Winemaking 2012

I got our first wine of the year going the other day, 9lbs of Rhubarb from our Allotment plot into 3 gallons of Rhubarb wine. Two of these will have more fruit added later to make into a port for Christmas.





What wine are you planning to make this year?


Steve...

 

Might start with some Apple & Elderflower (1litre carton apple juice, 1 litre carton white grape juice + elderflowers) if I get the time, otherwise it'll be Blackberry which normally start cropping here towards the end of July.

 

I've got some berries from a friend of mine (blackberry, redcurrant) and was going to try my hand at making some wine this year, have brewed many a beer before but winemaking is new to me

 

Hiya Steve.

MANY moons ago, I made some Rhubarb wine. It had a very neutral taste, ideal for blending. It was so easy, but I forget now what the recipe was? I seem to recall putting a load of Rhubarb in a bucket with a quantity of sugar, then adding water at some stage?

 

The method where the dry sugar draws the juice out of the rhubarb stems?

 

Yes

 

I used, per demijohn..

3lb Rhubarb, wiped and sliced small.
3lb Sugar.

Put in a bucket for 2 days, then smash up with the end of a rolling pin.Drain off juice then rinse the Rhubarb with boiled,cooled water to make up to the shoulder of the demijohn.

Add yeast, yeast nutrient and pectolase. Fit airlock.

HTH

Steve...

 

If any home brewers here buy their home brew stuff from Wilkos, they are in the process of ditching Youngs products and changing over to their own brand. The good news is that you may find some reduced kits, equipment, etc. in-store, but the bad news is that you may find their shelves bare of everything you need and as it seems their online ordering website (WilkinsonPlus) has nothing in stock, so there could be some temporary disruption in supplies.

 

Port is flavoured with English Elderberries.

 

The 'port' I make consist of elderberries, blackberries, blackcurrants & sloes and tastes just as good as the 'real stuff' - but you have to wait 3 years.

 

2 gallons of Rhubarb on the go so far this year - and probably enough waiting to be harvested for another gallon or so when I get around to it.

A week or so ago I cracked open a bottle of 2010 rose I made from the grapes from my vine - rather good, if unlike proper wine .. which is more than can be said for the parsnip wine. Looks like its going to be a good year for elderberries in Oxfordshire, and blackberries, although they tend to disappear quickly. Dont think Im going to get many grapes this year, but they could be hiding.

 

Same here - absolutely masses of blackberries, probably the most I've ever seen.

 

I have been making ' Country wines ' for many years now. You might like to vist my comments tips on such on the left of http://www.sigord.co.uk/