Thank you so much for this. Your way of making wine is less confusing than some videos I have seen. I just picked a lot of plums from our tree and I am going to try this! You and your happy wife are so adorable.
@@HappyWifeAcres I thought it wasn't doing anything for over a day, and then out of nowhere the lid blew right off the bucket lol! I must have had a clog in my bubbler. I lost some fruit, but at least I know it's definitely fermenting. It's all going smoothly now.
@@nartyteek Wonderful! I once filled the bucket too full and the fruit formed a cap. The gasses pushed it up to the top and liquid came out of the bubbler. A mess, but it all cleans up!
Thank you for the video. I am going to make some wine from some berries that grow in southeast Texas as well as Louisiana. How do you suggest cleaning the berries prior to starting the wine making process? Thanks in advance.
@@HappyWifeAcres Thanks again for the video. I have just finished the fermentation process. You mentioned that you would filter the sediment out. What do you use to filter it out? I kept my berries in a 250 mesh bag while fermenting but I know that there will be some sediment left and I would like to extract all of the liquid that I can. Thanks again for the previous reply.
I'm right in the middle of following the first process, which is only slightly different. I just did the carboy transfer and am getting ready to go back to the bucket.
@@HappyWifeAcres It came out fantastic. I'm on my fourth batch of cherry and am branching out to different fruits. You guys helped me figure out the small mistakes I was making previously. The only thing I've added to your technique is a 1/2 tsp of potassium sorbate per gallon in the final rack.
I certainly don't see it! If there were any bugs there, they'd be long dead. There are some red and black berries in that mix so maybe one looks like a dark bug. ??
Thank you for this awesome video! I have a question. After you bottle your final product and let it sit for a few months and then decide I am ready to drink it; Do I need to drink that whole bottle within a few days? Or how long will it last after I open the top and start taking glasses from it? Thanks in advance for your response!!! Also, from your experience, how much time should it sit in the bottles before drinking? What timeframe is "enough"?
When we open a bottle, if we don’t drink it all we either put it in the fridge or leave out. Air is the enemy of wine, so you’ll want to drink it all in a few weeks. But don’t stress about it. It’s not going to spoil overnight.
THANKS THANKS THANKS for the helpful video. I loved the last one as well. I'm a muscadine grower here in Georgia and I'm going to try making wine tomorrow for the first time using your method. Question, lots of sanitizer I noticed, when you sprayed the jars inside do you rinse them out??. THANKS again
Thanks for watching! I'm sure muscadines will make great wine. We are starting some concord grape wine tomorrow. After spraying the jars or buckets or anything, don't rinse. StarSan is odorless and tasteless, and will not affect the taste or quality of the wine. Good luck!
I make slot of wine and love your videos. I usually just use kits that have concentrated grape juice in them. Can I just ask: Do you ever crush up your fruit to get more juice out or do you just rely on the Pectin? Also, when you are clearing the wine afterward, do you use any finings at all?
For many of our wines, we crush or cut up the fruit. But it doesn't have to be pulverized; the yeast does a good job at getting to the sugars on the fruit. We rarely use finings. On a couple of occasions, we used bentonite. But since we're never in a hurry, we let it settle in the carboy. If the wine has a little sediment, it's not a big deal to us since we're the only ones drinking it.
@@HappyWifeAcres wow, thanks for replying. Sounds good. I often think that the finings remove body and flavour from the wine so I might try your method in the future. Nice to hear from you 👍
Great video! For the peach wine you only added the sulfites and yeast? Is this unique to peaches? No pectin enzyme, acid or yeast nutrient needed or was this an experiment? How did it turn out? Thanks!
Does the temperature of the room that you're keeping the wine in matter? Can we just keep it in our home (appx 68 degrees) while it's going through each process?
Yes, it does matter. Yeast likes warmer weather, but not too warm. I find that yeast reacts slower in winter when the house is cooler. It bubbles away in summer when the house is warmer.
Questions. I'm going to try my first batch of wine with cherries. Is it necessary to pit all of the cherries before putting them into the food grade bucket? Then also if I end up using the 5 gallon grade bucket can I use the same amount of ingredients you used for this video for a 2 gallon bucket or should I essentially double the ingredients? Thank you in advance. Great video. Super helpful.
