A Bunch Of Newbie Questions (Correct My Pear Wine Steps/Details PLEASE!)

[critterhunter]

I’m new to the forum and also to making wine. Just a few weeks ago I decided to try my hand at making some because I had a 6.5 gallon carboy sitting around doing nothing and a nearby’s pear tree that also never has anybody use the fruit.

What I’ve found by searching the web is that all the recipies for for the pear wine I could dig up along with for most other fruits were severely lacking in detail. Some provides bits of information here, while others provided lost details there, yet none of them seemed to include all this finer stuff along with walking a total newbie through the process.

For that reason I have compiled step by step instructions for newbies like me after surfing the net and compiling information, along with a few informal talks with local wine making supply stores.

I am sure that I’ve still got a few things wrong and for that reason I need some more input. Correct me on amounts of ingredients, steps and procedures, and so on. I’m trying to make this instruction sheet as fool proof as possible and as detailed as possible for all us newbies. Sort of a “WINE MAKING FOR DUMMIES” type of deal.

I’ve already found out that I need to correct the second racking (not the one from the primary to the secondary, but the one after that). After we siphoned it down to the sediment we then poured the sediment into a screened funnel and soon found that wasn’t going to work because it clogged up all the time. We then tried pouring it into a mesh bag and then squeezing out the juice. That was a no-go again, as we ended up squeezing most of the sediment back into the juice.

Next time I do a second racking like this I plan to only pour the sediment through the mesh bag and allow it to drip out, as that should prevent most of the sediment from going with it. With the third racking I would then assume that you wouldn’t want to take any sediment at all and just siphone off the top, or would it be a good idea to once again let the juice drip out of the bag?

Also, I’m at a delima as to how to make up for lost volume when that time comes. Should we just boil and allow water to cool to use, or should we use glass marbles? I’m thinking cheap here and don’t want to buy another slightly smaller carboy or pour a store bought wine or vodka or something into it. So far it looks like using marbles is the best option? If so, does anybody know of a cheap local chain I could try to buy them? Also, how do I make sure they are glass and not acrylic or something that would melt down in the wine? I’ve heard horror stories. And do they have to be clear? Even then I get nervous when I hear most are made in China of recycled glass.

I’m also a bit concerned about the amout of Candum (I know I’m spelling it wrong) tablets to use. Some say never use it in the primary, why others say it’s a must to prevent spoilage. Is two too much from the primary? Some say to put one in with each racking, while others say it should never be used until terminating fermation along with Sorbate to halt any future fermation.

Also, some say to put the Sorbate/Candum in and wait a few days to halt fermation before adding sugar when it’s needed before bottling if you want the wine sweeter. While others say to put the sugar in first and then add that stuff a few days later. That doesn’t make sense to me, because wouldn’t the sugar be once again converted to alchohol?

One fine question…About 6 days into the primary the fermation looked dead. We used an air lock on the bucket, which some say never to do in the primary? I know it needs air then but we were stirring it twice a day. Anyway, is 6 days about normal because at 8 days when we racked it into the secondary we saw absolutely no more fermation. Did I kill it too soon by adding another Candum tablet?

We we racked it out of and back into the secondary (2nd racking) we poured it in with a funnel. Did I oxidize the wine, or should the Candum help? Must use siphone and keep the hose at the bottom of the carboy you are siphoning to to avoid any air?

Anyway, at least when we siphoned it this second time it tasted like wine, but it did taste like it needed sugar. No vinegar taste. Not sure how much alchohol it has because we didn’t use a Hydrometer, but we did use 10 pounds of sugar and 6 pounds of white raisins with 30+ pounds of pears in the 7 to 7.5 gallon primary. Is not using a Hydrometer (if that’s what you call it) going to mean we are going to have a very weak wine alchohol wise. It tasted good, just not sweet enough, and perhaps (not real sure) not as much alchohol in it as we would like. I guess the only way to tell is to see how fast we get drunk off it.

