I want to thank you for the journey that you've inspired me to start on. I would have never known the things we were capable of, if you didn't show us. I feel so much healthier and fulfilled. YAH is truly working through you. I've been doing vinegars, starters, tinctures, syrups and now... Wine! It's all thanks to you, keep doing what you're doing ❤
I never had a sister ,but you my dear have been such a great pleasure to watch and learn something I finally can use for my health . Love ,peace sister love God bless .
Hi Heidi, This series has been so interesting. And you make this a lot easier to do than other examples I have seen. I’m so encouraged to try this!! Thanks for the education!! Love, Mary❤️😘❤️
This looks like an awesomely fulfilling project. I love cooking with wine, and want to make some for your extract recipes. Thank you for these tutorials.
I used to have a lot of fish tanks and I would syphon them out to do the water changes and I wasn’t as lucky as you with getting it in my mouth!!😂 Another great video! Going to watch more of this series tonight. 😊
Thank you so much for your content. Started this morning watching grape juice. Huge pot of our homegrown grapes simmering now, and by the end of the wine series, an hour later.. I now have a gal of mead going and two more ferment starts. Rasp and blackberry. Your how to bids have been soooo valuable to me, the again!!
For the record, I do not simmer my grapes down anymore for wine. I have since found that freezing first, then thawing and crushing or pressing makes a more superior wine. You must have seen my very first youtube instructional video on that but I think I covered the process in my new part one of the wine making series: th-cam.com/video/QHL5p9xzyas/w-d-xo.html
Oh how rad, at last I figured out how to comment on you tube! I really love your videos, Heidi, thanks so much for providing all this information. You give me a lot of ideas! I'm Heidi too, homesteading in another corner of the great 'North Wet'. Anyway, I have used those dregs as yeast in bread making and starting sour dough. Works great. Just needs a little time to develop into a good strong dough.
thank you, rain country, i learned a lot from ur video. and u speak simple n clear english, that i can understand about 90%. can we use wine yeast to replace the starter?
@@RainCountryHomestead watching ur video remind me in university, where we just touch the principal n the science behind. the rest is u to you. thanks agian.
Thank you Heidi, just finished straining my fist batch of blueberry mead net step and waiting to rack.Daughter came in and said that smells like beer so maybe I did it right.
I’ll have to get some of that wider hose for when I want it to go faster. I’ve been using the skinny hose for water to a fridge dispenser, 1/4” size, cause that’s what I had on hand. I’ve been using a close pin at the top of the container I am moving from to keep the hose in place above the sediment handsfree, but still sometimes the wait is too long.
Seriously if anyone fussed about how you siphoned it they’re silly! Your wine, your house, your cooties! Hahahaha I’d do it the same way and I will soon as I start my first batch. Been waiting on this last video and now I can start. TFS. Love, hugs and blessings ~The Kid! 💜
Rain Country it's really easy for folks that WANT TO JUDGE to find reasons for it. You already tell folks to do their own research. Let it ( like water) roll off your duck feathers & Quack!!!.
Hello Heidi I love this series. I wanting to start making wine and mead and just wondering what I should use to sterilize my equipment. I don't want to use chemical sterilizers. Can I just wash my gallon jugs and bottles and set them in the sun?
God is good, all the time, and All the time, Go is good. Love your videos and was wondering if you have made raisin wine? I could use some direction from I trust and directions on how many raisins and if I need to add sugar because I am making raisin vineger and did not need any for that.
Never made it and can only guess the amount of raisins needed. You would likely need sugar. I recommend looking at my mead making recipe, might be a better option for using the raisins: th-cam.com/video/cZnyG-I5YJI/w-d-xo.html
I am making wine now and will be ready for 2nd ferment in a few days. I am so excited to see the end result! I love your ideas for it's many uses. I thought you did a video on making mead but I cannot find it. If you do have one could you send the link? Thank you so much for your efforts to share all you do.
No, I do not have a mead making video, I might do one some day but I currently have a good supply of both wine and mead and honey is not cheap here when you do not have your own bees. The basics are the same though, three cups of honey and one cup of homemade fermentation starter for each gallon of mead. I would typically add a cup of pureed fruit for flavor.
Today was the date to add more sugar to my peach and white grape wine but it is still pretty sweet. It is bubbling nicely. Should I wait another week? If it tastes like I want, do I still need added sugar to finish the process? Thanks!
I add more sugar at about a week, it should taste pretty sweet as it has not had a lot of time to work through the sugars at that point. You do not have to add more sugar but keep in mind the end alcohol content will be lower
The link is in the i Card at the upper right hand corner of the video. You have to touch your screen or over your cursor over the video as it is playing and you will see an "i" appear in the upper corner. You click on (or touch) that i and any videos I link there will show in a drop down menu. The wine making playlist is the only In case you are having trouble seeing the icards (Some people's devices sometimes have issues with those), here is the link to the playlist: th-cam.com/video/kM0VQ2x_lvY/w-d-xo.html
I've had my racking cane syphon apparatus for about 10 years, I think I paid less than $15 for it and it is so worth the money because it was a good investment that I am still using, it saves me so much time, and I get more liquid from the fermenting vessel because it has a filter on the end that is reusable, and easy to clean, it has a mechanical on off pin in the end near the filter that when you push down in the bottom of the fermenting vessel and pump the cane it begins to syphon, then to stop it when I want to go to the next bottle I just pick up a little so pin isn't touching bottom of fermenting vessel and it stops without losing suction then put in next bottle and touch pin down again to continue. I like mine because I can put it all the way to bottom of the fermenting vessel and then rack into individual bottles because filter keeps sediment back. I rack one time into the bottles and that's it, done and let it age.
