Perfect Parsnip Wine - the best country wine there is ! (Part 1)
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- Parsnip wine may sound unlikely but it is a rich, clear and delicious white wine - truly a magnificent country wine
In this, the first part of a series exploring how to make Perfect Parsnip Wine, we look at the ingredients, fermentation techniques and start primary fermentation
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Fantastic video! Thanks again.
I’m a trained winemaker and your instructions are spot on - I love your idea about the orange juice to rehydrate the yeast but even more brilliant is your black tea for tannin suggestion!
I am in Australia so will wait for parsnips to be in season, but will be definitely trying this!
Thanks again ☺️
Thank you do much Zach, that means a great deal! Hugh
This is the most English thing ever, and I love it.
But surely being English is a wonderful thing? 😁
I’ve tried this recipe and crikey! When I got a taste while siphoning it for the second racking I realised this wine has real potential. I siphoned some extra off some for Mr M to try. He took a swig and then another. I asked him what he thought and he replied: “I think we need more parsnips for another demijohn…” I think that means I can notch this one up as a promising wine…
I'm delighted to hear that. To me it has almost a dry sherry taste
Very excited as 2 kilos of parsnips arrived with my shopping today, even when you buy them from the supermarket they're still dirt cheap (84p a kilo). So, looking forward to starting the parsnip wine on my day off Monday. I agree with all the comments on this video, you really have demystified country winemaking for me Hugh, I may never stop thanking you. My next-door neighbour is also a keen winemaker, he gave me a few of his spare demijohns to help me get started. Yesterday he told me to hang on by the garden fence and disappeared into his house for a minute, he came out with two glasses of bright, vibrant liquid announcing that this was a 2010 brew of pea-pod wine made by his late father. I felt very privileged to sample this vintage and a very special bottle of my neighbour, and it was delicious (tasted a little like a quality sherry). Country winemaking is a very sociable hobby it would seem, as well as being fascinating and super rewarding.
That makes me really happy Dean! We have a great friend called Sue who also brews & we love comparing brews sat in the garden. Very sociable!
Yay! This is the one I have been waiting for. I like the way you demystify wine making; many books just don't seem to put the information across in such a good way.
You will see one of your wonderful creations making a guest appearance today - I always send you a mental "thanks" when I stir with them 😁
Just discovered your channel after getting back into this hobby, it is easily the best channel on the subject of wine making. Everything is well explained and instructions are clear and concise. Thank you.
That's really kind of you Liam - cheers!
Fantastic...
Thank you so much 😀
Just having my first taste of the parsnip wine. Glorious, so easy to make and it’s beautiful. Tastes quite strong but really lovely. Thanks for your video.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. It does have an almost sherry like taste doesn't it?
I’ve just unleashed my Parsnip wine on Xmas day and the results are clear. Two people straight away said it was similar to sherry and loved it.
Fantastic - well done & Merry Christmas 🎄
I’ve just tried this years after following this recipe to the letter, you were right it’s superb thanks
I'm delighted Pete 🙂. I find it hard to convince people that parsnip makes a nice wine - but it does!
@@EnglishCountryLife my wife just home from work, I did the usual, here try this guess which one it is, she was shocked , cheers needless to say she had glass of it
@@petepage3040 Excellent 👍
Amazing
Thank you! Cheers!
Magic
Thank you 🙂
Hi Hugh, absolutely loving all the video’s both you and Fiona produce. I’ve never made parsnip wine but I will be doing so soon thanks to this video. I’ve made lots of ciders that come out like Cava in terms of clarity & sparkle. I use exactly the same steps as you but with the exception of the added secondary fermentation in the bottle for the fizz. Another trick for clearing wine, cider & beer is cold clearing in the fridge. The proteins initially link up and form a cold haze that then drops out of suspension resulting in an incredibly clear end product.
That's an excellent tip! Thank you.
You had me at "we only need the water; you can use the parsnips for soup or roasting" and had totally convinced me with the three spoons of strong tea for tannin!! I love squeezing maximum resource out of food stuff. Thrifty but also old-school 'circular economy'. I don't suppose you've made pea pod wine. If so, any thoughts on that?
