Message posted by Bob and Wendy (Uncle Bob) on 14 October 2009 at 1:46am - IP Logged
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Bob and Wendy
Just to save from any confusion, I guess what Bill by a wine thermometer, she is describing an hydrometer, measuring specific gravity. Also the reason she does'nt use yeast is because her fruit has natural yeasts on the skins, hence the need to leave the crushed grapes to start the fermentation process before straining and pressing.And the reason the barrels are filled to the top is not to let air in but the oposite, to stop airbourne bacteria from getting to the surface of the wine (the small apperture left which will have a concentration of (if my memory serves)co2 gas escaping from the fermenting process, prevents air from entering)
Happy trampling.
Bob.
Message posted by Cheryls on 14 October 2009 at 2:02am - IP Logged
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Hi Bill,
If you're wanting to sterilze jam jars (won't work for Wine demi johns etc!) = use the blessed Delia way. Place your jars and lids in the oven upside down, turn the oven to 160 degrees and when it reaches temperatue turn it off and leave the jars in. You do this whilst your jam, chutney etc is cooking - so they are still hot when your product is completed. Then they are sterilised and you don't crack your jars when pouring in your jam.
I'm not commenting on the wine as we're trying the village way with no yeast, little sugar and minimal equipment.
I left our grapes squashed and seperated into insides and skins overnight before making jam and they were beginning to ferment then.... so we'll see....
C. xxxx
Message posted by Cheryls on 14 October 2009 at 2:35am - IP Logged
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With apologies to the Agni website, another good website to look at is the "Cottage Smallholder" run by Hugh Fearnley whittingstalls crew.
Lots of info on growing veg, using natural resources, making the best of whats available, recipes etc.
I know its from england, but there's lots of info that easily transferrable to here.
I've found it invaluable in terms of solving jam and chutney making problems.
Maybe we could have a Corfu allotment/gardeners/producers thread on the site. I know that people have tried a recipe thread - but it gets lost in the general melee.
Sorry moderators!!!! I don't know what the demand is - but I think there are many gardeners, product makers between us. What do you think?
Message posted by Bill on 14 October 2009 at 11:26am - IP Logged
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Bob - I just knew the business about leaving the lids off the barrels had something to do with bacteria, but for the life of me couldn't remember what! Thank you for the explanation of that and the other info, it all makes much more sense now It's been a case of us doing what we're told by our 'mentor' but really not having the first idea why!
Cheryls - I'll certainly do my jars that way next time. I've been popping them in boiling water for 10 minutes to sterilise, but with the mineral content in the water (there's another thread going on about that isn't there...) the jars all end up with a coat of white powder on them - not ideal!
Good luck with the krasi making - we're down to the last of our 2008 brew now and so far no nasty side effects from the questionable cleaning methods. Fingers crossed we'll have no problem this year...
... And yes, I'd like to see a Greek home produce/gardening thread (or board?) and would contribute to it.
Message posted by baywatcher on 14 October 2009 at 2:34pm - IP Logged
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baywatcher
Our grapes this year have been infected by some airborne disease and the locals told us we should have sprayed earlier, wish we had a Greek produce/gardening section too as we didn't know that you had to spray or when to spray so no wine for us this year. I had 2 different types of grapes under glass in UK and never sprayed them but had to use yeast to make wine as they wouldn't self ferment.
Hopefully next years crop will be better.
Regards Denise
Message posted by Bob and Wendy (Uncle Bob) on 14 October 2009 at 3:21pm - IP Logged
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Bob and Wendy
Baywatcher, Hi.
The spraying of (what appears to be) Copper Sulphate, seems to be fairly random, however there must be a method to its timeing as all our neighbours seem to do it at about the same time, some of the time they use powder and shake it onto the vines, other times it is a liquid sprayed on. It does'nt seem to need much, but does seem to be quite frequent, (every 2 or 4 weeks???) I just leave it to the experts with my vines, what ever I do I get told off, for instance, when they showed me which bits to nip out during the summer, I've never got it to their satisfaction.
This is the best year we have had although the vines have been growing a number of years now.
Bob.
Message posted by baywatcher on 16 October 2009 at 10:24am - IP Logged
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baywatcher
Hi Bob,
I was shown how they prune the vines here and had a few bravo's said from the locals while I was doing it just wish I had known about the spraying though. Our vines we are told are at least 40 years old and when I said maybe we should renew them our neighbour thought I was mad, as most of our villagers have there own vines I shall be vigilant next year and lookout for when they spray.
Regards Denise
Message posted by Bob and Wendy (Uncle Bob) on 16 October 2009 at 6:47pm - IP Logged
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Bob and Wendy
The winter pruning is easy, its the continuouse summer nipping out of unwanted side shoots that gets me foxed.
They showed me for instance, once the tiny bunches of flowers were established to pinch out the growing tip 2 leaves past the flowers. All OK so far, next its pointed out to me that some of the bigger leaves need removeing, but which ones I havent fathomed out yet, next of course since removeing the growing tips new ones have appeard as if by magic, some with yet more flowers on, now one expert indicates that these need removeing completely, wait a minute another says to keep them on just remove the tip as before.
It gets to the point that I creep out at dusk when no-one is about, and nip them off and hide the results under next autumns bonfire site.
Still the results have been spectacular this year.
Bob.
Message posted by seaangler (Chat Room Administrator) on 23 October 2009 at 1:12pm - IP Logged
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seaangler
As you are makeing your own red wine from your own grape....What you do need to do first is to test the sugers in the grape that you have ..That you will need a hydromameter and glass or plastic tube for the hydrometer fill the glass tube to the line that it will have on it then pop your hydrometer into it..read of what it says on the hydrometer..What you are looking for is fifty % on the hydrometer any ware above you will will have to add suger to bring the hydrometer down to fifty%(NOT ENOUGH SUGER WILL SLOW DOWN FERMANTATION)And will spoil your wine as there was not enough suger to start with....Also you will have to test the PH of the wine juice what you are looking for in a red wine is between 3.55 and 3.70 if its to high to bring down the PH add a little tiny bit of tartarick acid will do the trick...Then follow any basic way of makeing your own wine...One of the most inportent things in makeing wine is to make sure every thing you use is clean and serile...
If any one tells you diferent that they just stick the wine in and add yeast and lets it go to ferment it self is rubbish...There is more to makeing wine than you think there is...The basic way they make wine you will only get around 11/12% aalcohol wine...With your own grapes you should be looking at the top end of your wine persentage of 14% and maybe even as high 15% Alcohol and not your cheap vino stuff...
Dont forget i have tasted loads of greek wines home made and the amount of times you have to add lemonade to get any careter out the wine to be able to drink it...yes i have had a gallon of cheap wine befor for a one euro and i would put it on my chipps as it taste more like vingar half the time...
P.S Bob...
It helps to stop the growth of fungi and mildew ..Copper sulphate also kills the mustyness that you have on growing on grapes vines you will also see it on red muscatale grapes that can put off favors in your wine...two ounces we add in per two and fifty barrals of beer that shows you how strong copper sulphate rely is...And blue in color...
Copper sulphate was also used by the ((Ancient Greeks)) to treat pulmonary disease..Not a lot of people know that....
..I have a little secret formula that will boost must wines up to over 32%ABV...But if i told you i would have to kill you...The perks of working in a brewery
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It's been a case of us doing what we're told by our 'mentor' but really not having the first idea why!
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