hellfire
I'm settling in nicely
Posts: 224
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Post by hellfire on May 15, 2011 10:14:09 GMT 1
Corked, you can buy a corker easily in any Point Vert as well as the corks in bags. Its a two person job to cork a bottle as one needs to hold the full bottle still and the other to apply the pressure on the corker. Gave our neighbour a glass oflast year's dandelion last night, she wanted more Cleanliness and patience are the key to good wine making and I keep a logbook of each demijohn we make and note the recipe used and how the finished product tasted on a certain date. Most ingredients are free or very cheap when in season but don't use mushy fruits such as pear, they are a devil to clear but taste good.
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Post by Ali on May 15, 2011 17:52:35 GMT 1
Brill thank you Hellfire - forgotton completely about dandelion wine!!!! Another daft question ........... the thinkgys that fit on top of the demi-johns (the curly wotsits on top) do I take the caps off the tops?? Lol I know it IS a stupid question coz my guess is yes (they have little red caps on at the mo) Plan to make the first batch up of rhubarb sometime tomorrow and meanwhile will get campden tabs ordered on-line, donk has kindly donated some yeast and Finnings so just need to get some sugar Aiming to be able to supply HMW by MmeMHs 2012 S,S&F day
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hellfire
I'm settling in nicely
Posts: 224
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Post by hellfire on May 16, 2011 12:39:31 GMT 1
Yes, take the caps off or else the gas can't escape via the bubbles and watch the liquid does not come up through the airlock as some fruits are very explosive. I've never used finings as most wines clear themselves, some cold tea is good in some recipes for extra tanin. I buy clean cotton teatowels from IKEA to use as muslin and they do a stainless steel hand held puree type tool in the kitchen section that you press the top and bottom together and this is brilliant for fruits such as currants to keep the mashed up residue away from the strained berry liquid after the first stage.
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Post by Ali on May 16, 2011 14:39:07 GMT 1
Thought so just making sure !!! 1st Rhubarb will be in process by end of today Have also been looking at various elderflower champagne receipes, this made me hoot with laughter: "50 elderflower heads - (if you pick flowers in the morning they should smell slightly of bananas, if picked in the afternoon/evening there will be an aroma of cats piddle! Both work, but bananas are best )" From: www.allotment.org.uk/recipe/27/recipe-for-elderflower-champagne/
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hellfire
I'm settling in nicely
Posts: 224
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Post by hellfire on May 17, 2011 10:08:11 GMT 1
Like dandelions where you must pick between midday and 3pm with the sun on them, thenyou have to pull off as much green at the back of the flowers as is possible and it all smells like rotten cabbage sitting in the covered bucket but by god, does it taste good. Elderflowers are a strange one as they keep floating up to the top so you must stir them a few times per day. Last year's batch turned out to be quite dry but absolutely delicious however we had no movement at all in the airlocks and thought it had all perished so don't discard anything that isn't bubbling, it maybe part of that particular recipe process. Elderberry is much nicer, tastes like a very heady Bordeaux but messy to do and stains which won't come out, so watch where you do it.
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Post by Ali on May 17, 2011 10:24:12 GMT 1
Great tips hellfire !! Going to do the EF champagne today, but all the receipes that I've read dont use demijohns, bucket 24hrs (varies) then strained into plastic bottles or bottles with 'very' tight caps - going to try those receipes coz need the demi's for cherry wine (fruit is nearly ready on tree) Update on the current Rhubarb wine - it was fascinating last night watching it working away in the demi in the sink - glad it was in the sink! Quite a bit over-flowed and thats prob coz I used a tad more yeast than should've. Its looking very happy today, working well. Topped it up this morn and going to put in dark warm place as per donks receipe Fished out a load of empty cheap fizzy wine bottles from our own bottle bank bin, less trips to the bottle bank now very environmentally friendly. Now in process of soaking and scraping the labels off. Yesterday bought some plastic corks and the wire things that go over the top of the corks, tested on a bottle and all is good to go
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hellfire
I'm settling in nicely
Posts: 224
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Post by hellfire on May 17, 2011 14:59:37 GMT 1
Another tip with corking bottles, sometimes the corks are just too long and you need to level them off with a stanley knife. After doing this, rub some sterilising solution over the cut cork or it will go mouldy and then use those metal foil covers with the plastic ends that you put on over a boiling saucepan to soften them. Dried yeast for winemaking should be kept in the fridge too. My daughter gets a lot of stuff from Wilkinsons in the UK for us but I may get her to pop upto Dorchester and have a look at the specialist brewing shop there for some more dark demijohns.
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Post by Ali on May 23, 2011 11:05:06 GMT 1
Pleased to report that the 2 varieties are bubbling away quite nicely - especially the rhubarb one!
I chucked a load of red fruit into the other as an experimant, followed the weights of ingreds etc - might use it as vinegar next year ;D
Ian I would love your bits if you can spare them, we have 2 elder trees (one black elder one normal) and the black is loaded with flowers and will be loaded with fruit too!
I have done some elderflower champagne but that doesn't look to me like its quite right ....... in fact best go and check on it b4 going out! Bottled into 2 plastic pop bottles in case it goes pop, but it's not even talking to itself yet.....
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hellfire
I'm settling in nicely
Posts: 224
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Post by hellfire on May 24, 2011 9:27:01 GMT 1
We bottled four gallons of elderberry the other day as I posted, trouble is now waiting until we can drink it again as only one bottle left from 2009.I got sprayed at one point whenthe tap got stuck on the syphon tube, the dog enjoyed the spills but the worst thing of all is melting those plastic covers in the boiling water holding the newly corked bottle upside down,one or two have funny melted littled ends where I got cramp. We use a couple of old recipe books OH bought in the 70's and they have been our bible so if you want any recipes,let us know and I will print them out and send them to you or you could possibly try and still order the book.
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Post by Ali on May 25, 2011 10:22:24 GMT 1
;D ;D ;D @ hellfires doggie. Have you got berries on your elder already? Both of mine are still in full flower here. Great news on the Elderflower Champagne....... I did 2 x 2L lemonade bottles of it, its now fizzy Apparently can be drunken a month from bottling Just been down to the 'cave' and released a bit of pressure from the bottles coz they have a way to go yet - this is all so exciting! Now have amassed a great collection of MT bottles from neighbours and all are in store ready for the big bottling sessions, got plastic corks and the wire things to go over the top of those. Saw the posh foily plastic covers whilst was there - they look brill. Thank you to thereddragon for one of the books that I have been using so far, its the Farmers Weekly one from the 50's I think. The books you gave to me are fantastic, didn't know you can make 'broad bean' wine which is apparently pretty darn good! Hellfire, and everyone else, if you also have tried and tested recipes that you enjoy please do post them!
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