Topic: help with winemaking

[paddy]

Hi all
I am starting to make my own wine again after a 15 year break and am starting with a couple of kits but then want to move on to using up surplus fruit and veg from the garden. All the recipes say to strain the mixture into demijohns but what do you use to do the straining and if your hands come into contact with the wine is that bad news? i thought about using a plastic colander to drain the fruit off any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Paddy

[GrannieAnnie]

Wine supply stores sell a plastic mesh bag in a variety of denier that makes retrieving the fruit much easier and can be  lightly squeezed. Barring that what your have should work or maybe cheesecloth. Considering people mash grapes with their feet in some areas I guess very clean hands would work ...
I tried making wine for the first time last year from our elderberries and crabapples. Some of it turned out very well according to friends (good friends ;D)

[paddy]

thanks for that

[paddy]

actually i think if i tread on anything with my feet my wife and friends will never touch a drop!!!!

[GrannieAnnie]

actually i think if i tread on anything with my feet my wife and friends will never touch a drop!!!!

Well Silly- you don't tell them THAT part! ;)

[DenBee]

If my OH ever put his feet into wine, then he'd immediately kill the fermentation.

Or else double the rate.  ;D

[legendaryone]

I use an old net curtain to strain my fruit. If you keep your hands clean there shouldn't be any problem, i've never had a bad batch so i wouldn't worry about it  :)

[willebee]

When I was making a fruit based wine I didn't strain the fruit once it was crushed just ensured that all pips and green bits (leaves, stalks, etc) were removed and then fermented on the resulting cloudy must. I have a very good fine filter which filtered the finished wine twice before bottling, and the results were always clear and bright with the full taste of the fruit. I found the colour of the wine comes from the skins rather than the flesh of the fruit. It certainly seems an easier process than having to strain before brewing.

[GrannieAnnie]

When I was making a fruit based wine I didn't strain the fruit once it was crushed just ensured that all pips and green bits (leaves, stalks, etc) were removed and then fermented on the resulting cloudy must. I have a very good fine filter which filtered the finished wine twice before bottling, and the results were always clear and bright with the full taste of the fruit. I found the colour of the wine comes from the skins rather than the flesh of the fruit. It certainly seems an easier process than having to strain before brewing.

I read that for elderberry wine you would not want to leave it on the must too many days because of high tannin in the skins. Guess each fruit has its personality.

[PurpleHeather]

I have just opened a bottle of wine made in 2005 from my windfall apples which I put through the juicer first. This eliminated the need to 'strain' but when it gets to the final dregs for bottling I use coffee filter papers.

It is a lovely wine, a little sweet.

Did the same with a load of pears and this is much dryer but still quite good.

I prefer the apple/ OH the pear.

As I get so many apples and pears I do not add any water, just use pure juice. Heated to boiling point add 2lb of sugar to the gallon  a teaspoon of chardonay yeast and an anti pectin agent.

Instead of wine for soft fruits I have been making cordials using a rumtopf and vodka. I  litre bottle vodka one pound of soft fruit 1lb of sugar. stir for a week. then i put them through a plastic sieve, use the fruit for desserts and  then pass the liquid through the filter and bottle.

It makes about 2 bottles.

Strawberries and raspberries do not make good wine but they make a lovely cordial!