This is the apricot wine now - I put in the one part finings from the 2011 wine kit last night. I'm absolutely astounded at how fast it has cleared. Previous attempts have taken 4 or 5 days to clear. Still mustn't grumble
I don't make wine anymore but my Parsnip and Pea pod wines always blew your socks off.. My airing cupboard usually had something bubbling away as I remember.. Anyone got a good ginger beer recipe.?
Apparently there is some sort of shortage of Strawberry Jam, or at least in my local Sainsburys there is, so tonight's purchase was Blackcurrant Jam which we will get started over the weekend. @Scrungee - I went for sultanas this time which have no wax, but sunflower oil, do I still need to wash them through boiling water before mincing?
Dandelions are looking good ATM, earlier than usual, but I can't muster any volunteers to help pick Gorse flowers despite offers of a bottle of wine to numb the pain in their fingers.
Started two off yesterday - Blackcurrant Jam wine, and Rhubarb Surprise. Pectolase went in this morning, for yeast etc tomorrow. The Rhubarb Surprise consisted of the big tin of rhubarb, 1.5kg of frozen (defrosted and mushed) strawberries, 1kg Sultanas, 500g raisins and a knob of fresh ginger finely chopped. No idea how it will work out, but I suppose time will tell.
Fruit juice has gone up in price - so opted for another jam based wine. This time bramble jelly. Can't wait
I usually use 3 cartons of juice with 1kg of sugar. 1 jar of jam contains twice as much sugar as 1 carton of juice - which explains why my strawberry wine didn't need back sweetening - oops
Made a gallon of Elderflower Bottled 5 gallon of apple, grape and raspberry :rasp: And made another 5 gallon of the same
Put 6 galls of Easy White on early last Tuesday evening and another 30 galls on Wednesday morning. Just checked the SG of the first batch and it's down to 0.990, so all fermented out and ready to de-gass and fine in just under 7 days. Should have 36 galls of drinkable wine in another couple of days. 6 x 6 galls of Blackberry wine made from juice preserved last summer will follow. Had a sort through my leftover bottles of pasteurised apple juice that are getting on a bit and need using up, found 90 x 750ml bottles, quite a few of them were a cooking/eating apple juice mix (from gathering mixed windfalls from an orchard), so decided to dilute 3 lots of 5 galls up to 6 galls with water to reduce the acidity, chapitalize back to original SG of pure juice, and make myself 18 gallons of cider. That will free up some more bottles for saving Blackberry juice from what promises to be a bumper harvest this year.
