Gimboid Seeks Wine Making Info

[Ireland-or-bust]

Hiya,

I made wine years ago and have completely forgotten what i need.

I have recently aquired 2 demi johns (glass)

What else do i need?
I have loads of strawberries, blackcurrant/berries/redcurrant, logan, tay etc.

I would like to make wine from some of them.

Could someone please tell me what i need.
I'm in Ireland so it's going to have to come via ebay as no one sells brewing kit within a hundred miles of my house.

TIA

PS Pls Include any staple ingredients.

Mark.

[the.fee.fairy]

My wine making kit stretches to:

Fermenting Bin (10l /2gall one)
Demijohns
Airlock for each demijohn

'Ingredients'

Yeast
Yeast nutrient (only because i've made some wines that dont have fruit in them)
I've also got other additives:

Amylase
Citric Acid
and some others that i can't remember right now

You'll also need:

Sterilising stuff. You can either get the proper wine-making ones (YWP/Youngs) or use Milton or other baby bottle sterilising stuff. my dad used to use milton for his wines.

Sieve
Muslin (i use some old tights that get dunked in the sterilising solution).
Spoons etc (i use the plastic ones out of the drawer).

Books!
CJJ Berry's Winemaking for beginners (is that what its called?!) is a brilliant book! It really explains everything.

Bottles:

I use old screw top bottles. Some people don't because they're worrid about the screw top not making it air tight enough. I've not had a problem so far, but i'm not making the best quality/competition wines. i always sterilise them before i fill them with wine. I've used wine bottles, spirit bottles and soft drink bottles. All mine are glass, because i like the look and feel of glass bottles - its also a worry that the plastic might leach out of plastic ones.

[chadspad]

Hiya,
Im in France so have to order my stuff from ebay too. I use this lady http://stores.ebay.co.uk/The-JPHomebrew-Shop if its not listed email her and she will get it for you - shes excellent!

My list usually consists of:
Yeast (I get Youngs super yeast)
Yeast nutrient
Citric Acid
Pectolase
Tannin
Campden Tablets
Mesh thingies (for stopping the big bits going in but ant for the life of me think of the names of them! )
Funnel
Oh and hydrometer - most important!

[Ireland-or-bust]

hi,

Oddly, i emailed a few people from ebay and she was the only one to
reply on my query about irish postage. So shes getting the cash.

I've sent her a list so far. we shall see if she carrys on as she started.


Mark.

[the.fee.fairy]

i forgot campden tablets!

I use young's super yeast now. i used to use bread yeast (and still do in things like the Mystery Wine) i've got a load of the dried stuff that i bought when i wanted to make bread one day, so i'm using it up slowly.

You'll want a syphon tube. that's another of the things i forgot.

I chuck a cup of strong tea in if tannin's required.
I've just learnt to read a hydrometer - apparently, my ginger and lemon wine is 10%!

CS: is Pectolase the pectic enzyme that's mentioned in the Coconut wine? i've not put any in because when i looked for it, it said it was just to remove pectin hazes, and i'm not too bothered whether its clear or not. Will it need it in the future? If so, i'll get some and chuick it in when i put the stuff into the demijohn.

[ina]

PS Pls Include any staple ingredients.

Sugar!

[chadspad]

Yes pectolase is the pectic enzyme.its called for in any fruity wines especially if theyve been boiled first - like plum wine for instance

[the.fee.fairy]

aaah. ok *puts on shopping list*

I've also got tartaric acid and malic acid in my inventory of wine making stuff - i needed it for the coconut wine.

[Ireland-or-bust]

hi,


i'm wondering if there is a way of making wine without chemicals?

Or a way of naturally aquiring or adding them???


Mark

[the.fee.fairy]

What kind of chemicals?

Most things are either naturally derived, or they can be swapped with something else that you can oercieve to be having less chemicals -

Citric Acid: Lemon Juice (fresh from a lemon rather than the bottled stuff)

Yeast: you can grow your own starter, but i haven't got a clue how to do it. i think Stoney posted some instructiongs somewhere.

Tannin: found in grape skins. or use a cup of strong tea.

Sterilising Solution: ESSENTIAL! If you don't have things sterile when you use them, you will ruin the wine. I put things through the dishwasher, then i use sterilising solution.

Can't think of any other comparisons at the moment...

[red]

I make mine without chemicals

i steralise with boiling water.. just be careful with the demijohns.. not to put them in a puddle of cold water when they are very hot.. or the glass breaks.... I make sure the syphoning tube has had hot water run though it etc.

I think campden tablets added to wine gives it an eggy taste. (but thats just my opinion.)
I dont use acid or pection destroying stuff.

I do use a wine yeast, but bakers yeast will do.

choose your recipes. you can often follow ones and leave out the chemicals. acid is needed.. so if your ingredients are not acidic by themselves.. you can use lemons. You can get tannin from oak leaves, or tea bags.

my 2 recent wines.. rhubarb and mead have been successful, clear, not gone bad. you do have to uber careful with hygiene though.

my equipment is: demijohns, syphoning tube, airlock and bung. The other things are things I found in the kitchen (sieve, big saucepan, spoon, hot water.. etc) and I store my wine in old wine bottles with screw top caps - easier than faffing about with corks.

[Ireland-or-bust]

hi,

thanks for that.

I'm just trying to be as SSish as i can.

I have berries and fruit but no grapes.
If anyone has any recipes/links for wine without chemicals i would love to know.

I know they are natural chemicals but i want to try and make it ye olde style.

thanks
mark

[Ireland-or-bust]

hi,

thanks for that.

I'm just trying to be as SSish as i can.

I have berries and fruit but no grapes.
If anyone has any recipes/links for wine without chemicals i would love to know.

I know they are natural chemicals but i want to try and make it ye olde style.

thanks
mark