# JUG WINE



## NorthernWinos (Feb 4, 2007)

I have been wanting to try some small batches of wines made from store juices, etc...so dug out some gallon jugs and am giving it a try.

I have put wine in 1 gallon, 1/2 gallon, 1500mil bottles and 750mil bottles for topping off before....but never tried a batch that it will all be done in jugs.

Here is my first attempt at JUG WINE....







It is frozen Cranberry with WinExpert Red Grape Concentrate...tasted okay today at the first racking...into the jugs...with a bottle to top-off.

Here are my new 'babies' in their 'crib'...






This might be a batch that I will make again in a larger scale.

Next...I think it will be a Cherry [of some sort] with red or white grape blend...then...?...See what's in the juice section that has sounded good from others Posts...

We got quite a collection of gallon jugs out in the old shed [thought we would need these a few years ago and drank much Carlo Rossi with desires for the jugs]....will have to get many more bungs and air locks tho....

This is going to be fun!!!








Now...I have to ask...how do you siphon out of these jugs???? So far when I have topping off wine I just pour it out of the jugs and bottles...Anyone have any tricks????


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## scotty (Feb 4, 2007)

I cut a racking cane down just for one gallon jugs.
i also keep the removed piece from the cane onto which I canput the little black thing that prevents theregular cane from going into the lees. I also use a rubber band and a chopstic at times.
I also need an english tutor


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## NorthernWinos (Feb 4, 2007)

I thought of cutting down a racking cane...[you'd think I'd have broken one by now and save cutting a good one up]

I like how the little black thingy on the bottom keeps the end from sucking up the lees, so will use that as well.

You must just suck on the hose to get the siphon going...or do you have another trick for that issue????

Jim and I both have had a few 'failed' attempts with the Auto-Siphon, but should try that again some time....it can't be that difficult...just operator failure I am sure.

Will take any hints out there....???


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## scotty (Feb 4, 2007)

Northern Winos said:


> I thought of cutting down a racking cane...[you'd think I'd have broken one by now and save cutting a good one up]
> 
> I like how the little black thingy on the bottom keeps the end from sucking up the lees, so will use that as well.
> 
> ...




Be sure that the part of the hose that goes on the racking cane is not pushed on too far. I found that that causes air to be sucked in and have lost the siphon a couple of times there. I'm considering using a plastic tie that we use to hold wires in place on the motorcycle frames to make that seal better.


I hate the auto siphon for anything smaller than a 6 gallon carboy I would have modified one of them but they seem to be glued together. For the most part they are too long but do thier job well in a larger batch.


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## Wade E (Feb 4, 2007)

NW, you could get a smaller diameter hose that the racking cane black
tip fits on and eliminate the cane all together. As far as getting the
siphon going you could fill the hose with water and dump the water into
another container until the wine gets down the hose.


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## rgecaprock (Feb 4, 2007)

I do like to make one gallon batches for the wines I'm experimenting with. I will definitely go bigger with the Green Tea Ginger (soon). I've used the regular racking cane and tubing (kind of awkward)and it does go alot faster but have managed with it. I have even poured from one jug to another. I don't have an auto siphon. I've had good luck with the old fashioned method.....like siphoning gasoline...not that I ever did that. 
Ramona*Edited by: rgecaprock *


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## kutya (Feb 5, 2007)

Northern:Like Scotty, I have made a nice little racking cane for one gal jugs. the big ones just look funny sticking out of the little jugs. I also use the old fashion method for siphoning. Just like Ramona I have never siphoned gas either... wink wink.....


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## NorthernWinos (Feb 5, 2007)

Will have to try something in a week or so...better practice on something else...


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## Waldo (Feb 6, 2007)

A piece of dowel work great for me NW. Just attach your hose to the dowel with a couple of rubber bands and keep the end of the hose about the same distance from the end of the dowel as the depth of the lees in the jug you are siphoning fom


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## NorthernWinos (Feb 6, 2007)

Thanks guys...Lots of options here...axious to start practicing...


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## linda0210 (Feb 7, 2007)

There is a smaller auto-siphon made specifically for 1 gallon jugs - George has it under "3/8 inch Mini Auto-Siphon for One Gallon Jugs"

For starting the racking cane by itself - I use a turkey baster in the end of the hose


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## NorthernWinos (Feb 7, 2007)

linda0210 said:


> There is a smaller auto-siphon made specifically for 1 gallon jugs - George has it under "3/8 inch Mini Auto-Siphon for One Gallon Jugs"For starting the racking cane by itself - I use a turkey baster in the end of the hose



Thanks Linda...I'll check that out...We can't seem to master the Auto-Siphon...it must be too easy for us to accomplish...or we have a dud...Will try it again sometime.

Will sure try the turkey baster trick...Thanks!


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## jobe05 (Feb 7, 2007)

linda:


Thanks for finding that, I have never seen it. I have heard others talking about starting a siphon with a turkey baster......................


