Make your own Red/White wine vinegar recipe.

[ginger ninger]

I've had a good look through, but haven't been able to find a recipe to make my own red wine vinegar, I don't know about you but I use quite a lot of it for my chutney's
It's easy to make your own wine vinegar, which is perfect when you don't have time to go to the corner shop or super market, or when you have a favourite red wine you think would add a great flavour to a recipe that calls for red wine vinegar.

Simply mix one part red wine with three parts white vinegar.

You can even store the red wine vinegar in the wine bottle too. Just be sure to remember it is vinegar before you forget and accidentally serve it with dinner!

[organic]

What about simply leaving wine open for a while?

Another option would be to get or start a "mother of vinegar" (I believe mixing a bit of vinegar in with some wine can start one but I've never looked into that) and just use that to make more.

[sarraceniac]

You can even store the red wine vinegar in the wine bottle too. Just be sure to remember it is vinegar before you forget and accidentally serve it with dinner!

No problem GN. I'll send you a bottle of my own wine. Great with chips.

@ Organic. Vinegar is created by the effects of bacillus acetii on low strength dilutions of alcohol. Won't work with spirit strength, that kills the bacteria. Never tried your idea myself but I can't see why adding a vinegar culture to a weak wine won't work. Or again, just use my own home brew.

[organic]

The reason I thought about the "just leave it open" approach is if the airlock dries out on a demijohn of wine - that's what happens and it does turn to vinegar. Ditto bottle sof wine that have been open for ages.

Which reminds me - I've not checked my elderberry wine in ages - if that airlock has dried out I'll be gutted! I'll have to look in a few.

Shame your wine didn't work out but hey - good vinegar!

[cathd66]

Someone I know pours all the dregs of wine bottles and glasses into small oak casks- one for white, one for red. When one fills up, he seals it up for a few months/ year or until he needs it and has the best, smoothest vinegar you can imagine.

[organic]

Dregs of bottles I can understand but dregs of glasses? Hmm... not sure I'm too keen on that idea.

[Rocketron]

I don't understand the dregs bit at all, hic.

[Hilary B]

while bacteria are the usual reason for alcohol to oxidise into vinegar, I think it CAN happen without, if the alcoholic stuff is sufficiently aerated often enough. It is only the effect of alcohol reacting with oxygen....

[sarraceniac]

while bacteria are the usual reason for alcohol to oxidise into vinegar, I think it CAN happen without, if the alcoholic stuff is sufficiently aerated often enough. It is only the effect of alcohol reacting with oxygen....

Not quite right. The only natural producer of vinegar is bacillus acetii. You could buy a chemical company though and produce it artificially. Even household malt vinegar, whilst being produced chemically normally, in it's natural form (i.e. brewed as opposed to non-brewed condiment) is produced by the effect of BA on malty beer. Your nearly right though but it's not just a case of blowing through a straw in a bottle of wine or beer.

[ohbeary]

As a wine maker/gardener and general alcodigaholic,(never dig drunk!) we have the fruit/vinegar fly to thank for vinegar, the little blighters just love fermenting fruit, their role in nature is to get smashed and distribute Bacillus Acetii so that Mother Nature isn't sterilised by runaway fermentation! the other avenue is the airborne Mycoderma that oxidises the alcohol into CO2 and water with the by product of acetic acid

Just a thought, if Noah had swatted the Greenflies, where would the Ladybirds get food for their babies? and what would the Ant's do for brewing sugar

[Hilary B]

Not quite right. The only natural producer of vinegar is bacillus acetii. You could buy a chemical company though and produce it artificially. Even household malt vinegar, whilst being produced chemically normally, in it's natural form (i.e. brewed as opposed to non-brewed condiment) is produced by the effect of BA on malty beer. Your nearly right though but it's not just a case of blowing through a straw in a bottle of wine or beer.

I wasn't thinking in terms of blowing through straws, more a case of pouring from a height a few times a day for a week, to mix in plenty of air. Blowing would have too much CO2 compared to Oxygen, but it was just a thought, since I know the chemical equation......

[ohbeary]

No need for pouring m'dear, just leave the top off and let nature do her work

[ginger ninger]

I made some of this last week and it's coming along very nicely, with luck it'll be ready in time for C....mas so I can add it to my hamper presents.

[Brengirl]

I too am having a go at vinegar. The tip I read is that if you add unpasteurised cider vinegar to wine the bacteria in the cider one works to convert the alcohol to acetic acid. Cover the jar with cheesecloth store in warm dark place and hey presto. It will also form a mother vinegar which is all you need to start all over again.