Making beverages at home

[cburnworth]

There are other things you can make at home also and it all uses the same equipment. Apple cider vinegar, soda, carbonated water, & Kombucha.

 

[Gunsmiff12B]

I am not up to it, however my wife had been brewing mead for some time now, not bad either, with very few ingredients, one of them being honey, if you are looking to start something simple I would highly suggest, the only problem is waiting 6 months for fermentation

 

[JettaKnight]

Didn’t we used to have a homebrew group on here? Maybe it was just a thread, but it seems like it was pretty active several years back.

I don't recall it. There are plenty of homebrewers here though.

 

[cburnworth]

Tons of variations on the mead. Mead & cider are the two easiest things to make at home. Yes, both do taste better after aging and with the mead the longer the better. You can also make wine from fresh fruit & sugar. And also from the beer side you can make bread & dog treats from the grains.

 

[Cozy439]

Tons of variations on the mead. Mead & cider are the two easiest things to make at home. Yes, both do taste better after aging and with the mead the longer the better. You can also make wine from fresh fruit & sugar. And also from the beer side you can make bread & dog treats from the grains.

All of this sounds enticing - becoming a wine drinker (with my wife) and love cider, but this is the 1st I heard of the dog treats? More info please

 

[JettaKnight]

All of this sounds enticing - becoming a wine drinker (with my wife) and love cider, but this is the 1st I heard of the dog treats? More info please

I think breweries send it as livestock feed. It's just crushed barley - hulls and all. I wouldn't eat it, but maybe you can bake biscuits for Fido do with it.

I just compost it.

 

[cburnworth]

All of this sounds enticing - becoming a wine drinker (with my wife) and love cider, but this is the 1st I heard of the dog treats? More info please

As a wine maker you will not have much solid type waste. Brewing beer you will have the grains and those can be made into bread or dog treats. I recoomend a table top corker. You will need bottles, bottles, & more bottles. You can also keg your wine.

 

[xwing]

I've wanted to try making wine eventually. I understand the initial "buy in" needed for equipment. But what is your average / cost per bottle just for consumable materials / ingredients?

 

[indyjohn]

I've wanted to try making wine eventually. I understand the initial "buy in" needed for equipment. But what is your average / cost per bottle just for consumable materials / ingredients?

I put +/- 6 gallons of wine into 16 1.5L bottles. My cost worked out to less than $6.50 / bottle.

I bought some pricey juice to make my first batch of Cab-Merlot from Midwest Supplies

Midwest Supplies - Wine Making & Homebrew Supplies

Your online wine making, home brewing, & kombucha making supply store. From beer and wine making kits to complete recipes we have you covered. Free shipping on orders over $125.

www.midwestsupplies.com

 

[Leadeye]

Nearly all of mine comes from local fruit, someday I want to try making ale.

 

[cburnworth]

I've wanted to try making wine eventually. I understand the initial "buy in" needed for equipment. But what is your average / cost per bottle just for consumable materials / ingredients?

Starter wine making kit runs about $150. Bottles run from $14-$30 for a 12 pack, corks from $4-$200 depending on quantity, wine kits from $60 & up. The kits come with everything you need to make the the wine in 1,3,6 gallon kit. If your starting your wine from your own ingredients you will need enzymes, energizer, nutrient. but my costs per bottle run about $5. I am in need of more bottles & corks however.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

Ive been brewing wine and beer for years, cost depends on how much work you want to put into it. I get all my grapes and fruit for wine from my property, so each batch only costs me a small amount of money for sugar, pectic enzyme, PH strips and acid to get my PH to where I like it, yeast, yeast nutrient, camden tablets, potassium sorbate if I need to back sweeten, and my cleaner and sterilizer. If you buy those in bulk, each 6 gallon batch of wine probably costs me around $20.

I have 4, 6 gallon fermenters (1 with a bottling spout), a racking wand with some tubing, 3 lids and airlocks and a spoon specifically for brewing. my entire setup was under $100. I already had stainless pots to steep grains for beer so I don't include that in my costs.

You certainly can spend a lot more on nice equiptment but it is not necessary. I have won awards with my raspberry wine several times with my simple set up going against guys that have the very best of everything. It can be a lot of fun if you have patience for it.

 

[indyjohn]

Ive been brewing wine and beer for years, cost depends on how much work you want to put into it. I get all my grapes and fruit for wine from my property, so each batch only costs me a small amount of money for sugar, pectic enzyme, PH strips and acid to get my PH to where I like it, yeast, yeast nutrient, camden tablets, potassium sorbate if I need to back sweeten, and my cleaner and sterilizer. If you buy those in bulk, each 6 gallon batch of wine probably costs me around $20.

I have 4, 6 gallon fermenters (1 with a bottling spout), a racking wand with some tubing, 3 lids and airlocks and a spoon specifically for brewing. my entire setup was under $100. I already had stainless pots to steep grains for beer so I don't include that in my costs.

You certainly can spend a lot more on nice equiptment but it is not necessary. I have won awards with my raspberry wine several times with my simple set up going against guys that have the very best of everything. It can be a lot of fun if you have patience for it.

Very nice. Do you use 750 ml bottles?

 

[Mark-DuCo]

Very nice. Do you use 750 ml bottles?

I typically put all my wine in glass half gallon whiskey bottles. I have several people that save them for me.

 

[cburnworth]

Great fermentations 20% off brewing kits

 

[Ark]

Great fermentations 20% off brewing kits

They're right down the road from me. Cool place.