Starter Winemaking

[Prudie]

I have zero experience, knowledge or kit - how difficult would it be to try making wine? I have a vine that every year is laden with bunches of grapes, small and purple, quite edible if a little tart when ripe. They mainly go to waste apart from the birds having them.

[ummmm]

I'll ask my mate later (he's at work) his dad has been making wine for years. It's pretty good as well.

[237SJ]

Do you know what type of grapes they are?

[Old_Geezer]

Not difficult. Get a web page up giving instructions. Ensure you sterilise equipment. Don't leave on old yeast when bubbling has stopped.

[ladybirder]

And don't have a mate round who negated the need to bother bottling it!!

[ladybirder]

Do it Prudie, it's great fun. You can make it from tea bags as well if you like;-))

[LadyCG]

My step-father has made a few batches of it in the past from wine kits bought in Boots of all places. In fairness it was absolutely gorgeous stuff.

Funnily enough I mentioned to the OH just recently about us making our own wine. I'll keep nagging him until he gives it some serious thought.

[Barmaid]

I have made wine both from kits and from naturally available ingredients. Basic kit you will need is a white fermenting bucket and white plastic spoon (must be white because coloured ones can leach). Probably a couple of demi johns. Corks and air locks. Empty bottles, corks, cork inserter, metalic wrap for the corks, sterilising stuff (I used to use Milton). You really want to invest in some form of wine maker heater. You need a constant temperature for best fermentation.

The initial outlay can be a bit pricey, but once you've got the equipment you can use it over and over again. You can also buy kits to make all sorts of wine - some are quite palatable.

Never ever tho decide you are going to make rosehip wine. Those things have tiny hairs in them. I made some and ended up with really bad irritated hands. And then the wine was more like sherry and I ended up chucking it.

[Rockrose]

For one gallon of grape wine you will need about 18lbs of grapes according to my daddy who makes the best wine ever. look on gumtree for 2nd hand equipment where possible because it can be a bit expensive getting the demajons bucket and tubing etc.

[Prudie]

That all sounds positive, I thought it would be too complicated. I don't know the variety as I didn't plant it but it's very prolific, almost treelike. As said the grapes are small and very dark with pips, the bunches are very tightly packed. I vaguely remember an ex used to make wine but he had loads of chemicals and glass things more like a chemistry set.

[Zacs-Master]

Wilko do a starter kit for £20. Als you want to make it from grapes you'll also need the kit (bucket / spoon) which BM mentioned.
https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-cabernet-sauvignon-wine-starter-kit-makes-6-bottles/p/0318391

[Old_Geezer]

Been meaning to start again, myself. Never felt the need for a heater, foil wrap is optional. Cork inserter is useful, I used to use them, but a rubber mallet might suffice if careful ;-) Check yellow pages or whatever for a local, or fairly local shop.

[Old_Geezer]

Sterilizing chemicals probably. There are additives and stuff you can buy but ignore all that.

[Prudie]

So after I've picked these grapes do I have to trample them with my bare feet? :-)

[paddywak]

If you go on e-bay you can get a copy of C.J.J.Berry's book "First Steps In Winemaking" for a couple of quid.Tells you all equipment you'll need to get and full of useful hints and recipes.I go my copy years ago and still use it.

[ethandron]

If you can’t be bothered with making wine from the grapes prudie, then just juice them down. I do that with ours and they make lovely grape juice to drink, some of which I freeze as there’s so much of it.

[kvalidir]

I make mead, it's dead simple, if I can do it anyone can x