All You Need to Get Started!

[Raptor99]

The other version is the "Clementine or Christmas wine", where the cranberries/orange are cooked.

You can use clementine peels instead of orange zest. Clementines have very little pith, so they won't add bitterness.

I would not cook the cranberries. Cooking cranberries sets the pectin, which is useful for making cranberry sauce but the opposite of what you want to do when making wine.

 

[vinny]

This is an awesome thread. To see the encouragement of the group when someone was overwhelmed and ready to sell their equipment. Also to see that @amorgan chose to stick with it and is here a year later, that's just amazing. I saw a thread you posted on blending the other day. Glad you pulled through and I hope you are having a ton of fun and enjoy what you are making.

Ps... No one escapes!

 

[amorgan]

It's kind of true! I love all you wine-makers out there who encourage and assist! I still lack confidence and know-how, so I dread when I need to rack or bottle, because I still have to read and study and overthink everything. But I finally bottled last February's batches last week, and while I'm relieved that's over, I'm already thinking about what to do next lol!

 

[vinny]

I saw you mentioned in an earlier post that you would like the All In One wine pump, and maybe this year you would do it. I recently got one and it really changed the whole process for me. It simplifies things and it gives you a procedure which really ups your confidence. It's not a this is the way I do it scenario, I hope it's right. It's this is the way this is done. It makes sense. Everything is contained in the lines, there is no oxygen exposure to worry about. There is no guess work. No second guessing, or self doubt, and it is slick.

Maybe it will be an easier purchase now that you know you are definitely making another batch after the one you are currently thinking about!

It also makes it SO much easier. No need to lift anything you don't want to. For me that is everything. The only thing I lift is an empty carboy.

I was worried about the cost, but I wish I had done it earlier. I wouldn't do it any other way, now.

 

[amorgan]

I saw you mentioned in an earlier post that you would like the All In One wine pump, and maybe this year you would do it. I recently got one and it really changed the whole process for me. It simplifies things and it gives you a procedure which really ups your confidence. It's not a this is the way I do it scenario, I hope it's right. It's this is the way this is done. It makes sense. Everything is contained in the lines, there is no oxygen exposure to worry about. There is no guess work. No second guessing, or self doubt, and it is slick.

Maybe it will be an easier purchase now that you know you are definitely making another batch after the one you are currently thinking about!

It also makes it SO much easier. No need to lift anything you don't want to. For me that is everything. The only thing I lift is an empty carboy.

I was worried about the cost, but I wish I had done it earlier. I wouldn't do it any other way, now.

On my bucket list

 

[Biggz]

Hello Amorgan, I started just a few months ago and i enjoy doing it. but i just started off using the welches and ocean spray juices and i love those wines because they are sweet and hold the fruit flavor really well and real hard to mess up. All i did was buy bungs and airlocks that fit the 2quartz size jugz and fermented in them then racked them to the one gallon carboys and that stuff comes out clear and damn tasty.

Now I do meads and real fruits/skeeter pee's but i still do the welches and ocean sprays cause my friends really like those wines and they are fast to do. Good luck to you.

Biggz

 

[amorgan]

@amorgan
welp, as i said we line up to help and teach, on coloma they explain how much a jug dilutes to, each kind is different, so the 1 gallon or 3 gallon, is up to you, and as @winemaker81 said grape is traditional wine, non-grape tends to be called country wine, i like a concentrate better so i can make the flavor stronger using less water, on strawberry, they call for 10 quarts to the quart of strawberry concentrate, i would use 7 or 8 quarts of water to the quart of strawberry concentrate,, so you'd have a stronger strawberry flavor, wheatear you make 3 gallon or one gallon , i always make more, just for intense,, if i made said 1 gallon i'd make 5 quarts or more, or if i made say a 3 gallon batch then i'd make a 4 gallons, after ferment you'd fill your 3 gallon carboy, then i'd put the rest in other carboys. even air locked wine bottles,,, a small universel bung turned upside down will fit a wine bottle for your extras, everytime you rack, you lose a little wine, at which point you top up from your extra's so say 5 or 6 wine bottles airlocked with a small unaverse bung turned upside down with a airlock on each bottle of extra's,,, only during ferment is oxygen is your friend, after ferment oxygen is your enemy from then own out, i am happy like the rest that you are staying,,,,,,,, our secret agenda is to turn the world in to wine crafters,, lol ,,,,, from the thread above i see you got a army of teachers, don't worry,, you are not alone, just ask as you go along,, before you know it you'll be making really good wine, i make around 20 to 25 gallons of strawberry every single year, dang strawberry wine is good, but like i said i make mine stronger then they say, i want mine to be very flavorful, until lately i was a from scratch, wine crafter, but now i have went to concentrates, always on concentrates look to make sure the concentrat is a single fruit, a lot of places mix white grape to make it cheaper, but coloma is a good company it took me a few months to find them, most sell only bigger amounts, it is very hard to find a place that will sell in smaller amounts. for home wine makers.
Richard
Dawg

 

[amorgan]

Here we are a year later. Strawberry question - I was excited about the strawberry and did two gallons with Coloma concentrate (and also a kit Cabernet). I was totally winging it on the back sweetening, and bottled last week. It’s drinkable but doesn’t blow me away like I hoped it would. I came back to this thread and decided next time I will go with a stronger concentration for more strawberry flavor. Also wondering if I should have gone a little sweeter. My question is - can you describe how and how much you back sweeten per gallon? It looks like you make a lot of strawberry, so I’m interested in your recipe if you are willing to share?

 

[amorgan]

Hello Amorgan, I started just a few months ago and i enjoy doing it. but i just started off using the welches and ocean spray juices and i love those wines because they are sweet and hold the fruit flavor really well and real hard to mess up. All i did was buy bungs and airlocks that fit the 2quartz size jugz and fermented in them then racked them to the one gallon carboys and that stuff comes out clear and damn tasty.