I haven't - yet! Working on some mead at the moment!
Thank you, nice informative video with clear information. Think I will have to wait until spring to have a warm, stable temperature to ferment.
I confess to using a heat pad at this time of year to keep things warm Mike
amzn.to/3GCANqV
Great stuff, will aim to give this a go!
It's really wirth a try Andy - a surprisingly crisp dry white!
Hello. You may remember our bacon smoking saga. I'm still at it but being a fair weather smoker sitting in a freezing shed slowed me up a bit. I am out of bacon so last years mass production and freezing lasted quite well. My plum wood smoked pork slices were my pride and joy. I ate the last one yesterday and soon I will be having withdrawal symptoms. Just watched your tree pruing video as I have 14 to do around the same age and size as yours. One plum tree is going. It has consistantly been a poor cropper although it has grown to twice the size of the other one I bought at the same time. I know I am rather late pruing but better late than never. Thanks again for all your help with the bacon and the videos you do. Keep well - regards - JP.
Absolutely I remember 🙂. You are doing the right thing to cull poor trees - it makes space for something better! Those pork slices sound fabulous! Hugh
Really like your, home squeezed orange juice yeast starter!👍
Thanks Stanley, it does work well and gives a little acidity to the wine must
Fantastic video , I've used this recipe so many times it's amazing . Thank you for sharing
Much love from your friends in Wales Ritchie veteran and Raven xx
Thanks Ritchie & Raven !
One tip I can add is to chill your parsnips for a day or so then return them to room temperature before use. More important for carrots but still makes a little difference.
Interesting - what does that do (at a chemical level) ?
@@EnglishCountryLife No idea, I was told by an uncle that the best vegetable wine came from those that were harvested and stored over winter. He was always brewing something and his carrot wine (the recipe died with him unfortunately) was legendary. As a biologist I'd think there could possibly be some residual processes in the stored veg that adapt to keep them alive in cold soil changing some of the starch to sugar, without freezing its unlikely to damage cell walls, (works for fruit wines). Thinking about it, if I had time I might try a couple of batches freezing some, chilling some and some fresh.
I've made batches with chilled for a week and fresh and the first turned out better, can't rule out placebo effect though either as they were made at different times and a lot of store brought veg has been chilled so you do get the good effect out the box (literally)
You said that the first 3 days of primary fermentation is violent but I see no type of venting on the primary fermenter (5gal bucket)? I really like your channel, loads and loads of useful information, thanks.
The bucket isn't completely airtight between lid and bucket - the gaps are tiny but sufficient to allow gas to escape 🙂
Wow! My neighbor loves parsnips so I will tell him we need to make some parsnip wine!!! Time to plant the seed here in va, usa! After the soul dries out a little. Tks so much!!! Love your vedios!!!
Definitely worth trying for the parsnip lovers amongst us at the end of the season! Thanks Ruth
Can't wait to try this!
It's a firm favourite here 😉🥂
I’m not a parsnip fan but I think I need to give this a try!
Its not a bit parsnippy 😁
Giving this a go later. I'll let you know how it works out! 😁
Please do - we love it - a nice crisp white wine!
Best video explanation and advise ever...I'm making this today thanks
Thanks Wayne! Do let us know what you think of it? Hugh
Oooh.. I'm excited to try this. Guess what I'll be doing this weekend? 😃😁 Thank you for showing us how. It looks delicious and I can't wait to be sipping on some soon
Honestly Karen I don't understand why more people don't make it? Its a cracking wine and almost free! Hugh
Loving this video!
Thank you - blackberry port coming soon!
Definitely trying this one, looks very nice
Please do Caroline - you won't be sorry! Hugh
I put apple juice in my demi John to top up my parsnip think I'll use bottled water next time too avoid chemicals many thanks
That's sensible! Apple juice is okay but not if it has preservatives in 🙂
Your parsnip wine looks wonderful.