IMHO, pitting is not necessary. You might find differing opinions, but that is mine. Some will tell you that cherry pits have cyanide in them, which is true, but you'd have to have a huge pile of pits for it to affect you. We don't remove seeds for grapes or apples. And yes, the ingredient adjustment is linear, so multiply for the size of the bucket. Good luck!
Great video. I am almost finished my own dark cherry wine in which I used 2lb. sugar, 3lb. of cherry i gallon of waterand all the essentials chemicalsand sanitation processes,my final abv came out to be 10.55 percent but 1 big problem the sample taste was watery tasting and no fruit smeel or flavor, it just tasted like alcahol and water. what went wrong,any help would be apprediated Thank You. keep up the good work.
New wine has a “hot” taste, meaning you taste the alcohol, because the water and alcohol haven’t had time to blend. This is why they say that wine gets better with age. Assuming you didn’t rush the process, your wine should taste very smooth in about 4 months.
Wow, you are correct. It seems like all the tubes are closed at the bottom. I bought mine at a local wine supply shop. Mine leaks a little so maybe that’s why most are closed now. I did find a similar one online though. www.beer-wine.com/wine-thief-test-jar-combination
Another question if you would be so kind. I see you have Tannin in the list of additives but wasn't sure if you end up using it? The bigger question is for the "Linear additives" I tried to break it down for the amount of each thing per gallon incase I do different size batches. Does this look about right for the amount you would use for each additive per gallon? Thank you so much in advance. -Campden Tablet 1/2 tablet per gallon
I use 1 Campden tablet for each gallon, but 1/2 tab would probably be ok. For tannin, use it with low acid fruit, like pears, bananas, or apples. You won't need it for grapes, berries, peaches, and pineapples.
It will be OK if not stirred daily. Stirring gives the yeast more access to the fruit and sugars. It also breaks up the fruit cap. The fruit will float, form a cap, and carbon dioxide pushes up the cap. So don't fill your bucket too full or it will bubble over! Most of the vigorous fermentation will be done in 3-4 days. Then it slows down dramatically. Thanks for watching!
The carboy is recommended because the narrow neck limits the amount of air that can be inside. The slowed fermentation means there's less CO2 produced to push out the air. Air can affect the taste of the wine. Good luck and thanks for watching!
Acid blend helps to balance the acids in wine so the yeast will be more effective. Pectic enzyme destroys haze causing pectin cells so the wine will be clearer. You can make wine without these additives, but your yeast might be less effective and your wine might be cloudy.
Usually putting the wine into a second vessel is called secondary fermentation. So yes you can add more sugar to increase your abv, but you will need to have used a yeast that can tolerate a higher alcohol level. Plus just pouring in sugar to your hearts content won’t work like you think! Search UA-cam. I know your question has been answered at some point, just can’t remember what channels. Lol!
We usually keep ours in the kitchen on the floor. I wish it could be kept in a warmer place, but that's the warmest in the winter. I definitely notice a difference in the fermentation when it's cooler!
Yes it does. You could take your measurement after adding sugar at the end for a more accurate reading. We don't get too concerned about it. We classify our wine as "strong" and "very strong!".
For wine, you want to use a wine yeast. Bread yeast does not tolerate higher levels of alcohol, so you'll get low alcohol by volume (ABV), which might not be enough to keep the wine from spoiling. Wine yeast will tolerate 15-18% ABV. The campden tablet is used to kill bacteria and natural yeasts found on the fruit. Without it, you run the risk of the wine spoiling or having an unwanted taste. Good luck!
For people who are poor(like me) i'd like to point out that you can make your own wine with nothing more than a big jug of juice, sugar and yeast(i recommend EC-1118 because it fights off other things). if you're interested in trying out the hobby but you don't want to spend $100. you can try it out for about $10. That being said, the more of the recommended equipment you have the quicker, clearer, and tastier it'll be.
Thanks for the second video. How do you get rid of the hot taste? Is it just having the wine sit in the bottles for an extended time? If so for how long?
Yes, the expression “Wine gets better with age” applies. It takes about 4-6 months for the water and alcohol molecules to blend. The hot taste will become very smooth and mellow. Making wine is about patience!
