The product of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes.
5
votes
2answers
391 views
Degassing wine - how to proceed
Long time brewer, first time vintner here. Working through a winexpert Pinot Grigio kit. Primary and secondary fermentation went off without a hitch. Got to the stabilizing, degassing, and ...
7
votes
4answers
7k views
How can I tell when wine has finished degassing?
I bottled my first home made wine last week. It's an apple wine that didn't turn out so well. The good news is that I think I know most of the reasons it isn't very good and I'm going to try again ...
1
vote
2answers
46 views
sediment in wine bottle, how to serve
I made some wine recently, and I screwed up slightly. I degassed the wine the day I was going to bottle. I let it sit a couple hours expecting the sediment to settle after I "blended" the wine, ...
0
votes
2answers
80 views
What volume of brewer's yeast to use for yeast-nutrient-less dandelion wine?
I'm trying my first, 1-gallon batch of dandelion wine. Some recipes say "1 packet" of brewer's yeast, and mine doesn't even specify an amount. It also specifies to add "yeast nutrient," which my ...
1
vote
1answer
24 views
Isinglass and temperature
The wine kit that I am making uses isinglass for fining and recommends storing the wine at 70 degrees during the process. In the past I've used gelatin in my beers to clear and I know that it works ...
1
vote
1answer
54 views
Wine and yeast “clean up”
I have now decided to try my hand at some wine making as SHMBO decided she would also like to enjoy the fruits (haha) of my hobby.
In the instructions for the kit I received (White Riesling) I was ...
3
votes
1answer
472 views
The isinglass in my wine kit is cloudy. Has it gone bad?
I bought a Wine Experts Pinot Grigio wine kit and the packet of isinglass is cloudy and has white bits floating around in it. I suspect it is bad. Has anyone seen that before?
7
votes
2answers
1k views
How long can organic wine be stored without chemicals?
I'm trying to store some homemade organic red wine in bottles. For how long can it be stored without using any chemicals?
2
votes
3answers
300 views
When using a drill whip to degas, how do I ensure I will not aerate the wine/mead?
Some my wine/meads have been a bit bubbly after bottling. I'm thinking the problem is I have not be degassing. If I use a drill whip, how do I ensure I will not bruise or aerate the brew?
1
vote
1answer
83 views
750 ml sparking water bottle for wine?
I've brewed a half dozen batches of beer, and I am thinking of trying my hand at making some wine for the first time. Most likely a Red. We go through a lot of 750 mL glass water bottles. I would ...
6
votes
4answers
557 views
Can I ferment mead without campden tablets?
I think that campden tablets lend an odor to my mead that requires my letting the wine breathe for a while. I get headaches from this too.
Assuming I'm right about this, would pasteurization of the ...
3
votes
1answer
164 views
Wine max secondary fermentation time
I started my first batch of wine a year ago, and got up to racking into secondary fermentation, but never bottled it, and then forgot about it. Is it a lost batch? Is it even safe to try?
11
votes
8answers
414 views
What are some good online sources for recipes?
What are some good online sources for recipes? Please specify the type of recipes the site has (extract, all-grain, mead, cider, etc.).
2
votes
1answer
147 views
Raisins in basic wine recipe
Would the very small amount of oil that is added to store raisins cause a problem with basic wine recipes?
I was going to make a Strawberry + Raisin recipe but noticed that all the available raisins ...
4
votes
2answers
352 views
How to safely remove mold from corks?
I have a mead that has been sitting bottled in a cool underground closet for about a year, and the corks appear to have some mold growing on the outside. Apparently the closet is a bit more moist ...
4
votes
2answers
694 views
How important is temperature when adding pectic enzyme?
I added pectic enzyme when the must of my rhubarb wine was too warm after I misread the directions in the book where I found the recipe. I didn't notice until after the next day when I had already ...
