Confused in Kansas

[BDKS]

I am new here. I would like to start with smaller batches. This would help reduce equipment cost and material cost in the event of a failure. Fruit is not cheap around here. I am not really interested in the wine kits at this time. I would rather use fresh fruits and experiment with recipes in the future.

I watched the videos about 4 times now and read many forums, recipes and articles over the past few weeks.

My thoughts are to start with 2 gallon buckets for primary ferment.

Then transfer to 1 gallon jugs in place of carboy for remaining processes.

If all goes well at the local blueberry and blackberry patch this summer, I would move up in container sizes. Does this seem to be on the right track?

Thanks

 

[grapeman]

Welcome Bobby - BDKS!


To get yourself started, why not begin with a wine from some juice. Northern Winos makes a lot of them and she is quite happy with the outcome. You can either use Welch's juices or some from jugs. The important thing is to try to get them without preservatives.

 

[gaudet]

Hello and Welcome BDKS

You might want to get yourself a hydrometer and a test jar to take readings so you know where you stand with your potential alcohol as well as if your fermentation is finished.

I do a few 1 gallon batches occasionally when its something I want to try before I invest too much $$$ into the ingredients. Its a great way to see if you will like something or not. Good luck with your wines................

 

[Rocky_Top]

I play with welches. 6 gallons will cost from $20 - $40.
You can make small 1 gallon batches of fruit wines with the 2 gallon bucket and1 gallon carboy just fine. The problem is that when it is time to bottle you only get 4 1/2 bottles of wine. The trick to fruit wines is knowing when and were to get the fruit. Many farms will let you pick the fruit cheap at the right time of year.

 

[Wade E]

Just make sure the primary bucket is food grade by looking on the bottom as there should be a #2 or #3 inside a triangle. When making fruit wines you will need an array of additives such as pectic enzyme to help break up the cellular skin of the fruit to extract color and flavor, acid blend tp balance the wine out, potassium metabisulfite to kill any microbial organisms or wild yeast,yeast nutrient as most fruits with the exception of grapes dont have enough nutrients in the fruit to properly feed the yeast and that will stress they yeast out and cause off flavors and smells such as sulfur, and yeast energizer as with some fruits nutrient isnt enough. Welcome to this forum. 1 thing to keep in mind is that with fruit wines you want to keep a lower sg then most recipes state, some dont even give you a sg just an amount of sugar. Acid and sugar should always be adjusted as they will differ quite a bit even with the same fruit as it depends on if they were picked when ripe or even if there was a lot of rain before the fruit was picked. A good sg for a fruit wine is 1.085.

 

[Waldo]

A great source for normally free food grade buckets will be your local donut shop. Get you some unscented oxyclean from either Wally World or your local Dollar Store if you have one and it will clean everything fine.

 

[BDKS]

Thanks for the advice I did bookmark some of the concentrate / juice jug recipes. I am looking at the Country Wine (Scratch) Wine Kits. Has anyone used the Beginners Scratch 5-Gallon Package for Home Wine Makers?

Compared to other vendors "Complete Kits" this does appear to have everything needed. Except bottles.

Bobby

 

[Rocky_Top]

I got the same kit in the 6 gallon because most wine kits are 6 gallons. This way you have the option to make either fruit or kit. and if you want a smaller batch I would add a three gallon carboy. The fermenter will still work. However if you just want 5 gallons it is a great kit.

 

[grapeman]

That is a great kit to start with. When you get ready to move up to a kit or two, just get a larger bucket and you already have most things you need for it.

 

[Bert]

Welcome Bobby.....The Home wine makers kit you are looking at may be a little larger than you want at this time [made for five gallon batches]...My advice is to call George at Fine Vine Wines and he can help you modify your home wine maker kit to what you need and want.....This is a great hobby, have fun and enjoy..

 

[Wade E]

If you do go with the smaller bucket and out grow it save the 2 gallon bucket with lid as it can be very handy as a cork humidor at a later time.

 

[PolishWineP]

Welcome to the forum. A hydrometer is most helpful when it comes to making wine. Give old George a call and he can help you get exactly what you need. In what type of bottles will you age your wine before consuming it?

 

[BDKS]

I am going to use glass carboy for bulk storage and recycle used wine bottles.

 

[BDKS]

I think I am on information overload.

I have changed my plan from my initial post. Going to get a 7.9 fermenter kit for wine kits, not the fruit one. I plan on starting with a wine kit and have to decide between two different ones.

Wine Expert Island Mist Blackberry
or
RJ Spagnols Blackberry Merlot

We have a locally produced sweet blackberry wine that seems similar to either kit that we buy frequently. This will allow me to get some experience and have something that does not require long term aging. Any suggestion for either brand? Also any ideas for gathering used bottles? I now have 3 acquired. Going to be timely and expensive if I have to keep emptying bottles myself...

Thanks

Bobby

 

[Wade E]

They are both good kits but they are low on alc. in case you didnt know and are sweet. I go to a transfer station(our local dump) and bring home about 100 at a time. If you have a local winery then ask them if you could take their wine tasting bottles as in most states its illegal for them to reuse them. If there are any restaurants around you could ask them also and dont forget to ask all your friends. Where are you located as someone maybe around you and will give you some ideas.

 

[gaudet]

I have one local bar that saves the bottles for me. I get 4-6 a week sometimes. I also have a source at a hotel bar that can get me from 10-15 every week. My buddy who I introduced to winemaking has a brother in law that works for a restaurant and he's collect over 150 bottles in just the two months since he started. They will come in quickly once you find a steady source. You can also check craigslist and freecycle in the yahoo groups. Off craigslist I have gotten over 100 free bottles, and the guy said he would email me when he gets more. His wife loves wine, and the next time I might just have to give them a bottle of something for appreciation.

 

[Wade E]

Better start looking into cleaning of the labels, there are many threads here on that but most of them will tell you to get a scraper blade and soak the bottles in a tub of hot water(I do 40 at a time in my bathtub) with Oxyclean(Walmart brand is called Sun) unscented. After a few hours most labels will be floating on top of the water and the rest will come off pretty easy using the scarper blade across the bottle. Some of us actually like doing this part, not me! Then youllwant to make labels for your wine and there are many posts on this too but all in good time my friend. Dont want to overload you!

 

[BDKS]

Thanks for the ideas. The craiglist suggestion gave me another idea. I will place a wanted post on freecycle in addition to visiting places in-person. We are a smaller county so I might have to do some driving. Applebees is about the only non-fast food place around. Would they have bottles? From many posts the de-labeling process, it does not seem fun. But compared to new glass cost I can put in some labor.

Bobby

 

[Rocky_Top]

Short Story:
I was walking by a restaurant that had opened about a year ago When I thought maybe they have bottles. So I asked, "Do you have any empty wine bottles that you would like to get rid of?" Theowner asked,"Are you a wine maker!?" Yes?, I said...... "The book said that as soon as I openeda restaurant a wine maker would ask for my wine bottles andthat I would get at least one home made bottle ofwine for every 100 bottles that I saved ........... It has been over a year now. Were have you been? Were is my wine? And when are you going to get all of those

bottles out of my basement? ( He was very nice. He had three people carry the boxes up the stairs and out to my van.)


I filled my work van from top to bottom, front to back with wine bottles. The next day I gave the owner half a case of wine with a promise of another half a case after the first of the year. After throwing out the screw tops I had631 bottles left. I gave 60 to my Mom 120 to my father In-law and kept the rest. I spent a month cleaning bottles just about every night.I even cleaned the bottles that I gave away.

 

[Rocky_Top]

Yes, My Applebees gives out wine bottles.