Equipment shopping list to make mead

[psafloyd]

A beekeeping and wine making buddy of mine has a similar attitude to me using the 5L water bottles floyd shakes his head and tuts when we talk wine I reassure him I only use them twice once for 2ndary fermentation and the 2nd when I rack the wine they are then recycled.

Personally I think the mineral water is the way to go when making wine and makes sense to use the bottles although it would be great if they produced some from dark plastic for the red wines that will save having to cover them with paper

Tom, I think if you're using plastic, your approach is sensible. However, these bottles won't take very hot sterilisation and brewing is all about yeasts and keeping them going. Unless you want to use wild yeasts, they can cause problems with the brew. I wouldn't use them more than once, but twice is probably OK. Using them more kicks in the law of diminishing returns.

 

[Tom Bick]

Yes only twice floyd then recycled my friends main concern is over the plastics leaching into the wine especially as they have been designed for water and alcohol is a greater solvent than water.

I have done a bit of internet research on this and found some information on it and some of the plastics used in the bottles have found to leach but at extremely low levels and then if the wine is stored for a long time a good few years was mentioned and I only expect to have them in use for a few months before bottling. The internet is a great place a bit like the bible you can always find something to back up an argument.

I understand that the plastic pressurised plastic bottles are less effected by leaching but don’t know if you can get them in 5L size.

If I had the storage I would start collecting glass and may get a couple for long term storage but at present I would need 12…. that looks bad.

 

[Phil Henry]

don't do what i did and pay over the odds for a plastic demijohn from brewers shop then find the same size container (with water) is a 1/4 the price in tescos!!!

Those types of bottles are not designed to be re used, there is a risk from the chemicals in plastic used, imo you should use glass always to be safe.

 

[jackbee]

Those types of bottles are not designed to be re used, there is a risk from the chemicals in plastic used, imo you should use glass always to be safe.

just been given 7 glass demijohns so set for a while

 

[Poly Hive]

Just a heads up on the fermentation side. When I made a fair bit I would do two five gallon batches at the same time, usually one would romp on and ferment out in three to four weeks and the other would sit and "sulk" with the air lock positive as in showing pressure from the vessel but not actively bubbling.

That one could take up to 6 months to get there but get there it did.

So.......dinna get impatient and dump it.

PH

 

[eleanor20]

I have used plastic water bottles in the past, put a balloon over the top with a pin hole in, as the pressure builds the balloon will inflate, the hole will get larger and let out the gas, balloon will then flop back down and close the hole. I would only use the bottles once though (and the balloon!)
I have picked up glass Demi-johns in charity shops for 50p or £1 each. Got lots now so don't use the plastics anymore.

 

[WelshPaul]

I use glass, the cheapest place I found was wilkos.

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

Don't Vintners use barrels? There must be a little yeast left in from former brews.

 

[REDWOOD]

7 weeks and still bubbling well
Patience is a virtue, Possess it if you can, Seldom found in woman, Never found in man

 

[chrismcd]

I am a cheapskate PET user

The price of one gallon carboys is a joke. I find that the 2L PET bottles for carbonated drinks are ideal, mainly because I have a lot of them!

I drill a hole in the cap and seal the airlock with hot seal glue.

To sterilise, I use a weak bleach solution followed by rinsing with "potable water" from the tap. After all, we are looking to reduce wild yeast rather than do heart transplants.

I filter through a wine filter and bottle in the same PET bottles - I have had one or two surprises from glass bottles over the years and am not keen to have any more.

I also use Camden tablets as well, just to be on the safe side!

 

[Arfermo]

I have registered on a local Freecycle website and frequently see offers of and bids for demijohns. FOR FREE !!!!!! As regards plastic, I don't make beer but have a 5 plastic beer brewing keg and use that as well a 5 gal wine brewing container I bought from Boots 30 years ago for wine. Nothing wrong at all with either - they were made for the job - and they will also be available on FREECYLE (Freegle) sites from time to time. As with beekeeping, wine makers give up sometimes!!!!!

 

[REDWOOD]

Still bubbling away and has cleared lovely, hope to get some ready for Christmas day but not holding my breath