Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi, as a newbie veg grower (managed a few good crops of container potatoes and carrots last year) I am throwing caution to the winds, and sowing every seed I can get my hands on. I have been looking at all the chutney and sauce recipes so I will know what to do with the glut of veggies that I am going to get ( If you don't have a dream...) Got very excited when wine was mentioned. Any tried and tested recipes that any of you would like to share? A home produced wine to accompany a home produced meal, wow

Hi Sallym and welcome to the Vine!

I started to make wine to use up the European Parsnip Mountain that I grew....

I must recommend CJJ Berry 'First Steps in Winemaking' (thank you Scarey, honey!) which is comprehensive on method, and has 'recipes' by month that the ingredients are in season.

I also would recommend buying a Youngman Wine Kit from Wilko - gives you some basic equipment and wine that is ready in 7 days, and you get a feel for how the processes work.

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Sun 30/03/2008...parsnips a-plenty...

Hi Sallym and a warm welcome from me too.

For inspiration, may I encourage you to look at Hazel's thread on said parsnip wine - she's done a crackin' job there.

There are a lot of expert wine brewers here so you are in good company. I, however have yet to grow enough feed me and Scared, never mind a glut with which to make wine

Hey ho, there's always this year...

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A garden is a lovesome thing, God wot! (Thomas Edward Brown)

Ah! I'm currently waiting (actually drinking) uncleared Youngman Wine from Wilko. It's quite drinkable, unfortunately, there were no finings in my kit. So, I'm 3 weeks into it, it is clearing by itself. I bottled one bottle tonight and stuck it in the fridge (Chardonnay).

I also bought a Merlot. When it was supposed to be drinkable, it was absolutely disgusting. 2 weeks later I think it was the finings as it has improved enormously.

I will buy them again but will be patient. They won't be made in 7 days. I'll skip the (absolutely revolting) finings and wait for them to clear naturally.

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"I prefer rogues to imbeciles as they sometimes take a rest" (Alexander Dumas)

Hi and welcome to the vine sallym.

JanieB, I am surprised at your experience with the Young's kits, but wonder if you degassed really thoroughly before adding the finings. This has a huge effect on the end product as the trapped gas will make it taste yuk.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

welcome to the vine sallym.

i have done loads of kits which all seem to turn out,
i'm just in the process of making a wine from grape juice.. 1 gallon it seems to be working. i've just started a 7 day solomans wine just to tide me over, i'm going to try hazel at the hill's Parsnip wine, which sounds yummy. i didn't get time to get the ccj book so i'm going to get it this weekend.

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Live life to the full and you'll never regret not living !!

Hi Sallym and a big welcome.
I am new to wine making and am thinking of having a go at the parsnip.
I have tried elderflower- it's not gone right at all
marrow - also not right
home grown grape---fantastic
rhubarb- should be fine
The elderflower I will have to keep trying with as it has very sentimental attachments for me...lovely Aunt made it in days gone by...first time tiddly for me

Thanks for the ideas everyone, just on the siphoning stage of a 7 day kit myself. Must have degassed it 5 times and still didn't read correctly on hydrometer. Tried it on a brought bottle and still no reading, just sank to the bottom. I guess its broken. Off now to sow more parsnips. Who wants to eat them anyway?

What is degassing???? please

Stirring or shaking to get the co2 out of the fermented wine. If you don't remove it all (or most of it) sediment will remain in suspension and the wine will taste yuk. Degassing is done before adding finings or leaving the wine to 'fall clear' if you are more patient.

(Note to self - try de-gassing the apple and kiwi to see if that helps it to clear)

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Just had to share this... remember my brother giving me his old book on wine making. After wrecking the house to find it, guess what? " First Steps in Winemaking by C.J.J. Berry". Hoorah

Shirley, thanks- do I take out the air lock if I try the shaking method?

Yup, you might like to siphon into a clean and sterilised dj first too so that you don't stir up all the sediment. Then hold your (clean) hand over the neck of the dj and shake quite vigorously for a couple of seconds, when you remove your hand you will hear the air escape kind of like when you open a pop bottle and there should be a good 'head' on the wine. Leave the dj to settle until the froth has gone and repeat the degassing until the froth produced by shaking dissipates quickly.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Thanks Shirley,
I hope to have a go at parsnip wine maybe this weekend....a little nervous about it though- any tips?. I have the CJJ book and followed the method for my Elderflower to the word, sadly it still failed :-(
that is reason for being a little nervous!

Can I ask what was wrong with your elderflower wine? Maybe we can work out what made it go awry and then you will be more confident of making more.

Hazel is the queen of the parsnip wine so I will leave advice to her for that one as I haven't tried making it.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

It cleared lovely, but never got past 'beer' on the hydrometer. someone said add raisins - I did, made no difference, someone said add some bakers yeast, I did- it did not start fermentation - I have left it alone to have a good think about what it wants to be guess I should try it really....not sure though.

Did you keep a note of the starting SG and what it is now? If it has fermented out then it will be finished. Never take as wrote what the book says. Get brave and try some - you might get a surprise! Go on, try it now I will make a really wild guess that it will be sweet.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Shirley... I will try some this weekend....... gulp! as in -nervous gulp, not as in -big gulp of wine!
I will let you know on monday, will also look in wine diary to see the starting SG and how far it got, or not as the case maybe.

I am sure you are