Over the winter my wife made some wine from some of our Garnacha grapes that we salvaged before a blight got them all. It turned out quute well for her first attempt, she also made some fig wine as an experiment and although it wasn't too bad it was tainted I think bu the bucket that we started the mudt in, it had a food grade symbol on it but has a plastic smell similar to the taint in the wine.
I have about twenty almond trees, that is more almonds than we can eat, so my plan at the end of the season is to try making almond wine, it should turn out like a light amaretto with luck.
I would love to hear how the almond wine turns out - it sounds wonderful & really unusual! Hugh
Brilliant video Hugh! Looks very doable. Thanks for demystifying the process. We look forward to giving this a try. By the way, we were sipping on our cherry brandy that we made with your guidance last night...very very nice! 👌
Its such a reliable simple white its well worth making! So glad that you liked the cherry brandy - its a favourite of ours
Think this might have to be one of my jobs this weekend. Have a whole row of parsnips I've barely touched. Going to see if I've got enough for 5 gallons though. No point doing things by halves.
Definitely worth doing a large batch. Play with sugar quantity to get your preferred dryness
Great video! Really looking forward to the sweet blackberry one you said may be on the way?
Hi Lisa! I've got the fruit ready In the freezer - just need to find the time! Hugh
@@EnglishCountryLife Totally understand! No rush!
Great Wine recipe, we’ve just started drinking last years Parsnip Wine, As I have an abundance of Pears at the moment, do you have a Pear Wine Recipe?
Not to hand Mike but have you made Perry?
Thank you for explaining the process so clearly and giving the reasons behind the extra ingredients - how they help the fermentation and ultimate flavour. I guess you will explain in part two, but wondering when it is ready to drink?
Hi Amy, it will be in the bottle in 30 days. Its drinkable straight away but benefits from a little aging. It will be perfect for Summer Barbecues in those long, warm, post lockdown days! Hugh
@@EnglishCountryLife Perfect Thank you. We had a parsnip fail this year so I will get some from the farm shop to give this a go. Fingers crossed my new seed in this year does well for me and I have plenty of my own for next year.
@@amybailey7331 Should be a good year. If you get the variety called "Tender & True" they are open pollinated and you can save your own seed - we have a video that explains how - its really easy! Hugh
May I ask if you sealed the brewing bucket to stop flies etc going in. I know you didn’t use an air lock. Thanks.
Hi Sylvia, the bucket has a clip on lid. Its not gas tight but enough to keep out flies & dirt
Thanks for the video; I have just started my Parsnip wine following your recipe and I wondered what the starting, and final, SG should be?
My starting SG is 1.052, so a too low I think?
Also I wondered if I should add any acid?
Thanks
@@pauldavis3575 FG will depend very much on your choice of yeast. Mine generally ferments to between 11 & 12%. Personally I've never found acid necessary.
@@EnglishCountryLife Thankyou, do your know what the starting gravity of your wine was?
I have just checked mine on Day 5 and it is still at 1.052, which is where it started, and it has been bubbling away merrily so I can only assume that the sugar has now been released from the sultanas?
@@pauldavis3575 Sorry I generally don't keep that information after fermentation is complete, I do find it surprising that your SG isn't falling. Mine does.
We have a brew on the go but i didnt catch how much sugar to use, cheers Dave
The recipe is at the end of the video Dave 🙂
Got it, 1 25kg
Have started making a couple of the wines from your videos and can't wait to try them 😋 I notice in this video the yeast you use is super wine yeast, but in the strawberry wine it's general purpose yeast, is there much difference between the two? I only have the super wine yeast to hand and wondered if I could just use that as the main yeast. Thanks 😊 🙏
That should be absolutely fine!
@@EnglishCountryLife thanks 😊
Could you use lemon juice instead of orange?
It might be a wee bit acidic Emma. When I have no juice I just dissolve a teaspoon of sugar in half a glass of warm water. It works fine. Hugh
Parsnips aren't my favourite vegetable, but you've made parsnip wine sound nice. I might try it. I've heard of using strong black tea to add tannins to country wines before, but they usually say 1 cup or 1/2 cup, not just 3 tablespoons. Wouldn't a pinch of tealeaves serve just as well?
