So I decided to work on a new skill. Since the local blue berries are just right for picking at a local park (i.e. free stuff), I’m trying my hand at making wine/cider/fuel/antiseptic (of course there won’t be any distilling of the liquids as that would tick off certain official groups of people). Initially I was just going to go pick a few pounds of berries and throw it into a container with some sugar and Fleischman’s yeast from the grocery store. Then I did some reading and decided to try three methods and see which works best.
I don’t know how many people know this, but yeast is naturally occurring and as it happens, it seems to occur on almost everything outside. Wheat straight out of the field or even potatoes can be put into water and you are supposed to get fermentation. I’ve yet to try it, but after a week or two potatoes chopped up in water are supposed to produce a yeast starter that can be used for baking or whatever. Back on topic-
Method one- I’m going to use the berries straight off the bushes and mash them up with some sugar and water and see if it ferments. Of course, there are some problems/unknowns with this method. The biggest one being what kind of yeast is present on the berries- there are lots of varieties out there. I haven’t read about any that will make a poisonous byproduct, but it may produce a high sulfur content (which I can’t imagine is a good flavor). This is the way Granny and Granddad always did it, so should be fine. Anyway, we’ll see what happens with it.
Method two- The cheap way to go. Washed berries, mashed up with water, sugar, and brought to a boil. After it cooled, I added a package of cheap Fleischman’s bread yeast. I’m a little afraid of the flavor this one is going to end up with, but we’ll give it a go. And one quick note on Fleischman’s yeast. I’m used to buying it at Kroger in the little paper packets. Three of them are a few dollars. Then I found out that Sam’s Club has two one pound packs of yeast for about the same money… I buy the two pound package now.
Method three- The most expensive option… Same idea as method two except switching the yeast out for a yeast culture that’s specifically for making cider/wine. Not cheap stuff at $7 for the pouch, however it did come from the local Growler store, so I imagine that affected the price at least a little. I’m hoping this yeast will make a better tasting product, but more importantly will be able to survive in a higher alcohol content liquid. My limited understanding is that the bread yeast above will die at 8 or 9%. Wine making cultured yeast is supposed to be able to live to as high as 13 to 14%. So I guess we’ll see.
Right at the beginning:
Note the “prison wine” bottling per my wife.
And of course, it’s been like five weeks since I started this little project. Just getting around to posting something about it.
Here are the bottles today:
The Fleischman’s bottle developed a little white material that looks like mold. I’d already sieved the ‘wine’ marked 2 liters and the glass 3 liter bottle in the picture above. I went ahead and sieved the Fleischman’s bottle (last) and got it working again. We’ll see what happens with that one.
The process today was to pour all the bottles though a fine metal sieve, rinse the bottles, and add two tablespoons of sugar per liter of liquid. After a week or two more I’ll see how much bubbling I’m getting out of the bottles and decide how much longer they’ll go. Basically I’m going to let them work off until they’re almost done bubbling C02. Then strain them through either cheese cloth (which has proven difficult to find) or more likely a piece of old t-shirt material.
So far the “Natural” (method one) bottle smells like it’s got the most alcohol. The wine yeast bottles have more of a pure wine smell to them. The Fleischman’s stuff still kind of stinks like old yeast bread.
I don’t know how many people know this, but yeast is naturally occurring and as it happens, it seems to occur on almost everything outside. Wheat straight out of the field or even potatoes can be put into water and you are supposed to get fermentation. I’ve yet to try it, but after a week or two potatoes chopped up in water are supposed to produce a yeast starter that can be used for baking or whatever. Back on topic-
Method one- I’m going to use the berries straight off the bushes and mash them up with some sugar and water and see if it ferments. Of course, there are some problems/unknowns with this method. The biggest one being what kind of yeast is present on the berries- there are lots of varieties out there. I haven’t read about any that will make a poisonous byproduct, but it may produce a high sulfur content (which I can’t imagine is a good flavor). This is the way Granny and Granddad always did it, so should be fine. Anyway, we’ll see what happens with it.
Method two- The cheap way to go. Washed berries, mashed up with water, sugar, and brought to a boil. After it cooled, I added a package of cheap Fleischman’s bread yeast. I’m a little afraid of the flavor this one is going to end up with, but we’ll give it a go. And one quick note on Fleischman’s yeast. I’m used to buying it at Kroger in the little paper packets. Three of them are a few dollars. Then I found out that Sam’s Club has two one pound packs of yeast for about the same money… I buy the two pound package now.
Method three- The most expensive option… Same idea as method two except switching the yeast out for a yeast culture that’s specifically for making cider/wine. Not cheap stuff at $7 for the pouch, however it did come from the local Growler store, so I imagine that affected the price at least a little. I’m hoping this yeast will make a better tasting product, but more importantly will be able to survive in a higher alcohol content liquid. My limited understanding is that the bread yeast above will die at 8 or 9%. Wine making cultured yeast is supposed to be able to live to as high as 13 to 14%. So I guess we’ll see.
Right at the beginning:
Note the “prison wine” bottling per my wife.
And of course, it’s been like five weeks since I started this little project. Just getting around to posting something about it.
Here are the bottles today:
The Fleischman’s bottle developed a little white material that looks like mold. I’d already sieved the ‘wine’ marked 2 liters and the glass 3 liter bottle in the picture above. I went ahead and sieved the Fleischman’s bottle (last) and got it working again. We’ll see what happens with that one.
The process today was to pour all the bottles though a fine metal sieve, rinse the bottles, and add two tablespoons of sugar per liter of liquid. After a week or two more I’ll see how much bubbling I’m getting out of the bottles and decide how much longer they’ll go. Basically I’m going to let them work off until they’re almost done bubbling C02. Then strain them through either cheese cloth (which has proven difficult to find) or more likely a piece of old t-shirt material.
So far the “Natural” (method one) bottle smells like it’s got the most alcohol. The wine yeast bottles have more of a pure wine smell to them. The Fleischman’s stuff still kind of stinks like old yeast bread.