Thanks for all the help. I realize these are a lot of questions and it’s going to take a few minutes for you to read through the below instructions to correct me, but know you are helping a bunch of friends get on their way to saving money, having fun, and most importantly getting drunk off homemade wine. :’) I’m cutting up another 35 pounds of pears to stick in the freezer for our next batch, so any corrections you give me will help us out next time.

PS- How many times are we going to need to rack it and how soon can we drink it? The stuff was pretty darn clear (like apple juice in color) after sitting in the secondary for 8 days. We weren’t stirring it in that despite about 4” of sediment at the bottom. Now it’s stirred up again from our first carboy (out and back into that) racking where we squeezed most of the sediment back through the bag without thinking.

HOW TO MAKE PEAR WINE

NOTE: ONCE YOU BUY THE HARDWARE & ADDITIVES, WHICH IS WELL SOUTH OF $50 IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A CARBOW (GLASS JUG), MAKING WINE IS MUCH CHEAPER THAN BUYING IT. ALSO, THE ADDITIVES ARE VERY CHEAP AND WILL MAKE PERHAPS EASILY 60 GALLONS OF WINE. AN ALTERNATIVE TO A GLASS CARBOY IS A FOOD GRADE PLASTIC BOTTLE MEANT FOR WINE/BEER MAKING. THESE DIFFER FROM NORMAL PLASTIC WATER COOLER BOTTLES IN THAT THEY WONT TAINT THE TASTE OF THE WINE BECAUSE OF THE PLASTIC. THESE ARE ROUGHLY $26 FOR A 6.5 GALLONG PLASTIC JUG, WHILE GLASS CARBOWS ARE $40 TO $50.

HARDWARE:

5 TO 6.5 GALLON GLASS WATER COOLER BOTTLE
6 TO 7.5 GALLON PLASTIC BUCKET WITH LID (HOLE IN LID FOR BREATHER)
BREATHER TUBE (A DEVICE THAT IS FILLED WITH WATER AND SITS IN A
HOLE ON TOP OF BUCKET AND THEN INTO CORK ON TOP OF JUG)
CORK OR STOPPER WITH HOLE IN IT FOR BREATHER ON GLASS JUG
SIPHON TUBE WITH CLIP TO HOLD ABOVE SEDIMENT PLUS A SIPHON HOSE.

INGREDIENTS:

6 GALLONS OF BOILED WATER
30+ POUNDS OF PEARS
6 POUNDS OF RASINS
10 POUNDS ULTRA FINE SUGAR
2 & 1/2 TEASPOONS ACID BLEND OR CITRIC ACID
2 & 1/2 TEASPOONS PECTIC ENZYME
2 PACKS OF CHAMPAIN YEAST (IF ONLY 5 GALLONS THEN 1 PACKET WOULD DO. MORE HARDY THAN REGULAR YEAST TO RESIST CANDUM)
3 TEASPOONS YEAST NUTRIENT
1 & 1/2 TEASPOONS POTASSIUM SORBATE STABILIZER
CANDUM TABLETS


1: WASH EVERYTHING YOU ARE GOING TO USE IN 2 TO 3 TABLESPOONS
OF BLEACH PER GALLONG OF WATER OR A GOOD SANITIZING
SOLUTION SUCH AS EASY CLEAN.

2: BOIL 6 GALLONS OF WATER.

3: WHILE WATER IS BOILING CHOP UP AT LEAST 30 POUNDS OF PEARS. NO
SEEDS! BITTER TASTE. YOU DONT NEED TO PEAL PEARS. ITS A GOOD
IDEA TO GO HEAVY ON THE FRUIT, LIKE SAY 35 TO 38 POUNDS FOR
MORE FRUIT FLAVOR. YOU COULD MASH UP YOUR PEARS IN A MESH
BAG AND PUT THAT IN THE BUCKET, BUT NOT NEEDED.

4: PUT PEARS, RASINS, AND SUGAR IN BUCKET.

