Full Blood Red Neck From Tennessee

[Ernest T Bass]

Just joined a day or two ago, Boy!, am I ever lost, I find something interesting, go on to something else and try to go back and can never find it again. I post something and can't find it, someone sent me a message that I posted in on a Blog. I would ask for help in finding my way around on this site, but I probably couldn't find it. I'm makeing my first ever wine, Pear.
A friend told me how to do it--get a 5 gallon bucket of pears and bust em up with a sledge hammer, dump 5 pounds of sugar and a package of yeast in the bucket and add 5 gallons of water, what a mess, but it's working. I have a piece of tubing comming out the top, stuck in a fruit jar about half full of water. What you think, reckon it gonna work?
I've read all I could find on how to get around on the site, if anyone has time, I can sure use some help. I think the site is great, I just can't do anything one it but read what I happen to hit on

Thanks for any help

Semper Fi

Later Bud

 

[JasonH]

Hello and welcome. If you want to get a good handle on making wine, I would recomend you look into getting a hydrometer and learning how to use it. It is the most important tool of a winemaker.

 

[Minnesotamaker]

First off, welcome. Lots of information here and lots of people willing to help each other out.

You're likely to get something close to wine with your project, but it may or may not turn out very good. Winemaking is like playing a piano; if you don't press the keys in the right order at the right time, all you get is a bunch of banging. You could get lucky and hear something melodic, but if you were asked to play it again, you'd have a hard time replicating it.

There are two ways I'd recommend if you're serious about making GOOD wine. Either:
1) go to the library and get a book on winemaking, it will get you off to a good start
or
2) buy a wine kit and follow the instructions that come with the ingredients

You can learn a lot here, but like you said, it's scattered all around. A book or kit instructions will present the process to you in a logical order. These two methods will help insure you get a good result. Winemakers with good results make more wine; winemakers with bad results quit.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!

I wouldn't add sugar blindly - get a hydrometer and measure your SG - then add sugar accordingly. I would also consider an Acid Test Kit - so you can measure and adjust the acidity.

 

[countrygirl]

hello neighbor! welcome to the forum. you'll get the hang of it, don't worry. i started out with a kit, because it comes with all the gadgets and then u can continue to use those gadgets with other homemade wines. i did buy a second hydrometer (for specific gravity readings) as a backup because i've heard some stories about dropping and breaking them, etc. your pear may go very dry, so do some reading on here about flavor pacs and backsweetening. i have an apple-pear spice that is going to get sweetened next weekend!
keep us updated on ur pear!

 

[NSwiner]

Welcome .At the top of the page there is links to MY TOPICS and MY REPLIES next to my profile click on them & it will show exactly what they say .

 

[Ernest T Bass]

Thanks

Some answers to your questions:
I have a hydrometer. I've been checking my wine and don't really know what it's telling me. From what I've read, it tells me "predicated alcohol". Does that mean what the wine will be when it's finished or what it is now, the predicted is what is confusing me. My must on some muscadine I am fermiting (1st stage) is reading 7.8%, is that okay or should I do something, it's been fermining of 5 days now.
I also bought a book on wine making "Enjoy Wine Making" "A Guide for the Beginier" by Robert & Eileen Frishman. I don't understand a lot of thing they say, they assume I know something.
I bought some stuff off the internet and some stuff from the wine making shop in Memphis---(He's kinda telling me what to do)
My Pear is in a 5 gallon jug and a 4 gallon jug, the 5 gallons looks strong and the 4 gallon looks weak (that's the one I added about a gallon and a half of water to, (didn't have enuf to fill the jug). My pear has aabout 2 inches of crud settled out in it, when and how ofter should i rack it?

I was afraid I couldn't find my post, but I did so thanks. Can anyone recommend a good book for Beginners---say like 2nd or 3rd grade level.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Some answers to your questions:
I have a hydrometer. I've been checking my wine and don't really know what it's telling me. From what I've read, it tells me "predicated alcohol". Does that mean what the wine will be when it's finished or what it is now, the predicted is what is confusing me. My must on some muscadine I am fermiting (1st stage) is reading 7.8%, is that okay or should I do something, it's been fermining of 5 days now.
I also bought a book on wine making "Enjoy Wine Making" "A Guide for the Beginier" by Robert & Eileen Frishman. I don't understand a lot of thing they say, they assume I know something.
I bought some stuff off the internet and some stuff from the wine making shop in Memphis---(He's kinda telling me what to do)
My Pear is in a 5 gallon jug and a 4 gallon jug, the 5 gallons looks strong and the 4 gallon looks weak (that's the one I added about a gallon and a half of water to, (didn't have enuf to fill the jug). My pear has aabout 2 inches of crud settled out in it, when and how ofter should i rack it?

I was afraid I couldn't find my post, but I did so thanks. Can anyone recommend a good book for Beginners---say like 2nd or 3rd grade level.

It measures sugar content in the must. The PA scale means Potential Alcohol - meaning if all the sugar is converted into alcohol - that would be your abv %. It has has a brix reading on there - i usually go off the SG readings.

Get your starting SG - and your finish SG - and that's how you can calculate your bv %.

 

[countrygirl]

travis, when you're on the main page for wine making discussion forum (for example, as i'm typing this, it's in the upper left corner), go under the beginner's section and at the top is a sticky with a beginners book. i've used it alot and the recipes section is also helpful. i think you're doing good, sounds like you've got the right equipment, AND you have a shop/shop owner near u, that's great! you'll be needing to read up on the flavor pack sticky too! (for the weak 4 gallon jug)

 

[Wade E]

The easiest way to keep track of topics or even posts that you have replied to is to click on "My Topics" or "My posts" These are located under your name in the upper right hand corner of any page. If you creatyed a new topic click on the Topics link, if you were just responding to someone elses post but want to follow that up or just check out what someone else mught have replied then cilck on "My Posts" The next time you log in to this forum click on "New Posts" which is just a little bit lower then the other links in the dark red area and this is a link to any topics or posts that have been posted since the last time you were on the forum. The predicted abv scale on the hydrometer is basically only used in the very beginning to see what possible alc your wine can achieve from the amount of available sugar IF it all ferments out to dry, thats why its called Potential !

 

[xanxer82]

Welcome aboard. I have family around Knoxville & Seviere.
As for wine making. get a starter package.
http://www.finevinewines.com/home-wine-making-kits.asp
You won't regret it.

 

[ellijaywinemaker]

Hello I too am new her but have been making wine for a long time now. Like everyone is saying a good hydrometer and adjust your sugar but please remember that any fruit you may use already has sugar in it so check first and add to the Potental alcohol you want to end up with and after all its for fun relaxe and enjoy.

 

[PPBart]

...Can anyone recommend a good book for Beginners---say like 2nd or 3rd grade level.

Welcome! I think everyone here has been thru some of the same confusion as beginners -- just stick with it! One of the best beginner books I know of (and the one that really got me started) is The Joy of Home Winemaking by Terry Garey. It's easy to read, written in clear and basic language, introduces most of the core concepts you need to understand, and provides an assortment of recipes. Check your library, eBay or Amazon.com.