8
votes
3answers
143 views
I find my wines to be too “juicy”
I've been making wine (mostly red) at home for about a year now and find that even though I ferment them dry I still find them to taste too much like fresh fruit. Any thoughts on getting to that aged ...
3
votes
2answers
542 views
Is it possible to cork screw-top wine bottles?
Do normal corks and normal corkers work with them? Is there a greater risk of breaking the neck of the bottle during corking?
3
votes
5answers
271 views
Can wine age too long?
So I started a batch of wine at the end of the summer, and I happen to have a bad habit of not following through on projects. Basically, I fermented it, moved it to the 2ndary after about a week, then ...
1
vote
1answer
106 views
Premature fermentation of wine must. What to do?
I recently took delivery of a five gallon pail of white wine juice. Supposedly, the juice had been refrigerated on its trip from California and stored in a cool warehouse here in my home town. ...
1
vote
3answers
239 views
Sloe wine: going very slowly
Having started enough sloe gin this year to last a decade, I decided to use the rest of the fruit to brew some sloe wine. I'm new to brewing, and this might seem like an odd choice, but I have high ...
13
votes
17answers
661 views
What is the best beer to make for a spouse who prefers sauvignon blanc?
I am trying to solve the "wife who loves wine instead of beer" problem. She would normally choose a Sauvignon blanc for herself but that's just no fun for the beer-drinking / making husband. My goal ...
7
votes
3answers
190 views
What is the best book for beginning wine makers?
What is the best book for beginning wine makers?
** Please post 1 book per post, then the resulting votes will show what most people consider to be the best book.
4
votes
3answers
264 views
What equipment do I need to starting making wine?
What equipment do I need to start making wine at home?
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Making wine from concord grape juice
I'm just about to start my first attempts at wine making. We bought a gallon of organic, concentrated, concord grape juice to use for some other recipes and I have so much left over that I'm going to ...
2
votes
1answer
47 views
Chardonnay changed color when sparkkloid was added
When making chardonnay wine, after the primary fermentation and 1st racking, we added sparkloid (as per instructions) and the wine immediately changed color. Why is this?
2
votes
3answers
213 views
Is a late addition of sugar into wine a month after primary ended detrimental?
I'm currently brewing an apple wine. I started it at 1.080, and when that was finished I added another 1.020. Now it has been sitting on it's yeast cake for about one month, and I'm considering if I ...
3
votes
2answers
134 views
What exactly should I measure while brewing?
I want the answers to be geared towards meads/wines if possible.
There seems to be so many things to measure. Which are the ones that really matter? I've started spending a lot of time taking all ...
1
vote
0answers
67 views
Starting a wine co-op [closed]
I'd like to start a wine co-op for vineyards and winemakers in my local area. There isn't one.
The idea would be:
- Help each other with growing problems, tips.
- Share cost/expense of equipement.
...
2
votes
2answers
111 views
How do you blend your meads/wines?
How does one typically blend their meads & wines? Do I need to worry about layering because of different S.G. levels or ABV levels?
2
votes
2answers
652 views
homemade wine problem
My question is in my primary fermenter. If the airlock is not bubbling does that mean its not fermenting. I have two on the go one is bubbling and the other one is. What should I do?
4
votes
3answers
3k views
Can I use wine yeast to ferment beer?
Can I use wine yeast to ferment a beer? What sort of problems might I encounter that are unique to wine yeast trying to ferment malt sugars? What sort of flavor differences might I encounter?
1
vote
1answer
398 views
My white wine has stopped fermenting, how can I restart it?
My white wine fermented successfully for a few days in a bucket. I've transferred it to a joram and it's stopped. Can I restart it somehow?
3
votes
6answers
440 views
How should I mash my grapes?
I'm mashing a small quantity (~3 buckets) of grapes to make wine. I haven't any special equipment, and don't really want to buy any. What should I do to mash the grapes?
6
votes
2answers
275 views
Should a wine be encouraged to emit residual CO2 before bottlings?
