WOW - finally lost my virginity!

[klaus]

Just back from a trip to Germany, bottle of Hansa Export beer next to me and watching my first ever batch of WOW bubbling away.

Used the standard recipe, 1 L OJ, 1 L Grape Juice, 1.5 lbs sugar, plus Tannin, Nutrient, Glycerine and Pectolase. Yeast deployed is Young Super Wine Yeast (good value at about £2 for a small bottle). Airlock got busy after about 20 minutes, I would call this Turbo WOW.

SG was 1.086 so this should end up at around 10/11%.
I will wait patiently ....

 

[Marrsy86]

Congrats on the brew hope it turns out well :) I'm starting my first WoW style wine this weekend, just can't decidevwhat type.

Cheers

Marrsy

 

[WelshJohn]

I gotta ask this, its killing me a little inside... Whats WOW? Im a complete newbie and I see everyones having a go. The recipe seems straightforward, did you make up to 5L with water? And can you use tea as tannin?

 

[Moley]

I gotta ask this, its killing me a little inside... Whats WOW?

Wurzel's Orange Wine

You can also make other juice wines to the same method, but always using one grape juice + one other, e.g. white grape & pineapple or red grape & cranberry.

 

[klaus]

did you make up to 5L with water? And can you use tea as tannin?

Yes, with the sugar dissolved in hot water, add juice and a pint of cold water then the sugar water to bring down the temperature. A cup of strong tea is recommended but I have never used that, just Youngs Tannin. Maybe I'll try tea next. Good luck.

 

[klaus]

Fermentation is now vigorous with bubbles racing through the airlock. There is about a quarter inch trub floating on top but nothing to worry about as I am still on the 4 litre mark.

 

[jasea3632]

: CONGRATS :
Once you go WOW you never go back lol
For anyone thinking of making this i would always suggest the original WOW to start with, I made one about 5-6 weeks ago and have drunk 2 of the 5 bottles its that damn good so after experimenting with a few variants i have now stuck on 2 gallons of wow to keep me going lol where else can you get 10 bottles of nice wine for less than 4 quid ?????
Oh and yes it ferments like a rocket so keep it in a tray or as i do loose in a plastic bag so that when its blown thru the airlock it dont go all over the floor
Jase :drink:

 

[Forkbeard]

I must have made a good fifty, sixty bottles of WOW so far and not one of them actually with orange juice. I'll have to get round to that one day...

 

[klaus]

[quote="jasea3632
Oh and yes it ferments like a rocket so keep it in a tray or as i do loose in a plastic bag so that when its blown thru the airlock it dont go all over the floor
Jase :drink:[/quote]

I use a big round washing up bowl which takes DJs and small buckets (place in kitchen corner). The 5 Gal vessels I put in a place where leaks wouldn't do much damage.

 

[Peapodmaster]

Going to make this tomorrow! must do so! anyone give me the best mix? or just the orange one is the best?

 

[jasea3632]

I'd just go original peapod and i'll guarantee within 2 months you'll be drinking it,
I've done a rgj and blueberry one and a pineapple one but after tasting the original at only 1 and a bit months i've drunk 2 bottles already so i scrapped plans for more experiments and did 2 more gallons to get a stock going

 

[klaus]

Today topped up to the 1 Gal level - activity a bit slower now and no risk of a blow out now (started Monday eve).
Fair amount of sediment but this will settle I expect.

 

[Bertie Doe]

Used the standard recipe, 1 L OJ, 1 L Grape Juice, 1.5 lbs sugar, plus Tannin, Nutrient, Glycerine and Pectolase. Yeast deployed is Young Super Wine Yeast (good value at about £2 for a small bottle). Airlock got busy after about 20 minutes, I would call this Turbo WOW.

I started my first WOW just 24 hours ago. I followed Moley's recipe except I made the mistake of using too much water to dilute the sugar, so I've been forced to hold back the litre of white grape juice to top-up later. Even without the grape, I'm getting one bubble every two seconds. :wha: .... it must be the tea.

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

Oh and yes it ferments like a rocket so keep it in a tray or as i do loose in a plastic bag so that when its blown thru the airlock it dont go all over the floor
Jase :drink:

Or don't top it up to 1gal until you're sure it isn't going to overbubble!

 

[klaus]

Since last Tuesday, WOW activity has virtually ceased with a bubble every minute.
The FG reading was approx. 0.996, a drop of 90 from the OG which gives about 12%.
Quite pleased with that and the taste is already good but will definitely improve over time.
So 1 CT for now and in a couple of days (when I have the time) first rack and stabilising.

Yesterday bottled the Youngs medium white, 5.5 bottles. Today noticed one of them leaking
just a titch so whipped out the cork and inserted a fresh one.

Next brew will be the Christmas Beer from Brewferm - can is waiting on the shelve.

All in all a fairly smooth return to the craft after a few years absence - also still have four bottles of wine dating back to 2003, three Vermouth and one unlabeled. Very confident all these are quite drinkable.

 

[klaus]

On Friday, racked and stabilised my first WOW. Clearing nicely since then. I am in two minds whether I should use finings or filter. Unearthed my old Brewmaker wine filter with a set of spare Harris filter pads so might just wait another week or two and then try filtering.
I also drained the dreggs into a small Coke bottle (loads of sediment) but it had settled by today and and had a large glass with my dinner - I must say I am impressed, very good taste, acidiy, and good mouth-feel (glycerin!).
Once my Christmas Beer is bottled (in about 10 days) I'll start another WOW straight away (same recipe just to up stocks). I am a bit stretched for space so I am only doing small quantities .....
Suppose this is the conclusion to this thread. Once I get more adventurous I'll let yo know.
Thanks for all comments and encouragement.