Fun for everyone

[81xsproject]

I am getting to the best part of my first wine making experiment, the drinking I have been fermenting since August. I do the initial ferment in the buckets. The first batch (the stuff in the jugs) is a apple-pear combo (notice the lack of 2.5 gallons), and the stuff in the bucket is just apple. I used a touch too much sugar and for the most part it has gone as far as it will go alcohol-wise.


But, being the XSive that I am, I decided to try making some applejack. Here, the ice is being seperated out to concentrate the alcohol. I don't know if it gets any more fun than making you own boose. I can't wait for the day I have the room to try my hand at beer.


Just thought I would share the fun.

[motoman]

Very good 81XS!...............tip one for me!

[Parr8hed]

very cool indeed. I just made my first batch of home beer. It was great, and it is all gone. Have to make some more now.

[prometheus578]

"I feel the need... the need for mead."

Oh, quit wine-ing"
Good show, 81. Nothing better than makin' yer own. Meads were my deal fer a while. Ruined a whole batch by using Champaigne yeast. Came out way too dry. But I'll still drink a bottle when I when I have nothing better to do than lie on the floor and fall asleep.
Get good fermentation locks. My brother was cheap, and still is, decided to just put balloons over the jugs(as fermentation locks and to allow them to expand) have several nice gallons of rubbery tasting crap.
Get honey from the local farmers market. Some people boil the honey to purify it, I never did. Have an artesian well in the middle of town, would always use pure, middle earth water, not tap crap. Make sure you do a final filtration when ready ... Don't let it sit too long or it gets stringy, but you probably know that.
Use glass 5 gallon bottles, not the plastic ones as they can impart a flavor of their own.
Strain your fruits through old nylons. freeze the fruit prior, to break down the cell structures to release more juice.
sneak into the recycling joint at night and steal bottles... I used micholob, I believe. Easier to cap.
I'll shut up now, as you're probably aware of all this.
Was hoping to start up the process again, as soon as my apples and blackberries ripen this summer.

[Ken Talbot]

So you're saying a plastic carboy will impart a flavour of its own, but straining through old nylons doesn't? No wait, you never did day that. Hmmm.

[81xsproject]

I bought the buckets new and gave them a real good prewash with vinagar. I can't taste any plasticyness, but that doesnt mean anything. Apparently, I made made many mistakes THIS round. But, it was my first so I welcome the tips Prom. The next time will be done in glass carboys, with real brewing yeast, and I will be more carefull with how much sugar I use. I also let this batch sit on the fruit too long. All of this aside, other than being very sweet, it is really good. And, so far, the applejack is great

[prometheus578]

" puts a strain on our relationship"

will impart a flavour of its own, but straining through old nylons doesn't?

Ken, that all depends upon who's nylons they were..., etc.
Sort of like in the old movies where some drunken clown drinks champaigne out of a woman's shoe, and such, which I've tried, but never could understand. Sure, it may seem romantic, but I've never been partial to the flavor of Desenex foot powder, and her "Odor Eater" insoles absorbed way too much, leaving very little for me.
Nylons are better than using fishnet stockings borrowed from an aging stripper... stuff started fermenting immediately! ( I was gonna comment about them and unwanted yeast cultures, but that would be in poor taste, so I won't)

gave them a real good prewash with vinagar

Unless it was called for, I wouldn't use vinegar, too organic, has it's own culture being itself fermented, etc. Have always used a wash solution of bleach to sterilize.
Use a wine yeast instead of brewer's yeast. All yeasts are not the same.
No... I'm not the wine guru; I just dabble in things once in a while. Some times I succeed... more often than not, I don't.

[Dennyz]

I want to build a small still! A science project, don't you know. Isn't it just the next step in the process?

(hope no revenuers monitor this list)8-)

[rockjok]

Denny wrote:

"I want to build a small still! A science project, don't you know. Isn't it just the next step in the process?"

Hmmmm.... Brings to mind the "Hot Dogger" cookers that attach to snowmobile exhausts. Think energy conservation and mobility. 'Oughta be a way to utilize the XSs four header pipes then this thread could be migrated to the discussion forum.

Rob

[trbig]

I was told about 15 years ago that a person could distill a gallon of alcohol per adult for personal use. So I grabbed the old stainless steel water fire extinguisher that I had "Borrowed" from my high school once upon a time, (Man that thing has a lot of stories to it.. lol) and made a little 2 1/2 gallon still. I went to the sheriff in town (A buddy of mine) and asked how much I could distill legally... wanted to stay legal ya know... and he informed me that you cannot distill a single DROP legally. Of course I tried anyway, but couldn't get the mash to work up in the winter time. I was then told that you can make up to 100 gallons of beer per adult in the household annually.... a homebrewin' I did come! I have never gotten close to my allowable limit, but I have made some very good brews, ciders, and merlot wine. (And some really bad ones)
Many people use corn sugar since it adds little taste...(unlike cane or beet sugar) for the yeast to do their magic. I usually just use corn syrup, but you have to figure in the 20% water it contains (80% sugar) when you are mixing. Also, they make a powdered sanitizer that you just mix with water. It's very cheap. Just run it around in your stuff after it's cleaned, then a quick rinse. Kills the bad critters and doesn't add any taste or smell.
I know I will kick myself for disagreeing with Pro... but I wouldn't use recycled beer bottles for proofing my beer (Adding a small amount of sugar to the bottle when bottling to make carbonated) I have been told that these bottles sometimes aren't strong enough to stand the pressures. 24 little glass bombs per case... (I use 22 ounce bottles, so 12 bombs) not to mention all that spilled beer. Make ya cry if you still have eyes! It has obviously worked for Pro.... so the call is yours. But, do listen to him on the yeast advice. Don't use bread yeast in your wine or beer. Also, the little fermentation locks are cheap... keeps out the stray bad yeast and bacteria in the air, and is really cool to listen to when it's bubbling. You know all that teeth rotting sugar is being turned into liver rotting alcohol! If you are going to use plastic... just make sure it's food grade. It should say if it is. After the intial investment, I can make about 3 cases of beer for @ 20 bucks, and it is a MUCH higher alcohol content than store bought stuff.

Tod

[prometheus578]

"How dare you, Sir?"

I know I will kick myself for disagreeing with Pro...

No need to kick yourself... I would gladly do it fer ya!
No... what you say can very well be true,(Due to the pressures of carbonation) and initially was a concern. But, we weren't brewing beer. We were making meads, and basically halted the fermentation before the final filtration and bottling.
We had about 15 gallons of stuff to bottle and the lip on that style of bottle worked best with our bottle cap press.

[xs650mike]

Here in California one is allowed to make wine for personal use but I can't remember how many gallons. Can't remember how many gallons I drank either.

[bandet01]

looks like fun i got a buddy at work that makes his own wine and it is pretty good but i dont know what he puts in it