Recent content by deb_rn

Bulk aging is always preferable.... as long as you don't need the carboy!! I try to age all my country wines 9-12 months in bulk, then bottle. Debbie

It's really easier and less time consuming to process them right in the field. Pick, grab and twist the yellow, toss the stem and green over your back. They tend to close up once picked and take forever once you get in the house later on. I pick an ice cream bucket 1/2 full of yellow fluff...

It's about a quart of loosely packed flowers... per gallon. If you see a white dandelion, it probably isn't a dandelion. NEVER use flowers that aren't 100% identifiable as edible. Debbie

In the original recipe it was far more!!! As you notice, it's only in there a few days during fermentation. During aging, you could add more if needed, but it will overpower if left too long! Debbie

Here is the requested recipe. 1 Gallon 5lb rhubarb 6 pts water 2.5# sugar 1/2 oz precipitated chalk (calcium carbonate)- needed to decrease acid and allow the yeast to multiply 1/4tsp tannin 1tsp nutrient 1 campden 1pkg wine yeast - I used 71B-1122 3/4 oz fresh ginger & Cloves-...

I believe the original recipe has 2 paths... one for fast clearing and one to clear naturally. Those comments on the website have been there a while. Skeeter Pee has been around a while, and now, there are lots of variations. Lon has probably had some age as well. I have seen his comments...

IF you have never aged Skeeter Pee... how can you say it doesn't improve with age? I HAVE aged some... for 15 months... and it keeps changing, just like any wine. I like the way it changes with time. The bitterness goes away, and leaves smooth tart lemon flavor. There is no RUSH to get...

I didn't take time to read it. ReaLemon may be about the same... I never read that either! I usually get mine from Aldi's. Debbie

I just saw lemon juice at the dollar store... for, guess what?? $1!!!! Why didn't I think of that before? I don't usually GO to the dollar store! Debbie

You can make a new starter... once it is roaring... feed it a cup of your wine every hour or so... get it used to the environment... when a bunch of it is roaring along... pitch the whole thing in the wine... leave it on top for a while where it can "breathe". Debbie

I'm in Wisconsin... it says that under our names. Debbie

I pick my honey up from the source. It's about 12 miles from my house! I just take the bucket in for refills and save the cost of the bucket over and over. Shipping from anywhere is just so expensive!! Debbie

Even Ancient Orange needs a lot of time to settle. I would go with wine as a first try and not mead... that's just me. Mead needs a little more tending and time than wine. Try a quick wine from Welch's White Grape/Raspberry. When you backsweeten... add a can for flavor as well...

Yipes, I looked up the prices on that web site!!! I pay $107 for 60# (5 gal) of honey, and they charge $240!!! The Mead kits have nothing in them but yeast and something to flavor. For a 1 gal batch, you could get frozen fruit from Walmart, get a recipe on here and make it for far less...

I didn't use honey for my first try, but here is how I PICKED the flowers.... Sit on the ground with your legs out in front of you in a "V". Get your handy ice cream bucket. Pull off blossom with one hand, and immediately pull off the yellow only with the other... usually 3-4 pulls get it...