@@RainCountryHomestead yes I saw that good for you, there are many uses for the sediment, I use mine too, I still have sediment just not much liquid in it. I wasn't criticizing you sweetie, I was sharing my own experience with my racking apparatus because it isn't expensive and is a good investment and lasts many years.
Best use is in cooking but really, you can use it in pretty much any application you use wine in, I have a video just on the many uses of homemade wine: th-cam.com/video/frP2wgyOMDU/w-d-xo.html
Hello!! Thank you so much for sharing all your videos they are so appreciated!!I have a question Fairly new to fermentation. Have learned kombucha and sour dough. Now I am trying to learn wine. I made my own fermentation out of raisens as suggested on the video. Seems to be good and bubbly and I feed it when suggested. I added to my jug with the fruit (fresh pineapple) then a few days later added my & sugar water. It's been almost 3 weeks and all I have gotten is this. Any suggestions? I live in Louisiana so I have a lot of moisture here .. my other fermentations work fine... Just not sure if i should just dump it and start over. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
@@RainCountryHomestead my apologies I tried to post a picture but it didn't give me the option and I forgot to change my question to reflect. I have about barley 1/2 inch or so of bubbles. I did do some research and I think I just need to be patient? Unless you have another su. Thank you 😊
Hi Heidi, my berry wine just finished fermenting and I will rack it tomorrow, I just tried it and it’s not sweet, I’ve heard of back-sweetening but I’m not sure what that means, is that something you do? Should I be stopping the fermentation a few day’s earlier rather than letting it go all the way? ♥️
I make what I call a rhubarb margarita wine because of how the flavor turns out. To accentuate it and make the flavor better, I add a cup of lime juice to the gallon jug and a cup of raw honey for sweetening and people love it. I even have a video on it in this wine making playlist
Thank you so much for all your videos! I tired making wine years ago. I stopped because 1) turned to vinegar lol and 2) It was soo complicated. Your method is very easy to understand and do! love it! I do have a question. I am trying to figure out what I should do next. I started cherry wine from the juice of frozen cherries I saved for canning pie filling. It is a week old today... But it has not even let 1 bubble out the airlock yet. But it is pushing the water to one side in the airlock so something is happening just not much. There is a thin ring of tiny bubbles around the top. My thoughts are...1) starter wasn't active enough. 2) My house is too cold. 3) maybe not enough sugar added at the beginning (2cups). I am probably over thinking it but any help would be greatly appreciated.
Actually, adding TOO much sugar at the beginning can slow or prevent a ferment, two cups is just right when you are talking straight juice. You do not want to add a third cup until it has been very active for a couple of days. If your house is cold, yes it can slow it down but you may also have a slow leak in your air lock (on the side where it is empty of water) or it just needs to be seated in the jug better. If you are seeing bubbles at the top and the water is pushed to one side, the starter is working fine
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you I will give it more time to get "going". I was leaning towards it being too cold in the house. I did move it to a warmer area but not many warmer areas around here lol last night got down to 39f here in Wisconsin. Thanks again!
Hi Heidi I just racked off my very first bottle of grape wine today. I added the extra cup of sugar at two week. It is pretty sweet but has a good flavor do you have any suggestions to help with the sweetness? Thank you 😊
You can put the airlock back on it and ferment it for another week or so to work through more of the sugars. I believe in my newer part one of this series I explained that it is best to add that last cup of sugar at least a few days after it has been bubbling well but to not wait until the two week mark as for some wines and meads, it can be too late adding it in then
Hi Hiedi, I've been watching your videos and you have inspired me to start my own self independent journey. Thank you. I was wondering if you could dehydrate the sediment and use it that way?
For anything really, breads, cooking with it or even salad dressings. Kinda like your mixed green mix. I thought it might be more shelf stable if it was dehydrated.
@@RainCountryHomestead really, wow...I try your practices I like it , you share recipes with out added any preservative, how long it takes months or a years your wine be preserve in the bottle, I mean a finish products,
@@richardbastetvseries2780 They will keep for years but we do not necessary wait to use them. I find these taste best when used within the first year but if properly stored, they can hold their flavor for years
wondering why not syphon it into a clean jug and done - that is what I am going to try today! would that remaining sediment have a use in starting the next batch of wine???
