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Good advice Dave. Like you, I’ve generally been tasting everything. When I next rack I’ll try the sediment and, if it’s any good, I’ll use it.

I see that skeeter pee uses the sediment from from the racking of another wine to start fermentation. It’s got me thinking about using some of the lees off my fruit wines. I’m curious if the lees impart flavour to the new wine. For example, would the lees off my gooseberry add any flavour to...

Thanks lads, while there’s stuff to learn, I’ll keep asking. @winemaker81 I see what you mean! I transferred my mixed berry into secondaries tonight. It’s acting totally different to both the gooseberry and the rhubarb. I find the whole thing fascinating to be honest. I think I’m going to give...

@BigDaveK i took delivery of the dried bilberries today. I need to source a few more demijohns before I start. Will keep you posted. @Raptor99 What fruit was it? Fresh or dried? Thanks.

Thanks Bob, that’s what I was thinking. I transferred it from the bucket to a demijohn when the fermentation seemed to have slowed. It got going again soon after I racked it. Good to read that you’ve had similar. I’ll leave it another week. It’s my first fruit wine and I assumed it was normal...

I’m assuming this is just sediment that has been carried up with the CO2 bubbles. It is the same colour as the sediment. Can someone confirm please. Many thanks.

Thanks for that. I’ll give it a shot. Worse that can happen is it costs me a few pounds of sugar. The recipe says 5 gallon (imperial) on the first batch, 3 gallon on the second and 3 gallon on the third with 750ml of red grape concentrate added. All 7 day ferments. It’s worth doing just to know.

I’ve found a recipe that uses dried bilberries which I plan to start next week. I’ve found a source of organic, no sugar, no oil fruit so that should avoid most of the problems I’ve read about, but is there any other issues to consider using dried over fresh/frozen fruit? The recipe suggests you...

@mstrick96 I’m based in the UK and have been gleaning everything I can from CJJBerry which seems to be the bible over here. During CJ’s era (1960’s to 1990’s) home wine marking in the UK was generally carried out in small batches in 1 gallon demijohns (carboys/jugs). A lot of the wine recipes...

Bob on. I nipped out and picked up a couple of half pint flip top bottles. I filled 1 and luckily I had nearly a whole glass left over. 😬

Curiosity got the best of me today. I sanitised my newly acquired turkey baster and stuck it in my brew. It’s not quite finished fermenting yet and is showing 1.002 with the airlock passing a bubble every 40 seconds. I had a wee taste which was, to my mind, absolutely incredible. Almost like...

🤣 No, not often, maybe 40 or 50 times over the last 25 years. The brew is looking a whole lot healthier tonight, and starting to smell more appetising. Much more winey. I’m not sure what it is but I’m never too keen on the smell of defrosted strawberries. Can’t put my finger on it.

🤣🤣 dog food. Mainly venison pluck. Aye, it does smell ‘different’!

I’m guessing this is a healthy ferment but it looks more like boiled offal to me.

Fat Eric got into the feed bin. Currently he doesn’t bend in the middle.

Thanks all, really interesting stuff. Suffice to say, I’ve ordered a turkey baster. 👍

Thanks for that. I understand fermentation vs off gassing but I don’t have a wine thief so getting wine out of a 1 gallon demijohn and measuring the SG 3 days in a row seems a bit impractical and risky in terms of introducing bacteria. I have been measuring SG regularly in the bucket as it’s...

Spot on, that’s what I’m after. I don't think I’ll measure the SG though. I’ll probably go on the bubbles in the airlock. Aye, there’s only a pint or so in that wee bottle. I was planning to top up the demijohn when I rack it and drink the rest. That’s good to know. I like a heavy red wine so...

I have no experience on this whatsoever but I would probably try making a tea from the radish tops and use that as a base.

Please bear with me on this one. I’ve read and read and read but I’m still non the wiser about when I should be racking my wine. I started a gooseberry a couple of weeks ago in a bucket with the fruit in a bag. The SG was 1.088. I removed the fruit bag after 7 days. I transferred (racked) the...