Total Newbie!

[Katie]

Hi all!

I really am a complete novice at this wine-making lark and can't wait to get started. Likely to have loads if questions that may sound as though I'm really thick! Please bear with me if I ask what may seem like obvious questions.

To begin - what does FPqck mean?
What do I do with my hydrometer (keep it clean!) Bought one cos the guy in the shop said they're good to have, but have no idea what it's for!
What is a really foolproof, easy, quick wine to start with?
As a general rule of thumb, does more sugar equal higher alcohol content? And does more sugar also mean wine takes longer to finish?
Can I re-use sterilised screw-cap wine bottles so long as I'm sure wine has completely finished fermenting? And should I use that 'fermentation stopper' stuff?

Thanks for the mo.

Katie
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[dangerdave]

Welcome aboard, Katie. I have a few minutes, so I'll take a quick stab at your questions.

1) An fpack is a flavor pack (usually concentrated fruit juice and/or sugar) used to enhance and sweeten a finished wine.
2) Go to the "Beginners Wine Making Forum" Section of this forum. There, you'll find all kinds of useful information and threads, including "how to use a hydrometer for newbies", "Getting answers you want fast!", "Book for Beginners", "Common Terms" and more. You have a lot of reading to do!
3) My suggestion---after you do your "homework"---is get a wine kit. A kit will give you all the ingredients you need to make a decent wine all in one package. You will get a feel for how the process works and gain much needed confidence.
4) More sugar in the fermenter generally does mean higher ABV (alcohol by volume) of your finished wine. It does not necessarily mean the wine will take longer to finish.
5) Yes, you can use clean sanitized scew-cap bottles. Many wineries are going to these exclusively, for convenience sake.

Again, welcome to the forum, Katie. There are a great bunch of people here---an awesome resource of their own---who will be very happy to answer your questions. Do a little research, and get ready to get your hands dirty!

 

[Terry0220]

Welcome Katie, like dangerdave said above, get a cheap wine kit and do as instructed. This will give you so much more confidence and you will gain a lot of knowledge and understanding in what making wine is about. Please go to the beginners section under the forum tab and read, there is a wealth of infomation there. And any time you are unsure or have a question,,just ask away,, help is only a few clicks away!!

 

[Katie]

Oh! So ready to get down 'n' dirty!

Re. starter kits - rather than that, I quite like the idea of a tinned peach wine instead. Looks easy and simple and fast (bit like myself really!!!).

What think ye wise ones?

Katie
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[LonelyMassachusetts]

Wise ones? Aww, you're making me blush!
You might get the results you want with the canned peaches, but there's no guarantee. I second the advice to try a kit. Like said above, kits are simple and have all instructions and ingredients to give anyone a good wine, often WITH a guarantee.
More expensive kits are worth their price; some people in this forum only do wine kits in fact. I started out this hobby making country wine by myself (albeit without this awesome forum) and it took me a while (and some pretty bad wine) to learn the ropes. That said, if you're confident look up a recipe, ask questions, get all necessary equipment, and full steam ahead!

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!!

 

[Duster]

Katie, Use caution with the screw top bottles. I used them for a long time even though the warnings were out there, then one day I had the neck of one explode during corking. Luckily I didn't get cut. must of the time I like to hold the bottle by the neck when corking, for some reason that time I did not. If I had it could have gotten ugly.

 

[Julie]

Katie,

Welcome to WineMakingTalk, and to add about the screw tops, like Duster said, corking a screw top bottle will explode and you can't re-use the screw lids. You will not get a good seal.

You really need to start with a kit.

 

[dangerdave]

Whoops! For some reason, I was think she had screw caps for her screw caps! My bad! Be careful with those bottles, Katie!

 

[SBWs]

Welcome Katie, If you don't want to go the kit way I have a very easy Sweet Niagara Peach recipe on my BLOG. Just click on recipes and scroll down to the bottom. It is made from White Grape Peach Juice and canned Peaches. It's fast (can drink in 90 days) very good after 6 months and does not cost much to make.

 

[soccer0ww]

Welcome to the forum. Have fun with the wine!