Gallon jugs

[jmyers63]

I'm just getting started and have amost no equipment other than what I use for brewing beer (5 gallon setup). Can I use plastic bottles that juice some in from the grocery store for aging small batches.? I know they must be food grade, but will they keep the oxygen out long term?

 

[robie]

Those plastic bottle will allow your wine to oxidize quickly. They will not prevent oxygen from getting into the wine. The only plastic bottle that will not let it in is a Better Bottle. Even the blue water bottle you get for water fountains leak oxygen.

Use glass jugs.

 

[Runningwolf]

Like Robie said get some glass gallon jugs. Why not use your 5 gallon carboy?

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!!

I agree - use glass bottles. I would also recommend not wasting time on 1 gallon batches.

It takes the same about of effort to do a 3, 5, or 6 gallon batch.

 

[hector]

I also use plastic water Jugs because of two reasons :

1- My Equipments let me make only small Batches (5 liters) .

2- I don't have access to any other kind of Carboys .

Besides , I keep the Jug in a cold water bath to control the fermentation temperature .

Is the Wine still in danger of oxidation , as the Jug is surrounded with water ?!

Hector

 

[jmyers63]

I'm starting with small batches because I've got enought blackberries to start this way. Maybe I can turn my wife loose on the garage sale circuit and come up with some glass and freeze the berries in the interum.

 

[Tom]

I'm starting with small batches because I've got enought blackberries to start this way. Maybe I can turn my wife loose on the garage sale circuit and come up with some glass and freeze the berries in the interum.

Post your blackberry recipe...

 

[Wade E]

If you must make 1 gallon batches get yourselves some 1 gallon glass jugs. You can find them at almost any glass recycling place fr free or for about $1 a pce or even better buy some cheap wine like Carlo Rossi and drink the wine in them as youll pay just about the same price to buy a brand new empty 1 from a wine supply store. They take a #6.5 rubber bung and a standard airlock. I agree though that 1 gallon batches are actually more work then a smaller batch trying to rack out of a small jug like that. You can also find 3 liter jugs the same exact way and I recommend getting those 2 for when you rack your gallon batch off the lees as you will end up short from one gallon. Even we use them all the time for when we rack a bigger batch and wind up short so maybe we started as 6 gallons and end up with a 5 and a 3 liter full.

 

[robie]

I also use plastic water Jugs because of two reasons :

1- My Equipments let me make only small Batches (5 liters) .

2- I don't have access to any other kind of Carboys .

Besides , I keep the Jug in a cold water bath to control the fermentation temperature .

Is the Wine still in danger of oxidation , as the Jug is surrounded with water ?!

Hector

During fermentation, oxidation is not as big an issue because there is a lot of outward pressure from all the CO2 being produced. It is just not a good idea to use water jugs for long term aging... IMO, anything over about a month. I don't know if they will or not, but make sure the water jugs are not imparting any plastic taste to the wine.

It is just much better if you can use glass or Better Bottles.

 

[GTS]

One option for gallon jugs is to buy fresh apple juice from a local Whole Foods type store. It will be in a 1 gallon glass jug, and you can make some apple wine with the juice. I have done this before and it works great for a small batch. I have also used almost the entire gallon of fermenting apple wine to start a batch of Skeeter Pee. Makes a great starter.

 

[hector]

It is just much better if you can use glass or Better Bottles.

The smallest Volume of Better Bottles is 11.5 Liters , but I make 5-Liter-Batches .

I don't have access to any glass Carboys , either .

Therefore , my only option is water Jug and as I said , it stands in a cold water bath and is

surrounded with water ( Not with air ) . So , I hope there would be no problem of oxidation

by the time of aging .

Hector

 

[jmyers63]

I was going to try Jack Keller's recipe on-line. It looked easy enough to cut my teeth.

 

[Wade E]

Please post the recipe you plan on using here as most (even Jack Kellers) recipes can be either or both too high on abv and not enough fruit to make a decent wine and more like colored alcohol.

 

[jmyers63]

6 lb blackberries
2-1/2 lb granulated sugar
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
7 pts water
wine yeast and nutrient

Wash berries thoroughly in colander, then crush in bowl, trasnfer to primary fermentation vessel, and pour 7 pts. boiling water over must. Allow to steep for two days, then strain through nylon sieve onto the sugar. Stir well to dissolve sugar, add pectic enzyme, cover well, and set aside for 24 hours. Add yeast and nutrient, cover, and set aside 5-6 days, stirring daily. Pour into secondary fermentation vessel of dark glass (or wrap clear glass with brown paper), filling only to the upper shoulder of the secodary, and fit airlock. Leftover must should be placed in a 1.5-liter wine bottle with airlock (a #2 bung fits most 1.5-liter wine bottles) and used for topping up. Top up when all danger of foaming over is past. Place in cool (60-65 degrees F.) dark place for three months. Rack, allow another two months to finish, then rack again and bottle in dark glass. Allow 6 months to age, a year to mature.

 

[Tom]

6 lb blackberries
2-1/2 lb granulated sugar
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
7 pts water
wine yeast and nutrient

Wash berries thoroughly in colander, then crush in bowl, trasnfer to primary fermentation vessel, and pour 7 pts. boiling water over must. Allow to steep for two days, then strain through nylon sieve onto the sugar. Stir well to dissolve sugar, add pectic enzyme, cover well, and set aside for 24 hours. Add yeast and nutrient, cover, and set aside 5-6 days, stirring daily. Pour into secondary fermentation vessel of dark glass (or wrap clear glass with brown paper), filling only to the upper shoulder of the secodary, and fit airlock. Leftover must should be placed in a 1.5-liter wine bottle with airlock (a #2 bung fits most 1.5-liter wine bottles) and used for topping up. Top up when all danger of foaming over is past. Place in cool (60-65 degrees F.) dark place for three months. Rack, allow another two months to finish, then rack again and bottle in dark glass. Allow 6 months to age, a year to mature.

I question the step where you strain. I would leave the fruit in during the primary.

What was the starting gravity?

 

[jmyers63]

I haven't started yet. But when I get to it, I'll report back.

 

[Daisy317]

You can also buy cheap gallons of wine that come in glass bottles. Where I live you can basically buy the bottles and get some cheap wine for free.

I also agree that it takes the same effort in a large and a small batch but if you're just starting out and have a small budget, 1 gal may be all that's in your budget.

 

[jmyers63]

Got the berries crushed and water added last night. Tomorrow I'll add the sugar and get a reading on the specific gravity. Any suggestions on what to shoot for?

 

[Tom]

1.085 is what you want. NEVER just add sugar because a recipe call for it rather USE YOUR HYDROMETER. If you dont have one get one before you start.

 

[jmyers63]

Good advice. The recipe calls for 2.5 lbs of sugar, but didn't give a gravity reading. I wanted to be sure I had a good starting point, not knowing what the sugar content of the berries would be.
Is 1.085 a rule of thumb for all wines, fruit wines, or just the blackberry?