Kit but no cash...

[Headfry]

Hi Shirley, hope I have done this link 'thingy' ok


Burford Hops and Vines - Elderflower wine recipe

What do you think?

[shirlthegirl43]

It looks fine apart from the campden tablet after 5 days. I would give them a call. The first tablet is to kill the wild yeast, but a second after 5 days seems odd to me.

[Hilary B]

I think they got it wrong. No point adding camden tablets until you want the ferment stopped (I never use the horrible things at all).

[Headfry]

well, just telephoned the shop, lady explained that the camden tablet kills bacteria and wild yeast but not 'good' yeast and every time you rack the wine you should add a camden tablet.
So I know what it does now, but would prefer not to add 'stuff' to my home made wine.

See what happens. Last year I followed the CJJ Barry recipe and that failed horribly! good for the drains.

[Brewer-again]

cambden tablets ??

I guess this thread stopped through shock.

Cambden tablets will stop all yeasts, good or bad from working. You never want more than one to stop a wine. I think it will taste of sulphate if you follow the sellers advice and you will get headaches and worst of all you will be put off by bad advice.

I used to use them to rinse jars and bottles but don,t bother now.

[Headfry]

Brewer.... yes this IS what I thought!

It's all so confusing for me as a novice!

All I want is a drinkable bottle of wine......heeeelp

[Two_Sheds]

Kells Simon hasn't posted since 3rd July ... his home brew scrumpy didn't do him in, did it?

I'm thinking of brewing wine again, if we ever get this house moved. I'll have a whole garage to play with ... it'll be filled with either junk Mr Sheds buys off eBay, or demijohns (hmmm, hard decision)

[Hilary B]

There are so many things you can make wine out of, it seems a pity not to try a few of them......
I scrounge 'not-good-enough-to-sell' fruit off the markets. My best ever batch of Strawberry wine started out that way.

[KellsSimon]

Still Alive!
The scrumpy, didn't kill me though it was a close run thing!
I drank some when it was a bit young, and gosh that was thick and full of yeasty body. (i did mention that patience wasn't my strong point didn't i?) This was after i'd bottled it into 2 litre pet bottle. I decided at this point that i hadn't let it settle enough and ended up racking it again in to more big bottles... Luckly this didn't ruin it, but it did mean that lots more yeast sediment was left behind and the end result was really very very nice!
i've just bottled my second lot of turbo cider, but this time i was more patient and racked it twice into demijohns before bottling.
it's so much clearer all ready, and some i priming to make it fizzy, while some i've left still which will be new for me.
some of the reason for not posting has been that i've also made 40 pints of bitter (first ever!) and i tasted the first of that today OMG!!!! really good head and lovely lacing down the glass and it tasted good! all for 25p a pint! OMG!!!
My youngs wine kit is drinkable, but i've learned loads by doing it so i know that the next one should be even better... i was less than patient with it, didn't really rack it, de gass it etc etc so the results are to me drinkable but my oh has even bigger doubts than she did before, ho hum more for me!
i've now got two things brewing, Rose enhanced rose' and some red aldi grapejuice wine.
and when i've drunk some more of the bitter then i'm going to make some Lager.
I hope you'll all be pleased to hear that i've still kept up (ish) with the weeding and sowing too. i really am chuffed as anything!

[Two_Sheds]

I'm glad you're enjoying your brewing Simon. You've inspired me to have another go, if we ever move house (there isn't enough room here right now).

And don't worry, you don't sound like a complete and utter p1sshe@d at all, not at all.

[KellsSimon]

Hic....... Hic

[Twinkle]

He he
Nice one Simon !!

One of my favourite forums for recipes is Home Winemaking and Home Beermaking Forum - Wine and Beer Recipes

I also had the exploding cider phenomenon as well....

Had loads of consistent successes from the litre of fruit juice method - I struggle to get kits in Ireland (oh how I miss Wilkinsons)
Anyway - here's my recipe.....

1 litre carton fruit juice (apple or grape works well to start with)
1kg bag of white sugar (but use about 800-900g per gallon if you like a drier wine.. you can always add more sugar at the end but you can't take it out)
1 tsp each of citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid wine yeast and yeast nutrient
1/2 pint stewed tea (but not PG tips... not enough tannin)
water

sterilise a gallon demijohn
pour in fruit juice
add 3 acids and yeast nutrient
weigh out sugar and dissolve in boiling water
add to demijohn
add tea (tannins in tea give more body to the wine)
put hand over top of demijohn and shake well to mix
top up with cold water to blood heat (use a thermometer or test with a clean finger - should feel neither hot nor cold)
add yeast
shake well
top up with more warm water to shoulder of demijohn

put an airlock in and leave in a warm place till bubbles stop coming out and the top of the wine starts to clear (usually 3-4 weeks)

sterilise another demijohn and put in 2 crushed Campden tablets.

siphon wine in being careful not to disturb the sediment on the bottom

shake well, cork and leave in a cool place, shaking daily for 5 days (gets the carbon dioxide out) then leave to settle.

When it looks clear - bottle it (or just drink it out of the demijohn)

[VDubber]

It should be easy to find enough stuff in hedgerows/wasteland to make your own wine. My grandad used to do exactly that - I remember going to pick all sorts of stuff with him - blackberrys, elderflower, elderberry, damsons, dandelions and even nettles (the tips).

I haven't tried it myself, but I intend to in the near future. I've got my eye on the mother in laws apple tree for some rough cider too. They never use the apples

[finefencer]

Hi all,
if you are a purist and want to gather the fruit your self, then fine.
But if you go down to your supermarket and buy two cartons of FRESH fruit juice.....the job is done.

1 bag of sugar disolved in a kettle of hot water.
1 teaspoon of yeast nutriant
1 lemon (the juice)
2 cartons of juice (your choice)
1 teaspoon of pectolas (to make sure it clears quickly)
1 sashay of yeast

should be just right for christmas...

[Jax]

hiya Im new to all of this stuff but am really keen on trying some of the youngs country definitive fruit wine kits but wasnt sure if it is as simple as it seems. On the website it says I only need to buy the country definitive kit and bottles and corks but doesnt say if I need a demijohn or anything??? Does anyone know what I would need to buy