# I'm making wine (Thanks Wikipedia!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 16, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363 "2005-11-16T19:26:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/41 "2005-11-18T04:33:41Z")
> [@Nanoda](#): > > Watch what you’re doing with some of that stuff - my dad is quite the expert at wine and beer… but back when I was 10 or so I’d seen a kit for Ginger beer next to the beer supplies and convinced him to buy it. I don’t know what was that different about it, but a few weeks later we were alerted to a problem with the popping noise of dozens of stubbies exploding under the bathroom counter. > > My mom got them outside wearing rubber dish gloves, an apron and my brother’s toy plastic motorcycle helmet. Good times. 😃 😛 Great story Nanoda. The same thing happens here occasionally. Some people use an apple drink called appletize to make a champaign-ish brew. You unscrew the top, place a single grain of yeast inside, and then screw it back down. The idea is to get it to ferment and carbonate at the same time. Unfortunately, Appletize bottles are not made for this and will sometimes explode quite violently. They will also chain-fire, one explosion sets off the next bottle and so-on. I know people that have wound up with a HUGE pile of broken glass soaked in semi-fermented apple drink. It is startlingly loud. Regards Testy ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/42 "2005-11-18T14:01:32Z")
Ok, I took some pics of the operation last night. Let me know how they look. [http://winepictures.blogspot.com/](http://winepictures.blogspot.com/) ---
**Author:** ![John\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@John\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_F)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/43 "2005-11-18T14:09:29Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > Let me know how they look. Niiiiiiice. What’s up with the solid bung on the apple/grape…you be careful now. 😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/44 "2005-11-18T14:50:16Z")
> [@Testy](#): > > I know people that have wound up with a HUGE pile of broken glass soaked in semi-fermented apple drink. It is startlingly loud. I’ve had beer do that before, once just as I was lifting the bottle from the case. I didn’t need stitches, but my arm and face looked liked I’d been wrestling a badger. Ouch. I backed off on the priming sugar after that one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/45 "2005-11-18T15:32:44Z")
> [@Testy](#): > > I have wanted to go down to the vegetable market and pick up several cases of grapes and start from scratch. Do you think this would be an improvement? Or would it simply be some hassle for little return? Regardless of the labor issue, this is a bad idea because of the wild yeast strains (or “bloom”) that are found on grapes. These wild yeasts can out-muscle bread yeasts and slam dunk any wimpy champagne yeast and take over the fermentation. And you don’t want that to happen because wild yeasts produce a terrible taste when they eat sugar and die. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/46 "2005-11-18T15:50:57Z")
> [@John F](#): > > Niiiiiiice. > > What’s up with the solid bung on the apple/grape…you be careful now. 😃😃 Thats actually the Pear juice which just got transfered from the fermenter. Sometimes the racking causes an increase in yeast acitvity which causes the foam to push out of the lock. That’s what happened in that case, foam pushed itself throught the airlock. I cleaned it up after taking the photos. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/47 "2005-11-18T16:16:50Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I’ve had beer do that before, once just as I was lifting the bottle from the case. I didn’t need stitches, but my arm and face looked liked I’d been wrestling a badger. Ouch. I backed off on the priming sugar after that one. 😃 Silenus But was the beer good? That sounds horrible, especially when there is no way to tell whether a given bottle is going to let go or not. It makes them all somewhat suspect. You need to get a case of these empty Rauch juice bottles. The things are seriously heavy and have a bail arrangement holding down a solid plastic or ceramic, rubber-gasketed, cap. I have heard of people adding enough sugar to lift the cap but I’ve never heard of one actually exploding. I wonder if they sell this in the US? I have a suspicion that they only produce this for the Saudi market since the country has a seriously powerful thirst for grape juice. 😛 Regards Testy ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/48 "2005-11-18T16:21:02Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > Ok, I took some pics of the operation last night. > Let me know how they look. [http://winepictures.blogspot.com/](http://winepictures.blogspot.com/) I’d kill for a rig like that! 😛 I’d post pics of my own but it’d be A) Embarrasing and B) Potential evidence. 😛 Regards Testy ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/49 "2005-11-18T16:23:15Z")
I’ve used Grolsch bottles before…same arrangement. Nowadays, I just keg the stuff and skip all the bottling crap. 😃 IIRC, the beer was pretty good. I think I won a few ribbons with the bottles that were properly carbonated. An IPA, it was. ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/50 "2005-11-18T16:26:04Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > Regardless of the labor issue, this is a bad idea because of the wild yeast strains (or “bloom”) that are found on grapes. > > These wild yeasts can out-muscle bread yeasts and slam dunk any wimpy champagne yeast and take over the fermentation. > > And you don’t want that to happen because wild yeasts produce a terrible taste when they eat sugar and die. Thanks. Point taken on the wild yeast. As an OBTW, isn’t there some kind of medeivel ale that is made using whatever blows in with the fruit? I can’t find anything but I’m sure I read an article about this. I remember that it was described as having a very different taste to modern brews. Regards Testy ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/51 "2005-11-18T16:31:16Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I’ve used Grolsch bottles before…same arrangement. Nowadays, I just keg the stuff and skip all the bottling crap. 😃 > > IIRC, the beer was pretty good. I think I won a few ribbons with the bottles that were properly carbonated. An IPA, it was. We’re talking a whole different order of operations here. I lust for a proper keg. A few people have managed to more-or-less **build** a keg out of stainless and use welding fittings and other hardware-store stuff for the carbonation. It is well past my mechanical abilities to do this, unfortunately. What is an “IPA”? Testy ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/52 "2005-11-18T16:31:35Z")
