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ericfromcowtown
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# Posted: 5 Dec 2012 07:13pm
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Anyone make their own wine or beer?
I'm on my third batch of red wine over the past year or so. The first kit that I made was the premium wine and skins kit from the local wine making store, which set me back about $120. The second kit, which tasted much like the first to my unsophisticated palate, was the lower end kit from the local wine making store, which set me back $85. This time I bought a $45 kit from the local big box grocery store. I'm curious how much one pays for the kit and how much one pays to be a customer in the fancy wine making store. Time will tell.
One benefit of the wine making store is if you buy their kit, you can borrow their corker for free. I've seen corkers on kijiji.ca for around $40-60, so I will have that expense to factor in the first time.
Depending on the kit, I'm able to make wine for $2-$4 a bottle, compared to the $16-22 that a modest bottle of wine costs here. During our last long-term visit to the U.S. I was amazed at how much cheaper a comparable bottle of wine was (at least 1/2 price) and wondered if wine-making was nearly as popular south of the border.
Just a small way I'm trying to be more self-sufficient / cheap. 
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Sustainusfarm
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# Posted: 5 Dec 2012 07:44pm
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I have not made wine but I did make my own homemade ginger ale beer! It was fantastic! Gonna try wine soon as my mom and dad made lots of wine when I was younger and we are still drinking it today! SOme of their wine they bottled in the early 70's tastes so good! they made wine from beets, grapes, strawberries and apricots. The beet wine is the best!
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ericfromcowtown
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# Posted: 5 Dec 2012 08:03pm
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I would never have thought that beats would have made good wine. I learn something new every day.
Perhaps some day I'll be confident / adventurous enough to make wine from scratch, but for the moment I'm just experimenting with ready-made kits.
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Sustainusfarm
Member
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# Posted: 5 Dec 2012 08:11pm
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I have a recipe for 10 cent ballon wine! Easy, and great tasting! Takes only 21 days to ferment!
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bugs
Member
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# Posted: 5 Dec 2012 08:22pm
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Eric
I think we have about 50 gallons of wine bulk aging in carboys in the basement at the moment. I think there is a kit, some chokecherry (maybe a double "press" of chokecherry... the second fermentation of chokecherry is often the best), crab apple, dandelion, saskatoon, rhubarb... The lady wife is a pretty good vitner.
If you ever get a chance to try parsnip or gooseberry it is very good. Gooseberry makes an excellent sparkling wine if you have the time.
Unlike Sustainusfarm our wine does not last once it gets bottled but leaving it in the carbouy we can get some age to it.
Needless to say a very rewarding and enjoyable hobby especially if the main ingredients are grown in your garden or picked from your property.
bugs
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Sustainusfarm
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# Posted: 5 Dec 2012 08:25pm
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HA...agree with bugs! Not every bottle of wine we open is perfect and sweet...sometimes it is vinegar!! 
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greenacarina
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2012 03:19am
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After many years of on-and-off beer brewing, I just recently started my first batch of wine. Figured I would start with a $75 Cabernet kit (Vino del Vida) from the brew store just to learn the basics. Bummer part is waiting for it to properly age (approx 2 years) before I drink it. It's been a good experience and I look forward to branching out into using other fruits. The one piece of equipment I didn't have is a Wine Whip (the gizmo that's used with an electric drill for degassing the wine).
As far as store-bought wine, I have found many that are quite good for under $10. And of course Trader Joe's has the infamous "Two Buck Chuck"
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bobbotron
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2012 09:30am
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I've brewed about 5 batches of beer. Good times, I think my favourite batch was #2, a Belgian wit...
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ericfromcowtown
Member
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2012 11:50am
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Quoting: greenacarina After many years of on-and-off beer brewing, I just recently started my first batch of wine. Figured I would start with a $75 Cabernet kit (Vino del Vida) from the brew store just to learn the basics. Bummer part is waiting for it to properly age (approx 2 years) before I drink it. It's been a good experience and I look forward to branching out into using other fruits. The one piece of equipment I didn't have is a Wine Whip (the gizmo that's used with an electric drill for degassing the wine).As far as store-bought wine, I have found many that are quite good for under $10. And of course Trader Joe's has the infamous "Two Buck Chuck"
Hi Greenacarina,
The first kit I did included skins and thus was capable of aging, however, I was told to give it 3 months before drinking, not 2 years! The kits with skins are $100+ up here. The last two kits did not include skins and therefore will not age (that's my understanding).
I don't have a wine whip either, but have just stirred a lot to try to degass. The first batch I did was a little carbonated, so on the second attempt I stirred much more and didn't have that problem. Perhaps a wine whip will be a future purchase...
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bobbotron
Member
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2012 11:56am
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The real Q, do any of you brew at the cottage? I considered it, but it's too rustic up there to want to deal with bottle sanitation properly, and we have no well...
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greenacarina
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# Posted: 6 Dec 2012 04:14pm
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I am still in the planning stages of my cottage. While I don't plan to brew there, I do plan to drink there ;)
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2012 11:26am
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Have been making beer at home for a little while. It's more about enjoying the fruits of your labor than really saving any money. But I can get 25 22oz bottles out of a 5 gallon batch, and when you pay $7 a bottle for Rogue or DogFish Head you do end up saving.
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ericfromcowtown
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# Posted: 7 Dec 2012 11:31am
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Quoting: Anonymous Have been making beer at home for a little while. It's more about enjoying the fruits of your labor than really saving any money. But I can get 25 22oz bottles out of a 5 gallon batch, and when you pay $7 a bottle for Rogue or DogFish Head you do end up saving.
Absolutely. If I didn't enjoy the process I probably wouldn't do it, even with the savings. What I have found, though, from travelling in the U.S. is that alcohol seems to be twice the price up here in Canada, so for those of us north of the border, saving money is also a factor.
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TheWildMan
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# Posted: 8 Dec 2012 09:54am
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I make redneck wine/hillbilly mead, no fermentation lock or fancy equipment, just an old soda bottle, honey, yeast, sugar, and water. also made some grape and apple wine (have grape vines and apple trees on my lot).
$1 a gallon to make it, just a little sediment (don't drink the bottom glass)
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