Recent content by Mikeymu

I would like to explore bottling home brewed wines without using stabilising chemicals. If the wine is not to be back-sweetened with fermentables, and there is only a small air gap in the bottle, is it not possible to even leave out the campden (potassium metabisulphate) tablet, since there...

From Jack Keller's website blueberry (or bilberry) wine doesn't contain that much acid. CJJ Berry says to add 2 teaspoons of acid blend per gallon! I added 1.5 teaspoons and think it's slow anyway. also adding over a teaspoon of yeast nutrient, and 0.5 teaspoon of energiser and half teaspoon...

I have a few ponds of bilberries, which are the smaller variant of blueberries. I wondered how your brew turned out as I don't quite have enough for a batch and need to add some other fruit - say either blackberries or raspberries and blackberries ( dragonblood wine) to get enough fruit per gallon.

Hi Damdaman. I have a similar issue and am wondering whether to throw the batch or keep. I thought I would keep for a couple of years and then taste. Although the first time this happened, I used 100% nearly-but-not-quite-ripe berries and after two years it didn't taste too good, this time...

I discovered that the rubber stopper from a wine-keeper fits into one of those cylindrical airlocks, which enables you to de-gas easily over a few days provided the wine has been stabilised. Then any dissolved carbon dioxide (which, I am led to believe, helps hold the yeast in suspension) comes...

I have a gallon of elderberry wine that is two year's old. It was stabilised and back-sweetened to 0.999 about one year ago. Is it a good idea to add anything to re-stabilise (or add another campden tablet for longevity) before I bottle it, given that I intend to leave it at least another...

I have to agree - in addition to this I would say that I don't sanitize the chips now before I put them in. I used to add to freshly boiled water but the flavours were not so good as added straight. Never had any infection due to not sanitising.

Think I've cracked it - resorted to bentonite in the end and it's much clearer now. The bits must have been orange juice - I'm almost ashamed to say I used orange cordial instead of the real thing! Anyhow it tasted berry good :)

I've tried sanitising oak chips and also adding them straight, including the dusty bits, and prefer the latter method. I find it easier to avoid over-oaking that way and have never had any problems of must infection.

Having failed to make an elderberry & clove cordial (like my grandmother used to make) because of not boiling to kill off any wild yeast it began to ferment. I emptied the bottles into a demijohn and added wine yeast (burgundy) plus I also added cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, orange juice and oak...

Sounds good to me. I did wonder whether to bother with the brandy. It was at 17.5% yesterday and still fizzing away. A message from Ritchie's products said the port yeast I used of theirs would go to 18%. I hope to be adding more syrup tomorrow!! Later on I may taste for oak and add more chips...

They had ear to ear smiles - if they had ears that is! :)

Oops. Found a coupla maggots from the sloes. I fished em out needless to say. Hope they wont damage the wine!

Thanks for that information. 1.03 before adding brandy eh? Have added some extra sugar (in syrup form) just now. I was surprised just how fast it went from 1.030 to 1.004 once I'd siphoned off the first gallon and added extra fruit and sugar! Have added more syrup today which took it to 1.020...

I have the fullest intentions of adding brandy later on. For now, my plan is to let it get to some specific gravity (it's now just over 1.020) then siphon off one gallon which will carry on fermenting (since I'm stirring twice a day there will be plenty of yeast in the must) to produce a mixed...