Brewmaker Strawberry Wine

Given that my lovely ladyfriend has not only been ok with my new hobby but she has actively encouraged me, I thought I should have a stab at Strawberry wine she was eyeing up on our first trip to the brew shop. I was already planning a trip back to Harvey's (see 4u2brew in my blogroll) so added 2 second hand glass demijohns (at just £2.49 each), 2 rubber bungs and airlocks, a bung without a hole in to help with shaking the bottle, and a pack of the Brewmaker Strawberry wine. There was a choice between Young's or Brewmaker's, but the owner said they were moving to sell only the Brewmaker's as it was easier to make a good wine with.



The pack contained a tin of juice and, hidden in a plastic top on the tin, 5 sachets of ingredients and some instructions.

After giving one of the demijohns a good couple of hours full of a strong sterilising solution and then a good rinse, I got to work on the wine instructions. I opened the tin (having placed the end I was going to open in sterilising liquid) with a sterilised can opened. I didn't have a funnel, so I poured the contents into a jug to ensure I could pour it into the demijohn without spilling any. In addition to the juice, I added a further 1.8 litres of cold water to the demijohn. (I did realise as I was getting started that I hadn't sterilised the jug. It had already been cleaned, so I rinsed it with just boiled water, so hopefully that will be ok.)

I weighed out 16oz of granulated sugar (Tate and Lyne cane sugar) and poured it into the jug, which I had filled with 500ml of fresh boiled water, and began stirring. I was supposed to add the sugar to 600ml but the jug wouldn't hold this plus the sugar (I found this out the stupid way but I don't think I lost too much sugar, and I added some extra water to the demijohn). I took the boiling water from the kettle, and by the time I'd poured in the sugar I think it had cooled a bit so it was a struggle to get all the sugar to disolve, but I just about managed it, and then added the liquid to the demijohn.

I carefully poured the contents of 2 sachets into the demijohn, the first being wine yeast, and the second Nutrafine. I then placed the bug (without a hole in) in the demijohn and shook the bottle for around a minute to ensure everything was well mixed. I then placed the airlock in another bung and pushed it into the demijohn to seal it.



Finally I placed the demijohn in the brewery and wrapped a tea towel around it. There is nothing more to do now for 3 days, when I will have to add the remaining water to make it up to 4.5 litres.

Comments:

• I don't have very high expectations for this kit. I'm more into my traditional wines, but hopefully this will turn out well, and more importantly my girlfriend will like it.


• The instructions suggest the wine should now be stored somewhere with a temperature between 20 and 30 degrees C. The brewery is definitely lower than this, and given the wine was made with cold water, I hope it ferments ok.


• I will be looking out for bubbles tomorrow.


• I am surprised that the kit suggests adding water and then shaking after three days at which point the fermentation will have begun. With the beer, and aeration of the liquid while fermenting is a big no no. I will try to do some research on this before the 3 days are up.