ok 3 questions in 1 post....

[mozzy]

hello.... yet again!! lol

ok just a few questions i would like answering (if you dont mind)

1) How can you tell when a dark wine (eg red, blackberry etc) is clear... as you cant do the newspaper test with it..??

2) is there a limit to how many brews you can make using a PET dj?

3) how do you use an air lock (not the ones with the 6 balls thats are noisy as ive mastered those) the little straight ones.. i filled it half way and put the lid on but the water inside is up near the top and lifts the lid off when it gloops (not noisy either).. have i filled it too much?


4) do you have to leave fruit tea wines for a few weeks when done or is it drinkable straight away?

I know i said there was 3 .. but number 4 just popped in my head :whistle:

 

[Moley]

1). Shine a torch through it from the back.

2). I can't quantify that, but mine get stamped on and recycled fairly regularly, maybe 3-4 brews.

3). Well only one-third fill the outer section.

4). Leave for a few weeks, or preferably months.

 

[klaus]

1) How can you tell when a dark wine (eg red, blackberry etc) is clear... as you cant do the newspaper test with it..??
In my experience most darker wines still let a bit of light through. If you absolutely want to make sure filter the wine after stabilising and racking.

2) is there a limit to how many brews you can make using a PET dj?
I'd guess you can use them for quite number of times bt I would keep an eye on the general condition, they are easily knocked about. For long-term storage I'd go for glass.

3) how do you use an air lock (not the ones with the 6 balls thats are noisy as ive mastered those) the little straight ones.. i filled it half way and put the lid on but the water inside is up near the top and lifts the lid off when it gloops (not noisy either).. have i filled it too much?
Yu are using it correctly as far as I understand

4) do you have to leave fruit tea wines for a few weeks when done or is it drinkable straight away?
Pass - never made this kind of wine - guess it is drinkable but like with most wines it could imprave over a few weeks/month.

My 2p worth..

 

[Marrsy86]

Reference the Airlock, I usually half fill the internal bit that sits on top and pour that in, my school of though is I rather it gloop and spiot the odd bit of water out and know there is too much in then not have enough in it and something nasty get in the brew and spoil it.

 

[Moley]

1) How can you tell when a dark wine (eg red, blackberry etc) is clear... as you cant do the newspaper test with it..??
In my experience most darker wines still let a bit of light through. If you absolutely want to make sure filter the wine after stabilising and racking.

Agreed in part, even the darkest red wine should still let a bit of light through. In my winemaking box of bits and pieces lives an 8-LED torch, and I expect to see every detail of the 8 point light sources. If using a tungsten light source I would expect to be able to count the curls in the filament.

Red wines seem to be far more complex than whites or pinks, and I don't want to remove any character, so I never filter red wines.

 

[oldbloke]

With late evening sunlight coming through them my raspberry and redcurrant wines positively glowed, when they were ready.

With regard to aging requirements, I always have a bottle of owt I make the day I bottle it. Turns out quite a lot of stuff is perfectly quaffable immediately.
Then another bottle at about a month. Haven't had many that weren't at least OK by then.
Then we know if we want to leave it a while or just neck it.
I have been reserving two bottles from each brew, to have at 1yr and 2yrs old. A year in bottle certainly improved last year's plum, but it was pleasant enough from a couple of months old, and was always drinkable.

One tends to be picky. I've discussed all the bad points of a wine I've made, over Sunday dinner, then had a commercial wine in the evening that wasn't as nice and cost me a fiver.

 

[mozzy]

Thank you peeps.. has really helped me :thumb: