Total Beginner

[peachpearplum]

Ok I'm a total beginner and need help with a couple of things so If you could help, Thankyou xD.


whats the process of racking? I guessed its just re-filtering the liquid into another container.

Does Allinsons dried active yeast work o.k? if wine yeast is 10/10 then how much is allinsons?

Would you be able to flavour your wine by adding say a cherry/ raspberry into a bottle during its aging? sort of like they do with chillies in tequilla and vodka and so on

where in the UK is it easiest to obtain wine yeast or anything like a demijohn (cheaper alternatives)

I've started an extremely small batch of wine (just 2L). Its been a week and there has never really been much bubbles apart from when I stir/ shake the bottle which is still cloudy but the makeshift-balloon-airlock thing indicates C02 being released. Is it supposed to do that? what should I do next because I cant read the recipe that my friend left me for her special plum wine.

Thankyou for devoting your time, this is just soo much fun to me xxx

 

[Midwest Vintner]

yes, racking is just siphoning out the wine, but you need to let the "must" settle in the bottom and just siphon off the top.

not sure about the allinsons.

we usually order all yeast and supplies online, except fruit.

if co2 is being released, then it's working. you need a hydrometer, which measures sugar. you should start at 1.085 and let it get down to atleast 1.020 (more like 1.1 or below, but if the yeast is really going fast, it will drop even when sealed) and then you need to add a sealing cap with a water sealed cap. such as this

http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4745093/111893_Full.jpg

then it's racking until clear (about every 3~5 weeks) and then sorbate (if sweetened) and metabisulfite 10 days or so before bottling.

 

[cpfan]

ppp:

Since you're in the UK, some of your questions (eg UK product availability, UK trade names) will probably get better answers at a UK based site like http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/index.php

Feel free to continue to visit here, but very few North Americans have heard of Allinsons or know where to get wine making products in the UK.

Steve

 

[peachpearplum]

Thanks cpfan and Midwest Vinter for yur info I actually answered most of my questions by looking at other posts [silly me ]

The only question i still have is about helping flavour your wine: is it possible to add fruit/ fruit juice/ syrup/ whatever when wine is fermenting or after fermentation to help give it a nice flavour?? or will it srew aeverything up?

thankx xxx

 

[Midwest Vintner]

The only question i still have is about helping flavour your wine: is it possible to add fruit/ fruit juice/ syrup/ whatever when wine is fermenting or after fermentation to help give it a nice flavour?? or will it srew aeverything up?

you can add them whenever you'd like, but it won't taste as much like wine, if you add them later. the fermentation helps blend the flavors and change them some. i feel it best to add all flavors at first. you can however, make 2 different wines and mix them anytime. so if you have blueberry and merlot, you could have blueberry-merlot, blueberry and merlot by just mixing.

 

[Nubz]

you can add them whenever you'd like, but it won't taste as much like wine, if you add them later. the fermentation helps blend the flavors and change them some. i feel it best to add all flavors at first. you can however, make 2 different wines and mix them anytime. so if you have blueberry and merlot, you could have blueberry-merlot, blueberry and merlot by just mixing.

actually its best to let your wine ferment out dry then add an fpac or any flavoring you want in it

 

[Tom]

I'll second that. I make f-pac's for all my fruit wines. Otherwise I will blend. Like I did A Blueberry Pinot Noir.

 

[St Allie]

Hello and welcome PeachPearPlum,

We have a few here from the UK..

perhaps our member "Leanne" will be able to help you with yeast brands and best places to get product.

good to have you here.

Allie

 

[Midwest Vintner]

actually its best to let your wine ferment out dry then add an fpac or any flavoring you want in it

i have never used and "fpac," but we have added flavors such as chocolate or similar before bottling. if it was a juice/fruit hint we wanted to add, we did so in the begining.

after searching, i realize they come in certain kits, which we don't use kits. in order to add flavor to our wines, we simple intensify the recipe only if we felt that it was too weak. usually the freezing, thawing and cutting/mashing works to extract more flavor. there are a few other options, which take more time and equipment. my dad is a chef, so he's got all sorts of ideas to add and change flavor.