We use the snap lid bottles like in the video. Those must be stored upright. If traditionally bottled with a cork, they can be laid on their side. Store in a cool place away from direct sunlight.
Yes they do, especially darker fruit like cranberries and cherries. Pineapple has a subtle flavor that is nice on a warm day. In our wine tasting video, we talk about the different flavors, while getting a little bit tipsy! ua-cam.com/video/rp_hVxwr8lM/v-deo.html
Campden is the either sodium metabisulfate or potassium metabisulfate, so you have the right stuff. For every gallon of water, add 1/8 teaspoon of the powder. With 4 lbs of berries, probably 1/8 teaspoon total. Good luck and thanks for watching!
Typically tannin is used in low acid fruit like pear or peach. We recently made a batch of banana which called for tannin. Cherry doesn't need it. Thanks for asking and watching!
Good question. The correct way is to add potassium sorbate. Potassium sorbate will stop fermentation permanently. Campden will stop fermentation temporarily. I've never had a problem using just campden because I'm never in a hurry and my wine sits a long time before bottling. So the yeast just dies out naturally. I could probably get away with adding nothing. Thanks for asking and for watching!
Good luck! I hope you’ll find out how easy it is. If you haven’t seen it, here is our first wine making video: How to Make Fruit Wine (Step by Step) ua-cam.com/video/2Rr9tMqKTGU/v-deo.html
Rule of thumb is 1 gram of yeast for every gallon that you mix. The amount of sugar water isn’t critical. Use 1/2 to 1 cup and you’ll be fine. Good luck!
Would you recommend all fruit to be frozen before starting...I have apples and oranges and want to start the wine process, thank-you for your videos.It is most helpful..
Some people insist on freezing their fruit before starting. If we have an excess of fresh fruit, we use it. Sometimes, we will freeze berries just because we aren't ready to make wine at that time. Either way, you'll get tasty wine! Thanks for watching.
Rule of thumb is to fill the bucket 1/3 to 1/2 full with fruit. This works with any size bucket and you won't have to worry about measuring pounds of fruit. Good luck!
Hi once again! Finished viewing your wine making video in 2018, and this video has great detail! But I can kind of grasp the "hot taste" you referred to in your 2018 wine making video, I think I know what you're describing. It's sort of a alcohol "hot" taste. Similar to brandy if you will? Thanks for your videos!
Yes, the "hot" taste is when you feel the alcohol on your tongue, sort of like when you use mouthwash. It mellows with time as the alcohol and water molecules mix.
Do we need to use Campden tablet everytime we change the wine container apart from before fermentation and final bottling as you know acetobacter are everywhere even in air and chances are very high for wine to be converted to vinegar?? [Especially when we try to get cleaner wine letting dead yeast settle and we have to open the wine jar twice or thrice before final sealing ]
We only use Campden at the beginning and end. In between, we sanitize everything with Star San solution. We spray the bottles, siphon, counter top, spoons, our hands. We haven’t had a batch go bad yet.
Just came across your channel as I have been looking to start making some wine. I noticed though in this video and your cherry wine video that you don't mash up the fruit, you just leave it whole let the stuff do its thing. Is there a reason you don't mash up the fruit so that all the juices and flavors are extracted?
Great question! This particular fruit was already pitted, so it was opened. It was also frozen, which breaks the cell walls allowing the juice to exit. Pitting isn't necessary with wine, so if I had used fresh cherries, I would have rough chopped them. The yeast with the alcohol does a great job of finding the sugars deep in the fruit. We just made peach vodka by pouring vodka over fresh peaches. After about 10 days, the alcohol had extracted the peach flavor, leaving the peaches flavorless.
I haven't tried rhubarb, but I'll bet it would be delicious. Fill the bucket 1/3 to 1/2 full with cut up rhubarb, add campden (1 tab per gallon), wait 24 hours. Add simple syrup (4 lbs sugar) and additives. You won't need tannin. Add yeast and wait for it to go to work! Let me know if you try this!
@@HappyWifeAcres Hi, I am starting a batch of rhubarb wine today, I’ve made cherry, raspberry with great success. Thanks for your channel. And easy explanation. I’ll let you know how it goes, in case you ever try it.
