Wine crafting

[Vodin]

Got a 6 gallon Carboy and a desire to learn how to make wine. Looking for known good recipes. Do any have a suggestion or 2?

[Sniper-T]

I would suggest going into a local wine making store, and buying a kit. (plus a few other things - siphons, filters, hydrometer, thermometer, buckets, etc) Start with a standard kit of something you like, make a batch to see how it's done, and then try again but play with the recipe. Do that a couple times and then venture out into making from scratch.

[Domeguy]

It had a few good ones, as well as my fathers recipes he had made, but that was many moons ago. I would advice doing a bit of research on this new fangled infra web thing, and if it sounds good, try it. But I would also advise trying new recipes in smaller batches, so if it tastes like rat piss, you don't have to drink 5 gallons of rat piss just because you don't want to waste it.

[Sniper-T]

^Even the worst wine can be used as mix if you add enough hard stuff.

[Domeguy]

^Even the worst wine can be used as mix if you add enough hard stuff.

I shudder at the thought...you don't add 'hard stuff' to a fine wine...you knuckle dragging Neanderthal.

[Sniper-T]

no one said anything about a 'fine wine' We're talking about the 'rat piss' that you're dreading swilling. who knows, maybe some rat piss would make your Jack even palatable...

Oh, and I'm not flexible enough to drag my knuckles, but the ground sure does keep my fingernails short.

lol

[Domeguy]

Fair enough, but I don't thing even rat piss would make Jack drinkable. I'm a Wild Turkey guy, remember

[Sniper-T]

Same shit! both aspire to one day be rat piss, and hold all the reverence that a high quality rat piss demands.

;)

[Socalman]

There are several good websites regarding wine making. It is something I have wanted to do for sometime. I have a purchased a few books but we have not done anything about producing any wine. Heck, I would like to even use some of my own "estate grown" merlot grapes for some wine.

Online, check out E.C. Krauss. There are some great online sources to buy grapes or frozen crush from some of the top vineyards in the Napa/Sonoma area.

Good luck, let us know how it goes!

[realist]

Socal you are wrong, I am from Sonoma and we make great wine up here, all Napa can make is good auto parts.

Viodin so you want to make wine??? Well you need to do research soooooo you need to come out here and go wine tasting. I know just the person to show you around and you will not be disappointed. Now if you choose to pursue the book route without doing the research I really can't help you.

Sniper if the wine you make is so bad you want to add "hard stuff" to it to make it drinkable, then I suggest three things. One save the hard stuff and just drink it straight. Two, let it turn to vinegar, which will taste like shit too. Three take it and turn it into brandy, (hint the best choice!!!!!!), I learned this from a couple of old Italians last week. So there you have it you have not wasted your hard stuff but actually increased it.

[bacpacker]

Let's hear more about the wine to brandy stuff.

I hope to do some wine making at some point. I have two kinds of Muscadine grapes. They are a native southern grape and do make a good wine. Maybe I'll figure out how one day.

[realist]

I have been assured that they will show me this winter. These guys, in their 80s make wine that if you bought it on the open market would cost $60 a bottle, it is incredible. They said when they have some wine that tastes like crap they make it into brandy. Now it is my understanding they will not show me since it is illegal to run a still in my state they will only talk to be about it. They said they have found some bottles on their front porch which tasted very good. And no they do not know were they came from..........

[bacpacker]

Some good brains to pick right there.:)

[realist]

Not here mine is too small

[Domeguy]

I made some wine back in the 80-90's era. And to save some time and money, I started with Welch's white grape juice. Then added the sugar and the yeast according to the hydrometer. Not to toot my own horn, but it was delicious. This might be a way to start experimenting with the procedure, then after you have that down, then change the recipe to suit your taste.

[Sniper-T]

^

http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/toot-your-own-horn-tuesdays.png

;)

[realist]

Domeguy way back when, high school we did something similar, it tasted like crap but what the hell we were in high school. Ever heard of carrot whiskey. it can be done...

[Sniper-T]

we used to make dark rum out of pumpkins...

[Domeguy]

No, I've never heard of carrot whiskey, and right now, I'm still wishing I hadn't. I can only imagine how bad it was. But, mankind has been fermenting anything he could get his hands on for since the dawn of time. I'm guessing no matter what the sugar source comes from, it's been tried before.

[Sniper-T]

hang a gutted pumpkin in a gunnysack over a pot. add sugared water to fill. let it bubble for a week to 10 days... poke a hole in the bottom to drain. seine through a pillow case. destill. done!

[realist]

The things people do just to get a drink.............. when we did it we were 15 and didn't know better, Sniper what age were you??? That sounds pretty nasty.

[Sniper-T]

lol. believe it or not, it was difficult to tell the difference in taste with a swilling rum like Bacardi black. My dad made gallons of it every year up until I was 16. Possibly after, but I didn't live there any more. Straight out of the pumpkin it was about 15% He'd run it through a cheap little still and jack it up to about 50% He could have gone higher, but he didn't care enough to try.

[realist]

The things we do for a drink when we were young. What is the saying young and dumb and full of ..........