How many wine makers do we have here?

[Totalcolour]

Kassuandra, You know, all it takes is an empty milk gallon jug for the first batch, and only a few minutes to mix it up! That's how I got started. Takes no time, and it gets you hooked very quickly!

 

[Kassaundra]

Kassuandra, You know, all it takes is an empty milk gallon jug for the first batch, and only a few minutes to mix it up! That's how I got started. Takes no time, and it gets you hooked very quickly!

Everything I've read talks about carboys or plastic buckets and one way water valves and nutrient, and yeast, and enzymes, and campden, and , and , and ......

 

[Totalcolour]

Everything I've read talks about carboys or plastic buckets and one way water valves and nutrient, and yeast, and enzymes, and campden, and , and , and ......

That's for when you are totally hooked. But to start, a gallon jug and some fresh juice (farmer's market) 2 pounds of sugar, and a packet of yeast will get you going. Oh, you do need a bubbler or gas trap. But then just let her rip! Yes, I do all the "other" stuff, but then I'm making bigger batches. Hubby wants a variable capacity fermentor, (55 gallons) so we can go even bigger. Just nowhere to put it right now!

Try it, go on, it's fun!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Hey Kuntrygirl, looks like it's just us two now. Wonder where everyone went. Perhaps they just got fed up with winemaking.

I tried some ginger beer (wine really) and finally got some fizz in it. Low alcohol but great for mixed drinks.

Yep, looks like it. Perhaps they are off DRINKING the wine that they made.

GInger beer. That sounds different.

I am so excited about the pineapple wine. The Japanese Plum wine smelled so good when I smelled it. I am so anxious to taste that.

Guess what my next batch will be after the Pinapple? FIGS !!!!!!!!!! It will be my first time making fig wine. It sounds like it will taste divine!!!

 

[Totalcolour]

Yep, looks like it. Perhaps they are off DRINKING the wine that they made.

GInger beer. That sounds different.

I am so excited about the pineapple wine. The Japanese Plum wine smelled so good when I smelled it. I am so anxious to taste that.

Guess what my next batch will be after the Pinapple? FIGS !!!!!!!!!!

It will be my first time making fig wine. It sounds like it will taste divine!!!

My BIL had a huge fig tree and we made wine from the figs. It was exceptional (hubby wasn't impressed though). It was very full, but had also a slightly earthy taste which I liked a lot. A bit on the sweet side and very rich and fruity.

You should be tasting the wines you make, all during the process, so you will know what to taste for in the event one goes bad. That way you can toss it before it stinks up the house. We only had one go bad, blackberry. Nasty rotten egg smell.

 

[wlrabbitry]

Hello all. I am new to this thread. Been reading most of your posts. Just made 2 tea wines and a cranberry wine. all are bubbling in the cabinet. These are my first attempts to wine making. very simple recipes. today O will be making a basic mead. I did notice in some of your posts that some of you have had some bitter wines and suggested using more sugar in the next batches. Well I have been working with our local wine supply store and he has assured me that you can back sweeten any wine. so before you bottle sweeten to taste. Mead does need to age a minimum of a year same with the tea wines. The Cranberry I just made will be ready in three weeks.
Cranberry Wine (makes 1 gallon)
3 liter bottle of 100% cranberry juice (I used Ocean spray. Read ingredients so no extras Citric acid ok.)
1 concentrate grape juice (I used Welches no preservatives)
2 cups sugar
1 gallon jug
Wine yeast

Combine all but yeast. Mix till sugar dissolved. add yeast cap with airlock. taste in 14 days. if need sugar add if not bottle or drink. I plan to rack and sit for one more week then drink. Keep you all posted.

 

[wlrabbitry]

So here are my bottle. Made them right in the bottle.I could not find a tea wine recipe I liked so I kinda created my own. I took info from so other tea recipes and I have experiment #1 and #2. Both are made with loose leaf Berry Patch tea and Lemon Grass.
# 1 took longer to start fermenting as there is no fruit juice added. Will post recipe only after I have determined if it is good.

 

[kuntrygirl]

So here are my bottle. Made them right in the bottle.I could not find a tea wine recipe I liked so I kinda created my own. I took info from so other tea recipes and I have experiment #1 and #2. Both are made with loose leaf Berry Patch tea and Lemon Grass. # 1 took longer to start fermenting as there is no fruit juice added. Will post recipe only after I have determined if it is good.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Hello all. I am new to this thread. Been reading most of your posts. Just made 2 tea wines and a cranberry wine. all are bubbling in the cabinet. These are my first attempts to wine making. very simple recipes. today O will be making a basic mead. I did notice in some of your posts that some of you have had some bitter wines and suggested using more sugar in the next batches. Well I have been working with our local wine supply store and he has assured me that you can back sweeten any wine. so before you bottle sweeten to taste. Mead does need to age a minimum of a year same with the tea wines. The Cranberry I just made will be ready in three weeks.
Cranberry Wine (makes 1 gallon)
3 liter bottle of 100% cranberry juice (I used Ocean spray. Read ingredients so no extras Citric acid ok.)
1 concentrate grape juice (I used Welches no preservatives)
2 cups sugar
1 gallon jug
Wine yeast

Combine all but yeast. Mix till sugar dissolved. add yeast cap with airlock. taste in 14 days. if need sugar add if not bottle or drink. I plan to rack and sit for one more week then drink. Keep you all posted.

What tea wine recipe are you using? I found this one. Yeast is not an ingredient but I will add some.

http://gaizy.hubpages.com/hub/Recipe-How-to-make-Wine-from-Tea

Only four ingredients are needed; they are:

4 pints of cold tea
2lb. Granulated Sugar
1/2 lb. raisins
2 Lemons
The Method.

This is taken directly from the book.

"Cut up the raisins and slice the lemons thinly, and put them in a large bowl or jug. Add 2lb. of granulated sugar, then pour on four pints of cold tea. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then cover the bowl or jug and leave it for a month.

After this time you will find a scum on top, remove this carefully, then strain off the liquid and bottle.

Tea wine can be drunk at once, but it is best to keep it a few months first. Keep it in a cool dark place, and don't push the corks in too hard at first.

4 tablespoons bulk black tea
1 11-oz can frozen red or white grape concentrate, depending on desired color
2 lbs sugar
2 tsp citric acid
6 pts water
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 pkt wine yeast
Bring water to a boil and pour over the tea and sugar, stir well, and infuse until cool. Strain into primary, add grape concentrate, acid, nutrient and yeast. Cover and ferment until s.g. drops below 1.020. Transfer to secondary, fit airlock and ferment to dryness. Rack when wine is clear and completely dry, top up and refit airlock. Rack again after 45 days, stabilize, refit airlock, and set aside for 3-4 weeks. Sweeten to taste if desired and bottle.

 

[wlrabbitry]

Well I LOVE Teas!!!!
So I have alot of loose leaf tea just laying around. Could not find a recipe for loose tea. So I created my own. I did 2 variations of it to test.

So here it is Tea wine #1
(So far turning out alot clearer than #2)
5 cups water
1/2 Berry Patch Loose tea
3 tbs of Lemon grass loose tea
3 cups sugar
1/16 tsp Potassium Metasufite
1/2 tsp per bottle (1/2gallon) Yeast Nutrient.
Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast
Steep tea in mesh fermenting bag for 10 to 20 mins. Add sugar stir let cool for 1/2 hour. pull out bag and squeeze. funnel into bottle. as long as it is cool add yeast as directed on Package. Place airlock and stir in bottle daily. I plan to rack twice then age 1 year. I may have to back sweeten before last rack.