Yes, please let me know how it turns out. We started pear wine today and will start concord grape tomorrow. It's starting to stack up; I need help drinking it!
That’s a personal preference. If you let it sit for a while before bottling, sediment will fall. Or you can use bentonite to clarify more quickly. Finally, you can use expensive filter purifiers. But sediment doesn’t hurt you, so if it’s just for you, not a huge deal.
We do by stirring it vigorously at the end. Stir but don't get too much air in it to protect from oxidation. We're never in any hurry to bottle, so I think it sort of gasses itself by the time we get to it!
Feel free to share specifics. We make a LOT of delicious wine using these techniques. Of course winemaking is like many hobbies; ask 10 people and you'll get 12 different answers! Thanks for watching.
Day 1: Add fruit, water, campden tabs. Day 2: Add additives, sugar, yeast. Stir. Take ABV reading. Days 3-7: Stir. Day 10 to 14 (or longer): Strain out fruit; transfer to carboy. Day 30 (or longer): Transfer to bucket. Add potassium sorbate to stop yeast. Next Day: Backsweeten if desired. Degas (stir). Take final ABV reading. Bottle. 4-6 Months Later: Enjoy!
Thank you so much for this. Your way of making wine is less confusing than some videos I have seen. I just picked a lot of plums from our tree and I am going to try this! You and your happy wife are so adorable.
Stage one complete! Thanks for the tutorial. I find the process kind of daunting on paper, and watching this really helped clear my head.
Good luck!
@@HappyWifeAcres I thought it wasn't doing anything for over a day, and then out of nowhere the lid blew right off the bucket lol! I must have had a clog in my bubbler. I lost some fruit, but at least I know it's definitely fermenting. It's all going smoothly now.
@@nartyteek Wonderful! I once filled the bucket too full and the fruit formed a cap. The gasses pushed it up to the top and liquid came out of the bubbler. A mess, but it all cleans up!
I have learned that a Buon Vino mini jet wine filter is excellent for filtering wine and also degassing it. It gives the wine clarity and sparkle.
You both have wonderful personalities and I love your videos!
Thank you and thanks for watching!
Thanks for the how too. Just recently found this channel.
Thanks for watching!
I really want to get into making my own wine...new subscriber
It's nice to see start to finish 👍👍
Thank you for the video. I am going to make some wine from some berries that grow in southeast Texas as well as Louisiana. How do you suggest cleaning the berries prior to starting the wine making process? Thanks in advance.
Just give them a good rinse and it will be fine. They will soon be bathed in alcohol! Good luck.
@@HappyWifeAcres Thanks again for the video. I have just finished the fermentation process. You mentioned that you would filter the sediment out. What do you use to filter it out? I kept my berries in a 250 mesh bag while fermenting but I know that there will be some sediment left and I would like to extract all of the liquid that I can. Thanks again for the previous reply.
I'm right in the middle of following the first process, which is only slightly different. I just did the carboy transfer and am getting ready to go back to the bucket.
Don’t get in too much of a hurry. Letting the wine sit in the carboy a couple of weeks lets sediment settle, leading to a clearer wine. Good luck!
@@HappyWifeAcres It came out fantastic. I'm on my fourth batch of cherry and am branching out to different fruits. You guys helped me figure out the small mistakes I was making previously. The only thing I've added to your technique is a 1/2 tsp of potassium sorbate per gallon in the final rack.
Am i the only one who noticed the green bug taking a nap on the top of the fuit pie at 8:05 ? btw excellent video. Ty
I certainly don't see it! If there were any bugs there, they'd be long dead. There are some red and black berries in that mix so maybe one looks like a dark bug. ??
Thank you for this awesome video! I have a question. After you bottle your final product and let it sit for a few months and then decide I am ready to drink it; Do I need to drink that whole bottle within a few days? Or how long will it last after I open the top and start taking glasses from it? Thanks in advance for your response!!! Also, from your experience, how much time should it sit in the bottles before drinking? What timeframe is "enough"?
When we open a bottle, if we don’t drink it all we either put it in the fridge or leave out. Air is the enemy of wine, so you’ll want to drink it all in a few weeks. But don’t stress about it. It’s not going to spoil overnight.
