by Cellist 18 Replies latest jw friends
Anybody here on the board make their own wine? We just put together our first batch. Crabapple wine. We don't expect to replace the wines that we buy. We just hope to supplement them. We have alot of fruiting trees and bushes and think this is a good way to use up the extra produce. There is, after all, only so many pies and jams that you can eat in a year.
And, yes, I do know that to properly be called "wine" it has to be fermented from grapes.
Cellist
ooohh I love making wine- from just one batch (~5 gallons of fruit) you'll have like 15 bottles.
There are lots of great internet sites on making all kinds of fruit wine. My favorite was strawberry because the flavor and smell just blows you away! you can cut it with other cheaper fruit if you want and the strawberry still takes over. Drink it soon to get max flavor but let it go for ~ 6 months for max alcohol ;)
Check outhtose internet sites -they have really easy instructions on how-to. Initial set up costs are moderate but once you are good to go it's really cheap. It is a really fun activity. Just keep everything sterile!
Good Luck!
Kudra
Hi Kudra,
Yes, I got some recipes from a site in Texas. (Jack Kellar) We have a friend who makes wine and my parents used to make it when I was young. I've never tried strawberry. So far blueberry is my favourite.
Have you been winemaking for long? Have you ever made Mead? (Honey wine)
Cellist
Oh yeah... -that site with the Texas flag on each page- that's a good one -lots of different recipes even ones for cactus fruit (I'm in the Arizona desert) that I want to try.
Blueberry is another strong flavor -never tried to make it though. Blackberry is a weak flavor btw, you can't really taste it (in case you wanted to try it or have acres of blackberry bushes in your yard). Good "filler" I guess!
Mead! mmmm like it but honestly I am sorta afraid to try it cause the winemaking process is such a mess (for me anyway...) with fruit pulp EVERYWHERE, that I can't even imagine what would happen with honey! Also honey's a little expensive- do you need a lot of it?
K
I made dandelion wine a few years ago. It came out so very strong, only a die hard alcoholic could drink half a glass without going into a coma. Never again!
I love making wine and beer! Actually my Secret Santa (Insomniac) got me a home brewing book for X-mas this year.
So far, I've only made wine from kits, however I'm going to start making it from fresh grape juice this year. There's tons of excellant websites on home brewing (both beer and wine) for anyone starting out.
Kwin
I've got some red currant bushes in the backyard so I make some wine out of those every year. I usually have enough to make 7-8 gallons of wine. I used to make my own beer too, but haven't for a few years. Maybe I'll do it again this year.
W
Kudra - It takes 3lbs of honey to make a gallon of wine. We just bought 15lbs of honey bulk. Yes, it's more expensive than growing your own fruit. I'd actually like to get a beehive, but I'm afraid the bears would demolish it.
I'm glad to know about the blackberries. I was actually thinking of planting some this year. Maybe I won't bother.
Kwintestal - I'd like to make beer someday. Is it harder or easier than wine?
Finally-free - I just ordered some red currant bushes. I've read that the wine is really good. Obviously you agree with that sentiment.
It's nice to know there are other wine making enthusiasts here.
Cellist
bee hives and current and blackberry bushes and BEARS?
Do you live in Montana?
I'd go ahead and plant the blackberry bushes if it's not too much trouble - nothing is as good for the soul as blackberry picking in the summer :)
I'd love to have a beehive and it actually was my plan but here in Arizona any hive gets taken over by killer bees or killer african bees (I forget what they are actually called- maybe they're south american...)
Yikes!
Ive actually made two different batches of wine and both were best suited to be poured down the sink.
Not everything organic should be fermented.
