small batch winemaking

[kazyeeqen]

Hello, hi everyone. This is my first post. I've been lurking.

Maybe this isn't exactly food, but it's ingestable, and I wanted to share so here it is.

I've been making wine in one gallon batches, one gallon every month, since February (still have to make the June batch, cherries maybe, I missed out on the roses cause I was lazy)

Here are the four wines I have going:

In order of oldest to newest:
Pumpkin, tamarind, rhubarb, passion fruit

They are all clearing really nicely, but I still don't have the faintest idea whether or not they taste good. Gotta wait a year or so to find out. Hopefully they're alright, cause I guess by then I'll have 12.  

The pumpkin is the prettiest, I used brown sugar and it turned a great color.


I've been using effectively the same recipe, just with different fruits and different sugars, it's about 2lbs sweetener (brown sugar for the pumpkin, agave for the passion fruit, regular evaporated cane juice for the other two) some tannin (I've used a whole bunch of raisins, but I didn't like feeling like I wasted all those raisins, and black tea), fruit in varying amounts (only 2c passion fruit or tamarind, but they're potent fruits, 6c rhubarb or pumpkin) and a package of wine yeast. And a lot of sterilizing. Lots of sterilizing.

Boil water, add sugar, pour over fruit in a bucket, add tannin, acid of some kind (hard to say how much really I needed, since the fruits I used had wildly varying amounts of acid naturally), some yeast nutrient and energizer just to be on the safe side, and add yeast after it cools.

It's been really fun, hopefully they all turn out well, in 2011...

Thank you for looking.

[achgfd]

the pumpkin wine looks delicious! I know nothing about wine brewing but that is a really neat idea.

[ReLovely]

What a great idea -- a gallon of wine per month.  And of all different flavors  

Looking good!!!

[Dancer4Ever]

Cool beans! Now I want to make wine. I wonder if my friend will be ok with making it in our place once I move? And the pumpkin sounds amazing! And so does the tamarind one.

[alorralora]

Bravo!!  I love it when people make their own stuff!  Sure, it's cheaper to buy jam/quilts/wine/etc. from Walmart, but the quality and taste...dreadful!  Not to mention you know what is really being put INTO it, too!  I also like the fact that you did some fruit that you don't normally see on the shelves.  Variety is the spice of life!

[jennieingram]

Neat!  I can't wait to find out how this comes out!  My husband brews his own beer, and has made hard cider before, but we haven't tried making wine yet....

[kazyeeqen]

Heh, I actually wanted to make beer, which is what started this whole year long project. I kept hearing from people that beer is harder than wine, and that there isn't any point in making less than 5 gallons of beer, and that seemed like a pretty heavy investment, for the ingredients and the equipment.

There's lots of recipes out there for one gallon wine though, and I work in the produce department of a food coop, so I get all the damaged food I want! That's how I ended up with tamarind and passion fruit, and pumpkin for that matter. The rhubarb came from the back yard.

So it was pretty cheap, just sugar and little things, and the equipment was easy too, big pots and gallon jugs, which are pretty standard equipment in our house.

I know now that I could make a gallon of beer if I wanted to and naysayers can be damned. But I'm still really glad I'm doing this, it's been a real education in fermenting.

[NikonGoddess]

This sounds fantastic. I may have to attempt to try to do this. I've always wanted to make wine.
Thank you for the instructions. The pumpkin one sounds really good.

[Aislynn]

That is so cool!  A friend of mine and I tried brewing mead one time.  It didn't end well at all.  I would totally be willing to try again, though.  You have to post an update once you find out how they taste!

[TroubleT]

Nice work! Good clarity on the pumpkin.

Did you put any spices in the pumpkin wine? (My brain keeps thinking of pumpkin juice at Hogwarts if you speak HP. )

I think when it comes to brewing beer vs. wine, it depends on perspective. Both require a certain level of sanitation to ensure that you don't contaminate your beverage. Wine is easier in setting up but takes longer to ferment to the point that it's drinkable. Beer, meads, melomels and cysers (i.e. "meads" made with fruit juices, not just honey) are more tedious from the beginning but can produce a something drinkable in a much shorter amount of time.

Regardless, most all home brewing involves an investment in time and space over the long term. Oh, and paper towels and mops if something goes wrong along the way.

Oh the story of an old boyfriend who had a batch of his mead explode in my closet...yeah, those were the days. LOL!

