I need some recipe ideas.

[Patrick Markovics]

I just picked up (used) a 3 gallon regular carboy and a 6 gallon big mouth bubbler for $10 each. What's a good fruit wine/cider (or something else?) recipe to break them in? I'm new to this hobby so something easy(ish) but good tasting.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Narrow it down a bit. What do you want to drink? ABV, low/high? Sweet/dry? Carbonated or still? Fruity? Full bodied or light and breezy? Prefer cider that tastes like a crisp white wine or liquid pie? Sky's the limit.

 

[Patrick Markovics]

Narrow it down a bit. What do you want to drink? ABV, low/high? Sweet/dry? Carbonated or still? Fruity? Full bodied or light and breezy? Prefer cider that tastes like a crisp white wine or liquid pie? Sky's the limit.

ABV over 10% so it's easier to keep and less likely to turn to vinegar. I haven't done anything carbonated, so still would be better. Light, breezy and crispy sounds good but so does a liquid pie. I've only done a couple of gallon meads and one cider, and they are all still in the secondary. For regular wines I like whites like Riesling wines and Ice wines, to give you an idea of what I like to drink.

 

[DBhomebrew]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/man-i-love-apfelwein.14860/

 

[Northerngal]

I have always loved Cru International South African Chenin Blanc (use lalvin 71B yeast) and En Primeur Chilean Merlot (use lalvin RC212 yeast and extended maceration of grape packs). Or what precisely are you looking for?

 

[Patrick Markovics]

I have always loved Cru International South African Chenin Blanc (use lalvin 71B yeast) and En Primeur Chilean Merlot (use lalvin RC212 yeast and extended maceration of grape packs). Or what precisely are you looking for?

That's just it. I have no idea about what I want. I have pretty much zero experience with making wines, ciders or meads. I like the sweet white clean tasting wines, other than that, I have no idea. I'm basically looking to expand my knowledge and see what everyone here likes and what they, and you, would recommend for me to try. Something that's easy to make/ferment and enjoy.
I'm really not trying to be difficult, I really am trying to mine everyone's knowledge base so I can learn and gain from everyone's experience.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I brew beer but jumping into a hobby like this is fairly the same. Do some reading on wine making so you can understand the process and what's needed. While you're doing the research buy some wine you might like. After that I suggest jumping into making something. Hopefully you'll have a better idea what wine you want to start with. Wine kits have fairly good instructions.

Is there a brew club near you? Most folks that brew beer make wine too. Sample some of theirs and maybe you can go to a club event where someone is making wine.

 

[bushpilot]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/man-i-love-apfelwein.14860/

I second this.

 

[Erik the Awful]

My wife bought me this book a few years back. It has a lot of recipes, everything from "wine" fruits to citrus to hot peppers and flowers. I'm not into cannabis, but there's even a chapter on that.
www.amazon.com/Wild-Winemaking-Adventurous-Ginger-Green-Lime-Cayenne/dp/1612127894/

 

[D the Catastrophist]

Try the pdf below for ideas.

Jack Keller's Requested Recipes https://swguildpa.com/wp-content/up...ler-Complete-Requested-Recipes-Collection.pdf

Wild Winemaking by Richard Bender is a fun book for ideas.

My issue is too many ideas. Just started a rosehip wine. Next I want to try a Serrano Lime wine.

Just bottled a Apricot Date wine and a Bartlett Pear wine. Have a ginger mead, Tropical Fruit and Berry Wine in secondary bulk aging for a few more months. I only do 1 gallon batches just so I can try more varieties.

 

[Erik the Awful]

My issue is too many ideas.

Yup. I currently have a 5 gallon cherry-jalapeno that I'm about to bottle and a 5 gallon pear wine that's a few weeks into secondary. This morning I did a final racking on a 1 gallon rice wine on my counter. Next up is probably a banana wine because I have about 4 gallons of frozen bananas in the freezer.

 

[Patrick Markovics]

My issue is too many ideas.

That's my issue also. I did a bunch of research, like it was suggested, and I've been mulling the idea of making a C.A.R. Chocolate apple raspberry wine. I haven't found any recipes for it, but that combination just sounds good to me.

 

[John Ha]

I get the store grapes - either the reds or the greens. I normally use 5-8 lbs. Partially fill your fermenting container with water. Add 5 crushed campden tablets, let sit uncovered for at least 24 hours. Crush grapes, add to fermenting container. Add Pectic per instructions, sugar and yeast. Allow to ferment. You'll end up with a tasty grape wine.

