Is a demijon necessary....

[johnc86]

I am about to go to pundland and pick up a couple of bottles of concentrated Ribena to have a back at making wine. However I only have beer making equiptment :? . can I use a fermentation bucket or is there a propper purpose to using a demijohn that Im missing?

Cheers.

 

[Moley]

Winemaking frequently starts off in a bucket, but usually only for the first week or so of vigorous fermentation. After that, when fermentation slows down, oxidation becomes a problem. A bucket is fine if it has a tight fitting lid while CO2 is retained in the fermenter, but once you start taking the lid off to check SG etc. that protective head will be lost, and then the surface area exposed to air needs to be reduced to a bare minimum. When winemaking can take several weeks or even months, that's why it should be in a sealed fermenter under airlock, and topped up right to the neck.

Glass demijohns aren't strictly necessary, and can be quite expensive if you have to buy new, so use Freecycle or check around the car boot sales. 5 litre plastic mineral water bottles are ideal, and should cost less than a quid from your local supermarket.


Oh, and make sure you get the Original Ribena which is loaded with sugar, and not the diet-friendlier version which is loaded with artificial sweeteners.

 

[johnc86]

I think know the type you mean, these things??

I picked up a 2l botle of Vimto, they didnt have any Ribena. will I be able to adapt a recipe to use all the Vimto, or will I end up with to much?

I already have some young wine yeast.

Would it be necessary to use an air lock With the 5l plastic water bottles?

 

[Barkie]

Yes, it's a good idea to use an airlock (bubbler) to let the CO2 safely escape and keep air, dust, flies, bacteria in the air etc out at the same time.

 

[Moley]

Those are exactly the sort of bottles I meant.

Drill a hole in the cap, 9mm is just about perfect but 8 or 10 will do.

If you have a Local HomeBrew Shop (or LHBS), tubular airlocks are around 50p. If you are using somewhere like Wilkinson's then you might have to buy 2 traps + 2 bungs for around £2.

You can get away (in the short term) with a piece of cling film loosely held on with a rubber band.

 

[johnc86]

Ok bought 2 on the way home. Also Ribena 1L all (all flavors) was BOGOF so i picked upa strawberry and a blackcurrent .

I plan now to use both Ribena's to make 2 separate batches. Ill use the Vimto another time.

Right then, Iv got a 7g sachet of young's wine yeast 'super compound'. Is this enough for one batch? Is it too much? Will it do both perhaps? Iv got a 100g tub of "dried active yeast, for use in wine-making and brewing" if i need more.....

Just need to know how much sugar yeast and water per 1l of Ribena and then I'm away I recon.

Cheers.

 

[Moley]

Your sachet of yeast compound will probably do both if you make up a starter bottle.

Find a 500ml pop bottle or a pint milk bottle, wash well and sterilise. Put in around 200ml of cooled, boiled water, a couple of tablespoonfuls of sugar and the juice of an orange or a lemon. Add your yeast, give it a good shake and plug it with cotton wool. Leave it for 6-8 hours and then share it between your two wines.

Dave (Corby_Brewer) is the Ribena expert, stick around and he'll probably come back to you with a recipe, or I will try to find a link a bit later on, after I've had my dinner.

 

[corby_brewer]

Dave (Corby_Brewer) is the Ribena expert, stick around and he'll probably come back to you with a recipe

This is the recipe i always follow, you can do away with the Cranberry juice, as ive made it with and without and to be totaly honest ther isnt any difference.

750 grams sugar
1 litre bottle strawberry ribena
1 litre asda cranberry juice

mixed sugar with ribena (and some of the cranberrie juice) and boiled gently for 15 mins in a pan to allow any preservatives to boil off and then skimmed scum off.

added a litre of cold water to demijohn, and the rest of the carton of cranberrie juice.
then added the sugar / ribena / cranberrie mix to the demijohn and topped up with water (to the shoulder only!)

allowed to cool to room temp
Then added :-
1 teaspoon of youngs yeast
1 teaspoon of youngs nutrient

 

[johnc86]

Is the nutrient necessary coz iv started it without.... :?

If it is needed I could always pitch the yeast tomorrow I suppose.....

Some recipe's list the juice of a lemon too. I take it this can be left out? What would it be for anyway?

Cheers.

 

[corby_brewer]

Is the nutrient necessary coz iv started it without.... :?

If it is needed I could always pitch the yeast tomorrow I suppose.....

Some recipe's list the juice of a lemon too. I take it this can be left out? What would it be for anyway?

Cheers.

The nutrient is there to give your yeast a kick start. The juice of the lemon is added inplace of citric acid, from my experiance with Ribena or Vimto wine there isnt any need to add it.

 

[johnc86]

Right. All done except for pitching the yeast as Im not sure weather to wait and get some nutrient tomorrow :wha: .

As I was not using the cranberry juice I just topped up with water to the neck, i think I read that right?

Here is what it looks like. I think I may have put a bit too much water in one.....

http://www.glowfoto.com/viewimage.php?i ... 0&srv=img4

 

[corby_brewer]

Top up to the shoulder only. then once the initial fementation is over top up to the neck.

 

[johnc86]

Bugger! Iv topped both up to about a couple few inches away from the neck .



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[corby_brewer]

It should be ok, just remember to stand then on a tray just in case you get a vocanic fementation.

 

[johnc86]

Sink it is! Would you pitch the yeast tonight or wait and get the nutriant? Also I dont have air locks, I was thinking of a very loose lid??? If not then i saw cling film suggested?

Cheers for the help :drink:

 

[johnc86]

One last thing, If I take a SG reading, what figure am I looking for??

 

[corby_brewer]

You might get away without adding any nutients. What temperature is it now? if it between 18 and 20oC then i would personly add the yeast.
As Moley said before, You can get away (in the short term) with a piece of cling film loosely held on with a rubber band.

 

[corby_brewer]

One last thing, If I take a SG reading, what figure am I looking for??

You will be looking for a SG of between 1.090 and 1.100

 

[johnc86]

Ok I took some readings.

Strawberry (which has slightly more water): 1070

Blackcurrent (which has less water): 1060

The temp is still way too high, was over 40........

 

[johnc86]

Wondering if my hydrometer is out? I was sure Id put in the right amout of sugar....I will get a new hydrometer today to be on the safe side.

If it turns out it does just need more sugar, is it just a case of adding more bit by bit and checking the gravity each time?

Wont any additional sugar just sink to the bottom if I add it to the Ribena at room temp?