[alorralora]

I think I'll have to Wist this!   *wink* *nudge*

[kazyeeqen]

I think I'll have to Wist this!   *wink* *nudge*

Sad that it's illegal to mail alcohol. 

At least via USPS, isn't there some way to send booze around the world though?

[alorralora]

I think I'll have to Wist this!   *wink* *nudge*

Sad that it's illegal to mail alcohol. 

At least via USPS, isn't there some way to send booze around the world though?

you'd have to either use Fedex or UPS

[helenm66]

Pumpkin Wine, LOL, perfect. Wish I was brave enough to be original. I once made banana wine, which was delicious, but now I only make kits . . .

H

[Angel8]

My brother & I home brew beer. It's not all that expensive. In fact, where I live, it's cheaper to brew beer then it is wine. We LOVE doing it!! It's alot of fun! People get a kick out of the fact that you know how to brew. We've been told that we make a great beer by a local brew master.

You have most of the stuff you'll need to brew beer. All that's left is a 5 gallon carboy. You could be drinking the beer inside 3-4 weeks depending on your formula and type. Believe it of not, 5 gallons isn't as much as you think. You only get about fiftythree 12 oz bottles per batch. We recycle bottles. So, that helps to keep cost down too.

By the way, if you can rmake cookies, you can make beer. It's just that easy!! It's alot simpler then you think. I'll tell you what.....I would be willing to trade some of our home brew for your pumpkin wine! That just sounds sooooooo good!!

[TroubleT]

Between home brewing and having old boyfriends who were beer snobs, I won't drink domestic beer at all now. I'm spoiled. 

[Sweet_Tea_Mama]

That is so cool! I've always wanted to try wine making. I'm sure it will turn our delicious!

[kazyeeqen]

Pumpkin Wine, LOL, perfect. Wish I was brave enough to be original. I once made banana wine, which was delicious, but now I only make kits . . .

H

Banana wine is definitely one I'm interested in trying, maybe after tryiing them all I'll decide kits are the way to go!  I'm actually not all that fond of wine, the kind I get from the store at least. I'm putting it down to my lack of sophistication, and I'm hoping I like my own wine a lot more.

I think I'll have to Wist this!   *wink* *nudge*

Sad that it's illegal to mail alcohol. 

At least via USPS, isn't there some way to send booze around the world though?

you'd have to either use Fedex or UPS

Well that's easy enough, if I ever get the urge to mail alcohol.

My brother & I home brew beer. It's not all that expensive. In fact, where I live, it's cheaper to brew beer then it is wine. We LOVE doing it!! It's alot of fun! People get a kick out of the fact that you know how to brew. We've been told that we make a great beer by a local brew master.

You have most of the stuff you'll need to brew beer. All that's left is a 5 gallon carboy. You could be drinking the beer inside 3-4 weeks depending on your formula and type. Believe it of not, 5 gallons isn't as much as you think. You only get about fiftythree 12 oz bottles per batch. We recycle bottles. So, that helps to keep cost down too.

By the way, if you can rmake cookies, you can make beer. It's just that easy!! It's alot simpler then you think. I'll tell you what.....I would be willing to trade some of our home brew for your pumpkin wine! That just sounds sooooooo good!!

I'm definitely going to be making beer. It's been on my to-do list for ages, but there's just always something more pressing... I will probably just start with a gallon, since my husband and I drink very infrequently it makes sense for us (plus our house is quite small, it's always best to make projects small).

I've heard recommendations to start with malt extract instead of malted barley for ease, but I am partial to the most basic ingredients when possible, do you have any advice on that? (if you tell me malted barley is easy to use I will be most reassured)  

[TroubleT]

I've worked with both. The only problem with the malted barley can be the smell when you boil it. It can get overwhelming quickly. lol

[kazyeeqen]

I've worked with both. The only problem with the malted barley can be the smell when you boil it. It can get overwhelming quickly. lol

I'll just have to make it in the summer and open all the windows.

I've malted barley before in an attempt to make bouza (might even have been a successful attempt, I just don't know what bouza is supposed to taste like, if really goshdarn weird is what I was going for I succeeded!) and as I was roasting it the house smelled like cookies, it was amazing. I doubt that would be the problem with it becoming overwhelming though, or it wouldn't be a problem...