As far as the clean jug, yes, you can do that, I just got in the habit of using a bucket for a couple reasons and one is that I do not always have a spare jug. I personally would not use the sediment to start another batch, I just use it up in other ways, but you can try it if you want
@@RainCountryHomestead I thought afterwards you probably don't have too many empty jugs.... Syphoning went well, I put the new jug in the sink was low enough. And I put the sediment in the salad dressing. Was just wondering if it would be helpful for starting , but hey, we got fermentation starter😊
My goodness it must be so grand to be able to LIVE OFF THE LAND!!! *sigh* so lovely!!! I’m binge watching your videos and I’m so inspired! Peace and many blessings! Also, where did you get your dehydrator from? I’d like to start growing and harvesting as much things I can, I’d like to store them too. I have a gas oven so I was wondering if, for now, I would be able to dehydrate stuff that way?
Amber Raglin she posts link to her nesco dehydrators on amazon in the more info box. Yes the pilot light on gas Stove oven is enough to dehydrate. Gramma used to do this to dry beans.
Okay I have watched the whole series and plan on giving this a try. So Mead is made with fruit and honey, and wine is made with juice and sugar plus a fermentation starter. Is that correct? If I don't have a starter will it still work? I am learning so much from you, thank you very much.
Mead is made with honey and water, fruit is an option to add flavor. Wine is made with juice and sugar. While the fermentation for either is unnecessary, I use it in both to get it started and insure it will indeed ferment and I recommend it. If the juice you use is not raw, it is unlikely you will get a good ferment. As easy as it is to make a starter from fresh or dried fruit or herbs, I recommend getting that going first before starting on the wine or mead
Hi Heidi, Please forgive me if you’ve answered this elsewhere. After the 30 days and the wine stops bubbling, does it change after it has been bottled? That is, does it get stronger or less sweet with time or is whatever it is when you bottle it?
After it is bottled the flavor may change as it ages but it is unlikely it would get stronger. Maybe less sweet over time if there was any sweetness remaining in it. Keeping in an airtight bottle in a dark area should help retain a good flavor.
@@RainCountryHomestead great, thank you so much Heidi. I tasted my apple wine today (30 days out) and I was shocked at how good it tasted! I racked it once and may rack one more time then bottle. I am using those nice amber olive oil bottles (terra delyssa) and also bought wine bottles and corks. This is so much fun!😊
@@bonniesammons2348 I am finding the wines I store in those avocado oil bottles always seems to hold its good flavor far better than when I put it back in the clear jugs. I think part of it is because they are dark but also because the lid has a better seal on it than my jugs do
I only recently started acquiring recycled wine bottles from a family member and yes, that is the plan for future wines. Here is a video showing other recycled bottles I use for wine: th-cam.com/video/WmO0Qiy_v4s/w-d-xo.html
@@RainCountryHomestead thank you for replying. I have seen that video I just wasn’t sure if you were also using old wine bottles. If you are how would you seal them?
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you so much for all your answers. It is much appreciated. And I saw your post about the little bed for your grand baby. Aren’t grand-babies wonderful. Nothing like it!❤️
Hi Heidi. How do you (or did you before you got a press) juice fruit like plums and peaches, for wine making? Also, do you use blackberries/blackberry juice undiluted for winemaking, or do you dilute it or mix it with other juices first? Blackberries seem awfully strong to use on their own, and you would need so many of them to get a gallon of juice!
For grapes I still press by hand, for other fruits I would simply process in the blender and add to meads like that. For berries, like blackberries and using in wine making, freezing, mashing by hand then straining through a cloth to get the juice out is what I have and still do. And yes, I found the blackberry is best when blending with grape juice. When I use mostly blackberries, the color turns out almost black and the flavor is not quite as good. I say no more than a 1:1 ratio of grape to blackberry
It may not have as much sediment but it will still get some when it is made. If the juice has sugar added, I cannot be certain but if it does not, the sugar you add would be the same
My peaches are getting ripe I want to try to make wine do they have to be extra ripe so they'll be juicier. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you so much you are great.
I was wondering, if you ever tried to make dandelion wine or calendula wine? I do not have many berries, but I do have plenty of calendula flowers right now.
Mead made with fruit in it is a melomel. You know sweetie I'm vertically challenged in the other direction, (scars all over my head) but still, I always put the carboy in the sink before filling it...
Which is always wise, especially with me! haha! Though for videos, I always try to keep things localized when shooting so I am not doing a lot of back and forth.
@@RainCountryHomestead the bottles seem pretty thick and a couple of my juniper vinegars shot out like Champaign when opened without the bottles having broken so I think they may workout. The lemonade that comes in them originally is pretty carbonated.
I do that from time to time but only with those that have a lot of pulp, filtering like that though will still not remove all the sediment as it is very small.
How come you don't need/use a finishing chemical to stop the yeast from continuing to ferment? I've been searching for a wine making process that uses zero store bought chemicals and it seems your process achieves this.
CHOCOLATE MILK WINE!!! hahaha!!! Thank you for posting this series on wine making. My mom did it the same way ... no fancy gadgets. Do you know the alcohol content? You mentioned before about making tinctures. I always thought it had to be 80 proof vodka. I remember your video about glycerin, and will have to look that one up again. I have purchased several tinctures by Herb Pharm, and they are made with cane alcohol. YEUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!! I put it directly under my tongue so it gets into my blood stream faster, but, it BURNS. SO. BAD!!! And tastes JUST AWFUL!!! Hugs, love & prayers
A true tincture is made with 80 proof and above, if made with anything less than that, it is then just an extracts. All tinctures are extracts but not all extracts are tinctures (much like all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are square - did I just make that more confusing now? haha) Anyway, I cover some of this in my Uses for Homemade Wine that is set to publish in a few weeks :)
I know the difference between wine and vinegar making as I have been doing and teaching both for years and the importance of prevent oxygen in wine and allowing it in vinegar and if you watched ALL parts of this series, that would be quite clear so I have no idea what you are referring to as it is all stored in air tight containers. I have pulled wine out that was several years old and it was amazing, NOT vinegar.
