Thread for questions and discussion on new winemaker series

[unklep]

thanks for the replies have invested in some corks and a corker and will keep topped corks for tasters

[Rosewine Lover]

Well made a couple of kits (30 bottles each) but have been playing about making
"fruit Juice wines". Made tonite a "mixture" of Wine number 1 and WOW with apricots(tinned and rinsed)..........had a taste tonite of my rose, added a touch more glycerine as seemed a bit "watery"!!!!!

But the other 2 wow's i made @ 3-4 weeks ago.....one with strawbs's(still waiting for that to clear a bit more, and other one just plain, tastes lovely!!!!

Got family coming round this weekend to try my "proper" home made wine........everyone loooves my kit wine too, all good reports so far was the liked it!!!!

I'm just loving my new hobby

[Paulwales]

The tutorial wines are for drinking straight away.... but would you suggest a drink by date?? as I plan to up my wine making and theres going to be a bottle neck when it comes to drinking it.... if it sounds like a stupid question I'm sorry

[lockwood1956]

Wines No1 & 2 will keep for at least a year, likely two....any longer would require more sulphite at some point.

Wine No3 needs to be aged at least 3 months before drinking, and will be at its best at a year.

Wine No4 will just get better and better with age.

[jamiebooth]

Hello again,

Ive just de-gassed my first gallon of Wine No1, and am looking forward to bottling and drinking very soon, but I just had a couple of questions re my second batch.

Its now at 0.997 but still bubbling regularally, so I was windering if I should keep it fermenting until dry or whether I should rack now? Will it continue to dry after racking anyway?

Secondly, would it not be favourable to degas at first racking, and then let it clear, then bottle, rather than rack clear, rack degass, rack bottle?

Just a thought,

Jamie

P.S. After degassing, it hasnt clouded half as much as in the demo and infact looks pretty clear. I'm going to leave it for a couple of days anyway to make sure it remains that way.

[lockwood1956]

Its now at 0.997 but still bubbling regularally, so I was windering if I should keep it fermenting until dry or whether I should rack now? Will it continue to dry after racking anyway?

I would let it finish, then rack, if you rack it will slow the ferment, or even sometimes stop it.

Secondly, would it not be favourable to degas at first racking, and then let it clear, then bottle, rather than rack clear, rack degass, rack bottle?

Just a thought,

You could do that, ...but...the extra rackings help it to be perfectly clear before bottling.

you will be surprised how seemingly clear wine can drop sediment in the bottle.

but if you are drinking it very soon, it wont matter as much
regards
Bob

[jamiebooth]

Thanks Bob,

I wasnt questioning your knowledge, I figured there would probably be a reason, just wanted to learn what it was.

I had a taste today when racking, and its great stuff. I cant believe it only costs about £1.70 to make, and when chilled I think it'll easily taste as good as a bottle selling for £5-7.

Thanks again

[jamiebooth]

And on another note, with reference to racking before completely finished. I have a Boralo kit going at the moment, and that advises primary fermentation for 7 days until around 1.010, then racking into a DJ for secondary fermentation. Is there advantages/disadvantages to doing this? Does it give reds more body by slowing the fermentation maybe?

Jamie

[lockwood1956]

The thinking there is (I believe) to get it off the gross lees...the big bits of sediment.

Racking at 1.010 isnt too bad as the ferment is still very active...

However, I always (these days) allow them to ferment to finish, then rack, I dont think the extra couple of days matter at all.

Winter ferments are a tad different as it can take a week to get from 1.010 to dry, summertime its about 48hours

Regards
Bob

p.s. Didnt read it as you questioning my knowledge by the way

[unklep]

rasins and barley

Can i ask 2 possibly silly questions please:

am i ok using raisins bought from supermarkets? they are coated with vegetable oil so do i wash them first?

secondly for barley wine (not the beer version) i can use pearl barley is this correct?

thanks

[lockwood1956]

am i ok using raisins bought from supermarkets? they are coated with vegetable oil so do i wash them first?

Yes

secondly for barley wine (not the beer version) i can use pearl barley is this correct?

Yes

[unklep]

thats great thanks

[billymateless]

Hello,
I have reached my 50th decade & have never, until this week, attempted wine making!
Having been given pounds and pounds of plums & got sick of making plum jam, plum chilli jam & plum chutney I thought I would have a go at wine. I looked on You Tube & followed a video - I hadn't found this forum then.......

Now I realise I shouldnt have been so adventurous, my plum wine seems to be very lazy or I suppose it could be dead!
This is what I've done & would appreciate some advice. (Apart from Don't start with plums & don't watch You Tube)
I sterilised everything.
Washed the plums in cold water.
Then liquidised 12lbs of them with 18ozs of sultanas, I put these in a fermenter bucket and added 2 crushed campden tablets & 2 tsp of pectose. I put in 10 pints of water & left everything for 24 hours with the lid on.

24 hours later I put the plums into a second bucket with 6lbs of sugar dissolved in 2 pints of water a sachet of wine makers yeast (from Wilkos) & 2 tsp of yeast nutrient.

I tested the SG which was 100.90 put the air lock in the lid & three days later I am waiting for the first bubble to appear in the airlock. I have stirred the mix a couple of times & its seems to be fizzy but not really doing much. I have tested this morning & the SG is reading 100.50.

Am I being impatient or are the ingredients/recipe wrong?

I have started wine#2 in the beginers section with my Lidl bought juice & that is fair bubbling away, so looking forward to trying that, but living in 'Gods own Country' where Bilberries, Blackberries & Apples are on every bush nearly I would like to get the hang of fruit wine.
Thanks for making it to the end of this post!
BillyM

[goldseal]

Hi Billy,

I wouldn't worry. It sounds as though your plum wine is fermenting. I think the SG readings should be 1.090 and 1.050.

Dropping Sg means ongoing fermentation. You already have over 5% alcohol. That sound like decent progress in 3 days.

I suspect you have an air leak (more accurately, your fermenting kit has an air leak!). Air is probably escaping around the lid rather than via the airlock.

If you can find and plug the leak, great. If not, don't worry too much. The positive pressure of the CO2 will keep the bugs out, and when the sg drops to below 1.010 you'll need to rack the fermenting must to a demijohn, where it will be protected by an airlock.

[billymateless]

Oh! My goodness!

What a little bit of advise & a smear of vasaline will do.

Airlock bubbling away now.

Thank You 'Pete The instructor'
BillyM