[Angel8]

[/quote]

I'm definitely going to be making beer. It's been on my to-do list for ages, but there's just always something more pressing... I will probably just start with a gallon, since my husband and I drink very infrequently it makes sense for us (plus our house is quite small, it's always best to make projects small).

I've heard recommendations to start with malt extract instead of malted barley for ease, but I am partial to the most basic ingredients when possible, do you have any advice on that? (if you tell me malted barley is easy to use I will be most reassured)  
[/quote]

What you would like to do, is called "All-Grain Brewing", it's alittle more difficult. I would have to go with the advice that was given to you already, start with malt extract. Just until you get the feel for it. You'll only have to brew a couple of batches before you'll be ready for all-grain.

Plus, you can pickup malt extract kits for about $30. It gives you everything you need to get you first batch going. The only issue I can see, is that almost all beer brewing formulas call for 5 gallons to be made at a time.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I have all kinds of web sites and info to help.

[tomico]

    I am a brewer as well though I have only brewed mead, gruit and real ginger beer. I have also made liquerers (not really brewing but interesting anyway). I like unconventional ingredients. My husband, the more experienced brewer, tends to try to keep things tried and true but I'm a mad scientist and play with all our herbs and spices as well as edible flowers and strange veggies. I'm hoping to try tomatoes some day.
    I'm interested in the rhubarb. That can go great or really bad but if it goes bad you may only want to forget about it for several years. Apparently, rhubarb is slow to age. I saw a recipe that recommends using pineapple juice with the rhubarb.
    Definately try the roses when you get a chance. My best batch of mead so far was a rose, hibiscus and elderflower mead. We have just tried a rose, blood orange and vanilla extract mead that we just racked tonight. In my opinion mead is really easy but you have to have as much patience as you do with wine. Yes, you can drink it within 6 months but most mead makers feel that a two year mead is "young".

    Good luck and I hope to hear about more batches in the future.

Tomico

[LoveNTheOcean]

Mmm, that wine looks delicious  !
I've made wine the "jail" way with a balloon.
I thought the "wine" was a joke and before I knew it I was drunk as a sailor.
Lol. I'd love to make batches of wine but I'm very impatient. I couldn't help myself from "tasting" it on a daily basis. Haha!

[jungrrl]

Heh, I actually wanted to make beer, which is what started this whole year long project. I kept hearing from people that beer is harder than wine, and that there isn't any point in making less than 5 gallons of beer, and that seemed like a pretty heavy investment, for the ingredients and the equipment.

I think those people might be crazy   As someone else already put it, you're almost there with supplies already and the turnaround time is sooooo much faster!

[Faux_Valentine]

I'm thinking of changing my major in college to biology and today we learned about fermentation ( anaerobic respiration XD) and i would love to try and make some wine. These look so delicious i will need to go around and try and find some recipes and equipment lists and how to sterilize equipment.

[Selnith]

they look fab, my friend makes wine from almost anything, her rhubarb wine is amazing and Carrot! Everyone should try carrot wine.
at Uni i lived with the president of the real ale society, i helped him brew on a number of occasions, it smelled so good while we were making it, and boy did it taste good
we had some properly tested for strength etc once, it was quite a strong one
whenever we went to visit a local brewery we'd take some bottles of our stuff to give to the guys there for their opinion, was quite a good deal, they got a bottle or two each of our homebrew and we had two furkins of their stuff to drink between 12 of us
good times

[Raremoon]

Looks lovely! I have yet to try any brewing of my own, but the peaches in the backyard are ripening very nicely this season, so I may have to try it for myself!

[kazyeeqen]

Looks lovely! I have yet to try any brewing of my own, but the peaches in the backyard are ripening very nicely this season, so I may have to try it for myself!

Peach wine sounds good, I bet it'd be delicious.

Update:
I racked three of the four, and decided I was going to just see how these four went before making any more, it's summer now and there's a lot of things to do...

So far my favorite is rhubarb, it seems mild and dry already (though it's still way, way early to tell). The others (tamarind and pumpkin) seems kind of... alcohol-y, and I can't really detect other flavors.

Hopefully they will develop better flavor as the months go by. I don't really know how they are supposed to taste at this stage anyway, just thought I'd try them so I'll be better at assessing future wine development.

[astrangeone]

I'm making a batch of Prison hooch (fruit juice, yeast, a bit of raisin juice, and a lot of sugar).  It's the same way, but it's not a bad flavour.  (It should age for quite a bit longer, although.)