@@RainCountryHomestead I wasn't questioning your skills, I'm just trying to understand. Apologies. I will watch the other three parts -- what I was referring to here was (5:15-6:15) after you got done racking the wine, you poured it back into the jug with a lot of splashing. Other makers seem to be super paranoid about incorporating any oxygen at that stage. Anyways, thanks for following up on these older videos and all the knowledge you share.
@@RainCountryHomestead To hear these other guys, you'd think it is instant death, but I grew up in the rural south, and I doubt they did any of that either. I watched a lady in India put the grapes into a gallon jar and smashed them with an old stick. I want to make natural wine. Thanks.
@@billybass6419 The funny thing is alcohol sanitizes things anyway. I think for some it is about being snobby about how they make their wines but the process does not at all need to be complicated nor need a bunch of added ingredients.
Hum Heidi, I think you must have learn how to Siphon Gas when you were younger.. *wink* My brother use to siphon gas from one car to another when he did not have money.
I want to thank you for the journey that you've inspired me to start on. I would have never known the things we were capable of, if you didn't show us. I feel so much healthier and fulfilled. YAH is truly working through you. I've been doing vinegars, starters, tinctures, syrups and now... Wine! It's all thanks to you, keep doing what you're doing ❤
I never had a sister ,but you my dear have been such a great pleasure to watch and learn something I finally can use for my health . Love ,peace sister love God bless .
I love the simple method you present. It so straight forward and much easier than the fancy mansy vidoesIve seen. Thank you❤
Hi Heidi, This series has been so interesting. And you make this a lot easier to do than other examples I have seen. I’m so encouraged to try this!! Thanks for the education!! Love, Mary❤️😘❤️
This looks so simple thanks...Why people using yeast ?anybody
Great tutorial; thanks for sharing! I want to try frozen strawberries for wine.
Thank for Education how to made homemake vine !!!
This looks like an awesomely fulfilling project. I love cooking with wine, and want to make some for your extract recipes. Thank you for these tutorials.
Another great video to the series! Must bookmark this series for a later date.
P.s. your videos are so demystifying compared to recipes in text. So suuuuuper helpful!!
So interesting..and I love the handles on your cupboard doors..
I love your enthusiasm thanks for sharing x
I used to have a lot of fish tanks and I would syphon them out to do the water changes and I wasn’t as lucky as you with getting it in my mouth!!😂 Another great video! Going to watch more of this series tonight. 😊
Fish water, yum yum (not!). Been there! Lol
Thank you, Heidi.
Thank you so much for your content. Started this morning watching grape juice. Huge pot of our homegrown grapes simmering now, and by the end of the wine series, an hour later.. I now have a gal of mead going and two more ferment starts. Rasp and blackberry. Your how to bids have been soooo valuable to me, the again!!
For the record, I do not simmer my grapes down anymore for wine. I have since found that freezing first, then thawing and crushing or pressing makes a more superior wine. You must have seen my very first youtube instructional video on that but I think I covered the process in my new part one of the wine making series: th-cam.com/video/QHL5p9xzyas/w-d-xo.html
Oh how rad, at last I figured out how to comment on you tube! I really love your videos, Heidi, thanks so much for providing all this information. You give me a lot of ideas! I'm Heidi too, homesteading in another corner of the great 'North Wet'. Anyway, I have used those dregs as yeast in bread making and starting sour dough. Works great. Just needs a little time to develop into a good strong dough.
This was a very interesting series...very enjoyable...A must try......Thank you
would be fun to see you and Mary's Nest do a video together ladies!!!!
We have done a couple of collaborations like this one: th-cam.com/video/Iv8Pi-KJmDU/w-d-xo.html
Thanx. It is so interesting. Waiting to see the many uses of wine on the homestead. Many blessings.
thank you, rain country, i learned a lot from ur video. and u speak simple n clear english, that i can understand about 90%. can we use wine yeast to replace the starter?
Yes, you can but just know the starter is super easy to make with whatever fruit or herb you have on hand, fresh or dried
@@RainCountryHomestead watching ur video remind me in university, where we just touch the principal n the science behind. the rest is u to you. thanks agian.
Thank you Heidi, just finished straining my fist batch of blueberry mead net step and waiting to rack.Daughter came in and said that smells like beer so maybe I did it right.
Hi Heidi! Great series! Why not sifon the wine from the bucket back to the bottle? Hehe... I'm vertically challenged too. 😀
I’ll have to get some of that wider hose for when I want it to go faster. I’ve been using the skinny hose for water to a fridge dispenser, 1/4” size, cause that’s what I had on hand. I’ve been using a close pin at the top of the container I am moving from to keep the hose in place above the sediment handsfree, but still sometimes the wait is too long.
