The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Food & crafts => Home brewing => Topic started by: Rupert the bear on October 11, 2017, 07:53:36 pm

Title: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Rupert the bear on October 11, 2017, 07:53:36 pm
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........
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: DavidandCollette on October 12, 2017, 07:43:47 pm
Sounds great. Keep us informed of the outcome. If you can :-)
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Dans on November 06, 2017, 08:02:29 pm
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
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: cloddopper on November 06, 2017, 11:16:39 pm
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 .
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Dans on November 06, 2017, 11:22:01 pm
[member=10966]clodhopper[/member]

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
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Rupert the bear on November 07, 2017, 05:58:03 am
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.
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Dans on December 04, 2017, 06:46:01 am
Irn Bru wine???  :o

Dans
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Rupert the bear on December 04, 2017, 12:44:06 pm
Irn Bru wine???  :o

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  :innocent:  ) but just wanted to satisfy my curiosity .
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Dans on December 04, 2017, 05:40:31 pm
 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
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Rupert the bear on December 04, 2017, 06:18:20 pm
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   :roflanim:
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Dans on December 04, 2017, 07:52:26 pm
lol. Now that is getting high tech!

W
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: doganjo on December 08, 2017, 10:14:02 pm
Ooh, I love Irn Bru, must try that wine!
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: devonlady on December 09, 2017, 02:33:22 pm
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! ;D
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: cloddopper on December 10, 2017, 10:12:26 pm
Irn Bru wine???  :o

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  :innocent:  ) 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 .
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: cloddopper on December 10, 2017, 10:16:02 pm
Irn Bru wine???  :o

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  :innocent:  ) 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 .
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Rupert the bear on December 10, 2017, 11:14:33 pm
Well my  IB fermented using super yeast and a few currants. Its now finnished fermenting ,I racked it off leaving about half a litre of "muck"  resultant is a clear straw colour, probably rack again in the new year if there is any more debris in the bottom
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: doganjo on December 11, 2017, 10:39:55 pm
Where do you live - I'm on my way  :roflanim:
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Rupert the bear on January 24, 2018, 08:28:43 pm
Bottled the "girders" wine tonight , I tried a little , interesting fruity flavour and deffo alcoholic , I wont know ABV until I get back to work and take it to the lab ,its moreish shame there's not a lot but should be a nice summer quaffing wine.
I may have to visit home bargains as they still have the old recipe/low sugar stock of Irn-bru  !

I opened a bottle of mead with a zing of ginger as I've now finished 12 weeks of assorted medications and have had the blood taken this afternoon. Hopefully back to work ( light duties ) next week .
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Rupert the bear on March 20, 2018, 09:15:34 pm
Just an up date on the Iron Bru wine , at last got a sample in to the lab, results back 12% ! yikes , very dry tasting now its had a little time, saving the remaning 3 ltr for the summer. still keeping up the mead , but need suggestions for the coming months
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Anke on March 20, 2018, 09:37:36 pm
Rhubarb?
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Dans on March 20, 2018, 10:50:36 pm
Got any parsnips left? Oak leaves should be coming in soon too.

Dans
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: cloddopper on March 24, 2018, 11:58:53 pm
Nettle wine will be able to be made soon .. it is usually 11 - 12 % super dry & crystal clear with a sparkle like goosegog or parsnip  wine
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Rupert the bear on March 28, 2018, 07:02:09 pm
Thanks for the replies , Mrs RTB is the Rhubarb brewer, planted even more for this year, no oak's round here or parsnips, however nettles , as an accomplished nettle grower I think this will be the first to try
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Rupert the bear on August 26, 2018, 09:17:46 pm
Here I go again, Have you ever wondered what pepsi-cola "wine" is like ? let me tell you then,            :yuck:
( it may have good drain cleaning properties )
I may do the iron bru again as I was rather pleasant.
Cider is on the list, but neeed ideas for the rest of the demi johns
So far on the go;
Mead (plain and with ginger )
Blackberry wine
Elderberry wine
Pear wine
Raspberry wine
I have glassware for another 6 gallons !
purely for research purposes of course
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: Dans on August 26, 2018, 10:10:11 pm
Looks like you've been well and truly bitten by the bug!

I currently just have 5 gallons of a very stubborn mead on (resisting my instructions to start fermenting and I haven't had the time to sort it out) and a single gallon of rose petal wine. To be fair though I'm 40 weeks pregnant so we've deliberately not put wines on this season. I'm itching to get brewing again.

What about fruiting up your meads? Doing a mead with fruit combined. We did a redcurrant mead the other year which was lovely. 3lbs of fruit to your normal amount of honey to make a gallon batch. Apple wine is good to, can be done with cookers or eaters. If your roses are still in season then rose petal. Coming up to time for an autumn oakleaf too. You've not got a plum on your list either. Works with your purple plums (though ours a pretty much gone now) and your cherry plums (Red or yellow).

There ya go, that's 5 or 6 ideas to play with!

Dans

Dans
Title: Re: I've decided to make wine...
Post by: cloddopper on August 27, 2018, 01:07:13 am
Here I go again, Have you ever wondered what pepsi-cola "wine" is like ? let me tell you then,            :yuck:
( it may have good drain cleaning properties )
I may do the iron bru again as I was rather pleasant.
Cider is on the list, but neeed ideas for the rest of the demi johns
So far on the go;
Mead (plain and with ginger )
Blackberry wine
Elderberry wine
Pear wine
Raspberry wine
I have glassware for another 6 gallons !
purely for research purposes of course

 Plum ( drink within 30 month ,  peach  made very sweet by adding a little syrup every few week till it becomes saturated and cant make any more alcohol ( use a low tolerance yeast )
 Pea pod .. goes dry and very strong if using a high tolerance yeast .
 Beetroot ..I didn't like it but friends did .
 Sultana wine , tomato wine with a hint of lemon zest .