Any Hillbilly Winemakers Here?

[skilletlicker]

Getting my new kitchen equipped. The hydrometer and some champagne yeast arrives tomorrow. Got some grocery store cider and grape juice on hand.
Anybody interested in talking about it?

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

 

[onedaychef]

certified mead maker here

 

[Kathleen]

I've made some mighty fine strawberry wine. Also some blackberry. Sadly, I drink little wine and need to share the bottles that I have made. But I can discuss!

 

[giggler]

What is your question?
you sound prepared.
Beer maker and pickles.
once made Gravlox.
Eric, Austin Tx.

 

[skilletlicker]

Thanks for the replies. The hydrometer arrived fairly late this evening. I'll wait til tomorrow to get started. The yeast is Lalvin EC1118 (https://www.lallemandbrewing.com/en/united-states/products/lalvin-ec-1118/).
The inoculation rate is 0.2 - 0.4 grams per liter.

I plan to use half of one pack for two half-gallon plastic bottles of Kroger juice, one cider, and one white grape. I'll remove 6 oz from each bottle to leave some headspace. That is more yeast than necessary, but my scale only measures to the nearest full gram and a little too much yeast won't hurt anything. To measure 1/4 packets I'll just divide the pile of yeast in half twice. If I do much of this, I'll get a micro-scale.

I'll dissolve 100 grams of sugar in each bottle, measure the specific gravity, cap the bottles with pinholed balloons, and wait to see what happens next. I'll let you know in a week or so.

In the meantime, suggestions or questions are welcome.

 

[dragnlaw]

Gosh, I hardly remember the routine. Haven't made my own in a long time. I now let the wine store make it for me and I just bottle it.
Carting the spring well water and lifting those things up and down too much for this body.

I probably still have the carboys in storage along with a lot of the rest of the paraphernalia. I used to put the glass carboys on a piece of styrofoam which was on top of an old waterbed heater!

 

[Badjak]

Beer brewer
I used to make wine though

 

[larry_stewart]

ive made kit wine and apple wine in the past. will be making some grape wine in the near future. got all the equipment, just have to dig it up inn the basement somewhere.

 

[dragnlaw]

I started off making beer then switched over to wine. Acid reflux and bubbles don't go along well with each other. But it was delicious stuff!

I should mention that all were from kits. I don't have the patience from scratch. Kits were/are much more forgiving.

 

[Badjak]

I started off making beer then switched over to wine. Acid reflux and bubbles don't go along well with each other. But it was delicious stuff!

I should mention that all were from kits. I don't have the patience from scratch. Kits were/are much more forgiving.

From "scratch" here. No kits available here. I even struggle to find malted barley.
And I am not going to do my own malting!

 

[skilletlicker]

I haven't started yet. I've spent a lot of time exploring the rabbit holes on the yeast company's website, Lallemand.com. There is a lot of information, instruction, and advice there; too much, really. Truth is, it has just been procrastination, which I'm absolutely going to stop doing... tomorrow.

 

[Badjak]

You'll be fine.
Moat important are hygiene & patience

 

[onedaychef]

Lalvin EC1118 is my goto for making mead - you can easily get 19% abv

Look into yeast nutrients, you can get chemicals or there are natural alternatives e.g. black treacle.

Also, check out this abv calculator which allows you to input your sugar content etc - just bear in mind % of actual sugar in your fementables - honey is c.89% sugar, fruit juices around 10%(?).

Alcohol By Volume ABV Calculator | Brewer's Friend

Use our ABV Calculator to show alcohol by volume based on gravity change & eliminate the guess work. Sign up for a free Brewer's Friend account & get brewing!

www.brewersfriend.com

 

[skilletlicker]

Finally got around to it. Took this picture three hours after adding the yeast.

Well, I guess I forgot how to show a picture.

 

[HeyItsSara]

In my tiny city apt? No. But we do our share of drinking nonetheless!!!

 

[skilletlicker]

Hi Sara.
A tiny city apartment is no barrier. This is done every day in prison cells, dorm rooms, and hidden in teenage kids' closets.

 

[HeyItsSara]

Hi Sara.
A tiny city apartment is no barrier. This is done every day in prison cells, dorm rooms, and hidden in teenage kids' closets.

True. If there is a will, there is a way!

 

[Kathleen]

Sara, just google prison wine or soda bottle wine! If you can find room for a two liter bottle, you are good!

 

[skilletlicker]

I'm thinking, hoping, that even at that scale, the finished product doesn't have to suck.