Wine not? A great way to enjoy your produce

[baymule]

But what a fun and unique way to "harvest" your produce!!

 

[Kassaundra]

Yesterday went to the old wally world to look for a container smaller then the one I found earlier for fermenting, and I found they have glass "jars" about 2 gallon size that have a screw top and a spigot at the bottom. They are about $25 each, but may look into getting one every now and then. I was thinking especially for the settling/racking type phase, since there was no place for my fermenting balloon. Who knows maybe one day I'll look for a different type water lock then the one I used before.

 

[Kassaundra]

Oh and one more thing, one of the guys I work w/ said his father used the same yeast over and over for 20+ years of wine making. He would save some from the previous batch and use that in the next batch. But my workmate didn't have any specifics. So ................................................ you guys know me, ever the experimenter, I put the sediment and the sludge wine in a pint canning jar in the fridge, as it settled beautifully I poured a glass to enjoy and left about 1/2 inch wine above the level of the settled stuff and just left it in the fridge for a few months now, and that is what I used to start the raspberry wine.

I had fresh packets of yeast in case it didn't work, but it worked awesomely.

If you put campden in to stop fermenting you would have to harvest your "starter" yeast before putting it in since it will kill the yeast for sure.

 

[Jared77]

Too cool!

 

[ducks4you]

Kassaundra you're gonna be my new BFF in the next week or so. We harvested our grapes, cleaned, bagged and froze them, and we're about to embark on our first batch of wine!!
I'm pretty sure that they are Concord, don't know for sure bc there are 5 vines, which were established when we moved in, 1999. I nibbled on them and this year they are really sweet.
I got a wine making kit a couple of years ago, pretty much like the one below:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/winemaking/winemaking-starter-kits/basic-winemaking-kit.html
We bought wine yeast and camden (spelling?) tablets and will begin probably late this week.
DD reads directions like they are books, so we will follow any good advice you'd like to throw our way.
We have saved old 350 ml wine bottles and the big Gallo wine jug bottles, too. We don't seem to have a corker. Any advice. THANKS!!

 

[Kassaundra]

Kassaundra you're gonna be my new BFF in the next week or so. We harvested our grapes, cleaned, bagged and froze them, and we're about to embark on our first batch of wine!!
I'm pretty sure that they are Concord, don't know for sure bc there are 5 vines, which were established when we moved in, 1999. I nibbled on them and this year they are really sweet.
I got a wine making kit a couple of years ago, pretty much like the one below:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/winemaking/winemaking-starter-kits/basic-winemaking-kit.html
We bought wine yeast and camden (spelling?) tablets and will begin probably late this week.
DD reads directions like they are books, so we will follow any good advice you'd like to throw our way.
We have saved old 350 ml wine bottles and the big Gallo wine jug bottles, too. We don't seem to have a corker. Any advice. THANKS!!

The kit looks awesome! Have fun w/ it, wait the full 24-48 hours after campden before adding the yeast b/c it will kill it and you will have to add more later.

 

[ducks4you]

Thanks! That's what my DD said that she had read. We're gonna have to wait until the next weekend to start this, but we had a pretty good grape harvest. I also put away (canned) grapes that I had mashed with some sugar. After we try a batch with the 2014 grapes, I'm willing to hit the jars and see what we can get.

 

[Kassaundra]

I have just learned you can make wine from chocolate, my oh my you know what my fermenters will be filled w/ when not in fruit season!!!!!!

 

[catjac1975]

Sounds like so much fun Kassaundra. I could just use another 12 hours added to the allotted 24 to try some new interests.

 

[Kassaundra]

Well my garden crashed and burned very early. Worst garden year ever.