I'm sure some tealeaves would work well. I promise that the finished wine isn't even a bit parsnippy...err...parsnipous? 😁
Does it matter how much hot water you add to simmer the parsnips? Is it just enough to cover them?
Exactly that David
Do I need to put the air lock on the bucket whilst it's in there for 4 to 5 days
@@GaryHicklin No Gary, that's fine
Hi John. Do you need the wine yeast for this receipe? Kind regards
Yes, any general purpose wine yeast is fine
Thanks John
Oh right I thought when you use a fermentation starter you didn't need it. Many thanks
Nice 1, finding this v interestin and just putting on my 1st batch now, but Q 4 ya, who do ya get yer big tubs of gen purpose wine yeast from? I'd order some as amazon dn't seem 2 do em from my last search.
Hi! Try these Amazon links
2 medium tubs
amzn.to/45jTomm
1 huge tub
amzn.to/3yYfwqj
Hugh
Nice 1 pal, but they both currently available on them links, ot this is what it's tellin me anyhow. ?? Maybe I try ebay or somethin, can't remember, I might've already. Got a few of th wee packages from Amazon alright, and I got that 1st batch on last night, not sure if it's fermenting right but, and I followed yer recipe to a t as much as I can tell, but I also added a wee pinch of wine stablizer, campden, as I wanted to be doubly sure of the 1st fermenting container, sure we'll see how it goes, I'll let ya know if it turns out right. Any idea what might've effected the fermentation process if it been interrupted?
@@niallenglish3777 Adding wine stabiliser before yeast could well be the problem. Stabilizer is designed to halt fermentation. Campden tablets kill wild yeast so you need to wait at least a day before adding yeast. Could that be it?
Ok, so I added it at same time. So can this be brought back by adding more yeast tomorrow maybe d'ya think, or have I banjaxed it can you tell me,
Part of me is wishing I got into wine making and part of me is glad I didn't..
Its a great fun hobby but yes, a full wine rack is tempting! Brilliant for making interesting vinegar too!
Your video gave me the push to make a gallon batch of parsnip wine but I do have one comment, as someone who makes country wines I disagree with your idea to add a non specific nutrient to the starter. At least in the USA many wine makers distinguish between the kind of nutrient they add to starters and the kind they add to the wine after pitching the yeast. Scotlabs for example state that standard nutrients (Fermaid O or K, for example) should never be added to the starter and only to the wine, whereas Goferm is a nutrient that is designed for rehydration. I am not a chemist and cannot tell you what Goferm does or does not contain that makes it suitable for rehydration and which makes other kinds of nutrients unsuitable.
Very interesting. Its never caused a problem for me, but I'm not aware of multiple types of nutrients here 🙂
@@EnglishCountryLife WineMaker Magazine suggests that the loss of viable yeast cells that is caused by poor hydration can be between 30% and 60% . If the ABV is not expected to be high that loss is not chop change but it may not seriously affect fermentation given the amount of cells in a pack and the total volume of your batch, but the fact that after 20 minutes (or so) of rehydrating your yeast there was so much sediment may point to dead yeast cells as much as the loss of compounds from the orange juice. I don't know that I would expect to see any sediment in such a short period.
Are there any drink recipes for us folk who don't drink alcohol? I'd be keen to see something unusual.
Would you be interested in cordial Jason?
@@EnglishCountryLife yeah that would be a good shout. Thank you for getting back to me. Many thanks Jason
@@jasonblack7503 No problem, I'll add it to the list!
@@EnglishCountryLife I look forward to it.
Hiya. Love your recipes. Is it ok to use Sultanas instead of Raisins. Live rural Scotland and hard to get Raisins locally. Keep the recipes coming. Thanks
For sure Martin, I use sultanas as well. Most dried grapes work. Hugh
Thanks Hugh. Looking forward to starting this one.... one problem... all demijohns in use so need to get bottling lol. 😁😎
Hey all,
thanks for the recipe. Mine apparently stalled early at 1042. I tried adding more yeast, but it didn't really pick up again. While it looks to have dropped from 1045 to 1042 within the last 10 days, this rate seems far to slow? I'd appreciate any suggestions, since I'd really like to taste that wine in summer :) thanks again!
