Have demijohns, will brew, but what to start with?

[MrsCordial]

I'm collecting seven demijohns from a Freecycler tomorrow and have just been having an excited conversation with Mr C about what to brew - I do know we need more than demijohns and start with mush in a bucket etc, but acquiring my first glass demijohns feels like a rite of passage!

I'd like to make elderberry wine as elderberries are so abundant around us, and I like other elder things, including winter spiced elderberry cordial. DH thinks we should sample a few fruit wines first (from where exactly??) to find out what we like. As usual, I want to plunge in, he wants to spend 25 years researching.

So, where would you recommend newbies start?

[Mr Bones]

Seven DJ's, lucky you. Elderberry can be good but it's a very long term brew and takes a good while to mature before it's drinkable. Maybe you'd enjoy sampling something a little earlier meanwhile to feed your interests. How about black currant cordial (actually you can use most cordials and they can, if desired, be poured as a sparkling alco-pop whilst still fermenting). It's usually drinkable within four to six weeks.


1 bottle of original Ribena or similar (not artificially sweetened must be 'Original' or NOT sugar free).
1 teaspoon of citric acid or juice from one lemon (this helps to feed the yeast).
1 teaspoon of winemaking yeast (please don't use baking yeast).
1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient.
1kg of sugar.

Place the cordial, sugar and half a gallon of boiling water into a big pan and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool until you can comfortably leave the back of you hand on the outside of the pan.
Add the rest of the ingredients, pour into a demi john and top up to the DJ shoulders with water before adding an air lock (don't fill it up to the neck or froth will climb out the air lock and it's not easy to clean).
After the initial vigorous fermentation has subsided fill up to the neck with water.

Good luck and keep us posted how you get on.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Use what you have - rhubarb, perhaps?

Otherwise a 'juice' wine per Mr B's recipe, or fruit tea bag wine. Quick, easy and tasty - what's not to like??

[Vince G]

Most juice that is free from sweeteners and additives, along with most plant matter, will ferment with yeast added. Some will be surprisingly nice, some foul, but experimentation is a lot of fun.

You can make a quick cider from shop bought apple juice but it's a bit rough, so you're better off trying to cadge some apple juice off one of the many cider apple producers you must have in your neck of the woods, for a better brew.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Actually, it's worth making a 'kit' from Wilko, just to familiarise yourselves with the process.

I'd recommend investing a fiver in the book First Steps in Winemaking.

[Vince G]

Hazel's right, Wilko sell cans of fruit wine concentrate, I've noticed them in there when shopping for brewing supplies. Always been curious as to what they might taste like.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hazel's right, Wilko sell cans of fruit wine concentrate, I've noticed them in there when shopping for brewing supplies. Always been curious as to what they might taste like.

I bought an Elderflower kit in Wilko when they had them at half price in June for Father's day (£4). I bottled the wine last weekend, and will report back on taste in 3 months or so.

[Kirk]

One option is to locate a book and follow a recipe, what I find however is each book does things slightly differently. Some seem to expect a chemical research lab to be available.

For a fruit wine, then simply what do you have available or what is available cheaply.

For a first shot I would go for something like apple.
The simple recipes appear to follow this:
3lb fruit,
2.5-3lb sugar,
1 gallon water.

May seem over simplified but fairly close.

Yeast wise Youngs Super Yeast is standard, there are individual strains I think Gervin Variental D would be good.

If you can get a hydrometer, or have one, then get a starting gravity of 1.100 to 1.110.
Should produce about 14% alcohol.

Possile additional things to throw in: 1 teasp nutrient, 1 teasp citric acid. I would not bother with tannin.

That should do as a first shot, you could simply visit Tesco etc and buy their budget apples, chop up and throw everything (skin, flesh, pips, core) in the bucket. Make a starter from the yeast then add that, cover and wait, stir daily.

If wanted, and I did this, add a peach or two or a pear or two - try 1kg bag of apples and 2 peaches.

After 5-7 days strain through a strainer into a demijohn, fit airlock and watch it bubble. Rack once, allow to ferment to completion, stabilise and bottle.

[MrsCordial]

Brilliant everyone, thank you so much. I've read up on tea bag wine so am tempted to try that plus Mr Bones' blackcurrant wine, and then everything else everyone suggests So far no gluts to use up so casting about for what to start with.