@Happy Wife Acres thank you for your response! I really appreciate it!!
THANKS THANKS THANKS for the helpful video. I loved the last one as well. I'm a muscadine grower here in Georgia and I'm going to try making wine tomorrow for the first time using your method. Question, lots of sanitizer I noticed, when you sprayed the jars inside do you rinse them out??. THANKS again
Thanks for watching! I'm sure muscadines will make great wine. We are starting some concord grape wine tomorrow. After spraying the jars or buckets or anything, don't rinse. StarSan is odorless and tasteless, and will not affect the taste or quality of the wine. Good luck!
Thanks so much.
I make slot of wine and love your videos. I usually just use kits that have concentrated grape juice in them. Can I just ask: Do you ever crush up your fruit to get more juice out or do you just rely on the Pectin? Also, when you are clearing the wine afterward, do you use any finings at all?
For many of our wines, we crush or cut up the fruit. But it doesn't have to be pulverized; the yeast does a good job at getting to the sugars on the fruit. We rarely use finings. On a couple of occasions, we used bentonite. But since we're never in a hurry, we let it settle in the carboy. If the wine has a little sediment, it's not a big deal to us since we're the only ones drinking it.
@@HappyWifeAcres wow, thanks for replying. Sounds good. I often think that the finings remove body and flavour from the wine so I might try your method in the future. Nice to hear from you 👍
Great video! For the peach wine you only added the sulfites and yeast? Is this unique to peaches? No pectin enzyme, acid or yeast nutrient needed or was this an experiment? How did it turn out? Thanks!
Thanks saw this on kin folk farm
Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.
Does the temperature of the room that you're keeping the wine in matter? Can we just keep it in our home (appx 68 degrees) while it's going through each process?
Yes, it does matter. Yeast likes warmer weather, but not too warm. I find that yeast reacts slower in winter when the house is cooler. It bubbles away in summer when the house is warmer.
HEY GUY'S
LOVE YOUR GREAT TRAINING!!!!
REAL GROOVIE JOB!!
OLD PAUL
I was very interested in trying your wine making process. How much fruit do you use in a batch? Do you measure by weight or by cups. thanks
For us, wine is not an exact science. For fruit, we fill the bucket 1/3 to 1/2 full with fruit. No measuring.
Questions. I'm going to try my first batch of wine with cherries. Is it necessary to pit all of the cherries before putting them into the food grade bucket? Then also if I end up using the 5 gallon grade bucket can I use the same amount of ingredients you used for this video for a 2 gallon bucket or should I essentially double the ingredients? Thank you in advance. Great video. Super helpful.
IMHO, pitting is not necessary. You might find differing opinions, but that is mine. Some will tell you that cherry pits have cyanide in them, which is true, but you'd have to have a huge pile of pits for it to affect you. We don't remove seeds for grapes or apples. And yes, the ingredient adjustment is linear, so multiply for the size of the bucket. Good luck!
@@HappyWifeAcres Thank you so much!
I might try a strawberry and rhubarb wine 🤔
I'm sure that would be delicious!
It's 5:00 somewhere!
Great video. I am almost finished my own dark cherry wine in which I used 2lb. sugar, 3lb. of cherry i gallon of waterand all the essentials chemicalsand sanitation processes,my final abv came out to be 10.55 percent but 1 big problem the sample taste was watery tasting and no fruit smeel or flavor, it just tasted like alcahol and water. what went wrong,any help would be apprediated Thank You. keep up the good work.
New wine has a “hot” taste, meaning you taste the alcohol, because the water and alcohol haven’t had time to blend. This is why they say that wine gets better with age. Assuming you didn’t rush the process, your wine should taste very smooth in about 4 months.
Hello. Can you tell me where you found that hydrometer tube that sits in the liquid? I can't seem to find one that doesn't have a closed base. Thanks
Wow, you are correct. It seems like all the tubes are closed at the bottom. I bought mine at a local wine supply shop. Mine leaks a little so maybe that’s why most are closed now. I did find a similar one online though. www.beer-wine.com/wine-thief-test-jar-combination
Another question if you would be so kind. I see you have Tannin in the list of additives but wasn't sure if you end up using it? The bigger question is for the "Linear additives" I tried to break it down for the amount of each thing per gallon incase I do different size batches. Does this look about right for the amount you would use for each additive per gallon? Thank you so much in advance.