Now I do meads and real fruits/skeeter pee's but i still do the welches and ocean sprays cause my friends really like those wines and they are fast to do. Good luck to you.

Biggz

What?!!! Right in the store bought juice juice jugs? Talk about simplifying - I might have to try that lol. I’ve not yet tried skeeter pee. Is it pretty much just a hard lemonade? Do you drink it on ice?

 

[winemaker81]

Here we are a year later. Strawberry question - I was excited about the strawberry and did two gallons with Coloma concentrate (and also a kit Cabernet). I was totally winging it on the back sweetening, and bottled last week. It’s drinkable but doesn’t blow me away like I hoped it would. I came back to this thread and decided next time I will go with a stronger concentration for more strawberry flavor. Also wondering if I should have gone a little sweeter. My question is - can you describe how and how much you back sweeten per gallon? It looks like you make a lot of strawberry, so I’m interested in your recipe if you are willing to share?

Generally speaking, more fruit is better. Lighter fruits like strawberry need a lot more fruit than strong ones like elderberry. With a strawberry concentrate I would probably dilute it to 1.100 -- that's a fair amount of alcohol, but it will have more oomph. It also helps to add a bit of powdered tannin at fermentation time (say 1/4 tsp per gallon), and glycerin prior to bottling to increase body.

Backsweetening is an art. Some of it depends on your personal preference -- if you like sweet wine, you'll want more sugar than I will, as I prefer dry wines.

The acidity of the wine matters greatly, as sugar balances acid. If you have a wine lower in acid, too much sugar can make it flat or insipid. Not enough sugar in an acidic wine will leave it sharp and unpleasant tasting.

I made the FWK Frutta Blackberry and Strawberry -- both are VERY acidic, and I added 2 conditioner packs to each (came with kit). This balances the sugar so the wine tastes sweet initially, then the sweetness disappears and it's a nice fruit flavor. Others have reported adding another cup or 2 of sugar to it, and I can see why.

What may help you is backsweeten the wine, then wait a week and taste again. Adjust if needed.

 

[amorgan]

Generally speaking, more fruit is better. Lighter fruits like strawberry need a lot more fruit than strong ones like elderberry. With a strawberry concentrate I would probably dilute it to 1.100 -- that's a fair amount of alcohol, but it will have more oomph. It also helps to add a bit of powdered tannin at fermentation time (say 1/4 tsp per gallon), and glycerin prior to bottling to increase body.

Backsweetening is an art. Some of it depends on your personal preference -- if you like sweet wine, you'll want more sugar than I will, as I prefer dry wines.

The acidity of the wine matters greatly, as sugar balances acid. If you have a wine lower in acid, too much sugar can make it flat or insipid. Not enough sugar in an acidic wine will leave it sharp and unpleasant tasting.

I made the FWK Frutta Blackberry and Strawberry -- both are VERY acidic, and I added 2 conditioner packs to each (came with kit). This balances the sugar so the wine tastes sweet initially, then the sweetness disappears and it's a nice fruit flavor. Others have reported adding another cup or 2 of sugar to it, and I can see why.

What may help you is backsweeten the wine, then wait a week and taste again. Adjust if needed.

I haven’t even figured out how to test acidity yet. But thank you! This helps.

 

[winemaker81]

I haven’t even figured out how to test acidity yet. But thank you! This helps.

Use your tongue.

Seriously, taste it. I do not test pH or TA at bottling time. I backsweeten by taste, as the test equipment will never drink the wine and I don't care what it says.

I finally purchased a pH meter last fall, so I check pH prior to and after fermentation. Unless the reading is really high or really low, I don't adjust it. I may check the pH at bottling time, but if the reading is high or low, my tastebuds will let me know, and I'll adjust the wine.

Have fun doing it.

 

[BigDaveK]

I haven’t even figured out how to test acidity yet. But thank you! This helps.

I use pH strips for testing kombucha. Narrow range, 0-6, good ballpark reading.

https://www.amazon.com/Kombucha-Ins...ial&sprefix=kombuch,industrial,98&sr=1-4&th=1

 

[hounddawg]

Here we are a year later. Strawberry question - I was excited about the strawberry and did two gallons with Coloma concentrate (and also a kit Cabernet). I was totally winging it on the back sweetening, and bottled last week. It’s drinkable but doesn’t blow me away like I hoped it would. I came back to this thread and decided next time I will go with a stronger concentration for more strawberry flavor. Also wondering if I should have gone a little sweeter. My question is - can you describe how and how much you back sweeten per gallon? It looks like you make a lot of strawberry, so I’m interested in your recipe if you are willing to share?

first , yes i mix mine heavy on concentrate and light on water, my FSG is 1.040 fruit and berries mush have back sweetening to bring out the flavor, and lastly, on your reds, you need to bulk age or bottle age for a year for your wine to be killer good, sorry it took me so long to get back, another hospital trip,
Dawg

 

[amorgan]

first , yes i mix mine heavy on concentrate and light on water, my FSG is 1.040 fruit and berries mush have back sweetening to bring out the flavor, and lastly, on your reds, you need to bulk age or bottle age for a year for your wine to be killer good, sorry it took me so long to get back, another hospital trip,
Dawg

Oh no. I was worried about your health last year, now I will again. Thanks for the info. Wishing you good health soon.

 

[hounddawg]

What?!!! Right in the store bought juice juice jugs? Talk about simplifying - I might have to try that lol. I’ve not yet tried skeeter pee. Is it pretty much just a hard lemonade? Do you drink it on ice?

i keep my skeeter pee port in the fridge, and yes very good on ice, lemon and pineapple both hide the taste of alcohol, very well indeed,
Dawg