| Tips for choosing the best home-made wine | | | | liquid of too high a specific gravity and a liquid |
| ingredients: | | | | containing too many solids per part of water, (in |
| Fruits must be ripe, but not over-ripe. A few | | | | other words a liquid which is too thick) and this will |
| shriveled grapes or black currants are unlikely to | | | | take a very long time to clear. |
| harm a brew. In the case of larger fruits such as | | | | Because of this, you should never use more |
| plums, the doubtful ones should be taken out. | | | | ingredients than the recipe indicates. |
| The choice of roots (beetroot, parsnips, etc.) for | | | | About Straining: |
| wine-making purposes should not be dismissed so | | | | Fine muslin is best for straining mixtures produced |
| readily. The best, (or even the only) roots suitable | | | | when making root wines. Tie one piece on the tub |
| for wine-making are those that are old and | | | | - allowing sufficient sag - and place a second piece |
| shriveled. Parsnips that have been stored | | | | over this. |
| throughout the winter or left in the soil are at | | | | This top piece containing the solids can be lifted |
| their best for our purpose in March, as are old | | | | off without letting them fall into the brew. Jelly |
| potatoes purchased in June when the new ones | | | | bags or similar things made of suitable material |
| are coming in. They are ideal if they are well | | | | are needed for fruit juices, as will be seen in the |
| shriveled and/or sprouting. (Be sure to break off | | | | recipes. |
| the roots before using them.) | | | | About Sugar & Yeast: |
| These old roots contain less starch than the | | | | You should always use white sugar, and make |
| fresher ones, and we do not want starch in wines | | | | certain that all the sugar is dissolved before adding |
| because it slows down the clearing process. | | | | anything (like wheat or raisins) to the brew. If all |
| Besides this, when old roots are used, they flavor | | | | the sugar is not dissolved, the yeast might not |
| the wine less, and it is not in the least bit earthy. | | | | ferment properly & some of the sugar could |
| It is a mistake to believe that using additional | | | | settle in the form of syrup and be left in the lees |
| ingredients, (such as less water, or more sugar | | | | when they are thrown away. As a result of this, |
| yeast), than is indicated in the recipes, will produce | | | | the wine could turn out quite sharp. With a lot of |
| a more potent wine. The strength of wine is | | | | other ingredients in the brew, it is quite impossible |
| decided by the volume of alcohol in which the | | | | to tell whether all the sugar is dissolved or not. |
| yeast can live and continue to do its work, and | | | | Baker's yeast is all we need during this stage. This |
| not on the quantity of any ingredients. Too much | | | | can be purchased at your local bakery. Yeast is |
| sugar makes the wine far too sweet. More yeast | | | | added at the rate of one ounce per 1, 2 or 3 |
| makes no difference at all, simply because it | | | | gallons. |
| cannot make more alcohol than it can live in. Age | | | | Do not add the yeast too early...as a temperature |
| makes very little difference to the alcohol content | | | | well below boiling point will destroy the yeast |
| of wines. Too many ingredients will produce a | | | | organism and fermentation will not take place. |