-Campden Tablet 1/2 tablet per gallon
I use 1 Campden tablet for each gallon, but 1/2 tab would probably be ok. For tannin, use it with low acid fruit, like pears, bananas, or apples. You won't need it for grapes, berries, peaches, and pineapples.
@@HappyWifeAcres Should I use tannin for tart cherry wine? Thank you so much!
No, not needed for cherries.
After adding the yeast does the must have to be stirred daily? I am going out of town for a few days and am not sure what will happen if not stirred.
It will be OK if not stirred daily. Stirring gives the yeast more access to the fruit and sugars. It also breaks up the fruit cap. The fruit will float, form a cap, and carbon dioxide pushes up the cap. So don't fill your bucket too full or it will bubble over! Most of the vigorous fermentation will be done in 3-4 days. Then it slows down dramatically. Thanks for watching!
Do I have to rack into carboy bottles? or can I just transfer between two fermentation buckets? Cheers
The carboy is recommended because the narrow neck limits the amount of air that can be inside. The slowed fermentation means there's less CO2 produced to push out the air. Air can affect the taste of the wine. Good luck and thanks for watching!
If I wanted to make a five gallon batch would I double the amount of everything like campden tablets and all that ?
Yes!
Are Acid blend, Pectic enzymes compulsory in homemade wine? What would happen if we do not use them ?
Acid blend helps to balance the acids in wine so the yeast will be more effective. Pectic enzyme destroys haze causing pectin cells so the wine will be clearer. You can make wine without these additives, but your yeast might be less effective and your wine might be cloudy.
@@HappyWifeAcres thanks.
Can you add more sugar after racking to a Carboy the first time around to make higher percent alcohol?
Usually putting the wine into a second vessel is called secondary fermentation. So yes you can add more sugar to increase your abv, but you will need to have used a yeast that can tolerate a higher alcohol level. Plus just pouring in sugar to your hearts content won’t work like you think! Search UA-cam. I know your question has been answered at some point, just can’t remember what channels. Lol!
That red face says it all about the, "hot taste".
I would like to see you make vinegar the way you explained would happen on this video.
Strong!
Where do you put the wine while it's fermenting? Warm place, cool place?
We usually keep ours in the kitchen on the floor. I wish it could be kept in a warmer place, but that's the warmest in the winter. I definitely notice a difference in the fermentation when it's cooler!
First of all its very informative video tutorial. 👌👌 May i ask if its ok to use mangoes and follow the same steps you did?
Yes. You can use any fruit. We haven’t made mango wine but I’m sure that would be a tasty treat! Good luck and thanks for watching.
@@HappyWifeAcres thank you so much! Id go with mango for it is abundant in my country. Thank you for noticing me 👍👍
What country do you live in?
Where can I buy wine making ingredient?
Does adding sugar water at the end change the alcohol percentage?
Yes it does. You could take your measurement after adding sugar at the end for a more accurate reading. We don't get too concerned about it. We classify our wine as "strong" and "very strong!".
Happy Wife Acres thanks for answering. Great job on the content. Learning a lot from your videos. 👍🏾
Hi How's it going? What is the difference between regular yeast and the camdin tablet????
For wine, you want to use a wine yeast. Bread yeast does not tolerate higher levels of alcohol, so you'll get low alcohol by volume (ABV), which might not be enough to keep the wine from spoiling. Wine yeast will tolerate 15-18% ABV. The campden tablet is used to kill bacteria and natural yeasts found on the fruit. Without it, you run the risk of the wine spoiling or having an unwanted taste. Good luck!
TO UPGRADE YOURE WINE: (ADD TO RESSEPY 1 OZ B/RUM / L BEFORE BUTLING (MIX SOFT 10MIN /32 l(5 gallons) the best wine ever
Very Strong
Can we use Potassium metabisulfite instead of Sodium metabiaulfite/ Campden tablets?
Yes, potassium or sodium metabisulfite works!