5: PUT 2 & 1/2 TEASPOONS OF ACID BLEND OR CITRIC ACID IN BUCKET.

6: POUR WATER IN BUCKET AND STIR UNTIL SUGAR IS DISOLVED.

7: ADD MORE BOILED WATER UNTIL BUCKET IS WITHIN TWO OR THREE
INCHES OF TOP.

8: LET COOL TO ROOM TEMPURTURE.

9: PUT 2 & 1/2 TEASPOONS OF PECTRIC ENZYME IN BUCKET AND 2
CRUSHED CANDUM TABLETS. A SHOT GLASS WORKS WELL FOR THIS.
STIR BUCKET.

10: PUT LID ON PUCKET AND STICK BREATHER INTO A HOLE AT TOP.
BREATHER NEEDS TO BE FILLED WITH WATER UP TO MARKED LINE.

11: LET SIT FOR ONE DAY.

12: PUT TWO PACKETS OF YEAST IN BUCKET AND 3 TEASPOONS OF YIEST
NUTRIENT. STIR. REPLACE LID AND BREATHER. IF IN A BASEMENT
WITH A COLD FLOOR BUCKET SHOULD BE RAISED OFF THE GROUND
VIA WOOD BLOCKS OR SOMETHING TO AVOID LOWER TEMPATURES
TO HELP ENHANCE THE FERMATION PROCESS.

13: STIR TWICE A DAY FOR ABOUT A WEEK. IF YOU PUT YOUR FRUIT IN A
MESH BAG THEN SQUEEZE BAG TO EXTRACT JUICES BEFORE
STIRRING.

14: AFTER ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE STIRRING SHAKE BUCKET. IF IT
DOESNT BUBBLE ITS DONE AND READY FOR SECONDARY (JUG).
DO NOT STIR SO THAT SEDIMENT IS AT BOTTOM WHILE SIPHONING.
IF THERE IS FLOATING PARTICLES OR FRUIT IN THE BUCKET YOU MAY
SCOOP THEM OUT INTO A MESH BAG. WAIT TO SQUEEZE JUICE FROM
THAT UNTIL THE END OF STEP 16 ALONG WITH THE BOTTOM
SEDIMENT.

15: CRUSH ONE CANDUM TABLET AND PLACE IN GLASS JUG. NOTE: BEST
TO DO THIS WHEN JUG IS ROUGHLY HALF FULL TO INSURE MIXING
WELL.

16: INSTALL SIPHON TUBE & HOSE. CLIP TUBE ON BUCKET SO IT STAYS
JUST ABOVE SEDIMENT AND SIPHON INTO 5 GALLON GLASS JUG.
TO HELP REMOVE FURTH PARTICLES YOU CAN RUN THE SIPHON
OUTPUT THROUGH A FUNNEL WITH A SCREEN IN IT. ONCE YOU GET
DOWN TO SEDIMENT PLACE ALL THAT IN A MESH BAG AND SQUEEZE
OUT JUICE TO ADD TO JUG. NOTE: YOU DONT HAVE TO SIPHONE. YOU
CAN SCOOP OUT JUICE WITH A LARGE BOWL AND POUR INTO JUG, BUT
THIS WILL TAKE ALONG MORE PARTICLES. YOU CAN EITHER POUR IT
THROUGH A FUNNEL WITH A SCREEN OR POUR IT THROUGH A MESH
BAG TO REMOVE AS MANY PARTICLES AS POSSIBLE.

17: JUG SHOULD BE FILLED ALL THE WAY UP TO WITHIN ABOUT 2 OR 3
FROM TOP (2 TO 3 FINGERS HIGHER). AIR IS YOUR ENEMY, BUT YOU
NEED SOME SPACE TO PREVENT IT BUBBLING INTO BREATHER. IF YOU
DONT HAVE ENOUGH WINE TO GET IT THAT HIGH THEN YOU CAN TOP
IT OFF WITH BOILED TAP WATER ALLOWED TO COOL, OR GLASS
MARBLES (SEE NOTE AT END OF INSTRUCTIONS). PLAIN TAP WATER
AND IT DOESNT NEED TO BE BOILED.

