# Any wine, cider, or mead makers here?



## Ty520 (6 mo ago)

Apologies if this is the wrong section...

Just curious if there are any other wine, cider or mead makers here?

I enjoy it as a hobby, drinking it (of course), and makes for good bartering.

Starting to explore distillation as well (not sure about the legalities of discussing that here...?)


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## Smoke1757 (10 mo ago)

I've dabbled in wine making and will probably start again here shortly, just need room for the bottles, space is at a premium at our house. I used to make it by the 5 gallon carboys, but may just do a few one gallon containers.


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## AndyFrank (Jul 20, 2018)

Dabbler. Wine and mead, mulberry & elderberry are next but gotta hurry. Thankfully we get a long season here.

Nothing better than home made. I didn't get my first Meade right because the directions were a little different (was a kit bought at a faire) and I don't make a particularly good one, so I usually stick to berry wine.


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## Ty520 (6 mo ago)

AndyFrank said:


> Dabbler. Wine and mead, mulberry & elderberry are next but gotta hurry. Thankfully we get a long season here.
> 
> Nothing better than home made. I didn't get my first Meade right because the directions were a little different (was a kit bought at a faire) and I don't make a particularly good one, so I usually stick to berry wine.


man have i been wishing i can get my hands on some mulberries!


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## AndyFrank (Jul 20, 2018)

There's a tree in its prime here, but if you don't mind dried? Nuts.com usually has em about $14/lb + shipping
I usually end up with dried elderberries and a sparkling grape juice concentrate - you would want to add a more flavorful berry in? Mulberries by their self come out thin flavored and no real body? 
But ask around.....I am a total amateur


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

It's a domestic skill ,like bread making, sewing, canning, etc... and it's been one of my goals to learn wine making for a while. 

It would be nice to bring a bottle of homemade wine to the family table on Sundays. My brother used to make mead, which I don't particularly care for, but he said he'll help me make wine. 

I'd like to make dandelion wine, and blackberry wine, because we have both growing in the garden. 

I need to purchase a kit...any suggestions?


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## Ty520 (6 mo ago)

Annie said:


> It's a domestic skill ,like bread making, sewing, canning, etc... and it's been one of my goals to learn wine making for a while.
> 
> It would be nice to bring a bottle of homemade wine to the family table on Sundays. My brother used to make mead, which I don't particularly care for, but he said he'll help me make wine.
> 
> ...


Kits are a pain.

Here's my blackberry wine recipe :
(You could swap out nearly any berry for this)

Batch size: 1 gallon

Ingredients:

6 lb blackberries 
36 oz granulated sugar 
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme 
1/2 tsp acid blend 
1/2 tsp potassium metabilsuphite or crushed campden tablen
7 pts water 
wine yeast 
6 grams nutrients
0.5 grams medium toast french oak cubes
Method:

Wash berries thoroughly, then freeze in 1 gallon freezer bags. Defrost berries and place in nylon bag. 
Mash the berries and squeeze out all juice into primary fermentation vessel. tie off bag and add all ingredients except yeast. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Put on lid and airlock, and let sit for 24 hours.
Pitch yeast, stir, and put lid w/ airlock back on. Punch down cap and stir daily for 5 days.
Strain juice from bag and siphon into carboy. Fill only to '1 gallon' shoulder mark. add cap with air lock. Place in a cool dark place.
Rack remaining must into a 750-ml wine bottle with #2 bung and air lock. You will use this to top off carboy later.
Allow wine to age 1 month.
Rack to the second 1 gallon carboy. Top off with wine from 750 ml bottle (to make up for losses from racking). Add oak cubes. (I usually just leave them loose because you cannot really re-use them).
Remove oak after 1 month.
Age an additional month.
Rack again and age 2 more months.
Rack again if necessary.
Bulk age to +16 months from pitch date.
Bottle, and age an additional 2 months (at least)
Note: it needs AT LEAST 18 months aging, from pitching yeast to drinking. You'd think a year would suffice, and might be tempted to try - don't, you'll be disappointed. But after 18 months, magic.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Sounds plausible to me. Thanks for sharing. I been making all kinds of alcoholic beverages since 9th grade. I agree kits are a pain. I usually make four gallon batches of "Cowboy Wine" in five gallon chlorine buckets with the seams duct taped shut as primary fermenters..then move it over to half gallon glass or plastic jugs with lids to continue fermenting leave the lids cracked on the jugs or burp em occasionally. At drinking time it can be gently poured or siphoned into a fresh jug at any stage of clarity.
Cowboy wine is about five pounds of Fruit stuffed in a ladies stocking and placed in the bucket with ten pounds of sugar..filled with water and pinch of yeast. Put the lid on and squeeze the stocking each day for ten days. On day ten give it one last squeeze and throw it away or wash it for next time. Put the lid on and tape the seams shut so to keep the air out and the CO2 in but allow the excess Co2 to escape...and keep it in a cool spot for a month or so. Then move it to half gallon jugs to finish fermenting. Which could take a long time depending on the yeast. Champagne yeast takes a year or so and can get it up to 18% ABV.
PS: Im currently into making super healthy Ginger Champagne


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## AndyFrank (Jul 20, 2018)

Do it! Its easier than it looks.


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