I don't beleive them personnaly Linda, I mean..... after all...... if you siphon wrong, your going to get a mouth full of wine.......... now who wouldn't want that.


OK........ Maybe now is the appropriate time for a confession...................


A year and a half ago or so, I made 2 small batches of pear wine.......... one gallon I spiced (way to much) and one batch I left plain. While racking the plain batch, I started the siphone and got a huge mouthfull of raw, sour putrid pear yuk! And it was to much of a mouth full.......... by pure instinct, I spit it out......... Right back into the bucket! I did it without thinking.......... Needless to say, the plain batch of pear wine went down the drain...............



OK...... Who else is going to man up!


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## Waldo (Feb 7, 2007)

Boy I don't believe I would have told that jobe


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## jobe05 (Feb 7, 2007)

Well..... I figured I'd tell everyone about the one I put down the drain...........


I won't tell about the other times.....


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## Wade E (Feb 7, 2007)

You spit wine out



! I think we outta talk to George about your forum rights!



I
have one of those hose clamps that I put right near the end so I dont
have to get a mouthfull nor retact to early and let the wine reverse. I
get it close, clamp it, put it in the carboy or bucket and release the
clamp and let her rip!


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## sangwitch (Feb 8, 2007)

jobe, thanks for a nice morninglaugh



and I'm not even finished with my coffee yet! I usually don't smile until that's done. What a great visual!








I've had a mouthful of gasoline before, but raw, sour, putrid pear yuk I have not. So do you swish sanitizer around in your mouth before you start the syphon?




I gotta give you credit for spilling that one (or should I say spitting?) You should use that story to start a thread about funny or big goofs... there must be other great stories among us.






Ok, being serious here... I'm curious... did the batch go bad or did you just toss it because of the thought it had been spit in?


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## OGrav (Feb 8, 2007)

For the smaller 1 gal batches, I am not into doing a lot of cleaning if I can get away with it. I usually use the water method with just the hose, and a clamp. I put my clamp amout 14-16 inches up from the bottom end, make sure it is open, fill up my hose with water, then shut off the clamp. I lift up the discharge end so about 8-10 inches or so of water runs out the top/suction side, (better in the sink than in the wine, as soon as you put it in the jug/carboy it will run into it)Then watever is left below the clamp will also run out, as this is small, it is no big deal. Secure the topend in the jug somehow, (clamp, clothespin),then put the bottom part ina bowl. There still will be a couple feet of water in the hose, plenty to start the siphon. Open the clamp, a second later pure wine will be flowing. Close it and place the end into the recieving jug. If you put the clamp right next to the bottomof the hose, you will have to drop the wine from the opening, hence the space. Once it's flowing, I turn my attention to the end in the top jug. The hose hasa natural curve to it, I just inch it down the side. Couple nights ago I tried that orange carboy cap that has a blow tube on it. Starting the siphon worked great. What got me was adjusting the racking tube for depth through it. It was next to impossible to get it down without knocking fining sediment all over. By the way, thanks everyone for the super kleer advice. If I hadn't used that, (it was pretty compact), I might have been in trouble. Does anyone have a proven method for using the cap? What I might try next is placing the tube, then waiting a day before racking it, nothing would be open to air, so it shouldn't bother it.


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## NorthernWinos (Feb 8, 2007)

We always use the orange plastic cap and love it...It never fails..just blow in the short tube and it's going..






We have had a few frustrating tries with the Auto-Siphon and once we got plastic cap never tried the Auto-Siphon again.

Our racking cane has a black stopper on the bottom that keeps it off the bottom a little bit...I usually push the orange stopper to a higher position on the racking cane....put the cane to the bottom of the carboy, then pull the orange topper down to lip of the carboy and snug it on...You will suck up a bit of sediment if it is deep...We rack again and again until the wine is clear.

I hope someday someone will make a plastic topper for a gallon jug, sure would save alot of mouth sucking-siphoning, racking cane size, clothes pins, clamps and other issues....

I hope someone gives reviews on the Auto-Siphon that George sells that fits a gallon jug.

I like the sounds of the turkey baster starting method and will try it soon.

Gallon Jug-Wine Making is new to me and hope the siphoning goes well..if not I'll just pour, wait and pour again till it's clear.


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## NorthernWinos (Feb 11, 2007)

Started some Cherry wine last week and got it into the Car-babies....






The wine was just made with store bought juices and WinExpert Red Grape Concentrate....think it's going to be nice...

The car-babies join the Cran-Apple wine in their cribs..






Going to have to learn this jug-siphoning techniques everyone has mentioned before....then will top them up...now they are still bubbling and gurgling like babies...




Also have a question...





When it comes time to add the Super-Kleer KC...can I put the 3-4 gallons of each wine into a bottling bucket...add the Super-Kleer KC then rack the wine back into the jugs???As long as I kept stirring it while it was being racked...do you think this method would work???



*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## Wade E (Feb 11, 2007)

Absolutely, Like you said though, keep stirring it frequently!


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## rgecaprock (Feb 11, 2007)

I like your Car-Babies!!