18: BLOW AIR WITH YOUR MOUTH INTO JUG TO DISPLACE THE AIR AND
PUT CARBON DIOXIDE INTO EMPTY SPACE. PUT ON BREATHER VIA A
HOLE DRILLED IN A CORK OR SOMETHING. REMEMBER, BREATHER
MUST HAVE WATER IN IT FILLED TO THE MARKED LINE.

19: 2 TO 3 WEEKS LATER WHEN SEDIMENT HAS SETTLED ITS TIME TO
RACK THE WINE AGAIN. SIPHON IT BACK INTO BUCKET THROUGH A
SCREENED FUNNEL OR A MESH BAG. REMOVE SEDIMENT FROM JUG
AND CLEAN WITH BLEACH AND WATER.

20: PLACE ONE CRUSHED CANDUM TABLET IN JUG (ABOUT HALF WAY
THROUGH FILLING IT) AND THEN SIPHON WINE BACK INTO IT. AGAIN,
ADD PLAIN TAP WATER (BOIL/LET COOL) OR GLASS MARBLES TO
MAKE UP FOR LOST VOLUME. TO GET IT WITHIN 2 OR 3 OF TOP. BLOW
AIR INTO TOP AND PUT BREATHER BACK ON.

21: 2 TO 5 WEEKS LATER WHEN ALL SEDIMENT LOOKS TO HAVE SETTLED
REPEAT STEPS 19 AND 20. THIS RACKING PROCESS CAN BE REPEATED
ONE OR TWO MORE TIMES IF YOU FEEL THE NEED, BUT USUALLY
AFTER SECOND OR THIRD RACKING (REMOVED/REPLACED IN GLASS
JUG) THERE IS NO NEED TO. AROUND THE 2ND TO LAST RACKING WHEN
THERE IS VERY LITTLE FERMATION IF AT ALL GOING ON ITS TIME TO
BEGIN THE CLEARIFYING PROCESS. COLD TEMPERTURES HELP, SO
NOW PLACE JUG DIRECTLY ON COLD CEMENT FLOOR. SOME PUT THE
JUG IN A REFRIGERATOR TO HELP THE PROCESS ALONG.

22: WHEN YOU ARE DOING WHAT LOOKS LIKE YOUR LAST RACKING
BEFORE BOTTLING TASTE THE WINE WHILE ITS IN THE BUCKET. ADD
SUGAR TO THE GLASS AND SEE IF THE TASTE IMPROVES. IF SO,
CALCULATE X AMOUT OF SUGAR TO ADD PER GALLON AND ADD TO
BUCKET AND STIR. RACK IT BACK INTO JUG. ABOUT 2 DAYS LATER
ADD 1 & ½ TEASPOONS OF POTASIUM SORBATE STABILIZER AND 1
CANDUM TABLET TO GLASS JUG AND STIR. NOW WAIT AT LEAST 10
DAYS MORE TO INSURE FERMATION HAS STOPPED. IF IT HASNT THEN
ADD ANOTHER HALF TO 1 TEASPOON OF POTASIUM SORBATE AND
THEN WAIT ANOTHER 10 DAYS OR SO. THIS IS TO INSURE THE SUGAR
ISNT COVERTED ANY MORE INTO ALCHOHOL AND THAT FERMATION
PROCESS HAS STOPPED TO AVOID BOTTLES EXPLODING WHEN THAT IS
DONE TEN OR MORE DAYS DOWN THE ROAD.