Ok This is no.4 wine video , racking
Thank you for showing us this series! I am going to try this. What fruit is your absolute favorite to start with?
A combination of raspberries and white grapes or blackberries and white grapes is what we like best for flavor
Seriously if anyone fussed about how you siphoned it they’re silly! Your wine, your house, your cooties! Hahahaha I’d do it the same way and I will soon as I start my first batch. Been waiting on this last video and now I can start. TFS. Love, hugs and blessings ~The Kid! 💜
Thank you Lisa, I am sure someone watching this will freak out as I have had people get fussy about how I wear my hair! haha
Rain Country it's really easy for folks that WANT TO JUDGE to find reasons for it. You already tell folks to do their own research. Let it ( like water) roll off your duck feathers & Quack!!!.
haha! Thanks Edie :)
Rain Country you're welcome. Seeds received. Now to figure out where to put them.
That is always my issue, get new seeds or plants, NOW what? haha
Thank you! I shared this with Harvey so he’ll have an idea what his BlackBerry mead will/might look like. 😉
Hello Heidi
I love this series. I wanting to start making wine and mead and just wondering what I should use to sterilize my equipment. I don't want to use chemical sterilizers. Can I just wash my gallon jugs and bottles and set them in the sun?
I personally never sterilize, I just wash and allow to dry, however, the sun idea is excellent. UV rays sterilize everything :)
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you so much for your reply. ❤
God is good, all the time, and All the time, Go is good. Love your videos and was wondering if you have made raisin wine? I could use some direction from I trust and directions on how many raisins and if I need to add sugar because I am making raisin vineger and did not need any for that.
Never made it and can only guess the amount of raisins needed. You would likely need sugar. I recommend looking at my mead making recipe, might be a better option for using the raisins: th-cam.com/video/cZnyG-I5YJI/w-d-xo.html
I am making wine now and will be ready for 2nd ferment in a few days. I am so excited to see the end result! I love your ideas for it's many uses. I thought you did a video on making mead but I cannot find it. If you do have one could you send the link? Thank you so much for your efforts to share all you do.
No, I do not have a mead making video, I might do one some day but I currently have a good supply of both wine and mead and honey is not cheap here when you do not have your own bees. The basics are the same though, three cups of honey and one cup of homemade fermentation starter for each gallon of mead. I would typically add a cup of pureed fruit for flavor.
Today was the date to add more sugar to my peach and white grape wine but it is still pretty sweet. It is bubbling nicely. Should I wait another week? If it tastes like I want, do I still need added sugar to finish the process? Thanks!
I add more sugar at about a week, it should taste pretty sweet as it has not had a lot of time to work through the sugars at that point. You do not have to add more sugar but keep in mind the end alcohol content will be lower
I like that you're not using all those sulfites and campden tablets and stuff. How do you sanitize your jugs, airlocks and bottles though?
I simply wash with soap and hot water.
Excellent video, what is the link to starting the wine? Thanks much.
The link is in the i Card at the upper right hand corner of the video. You have to touch your screen or over your cursor over the video as it is playing and you will see an "i" appear in the upper corner. You click on (or touch) that i and any videos I link there will show in a drop down menu. The wine making playlist is the only In case you are having trouble seeing the icards (Some people's devices sometimes have issues with those), here is the link to the playlist: th-cam.com/video/kM0VQ2x_lvY/w-d-xo.html
Great series Heidi! Does this method produce a sweet or dry drinking wine? I like sweet. How would one make sweet?
Depends on how long you allow it to ferment, I was thinking I covered that in one of the four videos but I do not recall which one
Do you think I could speed up the clarification process by using a paper filter like I use for my goat milk?
It might
How do you keep your wine from spoilage without campden?
Have you tried any of your older brews yet to know if they are still good?
Wine is fermented and like any alcohol it does not spoil and will last for many years. Yes, I have some older ones that are still very good
I've had my racking cane syphon apparatus for about 10 years, I think I paid less than $15 for it and it is so worth the money because it was a good investment that I am still using, it saves me so much time, and I get more liquid from the fermenting vessel because it has a filter on the end that is reusable, and easy to clean, it has a mechanical on off pin in the end near the filter that when you push down in the bottom of the fermenting vessel and pump the cane it begins to syphon, then to stop it when I want to go to the next bottle I just pick up a little so pin isn't touching bottom of fermenting vessel and it stops without losing suction then put in next bottle and touch pin down again to continue. I like mine because I can put it all the way to bottom of the fermenting vessel and then rack into individual bottles because filter keeps sediment back. I rack one time into the bottles and that's it, done and let it age.
I always use the sediment in some form, nothing ever goes to waste
@@RainCountryHomestead yes I saw that good for you, there are many uses for the sediment, I use mine too, I still have sediment just not much liquid in it. I wasn't criticizing you sweetie, I was sharing my own experience with my racking apparatus because it isn't expensive and is a good investment and lasts many years.
Thank you for that, I have never actually heard of one, now to remember to look into it, haha
What are the uses for the sediment?