For people who are poor(like me) i'd like to point out that you can make your own wine with nothing more than a big jug of juice, sugar and yeast(i recommend EC-1118 because it fights off other things). if you're interested in trying out the hobby but you don't want to spend $100. you can try it out for about $10.
That being said, the more of the recommended equipment you have the quicker, clearer, and tastier it'll be.
Have you tried K1-V1116?
Thanks for the second video.
How do you get rid of the hot taste? Is it just having the wine sit in the bottles for an extended time? If so for how long?
Yes, the expression “Wine gets better with age” applies. It takes about 4-6 months for the water and alcohol molecules to blend. The hot taste will become very smooth and mellow. Making wine is about patience!
Thanks for the reply.
How do you store the bottles during this time? Upright or on their sides? Any specific temperature requirements!
We use the snap lid bottles like in the video. Those must be stored upright. If traditionally bottled with a cork, they can be laid on their side. Store in a cool place away from direct sunlight.
Happy Wife Acres you guys rock! Thank you so much.
do the fruiut flavors come through in the finished product?
Yes they do, especially darker fruit like cranberries and cherries. Pineapple has a subtle flavor that is nice on a warm day. In our wine tasting video, we talk about the different flavors, while getting a little bit tipsy! ua-cam.com/video/rp_hVxwr8lM/v-deo.html
My brewer supply didn't have campden tablets but they did have powdered sodium metabisulfate. How much should I use for 4 lbs of blackberries?
Campden is the either sodium metabisulfate or potassium metabisulfate, so you have the right stuff. For every gallon of water, add 1/8 teaspoon of the powder. With 4 lbs of berries, probably 1/8 teaspoon total. Good luck and thanks for watching!
@@HappyWifeAcres Thank you so much! I love watching your channel!
Some recipes call for tannin, but you haven’t..... I’m ready to start a cherry wine and wondering if I need tannin?
Typically tannin is used in low acid fruit like pear or peach. We recently made a batch of banana which called for tannin. Cherry doesn't need it. Thanks for asking and watching!
Happy Wife Acres Thank you. You have a great channel and are very helpful.
When bottling do you sanitize inside of bottles?
Yes, always. Spray just before you bottle.
Do you add potassium sorbate at the end with campden or just campden
Good question. The correct way is to add potassium sorbate. Potassium sorbate will stop fermentation permanently. Campden will stop fermentation temporarily. I've never had a problem using just campden because I'm never in a hurry and my wine sits a long time before bottling. So the yeast just dies out naturally. I could probably get away with adding nothing. Thanks for asking and for watching!
@@HappyWifeAcres thanks for the fast reply. I'm trying to follow your video for my 1st attempt at this
Good luck! I hope you’ll find out how easy it is. If you haven’t seen it, here is our first wine making video: How to Make Fruit Wine (Step by Step) ua-cam.com/video/2Rr9tMqKTGU/v-deo.html
How much yeast and warm sugar water goes together?
Rule of thumb is 1 gram of yeast for every gallon that you mix. The amount of sugar water isn’t critical. Use 1/2 to 1 cup and you’ll be fine. Good luck!
Is their a difference between the Lalvin K1-V1116 & EC-1118?
I'm sorry, but I have no experience with EC-1118.
how long do you let it age for that hotness to go away
About 4-6 months will reduce the hot taste.
Would you recommend all fruit to be frozen before starting...I have apples and oranges and want to start the wine process, thank-you for your videos.It is most helpful..
Some people insist on freezing their fruit before starting. If we have an excess of fresh fruit, we use it. Sometimes, we will freeze berries just because we aren't ready to make wine at that time. Either way, you'll get tasty wine! Thanks for watching.
Hi, so how many pounds of fruit are you using in the wine?
Rule of thumb is to fill the bucket 1/3 to 1/2 full with fruit. This works with any size bucket and you won't have to worry about measuring pounds of fruit. Good luck!
What do you do with the fruit ? If there is.
Hi once again! Finished viewing your wine making video in 2018, and this video has great detail! But I can kind of grasp the "hot taste" you referred to in your 2018 wine making video, I think I know what you're describing. It's sort of a alcohol "hot" taste. Similar to brandy if you will? Thanks for your videos!