23: WHEN YOU ARE READY TO BOTTLE ONCE AGAIN PLACE SIPHON TUBE
ABOVE ANY SEDIMENT. FILL GLASS BOTTLES TO VERY NEAR THE TOP
TO AVOID AS MUCH TRAPPED AIR AS POSSIBLE. SCREW ON CAPS WORK
FINE IF YOU DONT WANT TO USE CORKS. IF YOUR LAST BOTTLE CAN
NOT BE FILLED ALL THE WAY THEN BEST TO DRINK THAT SOON.
BOTTLES CAN BE STORED IN A COOL/DARK PLACE UNTIL PLACED INTO
REFRIGERATOR FOR CONSUMPTION.

ONCE THE WINE IS BOTTLED YOU CAN DRINK IT ANY TIME. IT MAY GET A LITTLE BETTER AFTER A YEAR OR SO BUT HOME MADE WINE SHOULDNT
BE STORED FOR YEARS.

AN ALTERNATIVE TO POORING TAP WATER INTO THE JUG WHEN RACKING TO MAKE UP FOR VOLUME LOST TO SEDIMENT WOULD BE TO USE A ONE OR TWO GALLON JUG TO FERMITE ALONG SIDE THE MAIN ONE. YOU WOULD ONLY NEED ANOTHER BREATHER FOR THIS. USE IT TO TOP OFF YOUR MAIN JUG WHEN RACKED.

TO AVOID WATERING DOWN YOUR WINE BY REPLACING VOLUME LOST TO SEDIMENT YOU CAN EITHER RACK INTO A SMALLER GLASS JUG OR ADD GLASS MARBLES BOUGHT CHEAPLY FROM A CRAFT STORE. OTHERWISE ITS A GOOD IDEA TO BOIL WATER USED TO MAKE UP FOR LOST VOLUME AND ALLOW TO COOL BEFORE ADDING.

IF YOU HAVE WRACKED 3 OR 4 TIMES AND THE WINE ISNT CLEARING UP YOU CAN ADD A CLEARIFY. HOWEVER, CLEARER WINE IS MORE FOR LOOKS THAN EFFECTING THE TASTE, SO THIS ISNT REALLY NEEDED.

A METER CAN BE USED TO TEST THE ALCHOHOL/SUGAR CONTENT OF THE WING FOR ADDING MORE SUGAR, BUT MOST PEOPLE JUST TASTE THE WINE WHEN RACKING IT AND ADD SUGAR BASED ON THAT. THE METER CAN ALSO BE USED TO FINE TUNE HIGHEST ALCHOHOL CONTENT POSSIBLE.

 

[JasonH]

I read as much as I could. Here are some tips.

Get a hydrometer and learn how to use it (sugar to 1.08 - 1.09 before fermentation.

Siphon off the sediment once it settles out in the secondary.

5lbs of fruit/gallon.

1 campden tablet/gal of wine.

Test your acid and adjust accordingly (.65 - .8).

Hope this helps.

 

[djrockinsteve]

I read as much as I could.

What book did you get that from? WOW

 

[Wade E]

Campden tablets are used in the very beginning before you add yeast to hold off the wild yeast while your wine yeast which is much more tolerant of sulfites take hold. After adding you need to wait 24 hours before adding the wine yeast. Once fermentation is done (checked by using a hydrometer and getting the same reading for 3 consecutive days then you add campden tablets, again at the rate of 1 tablet per gallon. After that dosage you should only use it every 3-4 months of aging as the sulfite levels will slowly decline. You can not and should not try to stop a fermentation in progress by adding chemicals as it will stress the yeast causing off flavors and smells. When making a wine you should make more then you plan on wanting like 6 1/2 gallons for a 6 gallon batch so you have extra for topping up or just have plenty of smaller vessels like a 5 gallon carboy, 3 liter jug, 1500ml wine bottle 750 ml bottle and all the bungs to fit them. A #2 bung fits the wine bottles and a #6 fits the 3 liter and 1 gallon jugs.

 

[closetwine]

I don't even know where to start on that. I think you should do some more reading around here because I'm seeing holes here and there in the 'plan', but I'd have 2 pages of notes to address all of it!
Check out this sticky that is in the Beginners section. It might clear a few things up for you.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3394

 

[critterhunter]

Thanks for all the advice. I don't have anything to say at the moment as I printed out your responses and also printed out that Home Wine Making Book to read before replying. Thanks again!