Best use is in cooking but really, you can use it in pretty much any application you use wine in, I have a video just on the many uses of homemade wine:
th-cam.com/video/frP2wgyOMDU/w-d-xo.html
How does cold crashing compare to racking over and over?
I cannot say, I have only done it the one way.
@@RainCountryHomestead alright, thanks for awesome videos and God bless!
Hello!! Thank you so much for sharing all your videos they are so appreciated!!I have a question Fairly new to fermentation. Have learned kombucha and sour dough. Now I am trying to learn wine. I made my own fermentation out of raisens as suggested on the video. Seems to be good and bubbly and I feed it when suggested. I added to my jug with the fruit (fresh pineapple) then a few days later added my & sugar water. It's been almost 3 weeks and all I have gotten is this. Any suggestions? I live in Louisiana so I have a lot of moisture here .. my other fermentations work fine... Just not sure if i should just dump it and start over. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I do not know what you mean by "all I have gotten is this"...this what?
@@RainCountryHomestead my apologies I tried to post a picture but it didn't give me the option and I forgot to change my question to reflect. I have about barley 1/2 inch or so of bubbles. I did do some research and I think I just need to be patient? Unless you have another su. Thank you 😊
Can you use an unbleached coffee filter to remove sediment?
Yes
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you. I maker water kefir and ginger beer ( from the plant) and I am so exited to make this wine.
Got my seeds. Will these 3 do well planted together?
Yes, they should, I mix most of my herbs all together in various garden sections :)
Rain Country thank you. That saves some issues.
Hi Heidi, my berry wine just finished fermenting and I will rack it tomorrow, I just tried it and it’s not sweet, I’ve heard of back-sweetening but I’m not sure what that means, is that something you do? Should I be stopping the fermentation a few day’s earlier rather than letting it go all the way? ♥️
I make what I call a rhubarb margarita wine because of how the flavor turns out. To accentuate it and make the flavor better, I add a cup of lime juice to the gallon jug and a cup of raw honey for sweetening and people love it. I even have a video on it in this wine making playlist
Do you ever let the sediment jar turn to vinegar? I would love some wine vinegar from my wine. I have my very first batch brewing now! Thank you!
I have not because I get plenty enough vinegar with everything else so I just keep it in the fridge and use as needed for cooking and marinating
Thank you so much for all your videos! I tired making wine years ago. I stopped because 1) turned to vinegar lol and 2) It was soo complicated. Your method is very easy to understand and do! love it! I do have a question. I am trying to figure out what I should do next. I started cherry wine from the juice of frozen cherries I saved for canning pie filling. It is a week old today... But it has not even let 1 bubble out the airlock yet. But it is pushing the water to one side in the airlock so something is happening just not much. There is a thin ring of tiny bubbles around the top. My thoughts are...1) starter wasn't active enough. 2) My house is too cold. 3) maybe not enough sugar added at the beginning (2cups). I am probably over thinking it but any help would be greatly appreciated.
Actually, adding TOO much sugar at the beginning can slow or prevent a ferment, two cups is just right when you are talking straight juice. You do not want to add a third cup until it has been very active for a couple of days.
If your house is cold, yes it can slow it down but you may also have a slow leak in your air lock (on the side where it is empty of water) or it just needs to be seated in the jug better. If you are seeing bubbles at the top and the water is pushed to one side, the starter is working fine
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you I will give it more time to get "going". I was leaning towards it being too cold in the house. I did move it to a warmer area but not many warmer areas around here lol last night got down to 39f here in Wisconsin. Thanks again!
Hi Heidi I just racked off my very first bottle of grape wine today. I added the extra cup of sugar at two week. It is pretty sweet but has a good flavor do you have any suggestions to help with the sweetness? Thank you 😊
You can put the airlock back on it and ferment it for another week or so to work through more of the sugars. I believe in my newer part one of this series I explained that it is best to add that last cup of sugar at least a few days after it has been bubbling well but to not wait until the two week mark as for some wines and meads, it can be too late adding it in then
How often between siphonings ?
It will vary, sometimes a day, sometimes a few. Just watch for it to develop a good layer on the bottom
Hi Hiedi, I've been watching your videos and you have inspired me to start my own self independent journey. Thank you. I was wondering if you could dehydrate the sediment and use it that way?
Use it what way? As a starter?
For anything really, breads, cooking with it or even salad dressings. Kinda like your mixed green mix. I thought it might be more shelf stable if it was dehydrated.
@@lauradellarocco1009 Possibly, I have not tried it for things like that but have used them in medicinal extracts
Hi ma'am did you added potassium meta after you racked your wine?
No
@@RainCountryHomestead really, wow...I try your practices I like it , you share recipes with out added any preservative, how long it takes months or a years your wine be preserve in the bottle, I mean a finish products,
Because you are awesome I give you some💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗 ma'am
@@richardbastetvseries2780 They will keep for years but we do not necessary wait to use them. I find these taste best when used within the first year but if properly stored, they can hold their flavor for years
wondering why not syphon it into a clean jug and done - that is what I am going to try today!
would that remaining sediment have a use in starting the next batch of wine???
