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I made blueberry melomel a couple of years ago; added the berries to the must when I pitched the yeast. Turned out nicely. With a class today, though, it was recommended I wait until I do my 1st racking and then add the fruit; the proponent of that said it may involve the sugars in the fruit...

Interesting alternative - and I have a ton of that kind of glove .....

perfect, Rice -- exactly what I was hoping to see ....

Yo, grapes; I'm only using a 5 gal container ....

Thx, guys. I have some big plastic ladles/spoons in the kitchen -- wasn't sure plastic would be a way to go. OK, the glass warning makes sense. I'd hope to not be heavy-handed enough to break it, but yeah, ya never know. I may wander over to a dollar store tomorrow and see what they have. I...

I'm wondering what the best common household utensil/device/whatever there is I can use for safely stirring the must. My wine "mentor" used a canoe oar (!) which seemed to work OK enough. I don't have one of those, but ... is there some common, easily available thing around I could use instead...

A major idea, Vines; preserves I've never done. Lots easier, less-time-consuming, and better chance of success than wine. And ... I know more people who'd like fig preserves than fig wine. Obliged .... Mitch

Hi, Fence. I haven't given up on the idea (totally), but most of what I've read in The Forum seems to be warning me. If the old hands have a rough time making a good go of it, I'm pretty sure I can't count on my beginner's luck. Food for thought .....Thx much for the feedback. Mitch

Much obliged, Vines; I've told the old-timers at the neat wine-tasting in Raleigh several times that I plan to take a btl of paw paw to 'em to sample, so .... next time, I'll back-sweeten an already-bottled paw paw wine to carry. It could even be a hit! The last time I attended, I carried a btl...

Thx, Jo -- will do ......

OK -- thx, V. Yeah, really nice color. But ... what is "VA"? And what is "mothering"? I don't know much of the jargon ..... Mitch

OK, V; just for clarity -- at what point do you back-sweeten, and how? Just before racking? Is it possible (if you've already bottled) to pour out contents, sweeten to taste, the put the wine back into the bottle? That may be crazy, but ... I have to ask.

I had an outstanding fig harvest last year, and am now wondering if I should use some of it for wine. I've made wines with mead, grapes (Muscadines) and paw paws, so now .... time to branch out. Figs're pretty sweet, so there's a sugar-addition question about the fermentation, in my mind. Does...

Howdy, Vines; good to know that the effort seems to've panned out for you. I've learned how much of a let-down it is to work at wine-making, wait forever to sample, and then ... it bombs. I ended up with 6 small (750 ml) and 2 large (1.5 l) btls from my paw paw wine project. All of it still...

And from what I understand, e-berries have to be "processed" -- not a good idea to eat them in their natural form. That should go for using them in making wine, too -- I'm guessing.

Hi -- no idea as to the varietal(s); the guy I bought them from (at the State Farmer's Market in Raleigh) had just dug some up from a roadside ditch. Which is what I should've done -- had I researched and found exactly what the plants looked like, and their standard habitats ....

Wow! A cautionary tale. I actually bought 2 e'berry plants a couple of years ago (before I even know what the plants looked like in the wild). Since I've seen them grow on my place, I've seen zillions of 'em all along ditches in rural areas. Could've saved the $30 I spent! I was thinking of...

OK, here goes .... 1. I didn't take a reading before pitching. How would I even do that -- since the must is a mess to deal with, I'm guessing, prior to squeezing the pulp --? 2. Muscadine (mixture of grapes). I've filled a 2-gal container with the must. 3. I've only stirred 1X/day. That's what...

I think I have the terminology right -- I mean, I'm ready to strain the must and put the liquid into a jug for "settling" for a long while. I've read in various grape-wine recipes that I should stir the must (after pitching the yeast) 7-8 days before straining. I (in the 1st batches I've made...

Hi, Rem; thx for the response. I have a hydrometer. The grape supply is what I call "mutt harvest" -- mostly muscadines [Nesbit, Carlos, Fuchs, Catawba] but smatterings of table grapes -- Mars, Flame, Red Surrey. It'll be an adventure; always is ..... Mitch