 

[Green Mountains]

Actually I do enjoy the notion of an admitted total newbie writing instructions for something he's never tried before.

Critter Man....glad to have you on the forum.....you're gonna fit in here nicely.

 

[critterhunter]

Ahhh, but I'm not saying I know what I'm doing. Hence the reason why I'm asking here for people to critic what instructions I've put together thus far. Every single one of the "How To" or "Recipies" I've read on the net thus far lack a lot of details. I had to search through various ones and find little bits of lost information that others didn't offer, then try to combine them all in a very percise/detailed step by step guide for us newbies. Still, as I said, I suspect I have a few things wrong and so I need input.

After reading that Home Wine Making Guide Book I can see once again several key bits of information seem to be missing. Things that may be obvious to you guys but leaves us Newbies still lost and wandering around for answers. Don't get me wrong, it was a great read and I learned some new things, but I've still got questions and some of the stuff was confusing.

For instance, some say use a breather (what I call it) on the fermation bucket (primary), while others say it must have a loose lid to provide air. Which is it then? If you are stirring twice a day isn't that enough air? I don't like the idea of fruit flies getting in there so I used a lid and breather, but I'm still not sure if this is best.

Racking...Some say use a funnel, while others say that oxidizes the wine. Which is it then? How am I supposed to remove sediment without pouring at least the lower half of the wine throw a screened funnel using cheesecloth or something?

Some say no more than two Campdum tablets per primary, regardless of it being 7 gallons, while others say 1 tablet per gallon? Which is it, and how often to add it afterwards.

Thanks in advance, and I have more questions for next time.

 

[djrockinsteve]

I can concur with you on books omitting some details. I have read and still am reading wine making books and I will often find that there are some items either left out (occasionally filled in later) or it is taken for granted you know what some things are/mean.

I think you are trying to learn too much too soon. Start with the basics. Read a few books/articles. Ask a few questions. Ponder and reread. If you know a fellow wine maker that's a huge benefit as seeing teaches a lot more than reading.

Wine making can be done several ways. No one is better than the other. There are many variables too. Fermentation can be done in 5 thru 30+ days. Clearing can be complete in 4- 8 weeks. What to do???

There is a ton of information here and much more collective knowledge of those on here who give their experience freely. Browse the site, search and ask. Best to give specifics and details of recipe to simplify the answering.

For terminology there is a "wikipedia" on the home page that I did to help explain the meanings of most common wine terms.

 

[closetwine]

For instance, some say use a breather on the fermation bucket (primary), while others say it must have a loose lid to provide air. Which is it then? If you are stirring twice a day isn't that enough air? I don't like the idea of fruit flies getting in there so I used a lid and breather, but I'm still not sure if this is best.

Racking...Some say use a funnel, while others say that oxidizes the wine. Which is it then? How am I supposed to remove sediment without pouring at least the lower half of the wine throw a screened funnel using cheesecloth or something?

Some say no more than two Campdum tablets per primary, regardless of it being 7 gallons, while others say 1 tablet per gallon? Which is it, and how often to add it afterwards.

Breather= Airlock, Primary we cover with cheesecloth if your worried about flies. This allows the yeast to set up a good colony. When you rack to secondary I strain mine through a funnel. At this point you are still fermenting and will not oxidize the wine. Rackings after that you want to lose the lees and try to prevent oxidation, so don't do it again. Rack to secondary around 1.015 to 1.005 SG, depending on how much foam you have.
After it is dry, check SG 3 consecutive days with no change then K-meta at one tab per gallon. Only k-meta every 3 months or so while bulk aging after that.
I think I answered all those questions. And when you have more ask here. I found the rest of the web to be very inconsistant. But now I'm confidant in my skills (and if I do have a question I ask here). I have only been doing this since June, and this forum has helped me turn out several good batches. Good Luck on you endevor.

