Date: 29-03-24  Time: 07:08 am

Author Topic: Last of the summer wine  (Read 1557 times)

dazza

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Last of the summer wine
« on: 02 October 2018, 07:03:24 pm »
so, with last years plum wine supplies dwindling, we've gone all out this year.
Last tally. About 35 gallons of plum, 5 gallons of damson, two litres of damson gin and 10 litres of sloe gin.
I wonder if I've done enough  :rolleyes

Dynspud

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Re: Last of the summer wine
« Reply #1 on: 02 October 2018, 07:27:49 pm »
Awesome!!!
You'd better clear the top of the loo pretty sharpish once you start drinking it  :D
Take a deep breath, coz it all starts now, when you pull the foccin' pin

Robbie8666

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Re: Last of the summer wine
« Reply #2 on: 03 October 2018, 09:27:15 am »
simple answer... NO!  :D

you can never have enough wine, especially home brew!

what kind of  %abv does your wine normally come out as? 1 glass tipsy, 1 bottle merry 2 bottle room spinning? :lol
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F4celess

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Re: Last of the summer wine
« Reply #3 on: 03 October 2018, 10:39:43 am »
Nice large stash there! 8)  ...hopefully you'll still have some left for (this) Christmas.  :lol

Have often liked to get into something like this. Suppose it helps having all the crop/fruits growing in your own garden / vineyard, a dependant supply.
Any tips on how to start out with something like this?

Know of a couple who moved down to Devon and set themselves up in a house with a handful of fields outside their door, vineyards, all for Wine production.
Their product is in the supermarkets now, doing very well for themselves.
« Last Edit: 03 October 2018, 10:45:43 am by F4celess »

dazza

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Re: Last of the summer wine
« Reply #4 on: 03 October 2018, 11:22:45 am »
simple answer... NO!  :D

you can never have enough wine, especially home brew!

what kind of  %abv does your wine normally come out as? 1 glass tipsy, 1 bottle merry 2 bottle room spinning? :lol
We aim for around 17 %.Last year's batches were just over.
It's pretty potent and the flavour is rich and sweet.
The longer you leave it, the better it gets.
Not sure I could or would want to drink a whole bottle in one go on my own.


dazza

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Re: Last of the summer wine
« Reply #5 on: 03 October 2018, 12:12:04 pm »
Nice large stash there! 8)  ...hopefully you'll still have some left for (this) Christmas.  :lol

Have often liked to get into something like this. Suppose it helps having all the crop/fruits growing in your own garden / vineyard, a dependant supply.
Any tips on how to start out with something like this?


Well I was going to say, start off small but foc that. Last year me and my brother walked into a home brew shop in Faversham and my brother said..."My brother wants to start making some wine"
The bloke picks up a demijon and says "Well, you're going to want one of these"
How much does that hold I said....One gallon he said.
Me and my brother looked at each other  realising that we had just picked a 60litre barrel of plums  and I said "Have you got anything bigger?"
He said "I wouldn't go any bigger if it's your first time" giving me that look  :rolleyes
"Nah" I said, "I don't think you understand mate, we've already picked the fruit, we need enough equipment for around 25 gallons"
He just thought we were a pair of cunts I think but was happy enough to go on to sell us near on a couple of hundred pounds worth of equipment and ingredients.
We had a good old laugh about this as we left the shop and still do now. The quote "Nah mate, I don't think you understand" gets used all the time now.  :lol
Get a recipe up on line but remember, there is no real right or wrong way to do it just use it as a guideline like following a cooking recipe.
The most important thing to remember is to sterilise everything you use including cutting boards and knives and worktops etc to prevent spoiling the wine.
During the fermentation process, you're basically providing the ideal environment for bacteria to thrive so cleanliness is vital. Unless you like vinegar :D
Keep the temperature up while this process is going on and experiment.
It's pretty satisfying opening a bottle of quality wine you've made yourself over a nice meal or something and believe me, if you get it right, you'll struggle to find a country wine that can match it strength and flavour.
Good luck.
A couple of bottles of last years plum wine 17.2%
« Last Edit: 03 October 2018, 12:23:13 pm by dazza »

fatbloke62

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Re: Last of the summer wine
« Reply #6 on: 03 October 2018, 07:21:40 pm »
Dazza ,I'll  have a taste off with you on who's  sloe and damson gin is the best  :thumbup

fazersharp

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Re: Last of the summer wine
« Reply #7 on: 03 October 2018, 08:26:39 pm »
I used to do it - only 3 or 4 demijohns at a time but it was all the sterilising I found to be a right faff and messy and wet (don't like getting wet as we know) so I gave up doing it. Did some beer once too but it was crap.
I don't do rain or threat there of. dry rider only with no shame.

dazza

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Re: Last of the summer wine
« Reply #8 on: 03 October 2018, 08:55:14 pm »
Dazza ,I'll  have a taste off with you on who's  sloe and damson gin is the best  :thumbup
You're on.
Your place or mine ? If it's yours, have you got a spare room ?  :lol

dazza

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Re: Last of the summer wine
« Reply #9 on: 03 October 2018, 09:03:03 pm »
I used to do it - only 3 or 4 demijohns at a time but it was all the sterilising I found to be a right faff and messy and wet (don't like getting wet as we know) so I gave up doing it. Did some beer once too but it was crap.
I do all my sterilising in the bath from a bucket and hose off with the shower head. I don't find it too bad actually.
I just make sure everything gets the once over before it comes into contact with the wine.
The painstaking bit for me is the straining through the muslin. There is no quick way to do it and processing so much can be demoralising.
The whole process is I admit labour intensive but the end product is well worth the effort.

fazersharp

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Re: Last of the summer wine
« Reply #10 on: 03 October 2018, 09:16:34 pm »
I used to do it - only 3 or 4 demijohns at a time but it was all the sterilising I found to be a right faff and messy and wet (don't like getting wet as we know) so I gave up doing it. Did some beer once too but it was crap.
I do all my sterilising in the bath from a bucket and hose off with the shower head. I don't find it too bad actually.
I just make sure everything gets the once over before it comes into contact with the wine.
The painstaking bit for me is the straining through the muslin. There is no quick way to do it and processing so much can be demoralising.
The whole process is I admit labour intensive but the end product is well worth the effort.
I think I may _ as usual be too anal about it because when you say you rinse off with the shower head, isn't that re-contaminating your sterilised stuff with tap water. 
I don't do rain or threat there of. dry rider only with no shame.

dazza

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Re: Last of the summer wine
« Reply #11 on: 03 October 2018, 09:27:02 pm »
No, not at all. It's rinsing off the sterilising solution which is effectively bleach. You don't really want that in your wine. I've never had a problem doing it like that and the thought of a bleach smelling solution going into our pretty much organic wine horrifies me. After all, it comes from the same main as the water that feeds your house so is drinkable. I wouldn't use hot water that would've been sitting in a tank.
« Last Edit: 03 October 2018, 09:35:58 pm by dazza »