How many wine makers do we have here?

[kuntrygirl]

Still waiting on my mead to clarify, its going to be a while.  Ended up a nice amber color.

That is about the color I've been told Strawberry ends up.

Good luck with your mead. Can't wait to hear about the outcome.

Thanks about the color. This is my first time making it, so I wasn't sure if I messed it up or not.

 

[Totalcolour]

Still waiting on my mead to clarify, its going to be a while. Ended up a nice amber color.

That is about the color I've been told Strawberry ends up.

Glad the mead is a nice colour. It's hard to wait sometimes, isn't it!

I've only made strawberry mead, and the colour ended up like the first pic. Maybe the honey helped preserve the beautiful pink?,

 

[Kassaundra]

Couple of questions for you wine gurus.

I am gathering wine bottles, I assume you guys get them from used flea market type places???? That was the only affordable place I have found so far.

What size and where do you get the plastic corks to restop the bottles?

Where and what size are the screw lids for the screw wine bottles?

What is the easiest way to clean those bottles?


I have been harvesting cherries for a cherry wine, I think I'll have enough for a 5 gallon batch, as I clean them I am putting them in the freezer, I still need to get my buckets / one way air lock set up and get the campden, yeast, nutrient.

 

[Canieldonrad]

I actually get my stuff locally, but for sake of descriptions I will use this website. The store I go to has about everything Northern Brewer has. As far as bottles, I buy new. I don't drink enough to bottle 5 gallons.

Use this

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/winemaking/wine-equipment/bottle-tree-90.html

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/economy-bottle-tree.html

With this

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/vinator-bottle-rinser.html

You should really only need to rinse with soap and water to clean your bottles out. Then use a combination of a sanitizing agent with water in the rinser. Give each bottle a squirt and hang to dry.


For corking you will want a tool to use, something like

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/double-lever-corker.html

It has a video, describes the process and cork size.



As far as screw caps go, beats me. I know I get them on German Rieslings and thats about all.

 

[kuntrygirl]

My strawberry wine is getting better and better the longer it sets up.

I'm looking for more fruit to start more batches. Red grapes are on sale this week at one of our grocery stores. I think I"ll do another batch of grape wine. Waiting on figs to do fig wine.

 

[Totalcolour]

My strawberry wine is getting better and better the longer it sets up.

I'm looking for more fruit to start more batches. Red grapes are on sale this week at one of our grocery stores. I think I"ll do another batch of grape wine. Waiting on figs to do fig wine.

Sadly, grapes in the grocery store aren't "wine" grapes, so you'll have to add sugar. Still, it's better than no grapes!

Me, I just started a batch of pear/cranberry. Should be just about perfect by Thanksgiving.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I started 2 batches of watermelon wine last night.

Anyone else have any batches going right now?

 

[Totalcolour]

Pitched the yeast in the pear/cranberry today, and this coming weekend will start a batch of pineapple, which BTW, is a fabulous wine to make a spritzer out of, or even for marinating shrimp!

Soon as the peaches come down in price, we'll make some of that, and apricot and plum. It's going to be a busy winter.

Oh, and I made some ginger wine that turned out quite well. Mixes well with vodka and lime for a really refreshing summer drink.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I took a few pics of the watermelon wine.

This is a pic 24 hours after putting in the yeast.

This is a pic after stirring it for about a minute. Oh what bubbles.

The recipe says that I have to stir it for 7 Days. This will be a long process. :/

 

[Kassaundra]

Does anyone have a good recipe for cherry wine? The cherries I have are not the big black ones but the smaller red tarter type. I prefer a sweet wine.