Introduce Yourselves here

[Taxmackem]

Hi all !

I'm not a new winemaker, but one who used to make wine from tinned fruit ( C.J.J. Berry take a bow), when I was first married, and for a few years after, until it seemed most of the wines I did went wrong, couldn't work out why, and gave up, ( crying loudly).

After divorce ( no connection), my life revolves around golf and fishing , until this week when I decide to try again after a chat ( hic) with a guy at the golf club, sooooo I have now got a Youngs Blackberry kit on , as it was reduced to a very cheap £4.38 in my Tesco, and on a whim, bought a tin of mango puree, which duly disappeared into a demijohn , with 1tsp citric acid, enough sugar to bring me up to 1095 and a half cup of medium strength tea. I hope this is ok----

I'm now 58, and we didn't have pc's then, or all this advice on tap ( pun intended ha ha), , so I hope to be able to produce a high class product now ( bloody liar, he just wants cheap decent wine )

I look forward to a rather more rapid and enjoyable learning curve than back in the days of ferment it then drink it. I was never really very good at it, but it was drinkable !

[lockwood1956]

Welcome aboard


regards
bob

[sirstanleybowles]

Welcome aboard


regards
bob

Nice

[Cellar_Rat]

I look forward to a rather more rapid and enjoyable learning curve than back in the days of ferment it then drink it. I was never really very good at it, but it was drinkable !

Drinkable is a good place to be - we can certainly help you become addicted to perfecting your art, this is one hobby that does seem to get hold of you.

[SleepyDave]

Hi Guys,

I've just signed up. I've been making a few cheap reds (mostly carafe 21) for a year or more now and I've been browsing this site from time to time for tips and ideas. Now I've decided I really want to have a go at some serious stuff so, I've got 10 gallons of KenRidge Barolo bubbling away and I'm not going to touch a drop of it till Xmas next year! Well that's the plan anyway. And next month I plan to start 15 gallons of Beaverdale Rioja.

I intend to keep these in bulk storage for 12 months so I can't just dip into a bottle or three when my willpower gets low. I plan to store most in Youngs 23 litre fermenters and the rest in demijohns. The fermenters look like they will hold close on 7 gallons so I now wish I had bought a third KenRidge so it would fit nicely into 2 fermenters with probably only 1 gallon over.

I'm still going to knock out the the cheap reds for drinking in the meantime, but I am considering upgrading to Solomon Grundy Cabernet Sauvignon.

[Rich]

Hi Dave. Welcome to the forum

I think you'll have to much head space in those fermenters for long term ageing, and it's highly likely that they will oxidise.

It's more expense, but a 23l carboy (better bottle or glass) would stand a better chance of being successful.

[SleepyDave]

Hi Rich.

Thanks for that. I'm beginning to see what you mean. Even if they are filled to the neck there will be a lot more air space than in a carboy. It's not a problem when your bottling after 4 weeks.

I'm just pricing up a couple of 23l PET carboy's.

[Cellar_Rat]

Welcome aboard

I'm not going to touch a drop of it till Xmas next year!

There is nothing wrong in a 'professional' tasting - to keep a good eye on developments - I often think wines are like toddlers - if you don't keep watch they get into trouble all on their own Easier when they get older...

[trailertrash]

Greetings from the west. I make my wine from the 5ltr kits and have done so for some time. However I've never been very good!!! Oh the stuff's been drinkable, but I'd like to do better. Currently I have 2 5lyr kits in my dark warm space, and they seem to be bubbling away nicely. I have my instruction sheet marked at the appropiate place, and everything ready for the day they stop 'plopping'.My biggest issue to date is the strength of my wine!!! I really want to cut it down a bit. They usually turn out at about 14%. Thats to strong for most of my friends. SO I look forward to learning.I'm also at an age where I may need to ask lots of questions...


Andy

[Delmonteman]

Welcome. Just add less sugar for lower alcohol content and use a hydrometer to measure sugar content accurately...

[goldseal]

... and take a look at the New Winemakers sectio of the Forum, and try a Wine No.1. You won't be disappointed.

[trailertrash]

Welcome. Just add less sugar for lower alcohol content and use a hydrometer to measure sugar content accurately...

So far I have used the kit the doesnt require sugar to be added. I'm a little intimidated by that bit. I have a hydrometer and the glass tube thingy that tells the SG tho. Maybe I should be more vigilant....
Thank you for the welcome.

Andy

[trailertrash]

... and take a look at the New Winemakers sectio of the Forum, and try a Wine No.1. You won't be disappointed.

I will and thank you for the welcome. Whats a wine no 1?

Andy

[lockwood1956]

welcome aboard Andy

Wine No1?

its this:

http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?1562-Wine-number-1-Dry-Table-wine-%28As-featured-on-the-BBC!%29

[KayB]

Hi everybody,

Hello from the West of Ireland. I just found my way here to this forum. Over 15 years ago I made a couple of country wines (one of them was from gorse flowers - the little spikes from the bushes while picking the flowers were for weeks in my finger tips!), but nothing spectacular. I'm generally not a wine drinker - except for a lovely sweet dessert wine. That's my thing and I really would like to learn more. I'm also not in the slightest bothered that I have to wait aaaages to drink them. :-)
A few weeks ago my boyfriend (who is also a newbie here) and I decided to get back into winemaking - himself loving his vino. Our 'speciality' is any kind of country wines, and at the moment I have rhubarb, banana, nectarine and plum wine fermenting - and my 'First Ever Dessert Wine' is starting to clear.
So, looking forward to widen my knowledge and see what others are coming up with!