Hi Robert, that certainly sounds like a stalled fermentation. I would buy some fresh, high alcohol yeast, mix it in half a glass of orange juice and get it really bubbling, then add to the wine must. If fresh yeast dies there must be an issue in the must.
@@EnglishCountryLife Thank you very much! While I'm waiting for the high alcohol tolerance yeast to arrive, maybe I'll dilute some of the must (like 100ml) 1:1 with water and see if it will start up with some more yeast and maybe a little nutrient... If it works, maybe I can use that to bootstrap the remaining brew. Did you have success with this kind of approach previously, or is it doomed to fail? Experiment time :)
@@rheum976 Stuck fermentation happens but there's always a reason - often bad yeast, sometimes sulphites or even steriliser in the must
Put yeast in orange juice overnight and it's not working straight away can it take a while too work
On a warm day it should be developing bubbles in half an hour. If its not within an hour, its not right
@@EnglishCountryLife thank you
Started my parsnip wine yesterday. It’s in the bucket now. When I took the lid off to give it a stir this morning there was obviously a large build up of gas and the lid popped off as I opened it. Just checked the lid and it’s bulging as it was earlier, obviously full of gas again, should I be removing the lid for a second to release this gas intermittently as it builds up or is there a reason not to do that?
If you have a very vigorous fermentation it's definitely a good idea to vent gas if the lid starts to bulge. You can fit an airlock with an O ring if your primary fermenter is totally airtight
Thank you again. Great channel, so good that you respond and help people with queries.
@@davidhall2162 Any time David 🙂
Ok, so a little disappointed this morning. My solution is not bubbling. What has gone wrong? Has the yeast not taken off? Can I add more? Please help.
You can certainly make another starter culture, wait till it's REALLY bubbling then pour it in. Try to keep everything warm. At least 20C.
Thank you
Where do I find the recipe plus ingredients
@@GaryHicklin The ingredients list is at the end of the video 🙂
So you only use the liquid after the boil? I would expect that the parsnips had te be mashed up in order to get the most out of it. Kind of like mashing grapes or apples when making wine or cider. Interesting!
I know it seems odd but after a 15 minute gentle simmer, all the soluble flavour has dissolved
Hi Hugh - we’re making our parsnip wine this weekend. Just wondered…if we’re making enough for two demijohns do we double everything, or do we use the same quantities of yeast etc regardless of the quantity of parsnips?
Hi guys! If its two separate demijohns then yes, double everything!
Hugh
@@EnglishCountryLife thanks Hugh! Looking forward to this one. We have a bramble wine quietly blipping away at the moment and the strawberry wine is bottled and waiting for summer. Thanks the inspiration and advice, as always. 👍
@@geoffanddebshipton6797 I've a load of blackberry frozen - just need to find time to make it!
@@EnglishCountryLife understandable!
Hi, do you snap the lid closed on the bucket during primary fermentation?
I do yes, its not a perfect gas seal but enough to keep out dust & flies etc. Hugh
Hi, that’s great thanks. We have made our first batch this evening 👍
Hi could you leave it for longer than a week??
Hi Scott! Get it in a demijohn after a week (its easy, I'll show how in part 2 coming next week). You can leave it in the demijohn for months if you like. Hugh
@@EnglishCountryLife 👍👍👍
Our allotment neighbour just gave us 4kg of overgrown parsnips, so guess what's being boiled up right now
Fantastic Clare! Do let me know how you get on? Hugh
@@EnglishCountryLife will do!
Looks like I will have to pad lock the parsnips now the wife has seen this video.
Honestly Lewis I'm amazed it isn't more widely known! Perfect for just this time when last season's parsnips start to sprout. Dig 'em up, make wine, save the parsnips, make curried parsnip soup. Double winner 😁