When making beer or other carbonated beverages, we are encouraged to consider residual CO2 when calculating priming sugar. Does this also mean that non-carbonated beverages should be "encouraged" to ...
6
votes
1answer
254 views
primary fermentation of wine
I am mostly a beer brewer, but recently I have begun experimenting with fruit wines. In contrast to beer, the wine recipes I am using all say to do the primary fermentation with only a towel or other ...
5
votes
1answer
167 views
Are there any benefits to isenglass, bentonite, etc. besides clarification?
If I don't care how clear my wine (from kits) comes out, am I missing out on any other benefits/side effects by not using any isenglass/bentonite/sparkolloid? I've done a few batches without any ...
7
votes
3answers
531 views
What would happen if I used a yeast meant for white wine to brew red wine or vice versa?
I was buying winemaking yeast and wondered - what exactly would happen if I used the stuff meant for red wines for white or the other way around?
Would it be bad? Would it work at all? Would it just ...
9
votes
2answers
467 views
Is it safe to open the lid of a fermentation container to stir the yeast and sugar?
Last night I put a batch of wine going (very simple setup - a plastic bucket with a sealed lid and a cork in the top for a plastic airlock). This morning, I can tell the sugar has settled to the ...
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Will it harm my wine to shake the container?
This is probably a really dumb question, but is it bad to shake or swirl the container my wine is in to encourage the release of CO2? I accidentally found out that jarring the container results in ...
7
votes
1answer
409 views
Wine from Tropical Fruit
I am looking for recipes/suggestions for making wine with tropical fruit. I am particularly interested in mango as I have lots of mango trees here (Nicaragua). I would also be interested in papaya, ...
3
votes
1answer
562 views
To keep wine sweet when do I add potassium sorbate?
I made 4 gallons watermelon wine and I wanted to leave it a little sweet. So, when the brew was at 1.01 gravity I added 2 tsp of potassium sorbate. I stirred it well. Over the next few days there was ...
8
votes
1answer
1k views
Can I keep mead/wine in stainless steel bottles?
So what do you use for bottling? I'm really starting to look into stainless steel bottles. There are companies that make them (with customized artwork, no less) for conference shwag but you could ...
1
vote
1answer
220 views
Recommendations for scaling up operations
Right now I brew once month. This gets me to 60-72 gallons of delicious wine or beer per year. But the limit for home brewers in the US is 200 gallons per year per household. To reach that with 5 ...
7
votes
3answers
195 views
How to store wine in hot city?
I'm planning to store wine bottles for several years, but I live in a hot city and don't have any cellar to use.
What other alternatives can I use to store the wine in a good environment?
5
votes
1answer
122 views
When is pectic enzyme effective?
I made cranberry wine about 10 weeks ago and did not use pectic enzyme. Is it to late to add it or must it be put in at the start?
3
votes
2answers
158 views
What are some red wines that mature quickly and are available in kits?
I'm looking for red wine kits that will mature quickly (6-18 months, as opposed to 2-5 years). I like big, complex reds, but I'd like some wine to drink while I'm waiting for them to mature. I prefer ...
5
votes
1answer
611 views
How long should a Shiraz age?
I made a Shiraz from a kit early this spring (bottled in April). I also made a Johannesburg Riesling. I know reds take longer than whites to age, but we've been enjoying the Riesling for some time now ...
8
votes
3answers
705 views
Can glass carboy be used for both beer and wine making?
This last summer, my Dad showed my brother and I the process for making wine that he learned from his Dad. It was pretty simple and used a 5 or 6 gallon glass carboy. I've made a few batches of beer ...
6
votes
1answer
454 views
What kind of wine should I use to top off my wine during clarification?
After secondary fermentation, when I rack, add the stabilizers, and degas, I've been told it's best to top-off with additional wine (commercial or left-over from an old batch) to minimize the surface ...