Sadly we don't have a Wilko's in the entire county - I hear great things about it and imagine it to be like the much-lamented Woolworths. I'm happy to buy whatever we need online and Lloyds chemist in Leominster sells home-brew things. One very firstmost q though: the DJs are absolutely disgustingly filthy. I'll give them a good scrub and sterilise them and so on, but is there any well-worn technique for dealing with very very dirty, back-of-the-shed-for-10-years, mould-growing-innem, DJs?

[Hazel at the Hill]

Sadly we don't have a Wilko's in the entire county - I hear great things about it and imagine it to be like the much-lamented Woolworths. I'm happy to buy whatever we need online and Lloyds chemist in Leominster sells home-brew things. One very firstmost q though: the DJs are absolutely disgustingly filthy. I'll give them a good scrub and sterilise them and so on, but is there any well-worn technique for dealing with very very dirty, back-of-the-shed-for-10-years, mould-growing-innem, DJs?

See what you mean about Wilko stores - looks like your nearest is in Gt Malvern. Mind you, I did a search and found homebrew shops in Malvern & Ledbury, if that's any good to you.

For cleaning, I'd use some of those vase-cleaning balls in the djs first - they are like ball bearings and you put them in with a drop of water, stopper the top and shake like MAD. That shifts a lot of the grime - then sterilise, of course.

[Kirk]

Meant to add:
Add a teaspoon of Pectolase to the ferment as well.
Apples have pectin in them you need to add Pectolase to counter this.

Did think of it when suggesting Apple, but somewhere between brain and fingers it got lost.

[Mr Bones]

One very firstmost q though: the DJs are absolutely disgustingly filthy. I'll give them a good scrub and sterilise them and so on, but is there any well-worn technique for dealing with very very dirty, back-of-the-shed-for-10-years, mould-growing-innem, DJs?

My red wine making stuff gets quite stained so every now and then I bung a couple of heaped teaspoons of sterilising powder into each bucket and barrel, fill to the brim with warm water then after closing the tops let it stand for a day or so. Would pay you to warm the DJ's by degrees though so as not to risk splitting the glass.

[MrsCordial]

Thanks everyone - this is invaluable.

I went looking for (among other things) red grape juice today. Between Aldi and Msons straight grape juice wasn't to be had. There was mixed juice, low-sugar grape juice (how do they do that??) and no shortage of alternatives inc pomegranate, blueberry and cranberry. Does it *have* to be straight, regular grape juice, or can I use a substitute?

Thanks

[Farmer_Gyles]

One very firstmost q though: the DJs are absolutely disgustingly filthy. I'll give them a good scrub and sterilise them and so on, but is there any well-worn technique for dealing with very very dirty, back-of-the-shed-for-10-years, mould-growing-innem, DJs?

One of those oxy-clean powders that you use to get stains out of clothes - just make up a solution and fill the demijohns and leave for 24 hours - repeat if necessary - saves a lot of elbow grease

Shame you can't get to wilkos - the kit wines are ok if left to mature a few months after bottling

Pick your fruits and freeze them until you have enough for a gallon or so. Rhubarb and raspberries now, plums very soon, then blackberries and elderberries, with sloes after the first frosts. Raspberry is my favourite. Elderberry makes a good, well bodied red.

Definitely get the First Steps in Winemaking book by CJJ Berry - it's the bible for winemakers - I find his writing a bit jumbled up, sometimes confusing, but the recipes still work - give it to the OH for the 25 years of research while you get cracking with the first wines

Search online for recipes - you'll see loads of different recipes for each wine - try one, see how it goes - if you like it, make it again - if not, try a different recipe. The more you do, the better you get - and you realise that it's much easier than it first seems - and keep records!

[Kirk]

Give the outside a good wash down to get anything external off, easier/nicer to handle.
Fill each with warm water (warm if possible) to say half way. Then give each a good swirl and shake. That is to dislodge spiders etc that are in residence.

To clean internally you will need a DJ brush, funny shaped things.
It will take a couple of goes to clean the inside - you always miss parts.
As you pull the brush out it will spray water everywhere and as you are closest you get sprayed most.

Careful of the supermarket juices if they have preservatives etc in then these can prohibit the yeast fermenting. The reason they are in it to prevent any wild yeast fermenting so they are doing what they were intended for, just the opposite of what you want.

To be honest by the time you buy juices you may as well buy some cheap fruit. These buy one get one free bags of fruit are good for that, try a market and get a couple of pineapples = peel, chop, lob in a bucket.

Actually pineapple wine sounds like it could be the next one here.