The grape

[dacdots]

Its not beer or ale but I sure do like making and drinking it.

 

[ba_loko]

I can't really tell what you're bottling there, but it looks good. Here's my latest batch.

Raspberry wine. It was bottled 9/16/06.





It came out fairly dry, which is what I wanted. I've got a batch of Zinfindel going right now.

 

[big_pete_of_wv]

Ripley is less than 1 hour from me,I otta help you drink some of that!I've got 10 blueberry bushes up on the hill,recon you could make some wine out of them berries?MMMMMMM.......Blueberries...

 

[deejaydebi]

Looking good boys!

 

[dacdots]

Ba LoKo,its grape wine,this time I cut back on the sugar and it came out nice and dry.I dont care for the over sweet wines.Big Pete, come on up anytime and we will pull a cork.I have three more gallons working.Im gonna let it work till deer season so I will have some for after the hunt.The first three gallons I made for my brother.I traded them for a quart of WV finest homemade corn whiskey.Nothing like alcohol and firearms,goes together just like peanut butter and jelly.Really I never mix those two,the drink comes after the days hunting.

 

[chadpole]

Hey Dacdots, that looks pretty good. I would love to have a recipe for making wine. I have read in books how to do it but it is too technical and you have to buy lots of equipment. I want a simple way to make it because I am a simple kind of guy. Like Debi says make things simple.

 

[richoso1]

Ba_LoKo, that is some good looking wine my friend. I know you keep good company around with that stuff.

 

[deejaydebi]

Chadpole

These are brewing sites listed by state they always have wine stuff too

http://www.ratebeer.com/ShowHomebrewShops.asp

 

[chadpole]

Debi, thanks for the link for supplies. I have never tried to brew beer or wine before. People have told me in the past that if it is not done right or too much air gets in while it is fermenting that it will turn to vinegar or just be bitter and undrinkable. I would like to try this hobby.

 

[scotty]

MEEE TOOOOO BUDDY


http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...wine%20making/


http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...g?t=1190027422

The rack is full and we are aging wine in cases too

 

[scotty]

Let us know what you are doing . maybe we can help.

Here is a wine website that hang at . It used to be motorcycles and wine but now the Q thing is getting into my blood also.

 

[dacdots]

THE EASY WAY

2 cans Welches 100% grape juice
3 to 4 cups sugar [depending on your taste]
1 pack dry active bread yeast

Use a gallon glass jug to make the wine in.In a big picture add the grape juice,1 quart of water, and sugar.Stir VERY well to dissolve sugar.Pour this mixture into jug,fill jug with water leaving a couple inches of space in the top of the jug.Mix this mixture up well then add yeast[do not stir after you add yeast.]Buy a heavy duty balloon,the kind kids use for punching balls,place it over opening of jug.Place jug in a cool place 70 to 72 deg.The wine will start working soon.You will see bubbles forming on the top of the mix.I let mine work for several months or until the balloon is completely deflated.When its ready siphon the wine into bottles.Dont use the bottom inch or so cause it will have sediment that you dont want in your finished product.You can then strain the wine through cheese cloth several times to remove any unwanted stuff.This is the easy way,you can get as technical with wine making as you want.This method will produce a very good drinkable wine.I have people wanting me to make wine for them all the time.When I want to I use much more advanced methods,it can get expensive and time consuming.

 

[xrider]

DacDots,

Just out of curiosity, why do you make it one gallon at a time?

I make about 6 gallons of Muscadine wine every year and make jelly out of any extra muscadines left over. Initially, I thought that was what you had in the mason jars but now I'm thinking thats what you put the wine in??

Have you considered measuring the specific gravity to get the amount of sugar you want the same every time?

 

[bigarm's smokin]

WOW! Everything looks great.

I don't usually care for wine, but y'alls looks so good, I may have to try it again. I was at the liquor store today, uh, I was just asking directions to the ? church? yah, that was it, then as long as I was there, I bought some Captain Morgan. On the way out, my friend said, look, Choke cherry mead.

We bought some and its in the ice box, waiting for a taste test tommorrow. I can't wait, I have read about it for years, I made some with huckleberries about 20 years ago, but it was way too dry.

. I think tommorrow will be a different story.

Terry

 

[dacdots]

Xrider,I normally make 5 or 6 gallons at a time,I just make it in one gallon jugs cause I have several of them.I store the wine in mason jars cause I have lots of them.If I had a five gallon glass jug I guess Id try making it that way.I really dont like wine that much its just kinda of a tradition for deer season.Some of my family like to drink it while we are working up deer.Ill drink a couple of quarts a season but mostly I give it away.

 

[chadpole]

Dacdots, thanks for the recipe. I will give it a try after I find a large enough jug. Any ideas on where to get the gallon jugs?

 

[xrider]

Chadpole,

I get my stuff from ECKraus. Fast shipping and reasonable prices. You can order the one gallon jugs from them. If you order the jugs from them consider getting a couple packets of wine yeast and use it instead of bread yeast.

http://www.eckraus.com/landing/wine-making051707.html

 

[chadpole]

Thanks for the info. I just love this site with people like you.

 

[dacdots]

I have vinegar jugs,if you can still find glass ones.Last year I bought some gallon wine jugs from a guy for 50 cents each,they work fine.Xrider is right about the wine yeast,I gave you the easy way.You probably wont find wine yeast unless you order it somewhere.Do a search for wine making equipment and you will find lots of places to order supplies.Ask them for a catalog and most places will send you one.

 

[chadpole]

Dacdots and xrider, you have been most helpful on this. I value your information and knowledge. I have run across one gallon glass jars before and didn't think of a use for them at the time and let them get away.Dacdots,I know what you mean about having some wine or a couple of shots of liquor after a deer hunt back in camp with a pit fire going. Those are the best times for comraderie and fellowship to tell hunting stories. You brought back some old memories. Now I want to make my own wine to share with my hunting buddies. Thanks alot. Paul