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## Wade E (Feb 11, 2007)

After theyre all empty we could have a ho-down!


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## NorthernWinos (Feb 11, 2007)

They don't like being empty....but I am running out of ideas of what to put in them....Give me more inspiration&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;


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## Wade E (Feb 11, 2007)

I think a boysenberry would be really nice.


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## NorthernWinos (Feb 11, 2007)

Need to stroll down the juice isles and dream....These little jugs---'car-babies' take up a lot of room...I need a winemaking room like Masta...or just another room...been looking at the sewing room in a different light lately...seems like wasted space since I don't sew much anymore....hummmm...


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## NorthernWinos (Feb 16, 2007)

Okay....I racked the 3 jugs of Cranberry/Apple wine into clean jugs....tried sucking on the hose...then just poured the wine through a funnel.

I told my Honey I needed an orange caper like we use on the carboys to start a siphon...but they don't make them for a gallon jug.

He took a solid bung out to the shop and drilled a couple holes in it that fits the racking cane....cut down the cane.....and....Voilà 






First try...it ain't pretty but it works....Will drill another, maybe a size 6 instead of a size 5...






He said they probably make things like this in science lab suppliers...or Hookah places....do they still have Hookah places????





*Hope these photos come through this time.....


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## Wade E (Feb 16, 2007)

Photos are there and awesome!


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## NorthernWinos (Feb 18, 2007)

Got to use my 'home-made' 'gallon jug racking cane/blow-starter' today...

It worked like a charm with just water in the test-run and didn't disappoint me doing the wine........








Got to use the gallon jug brush too...it cleaned those babies right up....it's a must-have for those 'car-babies'.....


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## jobe05 (Feb 18, 2007)

What a great idea NW, I'm getting myself a solid bung (or 2) on my next order. I would think this would work well with the 5 or 6 gallon carboys as well if one didn't already have the orange cap.


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## NorthernWinos (Feb 18, 2007)

I'm sure it would work....he used a drill press, it's not prefect holes like the pre-drilled bungs...but we were able to get the racking cane through it....

Cut that racking cane down and will only use it on the gallon jugs...

That was a solid #5...will have him try a #6...but this is working...so will be happy with it....


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## NorthernWinos (Apr 9, 2007)

Where did all these juggies come from????


















I knew there we a few jugs



out in the shed...and never thought I would get to use so many of them...






Some are extra wine the same as are in the carboys...and some are batches among themselves....


I am trying to use up all the fruit juices that I had in mason jars before spring work...and the next crop of fruit....Hope there will be crops of fruit this summer...this weather has been rather unpredictable...


What's cookin' 
2 6 gallon batches of Chokecherry/Wild Black Cherry
1 6 gallon batch Strawberry/Red Grape
1 6gallon batch Raspberry/Red Grape
1 6 gallon batch Crabbapple/Apple
1 6 gallon batch Apple for Sparkling


Still juice left for Valiant Grape and another Apple for sparkling....then hopefully there will be new fruits to try....Life is Good!!!!


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## rgecaprock (Apr 9, 2007)

The Jug Bunny?


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## Coaster (Apr 9, 2007)

I can't see the pic but I heard you can freeze the bungs before drilling them. *Edited by: Coaster *


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## NorthernWinos (Apr 9, 2007)

We had the bung outside for a few days when we drilled it...Jim waited till it was -27*F and the rubber was still pliable...so it didn't work with ours...


Next time we will use a #6 bung, or a little bigger one......we used a #5 [if I remember right]




I'll try to Post another photo...seems if I delete them from Photo Bucket they no longer show up here...


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## Wade E (Apr 9, 2007)

Chokecherry/wild black cherry sounds really good NW!



You are the gallon gal.
*Edited by: wade *


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## jobe05 (Apr 9, 2007)

I so badly want to say "Those are some nice jugs you have there NW"


But I won't........ I have more respect for you than that..................


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## Waldo (Apr 9, 2007)

I'm getting the hell out of the way , I see NW coming straight for ya jobe and she dont be looking too happy !!!


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## scotty (Apr 9, 2007)

jobe05 said:


> I so badly want to say "Those are some nice jugs you have there NW"
> 
> 
> But I won't........ I have more respect for you than that..................




I was biting my tongue with that one



Thanks*Edited by: scotty *


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## jobe05 (Apr 9, 2007)

Waldo said:


> I'm getting the hell out of the way , I see NW coming straight for ya jobe and she dont be looking too happy !!!




Shucks NAw................


If anyone on this board has a sense of humor, love and zest for life and making it fun, it's NW...............


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## rgecaprock (Apr 9, 2007)

I thought it was hilarious, jobe.....it's whatany red hot blooded American male would have going through his mind....you just said it. 




LOL Ramona*Edited by: rgecaprock *


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## NorthernWinos (Apr 9, 2007)

No one has ever said that to me before....WOW!!! ME???? Nice'un's....WOW!!!


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## Wade E (Apr 9, 2007)

Will you two get a room already!


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