Don't overthink it. I started making wine a few years ago when my wild plum trees first bore fruit. It's so simple - fruit+sugar+yeast+water=alcohol.

Once you've made a few batches, experiment with mixing fruits to change the flavor. I even added a jalapeño pepper skin to one of my 5 gallon batches. It had a really nifty, subtle aftertaste. I don't recommend using the core though unless you like your wine with jalapeño heat (I was amazed that that little core could be so prevalent in a 5 gallon batch).

 

[Patrick Markovics]

I get the store grapes - either the reds or the greens. I normally use 5-8 lbs. Partially fill your fermenting container with water. Add 5 crushed campden tablets, let sit uncovered for at least 24 hours. Crush grapes, add to fermenting container. Add Pectic per instructions, sugar and yeast. Allow to ferment. You'll end up with a tasty grape wine.

Don't overthink it. I started making wine a few years ago when my wild plum trees first bore fruit. It's so simple - fruit+sugar+yeast+water=alcohol.

Once you've made a few batches, experiment with mixing fruits to change the flavor. I even added a jalapeño pepper skin to one of my 5 gallon batches. It had a really nifty, subtle aftertaste. I don't recommend using the core though unless you like your wine with jalapeño heat (I was amazed that that little core could be so prevalent in a 5 gallon batch).

How does the wild plum wine taste? I have access to a bunch of them and almost made some this year.

 

[John Ha]

How does the wild plum wine taste? I have access to a bunch of them and almost made some this year.

My wild plums are very tart, and so is the wine unless I add something to moderate the tartness. While I tend to prefer dry wines, I've found that bananas and peaches both mix well with the plums, and one can end up with a very tasty, sweet wine that's much too easy to drink.

The last couple of batches I've made had about 6 lbs of plums (weighed after removing the pits, fermenting the mashed skins, meat and juice) and about a pound of bananas (5 gallon fermenter). Both batches were sweet and gentle with a hint of tartness. I have, in the past, also combined 2 bananas, 3 pears, 2 peaches, 1 large jalapeno (skin only, no core) and 6 lb plums. That batch (also 5 gallons) was very tasty and had a really pleasant, subtle, fresh bell pepper aftertaste.

Not trying to be a jerk but, "thinking about it" and "almost made some" won't get it done. You won't have any experience, or any satisfaction of doing it, if you don't brew something.

Don't misunderstand - I did the same thing. But finally I did brew my first batch. Honestly, it wasn't great, although I was proud that I'd brewed it. Several of my early batches ended up as driveway deicer because they simply were not drinkable. But I learned from them.

 

[Patrick Markovics]

My wild plums are very tart, and so is the wine unless I add something to moderate the tartness. While I tend to prefer dry wines, I've found that bananas and peaches both mix well with the plums, and one can end up with a very tasty, sweet wine that's much too easy to drink.

The last couple of batches I've made had about 6 lbs of plums (weighed after removing the pits, fermenting the mashed skins, meat and juice) and about a pound of bananas (5 gallon fermenter). Both batches were sweet and gentle with a hint of tartness. I have, in the past, also combined 2 bananas, 3 pears, 2 peaches, 1 large jalapeno (skin only, no core) and 6 lb plums. That batch (also 5 gallons) was very tasty and had a really pleasant, subtle, fresh bell pepper aftertaste.

Not trying to be a jerk but, "thinking about it" and "almost made some" won't get it done. You won't have any experience, or any satisfaction of doing it, if you don't brew something.

I'll have to give it a try next year, it sounds good. Does the flavor of the banana's come through or do they just moderate the tartness?
And you aren't a jerk, I get it. I just didn't have the space. I only had four, one gallon carboys at the time and they were filled with mead and cider when the plums were ripe. I didn't have space in the freezer for them as it was full of elderberry berries. Since then I've been scrounging around and buying cheap carboys from goodwill and off of craigslist/facebook market place.

 

[John Ha]

I'll have to give it a try next year, it sounds good. Does the flavor of the banana's come through or do they just moderate the tartness?
And you aren't a jerk, I get it. I just didn't have the space. I only had four, one gallon carboys at the time and they were filled with mead and cider when the plums were ripe. I didn't have space in the freezer for them as it was full of elderberry berries. Since then I've been scrounging around and buying cheap carboys from goodwill and off of craigslist/facebook market place.

I'm not conciously aware of a banana taste. I can best express it by saying that the flavors all blend together in a favorable manner.