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subwyking

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I despise wine. That said, my wife loves it and despises beer. This ensures my beer is always safe. Anyways, I'm thinking about doing a batch for her. She really enjoys blush, sweet, champagnes. Does anyone have a recipes? And whats the time frame on something like this?
 
First I start off saying you could buy a wine kit their supposed to mature in 6 weeks , but probaly better to wait 6 months.Almost As easy as cool aid thats why I don't do them.

Go to the straw berries question in recipe section should be some there.I'd ignore the fruit losing it's color, and flavor comment, about country wine=(other then grape wine)
I'll tell you the basics that aren't listed prepare fruit if your choping up place in water to protect from oxidization(boil or use campden tablets={ sodium metabisulfite}) when added to primary fermenter push down fruit that floats to the top(cap) every day stir not just deep, but to the bottom, stir to the bottom for 4 days last 3 days let dead yeast cells fall to the bottom.you do this because live yeast cells fall to the bottom somtimes causing a stuck fermentation.siphon after a week,S.G 1.030-1.010 before siphoning do not scoop cap out. siphon liquid(must) as far down to the sediment(lees) as posible into a large jug( carboy) or another food grade bucket PLace your air lock in a big jug or 5 different jugs you can place balloons with pin hole(s) in the top the wine when see no activity( balloons deflate) can be syphoned off sediment( add campden tablet to protect from air every time syphoned)

Some basic things, but 2 important thing age 6 months or if she likes wine a bit :( sweet add wine conditioner speeds aging they claim
THE other important thing is degas after wine is away from sediment add 1 campden tablet per gallon and potassium sorbate if sweetin depending if the sugar is fermentable. or sweetin with sugar before drinkin. remember add campden tablets before degasing.

degas if planing to age in gallon size bottles fill about half way with sterile hand( or rubber glove) over the lid and shake releasing hand to remove gas do 4 times or until no more gas pressure.May have to do this a few days or do it the easy way keep jug 3/4 full make or buy a drill(plug in drill use thick rubber gloves) stirer drill stir till see no bubbles, form will probaly take a few days.remember do in the sink may foam over.
 
time frame I say about a month or two depending on temp. low temp slow ferment= more pleasent flavor high temp= faster ferment= poorer qulity taste some yeast strains 2 I heard of can ferment in less then a week or less then.I'd use none of those remember you'll going to need to age best to age for at least 6 months. kits might age quick but expensive, and 3 years is their time limit I heard(I don't care for them) I picked fruits out side for free, and you get the bragging rights

HOw does it sound to say I made my beer or wine from scratch
it's a art I could see some one making beer kits it looks like you need more equipment form scratch, but I have no idea. Wine can be just simple depending if you wan't to keep it simple,and try to avoid problems. THats why I edit this in to keep fruit flies away keep a fan when stiring or syphoning. editing again and with those ruber things for your air lock or aging ;don't have in contact with wine some people use plastic wrap around them if aging in 5 gal. carboys.

Thats why I like to add check acid with a acid test kit$5 low acid=flat, or worse infection of a wine. Tannin is important to if the recipe calls for it you can use 1 tea bag for tannin per 1 tsp tannin in recipes.So what do you do if 1/4 tannin in a gallon or in a 5 gal. is called for use a used one.

EXTRA'S vitamin B1 for nutr. is opional yeast nutrient cheap I use ascorbic acid( vitaminC) raises acid so don't use if good acid level, but why I add helps sufites to work better or protect. I use because have over 1,000 capsals not nessary to add though, but this is a forum for every one.
Pectic enzym helps to break down fruit kinda cheap 2or3 dollars alittle goes quite a way
ACid blend tartic malatic citric acid Im cheap so I use juice of a lemon or lemon juice.Acid blends the way to go more balanced. the balance of grapes generally.
 
subwyking said:
I despise wine. That said, my wife loves it and despises beer. This ensures my beer is always safe. Anyways, I'm thinking about doing a batch for her. She really enjoys blush, sweet, champagnes. Does anyone have a recipes? And whats the time frame on something like this?
You could always make a sweet rose wine kit. Try it to see if it meets her expectations. Timescale wise the kits say somewhere between 3 & 4 Weeks before drinking but i'd leave them longer if possible to age it out a little more.

If she insists on 'fizz' you'll struggle to make a 'sweet champagne style' with champagne yeast in glass bottles without extra CO2 causing Bottle bombs by the excessive sugar in the sweet wine. You could make a DRY rose kit, experiment with NON fermenting sugars/artificial sweeteners to get the sweetness required and then do the champagne yeast/little extra fermenting sugar for carbonation at bottling time - But it will take time to perfect!
 
I just like to say you can't make true champange unless yo live in the Champange region. Not even in France THey are trying to pass a law to make that the same for Napa Valley (TRYing to pass law must be made in the Napa VAlley region to have the name Napa Valley on bottle)( you know the cheap wine in the stores thats not from Napa Valley)

OK I will get to the point here is a link to make sparkling and a article in wine maker magazine web page.ALso good for reading in story index

http://www.honeycreek.us/makingsparklingwine.htm

not to much info, but might as well------------->http://www.winemakermag.com/mrwizard/56.html

A bit more info---------------->http://www.winemakermag.com/departments/288.html
 
KIts I say wine is simple as it is fruit wine or grape wine give you a reward called accomplishment Thats what I say kits I think would be no fun. REwards CReDit To.

TO me a kit wine is like geting a model car for a hobby thats a snap togther #1.

AS for not liking wine maybe you don't like tradtional wine, but if you like the taste of Wiskey you could try making a wheat wine I heard it has a kick like wiskey or Carrot wine I have some Maturing It should have a kick. From what I hear people decribe Carrot Tasting like Thunder Bird.(But I would'nt have any idea how that taste.)OH I just remembered they also desribe it tasting like shnoops.
 
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