[FiB]

Just fancy a glass of wine (ahh memories of the days of popping out to the shop ), but first ever brew is a still a bit cloudy (I now know I should have decanted and topped up (cant remeber what thats called) - Its about 4 months old now (gooseberry and elderflower) and cleared quite a bit.  Not sure what the cloudyness is - shall I have a go or wait?

Gosh Ive just realised what the time is - what an alchy!!!  Still 5:30 in the winter is like 7:30 in the summer??? Deffo evening anyway?

[Sylvia]

It won't hurt you to drink the clear bit but you will have to swig it down like medicine rather than sip and savour If you drink the cloudy bit you may well regret it in the morning (unless you've been constipated)
Really though, unless you're desperate you should "decant" a.k.a. "racking" the wine from the sludgy bit at the bottom and put into a clean jar. Then have patience

[doganjo]

It won't hurt you to drink the clear bit but you will have to swig it down like medicine rather than sip and savour If you drink the cloudy bit you may well regret it in the morning (unless you've been constipated)
Really though, unless you're desperate you should "decant" a.k.a. "racking" the wine from the sludgy bit at the bottom and put into a clean jar. Then have patience

Or buy a kit and have it ready ina week 

[FiB]

Too slow - it's open!! (Forgot to say I'd enthusiastically bottled it when it stopped bubbling!! - way past racking now!)  Thanks for info re the sludgy bit at bottom - will stop before I get there! 

First sip 'not too bad', second sip - 'this is actually really nice'.    Half way down glass now and already contemplating a second!!  On a school night too!

It has really encouraged me that it IS worthwhile making own wine.  Kit sounds good idea but I'm time rich and cash poor at mo so thought I should have a go.  Got a Damson on the go at the mo - stopped bubbling, so will 'rack' and top up this time!  Happy days.

[deepinthewoods]

could you update us in an hour please

and again in the morning!! 

[FiB]

could you update us in an hour please

and again in the morning!! 

lol.    ! 

[Plantoid]

It will be interesting to hear about the secondary fermentation and see pictures of it around spring if it is that cloludy .

 You can use clearing materials to clear cloudy wine for your next batch and that usually also includes the need to stop further fermentation .
 Be careful  using stops for I ended up making a mistook on the amount of sodium metabisulphide stopper and use three times too much for a ten gallon barrel .

I had to ring Boots the chemsist at their home base in Nottingham for a remedy .. the wine stuff involved was supposed to be light sparkling elderflower champagne but ended up tasting like Rinsted Pastils.

 My first home made stuff with real grape leaves & adjusted with sugar syrup  resulted in 46 bottles being corked on 1 Nov  1981 still slightly cloudy and not stopped.
Then stood on top of a double wardrobe to finalize.

About 002.00 on the 21 Dec I was woken to the amazing sound of corks being loudly popped for my Birthday ( 21 Dec ) and fountains of delicious golden coloured nectar spraying back from the ceiling.

 Only six bottles were rescued , they were grabbed in a bath towel and taken out side to cool incase they too blew their tops or worse still exploded and showered " Mr wiggly " with broken glass .
They got recorked into real champagne bottles a few days later .
It became a real decent drink on my next birthday , christmas day and on the new years eve of  1983.

[Sylvia]

FiB, evryone knows that the further down the bottle you get the better the wine tastes You may have to hold your nose and swallow for the first glass but after the third or fourth it's nectar

[FiB]

survived with no ill effects!!  Was very restrained and stopped at 2.  Cant wait til its proper matured - Christmas?  Not sure i'll be able to wait that long it was lovely - wouldnt dare serve it to anyone else though!  I did buy a bottle when I was out today to prevent a re-occurance, so maybe the remainibg 5 bottles have a chance.  One things for sure - I'm going industrial quantities next year - fingers crossed for a massive gooseberry crop.