Yes, the "hot" taste is when you feel the alcohol on your tongue, sort of like when you use mouthwash. It mellows with time as the alcohol and water molecules mix.
Do we need to use Campden tablet everytime we change the wine container apart from before fermentation and final bottling as you know acetobacter are everywhere even in air and chances are very high for wine to be converted to vinegar?? [Especially when we try to get cleaner wine letting dead yeast settle and we have to open the wine jar twice or thrice before final sealing ]
We only use Campden at the beginning and end. In between, we sanitize everything with Star San solution. We spray the bottles, siphon, counter top, spoons, our hands. We haven’t had a batch go bad yet.
Just came across your channel as I have been looking to start making some wine. I noticed though in this video and your cherry wine video that you don't mash up the fruit, you just leave it whole let the stuff do its thing. Is there a reason you don't mash up the fruit so that all the juices and flavors are extracted?
Great question! This particular fruit was already pitted, so it was opened. It was also frozen, which breaks the cell walls allowing the juice to exit. Pitting isn't necessary with wine, so if I had used fresh cherries, I would have rough chopped them. The yeast with the alcohol does a great job of finding the sugars deep in the fruit. We just made peach vodka by pouring vodka over fresh peaches. After about 10 days, the alcohol had extracted the peach flavor, leaving the peaches flavorless.
Is the process for peach wine any different?
Not very different. The additives vary slightly from fruit to fruit, but I’m not sure it would make much difference.
If I use a 5 or 6 gallon bucket, do I multiply the additives also? Or just the water, sugar, fruit.
Yes, multiply the recipe. Good luck!
Do you have a rhubarb wine recipe?
I haven't tried rhubarb, but I'll bet it would be delicious. Fill the bucket 1/3 to 1/2 full with cut up rhubarb, add campden (1 tab per gallon), wait 24 hours. Add simple syrup (4 lbs sugar) and additives. You won't need tannin. Add yeast and wait for it to go to work! Let me know if you try this!
@@HappyWifeAcres Hi, I am starting a batch of rhubarb wine today, I’ve made cherry, raspberry with great success. Thanks for your channel. And easy explanation. I’ll let you know how it goes, in case you ever try it.
Yes, please let me know how it turns out. We started pear wine today and will start concord grape tomorrow. It's starting to stack up; I need help drinking it!
The dregs go to the very happy chickens. KFC take note.
No need to clarify the wine?
That’s a personal preference. If you let it sit for a while before bottling, sediment will fall. Or you can use bentonite to clarify more quickly. Finally, you can use expensive filter purifiers. But sediment doesn’t hurt you, so if it’s just for you, not a huge deal.
Do you ever de-gas your wine?
We do by stirring it vigorously at the end. Stir but don't get too much air in it to protect from oxidation. We're never in any hurry to bottle, so I think it sort of gasses itself by the time we get to it!
It's January.... Did any survive?
We haven't touched it yet! Because we make wine constantly, we always have something to drink. But thanks for reminding us that this batch is ready!!!
17.32%!!
Yeah, we’re pushing the upper limit!
Alot of the stuff i heard in this video i heard not to do from another video. Lord mercy.
Feel free to share specifics. We make a LOT of delicious wine using these techniques. Of course winemaking is like many hobbies; ask 10 people and you'll get 12 different answers! Thanks for watching.
17.30 a fly laid an egg on your hydrometer
Lots of flies in the summer. I doubt it laid an egg, but we wash the hydrometer before and after every reading. Thanks for watching (very closely!).
Can you do a written step by step. That's for my literal side of brain..
Day 1: Add fruit, water, campden tabs.
Day 2: Add additives, sugar, yeast. Stir. Take ABV reading.
Days 3-7: Stir.
Day 10 to 14 (or longer): Strain out fruit; transfer to carboy.
Day 30 (or longer): Transfer to bucket. Add potassium sorbate to stop yeast.
Next Day: Backsweeten if desired. Degas (stir). Take final ABV reading. Bottle.
4-6 Months Later: Enjoy!
@@HappyWifeAcres thanks.
not fire wine, it is sanitizer wine.
Why do you say so?