I'm totally new at this

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EddieRuxpin

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Okay so I am completely new to the wine making world and am making a small batch right now. My only previous wine making experience was with a friend of mine a few months ago and was extremely basic and I do mean basic. We basically just put a few gallons of juice, sugar, and some yeast in a bucket with a hole on top and a coffee filter shoved in it to keep dust out. Keep in mind our goal here was to make "prison wine".

Well we promptly forgot about this bucket in our garage for about 3 months and after finding it a week ago and looking inside we found about a gallon of wine, which being 23yo kids we drank. It was actually quite good even though we knew it wasn't made well.

So I decided to try making a new smaller more contained batch. I set up about a gallon of juice 1/2 apple 1/2 cranberry some sugar and yeast in a large water jug. To seal it and attempt to keep air out without letting pressure build up I stretched a balloon out over the top with a tiny hole that lets air out but not in. I am not sure exactly how this will turn out but I figured this while basic should be more than sufficient. Well to get to my point I am just not sure what to do now I know that it needs time to ferment and such but what other things should I be prepared to do? Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
 
Welcome!

Ahhh, I did the same thing in my mom’s basement so many years back. You’ve found the right site. Just look around and read the posts. You’re bound to pick something up. I know there is a free downloadable winemaking book in one of the threads. Good Luck!
 
Thanx

I noticed there was a book in one of the sticky threads at the top of the beginner page but it seems the geocites address it was on has been shut down. Which is why I was asking. And let me say that I only found this site and hour or so ago and I already love it as well as the feeling of camaraderie that everyone seems to share just reading the posts has been fun since everyone is so friendly with each other.
 
Ok, you can make wine like this but you are playing darts blindfolded. Can you afford to get some supplies, cause you really should have at minumum a hydromter. This is a $6 tool that you float in yopur must (juice that has not been fermented yet) and this tol will tell you how much alcohol you can make from this juice, using this tool in your must will tell you if you need to add more sugar or to dilute it some with water. Most fruit wines will come out really good with an abv (alcohol by volume) around 11% or 22 proof. Some more stuff that will make your wine play easier and safer would be a rubber bung and airlock, these too are very cheap. a
 
Hello and welcome. If you go tot he sticky thread and look at all the posts the PDF files that were originally one the dead site are there. I think on the 2nd page ArcticSid has them there in a post.
 
I noticed there was a book in one of the sticky threads at the top of the beginner page but it seems the geocites address it was on has been shut down. Which is why I was asking. And let me say that I only found this site and hour or so ago and I already love it as well as the feeling of camaraderie that everyone seems to share just reading the posts has been fun since everyone is so friendly with each other.

WELCOME !
If you look around in all the threads you will find "stickies" I and others have made all this available info for all to enjoy and learn.
Also, Look in the Recipe section for "odd" wine making
 
cool

Thank you you guys have been a lot of help and I will make sure to tell everyone how this and any future batches turn out.
 

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