What's an easy one for a novice to start off with? I have all the equipment in the cellar but it's never been a great success in the past. I could never find the right spot to keep it but I think I have now.
Depends what you like. I'd say that one of the simplest things to make would be something based on fruit juice concentrate and something else sweet. For example, the wine I've put on this very evening contains:
1 bottle apple juice concentrate
2 lb honey
1 tsp yeast nutrient
Juice of 1 lemon
half a cup of strong black tea
Water to 2/3 gallon.
I warmed it to a slow simmer for fourty minutes, till the scum from the honey stopped rising. Skimmed that all off, and in a while I'll put it in a demi jon and add some activated champagne yeast. When I rack it I'll top up to a gallon.
Dead easy, and it'll make a sharp but full bodied mead (or, technically, a cyser as it's got apple juice in it).
Look about online and you'll find lots of 'cheaty' recipes like this. Or let us all know your tastes and I'm sure a suggested recipe will be forthcoming
Any chance of a ginger vodka recipe - sounds great!
Mine is made by mixing a jar of candied ginger in syrup with half a bottle of vodka. I leave the ginger in for a month or so before drinking. The ginger is then rather 'special'.
moggins
Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 942 Location: Gloucester
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 05 9:36 pm Post subject:
Thanks Cab, that sounds lovely. I'm going to climb into the hell hole that is my cellar and dig out all my wine making stuff. What I could do with is a decent elderberry recipe and the other half is seriously into reds. If I can tempt him with wine, I might get him to come out picking with me
I'd really like to give wine making a go but don't really have the room
My mum gave me a divine bottle of Victoria Plum today which shouldn't be opened for at least a month yet but I couldn't help myself it's wonderful stuff
Thanks Cab, that sounds lovely. I'm going to climb into the hell hole that is my cellar and dig out all my wine making stuff. What I could do with is a decent elderberry recipe and the other half is seriously into reds. If I can tempt him with wine, I might get him to come out picking with me
Elderberry is easy, but there are so many variants that I don't know where to start. My favourite is made with 3lb elderberried, 1lb blackberries and 2-3lb of sugar (I start with 2lb, add another lb if it comes out as really dry really fast). As ever, add a teaspoon of yeast nutrient and some citric acid. You can make a great nedium red table wine with 4lb elderberries and 3lb of sugar. But anything you want to add for more body will also work; try dried bananas.
If you've got a decent nylon mesh bag amongst your wine making stuff it'll really help.
My mum gave me a divine bottle of Victoria Plum today which shouldn't be opened for at least a month yet but I couldn't help myself it's wonderful stuff
My plum wine came out like 16% alcohol grape juice last year. It's now only a distant (and somewhat hazy) memory
I have a jelly bag that I use for making preserves. Would that work?
If it's nylon, yes. It's just easier to put the fruit into a nylon bag, put that into a sterilised bucket and then pour the rest of the ingredients on top (hot). That means that when you come to rack it into the demijon you leave all the lumps of fruit behind.
moggins
Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 942 Location: Gloucester
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 05 11:22 pm Post subject:
Yep, it's nylon and it's huge. It's one of those you can hang from an upside stool.
it's wonderful stuff 
It always seems that other towns stores are better 
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