Ready to dive into the art of wine making!

[fortebass1]

Hello! I'm slowly trying to get started with this new idea of making wine. I'm hoping it turns into a fun and rewarding hobby, which what I've been finding so far is a no-brainer. I live in southern Louisiana where I am hoping the heat does not play a negative role in the process at any stage. I am looking for any tips and as much advice along the way so hopefully I came to the right place to join a forum!

Cheers

 

[djrockinsteve]

I am looking for any tips and as much advice along the way so hopefully I came to the right place to join a forum!

Cheers

I believe you did. Welcome to wine making talk. A wonderful place filled with lots of information, resourses and great people willing to help.

Check out the home page for recipes and tips on making the process easy. Search anything you are looking for or you may post. Check out the Map that we have where folks can pin themselves and you may see if any and who lives near you plus wineries, breweries etc.

Any thoughts on what you would like to make first?

 

[fortebass1]

Thank you for the welcome!

Well, my supplies are pretty limited at the moment. First I need to find any local retailers that may have supplies and ingredients for wine making. I'll have to check around New Orleans, which is about 50 minutes from where I live at.

I want to start out making 1-gallon batches to get used to the process before moving to larger vessels. So I'm working on getting a glass gallon bottle ( I have to drink the wine out of it first lol). I would like to try an apple wine, but if there is an easier one to start off with then I'm game for it. Does each fruit have a different degree of difficulty to it? Or are they all the same? I definitely have a lot of learning to do .

 

[Tom]

WECOME

Ask away

 

[djrockinsteve]

Some fruits need more per pound per gallon than others. Check the recipe section. Those high in acid need less if any acid blend. Apple is a good one, pear and anything that has natural sugar in it.

Definitely get a hydrometer. Check craig's list or ebay for used carboys etc. The skeeter pee is probably the easiest and quickest to make.

 

[fortebass1]

Then skeeter pee it is! I'll start doing more research and continue to collect my equipment. Hopefully I can get started soon. Thank you for the guidance, I'm sure I'll be popping in and out of the site to soak up some knowledge until I'm ready to get my hands dirty.

 

[Runningwolf]

Welcome! You could also experiment with frozen Welches concentrate of different flavors.

 

[fortebass1]

I'm assuming if I do use any concentrates, they have to be all natural? Anything in particular I should NOT use? That seems like an interesting idea, especially mixing and matching. Something tells me I will need a little more room than a closet to store wine.

 

[Flem]

Welcome to the forum. The three guys that have already responded to you are very knowledgeable in winemaking. There are many more here to help. I personally started with kits to gain a basic understanding of the procedure. I've learned a lot.

 

[fortebass1]

Thanks! Yea, I saw a few kits here and there and videos on how to use them. I may go that route as well. I have a little basic knowledge just from reading, but I'm definitely lacking the hands on. I also want to find a few books to learn the science and reasoning behind some of the steps. I am definitely clueless.

 

[djrockinsteve]

I posted a thread on here awhile ago listing books on wine making. I'll find it and attach a link.

Google Home Wine Making by Lum Eisenman. This will explain alot of the science and why we do what we do. (wine related of course)

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3394&page=6&highlight=alison+crowe

second post from the bottom. A list of books recommended by many on here. No order.