As far as the clean jug, yes, you can do that, I just got in the habit of using a bucket for a couple reasons and one is that I do not always have a spare jug. I personally would not use the sediment to start another batch, I just use it up in other ways, but you can try it if you want
@@RainCountryHomestead I thought afterwards you probably don't have too many empty jugs....
Syphoning went well, I put the new jug in the sink was low enough. And I put the sediment in the salad dressing. Was just wondering if it would be helpful for starting , but hey, we got fermentation starter😊
My goodness it must be so grand to be able to LIVE OFF THE LAND!!! *sigh* so lovely!!! I’m binge watching your videos and I’m so inspired! Peace and many blessings! Also, where did you get your dehydrator from? I’d like to start growing and harvesting as much things I can, I’d like to store them too.
I have a gas oven so I was wondering if, for now, I would be able to dehydrate stuff that way?
Many years ago, I made jerky in my conventional oven, you just set the heat real low and leave the door cracked open so moisture can escape :)
Amber Raglin she posts link to her nesco dehydrators on amazon in the more info box. Yes the pilot light on gas Stove oven is enough to dehydrate. Gramma used to do this to dry beans.
Is this a sweet wine or semi dry
It all depends on how long you allow it to ferment and if you add sugar or honey to it when it is done. That is all up to you
How many gallons of grapes do you juice for your one gallon jars? Excited to try this!
This is a good question, I did not actually keep track but it did take quite a bit. I would say at least five gallons
Heidi, your recommended bottles are no longer available. Is there another brand you would recommend?
You should be able to find Bormioli swing top liter bottles just by searching
Okay I have watched the whole series and plan on giving this a try. So Mead is made with fruit and honey, and wine is made with juice and sugar plus a fermentation starter. Is that correct? If I don't have a starter will it still work? I am learning so much from you, thank you very much.
Mead is made with honey and water, fruit is an option to add flavor. Wine is made with juice and sugar. While the fermentation for either is unnecessary, I use it in both to get it started and insure it will indeed ferment and I recommend it. If the juice you use is not raw, it is unlikely you will get a good ferment. As easy as it is to make a starter from fresh or dried fruit or herbs, I recommend getting that going first before starting on the wine or mead
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you for your reply. I am trying to make a starter so I can try this. Thanks again.
If you left the sediment in the bottle, would it change the flavor? Laura
A lot left in can change the flavor over time, giving it a bitterness, a little (which is almost always there) shouldn't do much.
Hi Heidi,
Please forgive me if you’ve answered this elsewhere. After the 30 days and the wine stops bubbling, does it change after it has been bottled? That is, does it get stronger or less sweet with time or is whatever it is when you bottle it?
After it is bottled the flavor may change as it ages but it is unlikely it would get stronger. Maybe less sweet over time if there was any sweetness remaining in it. Keeping in an airtight bottle in a dark area should help retain a good flavor.
@@RainCountryHomestead great, thank you so much Heidi. I tasted my apple wine today (30 days out) and I was shocked at how good it tasted! I racked it once and may rack one more time then bottle. I am using those nice amber olive oil bottles (terra delyssa) and also bought wine bottles and corks. This is so much fun!😊
@@bonniesammons2348 I am finding the wines I store in those avocado oil bottles always seems to hold its good flavor far better than when I put it back in the clear jugs. I think part of it is because they are dark but also because the lid has a better seal on it than my jugs do
Do you ever use recycled wine bottles to store your completed wine?
I only recently started acquiring recycled wine bottles from a family member and yes, that is the plan for future wines. Here is a video showing other recycled bottles I use for wine: th-cam.com/video/WmO0Qiy_v4s/w-d-xo.html
@@RainCountryHomestead thank you for replying. I have seen that video I just wasn’t sure if you were also using old wine bottles. If you are how would you seal them?
@@deba6145 With a cork. I buy new ones that are tapered to fit into the jar. You can also get silicone stoppers that work well
@@RainCountryHomestead Thank you so much for all your answers. It is much appreciated. And I saw your post about the little bed for your grand baby. Aren’t grand-babies wonderful. Nothing like it!❤️
Hi Heidi. How do you (or did you before you got a press) juice fruit like plums and peaches, for wine making? Also, do you use blackberries/blackberry juice undiluted for winemaking, or do you dilute it or mix it with other juices first? Blackberries seem awfully strong to use on their own, and you would need so many of them to get a gallon of juice!
For grapes I still press by hand, for other fruits I would simply process in the blender and add to meads like that. For berries, like blackberries and using in wine making, freezing, mashing by hand then straining through a cloth to get the juice out is what I have and still do. And yes, I found the blackberry is best when blending with grape juice. When I use mostly blackberries, the color turns out almost black and the flavor is not quite as good. I say no more than a 1:1 ratio of grape to blackberry
Also, is the wine ready to drink after you clarify it and bottle it in swing top bottles? Or should I let it ferment longer?
Yes, it is ready
Thankyou so much for the quick response! I appreciate the time you spend sharing your knowledge!
If I use just store-bought juice, how much sugar would I add? and will it have that much sediment?
It may not have as much sediment but it will still get some when it is made. If the juice has sugar added, I cannot be certain but if it does not, the sugar you add would be the same
Great video friend, can’t wait to try it, blessings
My peaches are getting ripe I want to try to make wine do they have to be extra ripe so they'll be juicier. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you so much you are great.
