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Yup, just follow the kit directions. If the SG is right, just rack as instructed.

You might consider going one step more and having her pick out the kit. Just be sure she knows it will be several months before it's ready to drink! It's worth the wait, though.

Freezing breaks the cell walls, so you'll get more juice, while keeping the fruit good. Just pit and freeze, you may not even need much crushing, but that's probably easier done partly frozen. Good luck, I need to get my folks to save me sour cherries, if there is ever a year they don't eat...

I've made wine using potatoes, but what you'll need to get that alcohol content is distillation, which I believe requires a federal license......

As my Mamaw used to say "Nothing funnier than people!" Wine seems much more approachable now than I remember it being in the past. There was all this esoteric, mystical stuff that one had to learn to drink wine 'properly'. All sorts of steps one had to go through. Most of which I now know...

Thanks for posting this. I wonder how much of the buying changes are anti-French sentiments (which I've heard lately) and how much is that people have access to inexpensive but good wines. letting them learn what varietals they like. Knowing what varietals they lke causing them to be less...

I just boil the corks for a few minutes, then cover the pan till cool, or if I'm in a hurry, dump out the water first. If I really want to cool them in a hurry I'll pop them into some no rinse sanitizer, but I like getting them boiled to get them really clean.

Sometimes it takes 2 or even 3 days for fermentation to really get going.

I'll let those more expert than I speak to contamination, but my guess is you'll probably be OK. Just a guess, though! As for faster cooling, I've had good luck putting the brewpot into my sink, covered, and filling the sink with cold water, swishing it around the pot every so often. I use the...

Interesting use of hemp, which isn't quite the same as it's cousin that has all the THC. Rope, clothing, paper, oil, lots of uses for the plant. Hemp clothing is tougher and longer wearing than linen, and much more so than cotton.

Huh! There you go generalizing. LOL! In my house I'm the one doing stuff like making beer, wine, cordials, cheese and such. Not all of us do that one-for-him-one-for-me. I won't ever forget the look on the fellow who stocked our pond, though. He said that usually he deals with guys who...

Since I'm close to Cincinnati, I found Listermann's, which is close to downtown, and have been pleased with both their kits and service. They also have free shipping east of the Mississippi. Good folks and good service. http://www.listermann.com/

How 'bout y'all come here to SW Ohio and have the party here? It's not so from either Missouri or North Carolina. :D I've got some Trappist-style Ale, Imperial Stout and Honey Brown to add to the collection, as well as lots of wine....... And zucchini.......

LOL! How's this for the list: - homemade bread using cooked, mashed zucchini (or other summer squash) instead of oil/fat - used as a fat substitue in other baking - pan fried in squash, lettuce & tomato sandwiches - sauteed with a bit of sweetener on them like french toast - stirfried -...

So far I've made these kits: Wine Expert Vintner's Reserve: - Luna Bianca - I liked this a lot - Cabernet Sauvignon - another few days and it'll have been in the bottles long enough to drink - Chardonnay - should be bottled soon, this afternoon, if it's ready - Chardonnay/Semimllon - just...

Glad to hear that. I don't mind good give-and-take discussions, but I don't see any reason for flaming and prefer to keep away from that sort of thing. I've got too much real work to do to mess with that. Speaking of which, I've got to figure out what to do with a zillion pounds of...

I started by making wine, the first batch just fit in the 5-gallong carboy. It ended up exploding out the bung and airlock, shooting winey stuff about 15 feet in all directions just at bed time. A very interesting v-shaped pattern up the newly painted wall where it was sitting. My very...

Hi folks, In my ignorance I posted this under the Beginning Brewers Forum. Sorry! In any case, I thought since I found this site and even posted a couple times that I should introduce myself. I started brewing ale last fall, after starting to make wine and cordials the spring before. So...

Oh good, so it sounds like I don't need to worry about the wine & beer I've already done. I'm very careful about my own bottles, and I've learned to carefully clean any I get from other people. Nothing worse than thinking you've got a clean bottle only to look at it in the sunlight and realize...

I'm surprised you could find Camelot Mead outside Indiana. Last I knew IN didn't permit export. I'm in SW Ohio and know some folks in Indiana, so I can get some now and again. It's the driest I've found commercially, although I haven't tried very many. The others I've tried are, as said...