Beginner looking for some tips

[Scooter68]

Before deciding about the amount of fruit per gallon, I would suggest looking over several recipes for wines from that fruit, including Keller's. Not ALL fruits are best with an all fruit, no water approach. Many are but certainly not all. Elderberry is one that most folks I read about claim that elderberry can be excellent with ad little as 3 lbs/gallon. Blueberry on the other hand, one of my favorites since I grow them, can be overly acidic and difficult to get started if you do an ALL FRUIT recipe. Investigate and then as Vinobeau suggests do a couple of different quantities of fruit at the same time. (And mark the carboys well...)
As always - "Your results may vary."

 

[G259]

LOL! A few months after I started making wine, I had my juice ready for some sugar, and I dropped my hydrometer in the sink while sanitizing it. I went to the store and bought two of them, lesson learned! BTW, I don't know how much you know about wine-making, but you have to make sure that everything that touches the juice is sanitized. I use Pot.-Meta. powder, 1/2 Tablespoon in a 2 Qt. plastic juice bottle with water. Spray on, wait a few minutes, rinse in hot water. I have read on-line several techniques and amounts to use, and some people reuse the liquid (I don't). Maybe others can chime in on the subject.

 

[Scooter68]

I use starsan and if you just go ahead and buy a quart it's pretty cheap to use. (6 ml/gallon) No point in re=using it. My only issue is that for some reason I have to use distilled water here. Tap water makes a cloudy mix.
In any case with star san 1 minute in contact with surfaces is enough. Works great in my bottle washer pump and in carboys I shake them until they are covered with foam, turn them upside down and let them drain.

When I'm done I toss the used left over solution around the sink or pour it on my wash rags and let them dry. (Keeps the bacteria in check)

Star San Instructions: http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/StarSanTech-HB2.pdf

 

[Obelix]

Welcome mate. Making wine is more addictive than drinking it