ingredients with me so I've had to improvise. My sister sent me some ez-caps which I've been experimenting with. Results have been ok, but quantities are far too small . I've just put down my first batch of Wine number 1 in an 8L glass bottle/jar that I picked up the other day in a hardware shop. I used the yeast that came with the ez-caps, lemon juice instead of citric acid, and a 1/3 of a multivitamin instead of nutrient . God knows what it will turn out like! Also trying out the turbo cider recipe with honey using the ez-caps and 2.25L 7up bottles. My mother-in-law is posting me out some Lalvin K1-V1116, sodium metabisulphite, nutrient, citric acid and a hydrometer. Provided it makes it through customs, I should have enough ingredients to start making something that resembles wine. You can get spirits quite easily out here (expensive!) but its hard to explain how much we miss a nice glass of wine

[lockwood1956]

You are most welcome