[Rupert the bear]

The last time I wade wins was 50 odd years ago and that was elderberry wine. Now Mrs RTB has started to make wine from the fruit from the garden , not wishing to be left out I thought I would dabble once again.
So far I have produced Mead * , local honey and quite successful, currently Mead with ginger on the go. Raspberry wine has been bottled  and is maturing , Elderberry wine has just been started ( forgot how many berries you needed , 'fasands of 'em) and seems very active at the moment . The Pear wine smells very fragrant and fermented for over a month.
Finally , and after some research and talking to some one who has done this I have just started a gallon of wine,"made from Girders" just for amusement....

*I must say the mead is quite nice and makes one comfortably numb, of course not being a regular drinker........

[DavidandCollette]

Sounds great. Keep us informed of the outcome. If you can :-)

[Dans]

What is a wine made from 'girders'? I'm a bit of addict when it comes to making wine. Be warned, you may soon find yourself with more wine than you can drink. We've been experimenting with wild yeasts and fruity meads this year. Just about to put a spiced mead on for the festive period but I'm horribly late so we'll probably be drinking it in Jan!

Dans

[cloddopper]

Dans be careful using wild yeasts on unsterilized fruits , your wine  can develop some disgusting off flavours .

Blackberry fermenting on it's own wild yeast is a particular victim , over the years I've lost two five gallons & several demijonns  of what I hoped would have been blackberry port to it .

[Dans]

@clodhopper

Yeah we have found that the blackberry didn't work at all. It just wouldn't even start fermenting. In the end I campden tableted it and kicked it of with normal yeast. I have been scientific about it and have a couple 1 gallon batches done in varying ways. I need to get around to taste testing those...

The plum has been amazing though. I dove in with those as my first ever wine was a plum with wild yeast and that was one of the best ones I ever made. We did 4 5 gallon batches of plum wine this year (big purple, small yellow, small red and a mixed). The big purple was from frozen and the wild yeast didn't take, I'm guessing it was killed off by the freezing. The others are very tasty though.

I think it may depend a lot on the particular fruit. I won't be trying wild yeast blackberry but I will do plum again.

Dans

[Rupert the bear]

What is a wine made from 'girders'? I'm a bit of addict when it comes to making wine. Be warned, you may soon find yourself with more wine than you can drink. We've been experimenting with wild yeasts and fruity meads this year. Just about to put a spiced mead on for the festive period but I'm horribly late so we'll probably be drinking it in Jan!

Dans

Aww common what drink do you know of "made from Girders" from Scotland , its still fermenting and changing from lurid orange to a golden amber, dunno what it will taste like though.

[Dans]

Irn Bru wine??? 

Dans

[Rupert the bear]

Irn Bru wine??? 

Dans

Well , when I looked at the sugar content of IB  I thought to my self chuck a bit of yeast in and see what I end up with ( probably fragrant screen wash    ) but just wanted to satisfy my curiosity .

[Dans]

 lol

I have seen it said you can make wine from anything. Did the yeast take? Do let us know how it turns out,

Dans

[Rupert the bear]

Yes the yeast took very well just a small handful of currents as a food , it fermented strongly  until a week ago ( I think) still a bit of life in it , I think I will give it another 2 weeks then kill it off and rack it.
I think I have found a solution to my cloudy banana wine after chatting to a mate ( industrial chemist ) Yes a centrifuge............  yes I know  a heathen with too much time on his hands   

[Dans]

lol. Now that is getting high tech!

W

[doganjo]

Ooh, I love Irn Bru, must try that wine!

[devonlady]

lol

I have seen it said you can make wine from anything. Did the yeast take? Do let us know how it turns out,

Dans

My Dad used to reckon he could pick the flowers off the wallpaper and make wine with them!

[cloddopper]

Irn Bru wine??? 

Dans

Well , when I looked at the sugar content of IB  I thought to my self chuck a bit of yeast in and see what I end up with ( probably fragrant screen wash    ) but just wanted to satisfy my curiosity .

 I used to make th IB concentrate ( under licence )  for Sodastream .
If you look at the ingredients of IB  you will see there are preservatives ( Sodium Benzoate ? IIRC )  in it , which will/ should  prevent the yeast from fermenting , these preservatives have to be added to pass food standards legislation .

[cloddopper]

Irn Bru wine??? 

Dans

Well , when I looked at the sugar content of IB  I thought to my self chuck a bit of yeast in and see what I end up with ( probably fragrant screen wash    ) but just wanted to satisfy my curiosity .

 I used to make th IB concentrate ( under licence )  for Sodastream .
If you look at the ingredients of IB  you will see there are preservatives ( Sodium Benzoate ? IIRC )  in it , which will/ should  prevent the yeast from fermenting , these preservatives have to be added to pass food standards legislation .


 I wonder ,  if you can add so much yeast to over come the preservative chemicals effect .  ? That could be an experiment to try if well controlled .