I have never juiced peaches but I would assume that would make it easier.
I was wondering, if you ever tried to make dandelion wine or calendula wine? I do not have many berries, but I do have plenty of calendula flowers right now.
I have made vinegars from them but not wine
Mead made with fruit in it is a melomel. You know sweetie I'm vertically challenged in the other direction, (scars all over my head) but still, I always put the carboy in the sink before filling it...
Which is always wise, especially with me! haha! Though for videos, I always try to keep things localized when shooting so I am not doing a lot of back and forth.
I’m on my second racking, it’s still has some fizz at the top after racking is that normal ?
It is normal if there is still some sugar left in the wine. Which is fine. I tend to like one with a bit of sweetness and fizz
Aldi sells a French lemon aid in swing top bottles for a couple of dollars. I’ve been using those, hope they don’t explode on me 😧
We do not have Aldi around here, I am not sure there is even one in our state or anywhere along the west coast
@@RainCountryHomestead the bottles seem pretty thick and a couple of my juniper vinegars shot out like Champaign when opened without the bottles having broken so I think they may workout. The lemonade that comes in them originally is pretty carbonated.
Is there a reason why you can’t pour it through multiple layers of flour sack type of kitchen towels?
I do that from time to time but only with those that have a lot of pulp, filtering like that though will still not remove all the sediment as it is very small.
My wine turned out thick & heavy. 😢 Any suggestions as to what I did wrong? Tks.
Is there a lot of pulp in it? Did it ever ferment?
How come you don't need/use a finishing chemical to stop the yeast from continuing to ferment? I've been searching for a wine making process that uses zero store bought chemicals and it seems your process achieves this.
Because I prefer to keep it natural. I have never used any chemicals in my wine making
You don't put potassium sorbet in it to stop the fermentation process when it reaches the level u want
No, I do not use additives
@@RainCountryHomestead thanks for the quick reply ..ur videos are awesome..I've learned so much
Try putting your jar in the sink.....it will be easier to reach to pore into and if you spill, it will go down the drain !
Like Gidget!!! Haha!!!
CHOCOLATE MILK WINE!!! hahaha!!! Thank you for posting this series on wine making. My mom did it the same way ... no fancy gadgets. Do you know the alcohol content? You mentioned before about making tinctures. I always thought it had to be 80 proof vodka. I remember your video about glycerin, and will have to look that one up again. I have purchased several tinctures by Herb Pharm, and they are made with cane alcohol. YEUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!! I put it directly under my tongue so it gets into my blood stream faster, but, it BURNS. SO. BAD!!! And tastes JUST AWFUL!!!
Hugs, love & prayers
A true tincture is made with 80 proof and above, if made with anything less than that, it is then just an extracts. All tinctures are extracts but not all extracts are tinctures (much like all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are square - did I just make that more confusing now? haha) Anyway, I cover some of this in my Uses for Homemade Wine that is set to publish in a few weeks :)
Very nice Heidi! I changed my TH-cam name from W Callihan to Wendy C. I think it’s just more personal for the channels that I do follow 😋
I see you're not at all concerned about getting oxygen into your finished wine ... what prevents it from turning into vinegar?
I know the difference between wine and vinegar making as I have been doing and teaching both for years and the importance of prevent oxygen in wine and allowing it in vinegar and if you watched ALL parts of this series, that would be quite clear so I have no idea what you are referring to as it is all stored in air tight containers. I have pulled wine out that was several years old and it was amazing, NOT vinegar.
@@RainCountryHomestead I wasn't questioning your skills, I'm just trying to understand. Apologies. I will watch the other three parts -- what I was referring to here was (5:15-6:15) after you got done racking the wine, you poured it back into the jug with a lot of splashing. Other makers seem to be super paranoid about incorporating any oxygen at that stage. Anyways, thanks for following up on these older videos and all the knowledge you share.
@@jeremiahbullfrog9288 Ah, I see, yes, some people get a little paranoid about everything, same goes with canning and dehydrating
@@RainCountryHomestead Glad to know i won't ruin a batch if i splash a little!
@@jeremiahbullfrog9288 Right! I do everything with vigor so splashing and making messes is par for the course! haha
Do you sanitize everything with those fancy things like star san?
No
@@RainCountryHomestead To hear these other guys, you'd think it is instant death, but I grew up in the rural south, and I doubt they did any of that either. I watched a lady in India put the grapes into a gallon jar and smashed them with an old stick. I want to make natural wine. Thanks.
@@billybass6419 The funny thing is alcohol sanitizes things anyway. I think for some it is about being snobby about how they make their wines but the process does not at all need to be complicated nor need a bunch of added ingredients.
Hum Heidi, I think you must have learn how to Siphon Gas when you were younger.. *wink* My brother use to siphon gas from one car to another when he did not have money.
You're not short to me. I have to stand on stool to can.lol 4' 11"
Too bad those bottles of mead are just sitting there....when they could be used for VINEGARS. Lol
O, I have TONS of homemade vinegar right now, even though I literally use it every day, and the mead will get used eventually :)