That would be Belgian lambics, among others. Wonderful beers. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/53 "2005-11-18T16:34:09Z")
IPA = India Pale Ale. Bass, in other words. Except I think that particular brew was an American IPA, which means it was a Sierra Nevada clone, with a ton of Cascade hops on the finish. My kegging system is basically a bunch of 5 gallon soda kegs, with a CO2 source and a tap. Damn, now I’m thirsty! ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/54 "2005-11-18T16:41:18Z")
> [@Testy](#): > > Fruit is surprisingly easy to come by for being in the middle of a howling desert. I can get just about anything in the way of fruit. I’m not sure about the kiwis though. Can’t stand those hairy little buggers. Strawberry could be interesting but it might also be a bit too much like Boone’s Farm. 😛 > What about blackberry? Has anyone tried this? I see bags of frozen blackberries in the supermarket quite frequently. > > Regards > > Testy Blackberry’s my all-time favourite. You need three pounds for every UK gallon (160 oz) you’re planning to make. Mash 'em up (after defrosting, if you’re buying 'em frozen) and pour over a few pints of boiling water. Cool to room temperature and add yeast. Cover and allow to ferment for about three days. Now remove the liquor from the pulp, _only now_ add the sugar syrup (making up the liquid volume as you do) and ferment under lock as before. Note: Blackberry can go absolutely apeshit when the sugar hits it. It’s often wise to leave a lot - maybe 1/4 capacity - as airspace for the first few days, reserving some of the liquor in another bottle (stoppered with cotton wool) until things calm down. You should end up with a rich port-coloured drink that is extremely full-bodied and flavourful. Blackberry ought to make a good flavouring when added in smaller quantities to red grape juice, too. ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/55 "2005-11-18T16:51:04Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > IPA = India Pale Ale. Bass, in other words. Except I think that particular brew was an American IPA, which means it was a Sierra Nevada clone, with a ton of Cascade hops on the finish. > > My kegging system is basically a bunch of 5 gallon soda kegs, with a CO2 source and a tap. > > Damn, now I’m thirsty! Well, I can sympathize with the desire. I’m about to have a glass of my “inadvertant port” myself. Fascinating stuff on the Lambics. I wonder what you could produce with the same technique if you were, say, downwind of Detroit, or maybe New Jersey. 😛 Regards Testy ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/56 "2005-11-18T16:56:49Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Blackberry’s my all-time favourite. You need three pounds for every UK gallon (160 oz) you’re planning to make. Mash 'em up (after defrosting, if you’re buying 'em frozen) and pour over a few pints of boiling water. Cool to room temperature and add yeast. Cover and allow to ferment for about three days. Now remove the liquor from the pulp, _only now_ add the sugar syrup (making up the liquid volume as you do) and ferment under lock as before. > > Note: Blackberry can go absolutely apeshit when the sugar hits it. It’s often wise to leave a lot - maybe 1/4 capacity - as airspace for the first few days, reserving some of the liquor in another bottle (stoppered with cotton wool) until things calm down. > > You should end up with a rich port-coloured drink that is extremely full-bodied and flavourful. Blackberry ought to make a good flavouring when added in smaller quantities to red grape juice, too. Malacandra Thanks for this. I’ve seen a few recipes but nothing that was actually recommended by anyone except the author. I’ll give this a try in a couple of days as soon as my yeast cultures are done. I am also starting to get some resistance from my better-half as these fermenters are in the kitchen. She gets a bit peeved if one bubbles over. 😛 Thanks and all the best Testy ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/57 "2005-12-10T05:59:09Z")
**Bruce\_Daddy** Just a quick check on how your wine is doing? Is it still bubbling? Your audience is dying to know! 😃 Regards Testy ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/58 "2005-12-10T07:18:11Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > Ok, I took some pics of the operation last night. > Let me know how they look. [http://winepictures.blogspot.com/](http://winepictures.blogspot.com/) Argh, you have a demon girl in your latest picture (Dec 7th, 8:41pm). ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/59 "2005-12-10T11:15:43Z")
> [@Testy](#): > > **Bruce\_Daddy** > > Just a quick check on how your wine is doing? Is it still bubbling? Your audience is dying to know! 😃 > > Regards > > Testy Well thanks for asking. It’s coming along just fine, my airlock is still bubbling once every couple of seconds, so I’m still waiting for that to finish. On a side note, I tried to start a batch of lemonade but I dumped it after a week of no action, I’m guessing the acid killed the yeast. I’ve enjoyed comparing notes with **Casey1505** who is currently attempting his first batch of [cider](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=348000). I’m sure, however, that mine is going to turn out wonderfully and his will be hell’s skunk. ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363/60 "2005-12-11T06:58:08Z")
> [@Bruce\_Daddy](#): > > Well thanks for asking. It’s coming along just fine, my airlock is still bubbling once every couple of seconds, so I’m still waiting for that to finish. On a side note, I tried to start a batch of lemonade but I dumped it after a week of no action, I’m guessing the acid killed the yeast. > > I’ve enjoyed comparing notes with **Casey1505** who is currently attempting his first batch of [cider](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=348000). I’m sure, however, that mine is going to turn out wonderfully and his will be hell’s skunk. If my own experience of cider is anything to go by, yes it will. 😛 Anyway, best of luck and let us all know how it’s going Regards Testy [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-wine-thanks-wikipedia/331363.md?page=4)