 

[critterhunter]

Thanks for the info so far. A few other questions. With the 2nd racking (1st was from primary to secondary) we poured the wine through a funnel. Do you think we oxidized it? I did stick another Campdem tablet in the jug when we did that and I think I heard (?) that this helps prevent oxidation sinse CO2 takes up the air space (three fingers high). Should that have helped or did we ruin the wine?

Also, I would assume then that for the next racking (which we should have done the 2nd time) we should siphone down to the sediment with the drain tube at the bottom of the jug it's going to to prevent as much air getting in as possible? Also, once down to the sediment should we put that in a mesh bag and allow as much of the juice from that to drip out into a bucket we can then pour via a funnel back into the jug?

I've also read that once the wine is moved from the primary to the secondary this is called secondary fermation. However, after about 8 or 9 days in the primary it seemed dead with no bubbling. When we put it into the secondary it also seemed dead. Should we have added more sugar? We initially put 10 pounds of sugar and 6 pounds of white raisins in with the pares. Do you think we'll get a good alchohol content? I'm just worried it's not going to be strong at all, and getting a good buzz off the stuff is what it's all about to us, along with the taste and saving money.

Foam in the primary? Well, we got bubbles but it never built up into a "foam" for the most part. The breather did bubble well for at least 4 or 5 days, though. Did we starve the yeast by sealing the lid and using a breather, even though we stirred twice a day?

2nd Racking (1st being from primary to secondary)- Like I said, we poured the sediment into a mesh bag and squeezed that, ending up putting just about all the sediment into the juice again. So this time we should just drip it out of the mesh bag? Once this is done I expect to have a lot of lost volume (looks like the sediment is about at least a gallon at the bottom). That's too much to use water then, right? If so, marbles- What is a good local source. I have found glass ones at Pat Cattans but they say "made in china from recycled material" on them and I'm worried about led or something. Anybody know of a trusted local chain store for them?

Thanks again for all the help.

And Campdem- in primary 1 per gallon, or only a total of what? One in each time you rack as well?

 

[Dirtydog420]

I used this web site a lot more for after I got started and found talking to my local brew shop guy to easier to learn from for the racking, procedure, ect.. Mostly cause he had set up and was able to show me how he did stuff..

After I had made and racked at least once, my first batch of wine from scratch, I found this web site much more helpful.. I need to see and do in order to fully understand things. I learn better that way.. Now I use this site and the web for 90% of my research and knowledge..

 

[dwinemaker]

If you haven't read the book "The Joy of Home Winemaking" by Terry Garey you should. She has the best basic, down to earth approach to winemaking I've ever read. She can answer all your questions. She's not snotty, she practical, and she's funny. I bought my copy at Barnes and Noble. For 15 bucks it is the best investment a begining wine maker can buy. I've been making wine for the last 8 years and haven't read anthing better. Just one more comment: The correct yeast for the type of wine you want to end up with is key. I've used some from Vintners Harvest with good result, epecially thier MA33 for high acid fruits like rhubarb or concord grapes. I'm still trying to figure out why my pear wine isn't clearing after I've fined it. "The breather", which I think is a cool name, is called an airlock, or at least in MN that's what they call it. How did you get your pear wine to clear?

 

[joeswine]

Time in a bottle


CLEARING WINE CAN BE TRICKY ,TIME IS USUALLY THE CURE IF NOT PECTIN ENZYME CAN HELP ESPECIALLY FRUIT WINES,A COUPLE OF DOESES OF SUPERKLEER WILL ALSO SO WORK.( PECTIN HAZE IS NOT A EASY NOR QUICK TO REPAIR )BUT YOU CAN OVER COME IT ,IN TIME.

 

[dwinemaker]

Thank you. I have to remember to be patient. . I will try more pectic enzyme and more patience. I think I need to look through my freezer and start more wines. Maybe this will keep my mind off the clearing dilemma. Like I always say "wine not!"