Beer, Wine and Mead Makers Thread

[freemotion]

I was thinking about hops, too, if my dad enjoys making beer again. I got him a kit to get him jumpstarted again. I know of someone who bought a house with a huge hops vine growing up an outbuilding. She thinks it is very pretty but I wonder if it produces the right kind of hops. Anyone know if all hops vines are good, or if some are just decorative? I could probably get a cutting or shoot this spring....but it was a friend of a friend of a friend, so it would take some tracking down. But I'm sure I could get a bit of it. It was HUGE.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Thanks for the replies. Sorry I couldn't check this thread before. My monitor died a couple days ago, so I just check in whenever I can borrow one.

 

[Up-the-Creek]

I tried my mead yesterday and it isn't too bad ,...i believe it needs to age more. I have been scrounging up some wine bottles, corks, etc.,..I ended up ordering a case of bottles with corks. We have no supply stores near me either so everything will have to be mail order. Shipping is awful for a case of bottles! I ordered my supplies from Brushy Mtn. Bee Supplies,..they are pretty close to me and the shipping was a little cheaper. As soon as my order gets here I am starting on another batch of wine using white grapes from my parents house,...it is home canned juice also with pulp. I'll save my concord juice for jelly right now,..but this summer when the grapes come on I will be making wine with them!

 

[freemotion]

Oh, don't buy any more bottles! Go to your recycling center and pay for them, if they are nice, it will just be the deposit, but even if you pay a quarter for each, you are doing good. Ask everyone you know to save bottles for you. People love to recycle this way. The corks should ship pretty cheaply.

 

[Up-the-Creek]

That is an idea Free,..thanks! I was in a hurry about the bottle thing and I do have a few people that are starting to save bottles for me. I don't believe I will be buying anymore,...they just ain't cheap!

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Well I have my mead bottled finally,..and it turned out nice.

My DH was very impressed,..I think he thought what I was making would be awful, , but he tasted it and he like it! I am very happy with the results. I now have about 2 gallon of a white grape/apple wine fermenting. Smells wonderful,..it is going to be a sweet wine,..but thats what I want. I can't wait to try it! I have my bottled mead up under my sink on it side so the corks will stay moist. This will have to do until my cellar is finished,..and my wine rack. Then I will have somewhere for all of it to age for an appropriate amount of time.

 

[freemotion]

 

[Nortonsmom]

When we lived in NY we went to the recycling center and bought bottles for 5 cents a piece-took them home and cleaned them. In NC where we are now, make nice with the guy at the recycling center and take them home for free. I wouldnt make wine or beer with bread yeast, but you can...also leaving a fermenter open to catch wild yeast will work, but you dont know what you will get. Making beer and wine doesnt have to be expensive, but for a nice product it usually takes longer than you think it will. We used kits for beer and wine and bought the important stuff, thermometer, hydrometer, vapor locks for wine, etc. It doesnt have to be expensive, but it can be. It takes time - thats the big thing that you cant buy...you can drink it early but most things taste better after several months. Ive made rhubarb wine which was excellent and muscadine that came out great, but they take time..so thats my advice - PATIENCE!!

 

[freemotion]

Patients? What's that? I'm not a doctor.



I am really starting to see the importance of having multiple batches going, and of making far more than you think you "need." This reduces the temptation to drink it all up. In theory. We haven't gotten to that point yet. We really don't drink much, but like to serve it and bring a bottle or two when invited out. We went through our first batch very quickly, and did not start another batch until the first one was almost gone...and it never got to age properly.

Learning!

 

[mrs.puff]

So have any of you tried making Ginger Ale? I got DH a homemade sodas "cookbook" for Christmas and we would like to try the ginger ale. He made it once a while ago and it wasn't very good.