[WanderinBloke]

well you certainly did it for long enough. You never bought a sparkling wine did you lol

 

Lol no! I think it was perhaps something to do with me re-sealing the bucket straight after a degassing session. I did this for about a week. Perhaps the co2 reabsorbs in those conditions?

[Up2nogood]

could do yes.. Did you use a airlock on your lid? Gas escapes that way too

[WanderinBloke]

could do yes.. Did you use a airlock on your lid? Gas escapes that way too

 

I did, but there was so little activity after the first tanking that no bubbles came through the airlock.

 

Not sure if it's relevant, but I overheated the mix. On initial fermentation the temp got to 28c before I realised that  had to cool it down. I'm guessing this is why my fermentation was done in just over a week compared to the 15-20 days the instructions say it takes.

 

Prob shouldve gone for a small batch as my first attempt

[Up2nogood]

Ah yes that could be it, Could of fermented too fast causing too much gas too quickly. I usually add my yeast in temps of 22c if I can as I usually mix the yeast in a glass with warm water and bit of sugar  and leave it for half an hour then add it to the liquid but not really relevant but some people do it..

 

It's good to do a small batch, I am making only 4l of fruit wine made from Bananas and apples,added a kl of sugar lol and its still bubbling away after 2 weeks in a bedroom of 20+ temps but already have lost about half a litre through warm temps..Should be ready to go into a spare demi=john next week fingers cross then another few weeks maturing..

[Nun]

Nice advice on the white cab sauvs, Swilly.

 

Not tried Nautilus yet but I'll look for it in future. 

TBH the nicest wine I've ever had was a bottle of Cloudy Bay….. erm, 6-10 years ago

I was already tanked up, but the flavour stopped me in my tracks, it was gorgeous.

 

Someone since told me that they merged with a load of other vineyards now so they sell a load of inferior stuff/blends under that label

compared to the old stuff from the original vineyard.

 

For a cheap Cab Sauv I'd recommend Sunday Bay.

Same sort of deal, Marlborough NZ, but it can be got for about £6.50 per bottle.

Well that's what my dad reckons he gets it for. 

 

I try to avoid red wine. Headaches. Never know when it'll poison me.

I have to avoid real ale for the same reason. It's a bummer but at least I found out what does it.

 

I've been brewing wines for a couple of years now, hedgerow wines, not kits. 

Usually involves a bit of grape juice and then whatever else is up for experiment.

 

Generally the results are pretty average - but elderflower champagne has been a triumph.

Getting the recipe/specific gravity EXACTLY right is key to avoiding glass grenades.

 

Also made a cherry wine which is phenomenal. The blood of christ compels you, the blood of christ compels you 

Got a gallon each of plum, dandelion flower and apple in the rack, ageing ….

 

I love it but it definitely needs patience and the right yeast for the job.

 

 

[Up2nogood]

Champagne yeast is excellent for wine,makes it pretty strong too, I usually get my wines to about 14% which is like the bottled shop version.

I may try elderberry one day, would not do dandelion as picking the yellow bits off can be a chore lol

I have added raisons to my fruit wine too so can't wait until that's done. I tried once adding the pulp of the fruit in a large container but all the pulp exploded through the air lock so now I leave it out and use a muslin cloth to get most of the juice and yes adding some grape juice helps..

[Nun]

Yeh I never put pulp in a demijohn it's just asking for an escape! 

The first fermentation is always in a big plastic beer drum,

then filter into demijohn.

 

I've got a book called "Booze" by John Wright.  Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's mate. 

So far I've had good results following the recipes in there, really clear instructions, never in any doubt what's meant.

 

The old 1950s book I inherited with the glassware, called "First Steps in Wine Making" is less reliable. 

It's like old wives' recipes told by an old fella with a big pipe.

Plenty of room for error between the original intent and how you interpret it.

F*ck me there's a recipe in there for putting 2 dead cocks in a gallon of ale.    Not tried that one.

 

So far the worst accident I've had was forgetting a ginger pop for a month in the rack.

Should've noticed the cork was stretching the cage, but didn't pay any attention.

Twisted the wire, there was such a big blast I staggered back 3 steps, jet hit the ceiling.

About 1 sip left in the bottle.

 

Wife called from the other room "Are you alright?"

"Yeh, yeh, er, don't come in just yet."       

 

[WanderinBloke]

There's a buttload of blackberries ready for picking just up the road from me; I plan on grabbing them in the next few days.

 

Advice on how to turn these fat little beauties into vino will be readily accepted. How much sugar, which yeast, etc etc.

[Nun]

Ok I'll just type the page off :

 

You don't need fat juicy ones, just tasty ones.

People often blend blackberry and elderberry wine for added tannins.

 

Makes about six 75cl bottles :

1.5 kg blackberries

1.2 kg sugar

1 tsp pectolase enzyme

1 tsp yeast nutrient

5 g sachet red wine yeast

 

Crush the berries gently (without crushing the pips) in fermenting bucket with a potato masher.

Add the sugar and 4.5 L boiling water.

Allow to cool until just warm, add pectolase.

Check the specific gravity and adjust if necessary. See below. 100g sugar adds about 8 gravity to a gallon.

Cover and leave for 12-24 hours.

 

Stir in the yeast nutrient, aerate with a whisk or whatever, add the yeast.

Ferment for a week, stirring every day except the last.

Siphon or strain into demijohn and fit airlock.

 

Rack into another demijohn when fermentation has finished.

Shake/de-gas as much as you can be bothered.

When clear, bottle.

 

This will give a dry wine. Starting gravity : 1085-1105   Final gravity : 990-1000

 

For sweet wine, I would just sweeten it before drinking. Much easier than messing around with Potassium sorbate and metabisulphate.  

[Up2nogood]

Never used blackberries but just do it the same way as normal grape wine,wash the berries and slowly cook them in a pan until its pulp and you could add sugar with the berries ,approx. one kilo for 5 litres of wine.. Just normal wine yeast or champagne yeast but not bread yeast..

 

Have you any muslin cloth? Add grape juice if you have some too,you can just add water ..

Make sure temps are around 20c to 25c when adding yeast then you should be good to go

 

Nun beat me to it but I also add half a cup of tea strong to add the tannin so its not too bitter if you don't have any Pectolase and I don't ever stir my brew when its fermenting but only if I get a stale fermentation