I'm a frustrated bootlegger!

[AtlLaw]

I got into winemaking once.  Can't remember why but I know it started with one of those little plastic barrels and raisins! 
 
It didn't turn out bad!  Kinda like pop wine before pop wine was cool!  Remember Boone's Farm!?   
 
For a while there I was trying to make wine out of just about anything I could get to ferment!  I also got some well known grape concentrates from a "Wine Art" shop.  Made some pretty good stuff but never seemed to have enough for it to age properly... 
 
At that time it was illegal to make beer in Jawja so I never tried it.  I'm gonna though!  My youngest girl bought me a plastic beer making kit years ago and I've never even opened it!  Soon though!  Soon... 
 
'course, makin likker is still (no pun intended) illegal.     Even though you can buy distilleries on the internet!  plenty small enough to set up in my basement... Do you think the rev'nooers would believe I just want a source of distilled water for my rust bluing tanks?   

[keith44]

eh bootleggin is sellin, thats when the revenoors come a lookin'  personal use and small quantities arguments still seem to hold up as defence.

[Old Syko]

Wellllll     If you do it right that homebrew can be resampled enough times to resemble likker.  Can be brought up to around 80 proof or so and actually have a real good taste.  Had a local gentleman who did this for many years and stupid me never tried to find how he did it. He died a few years back as a young pup somewhere in his upper 90s.  Might have lived a long fruitful life had it not been for his supercharged beer.       Saw a snip-it on some TV show a while back about supercharged beer but they didn't give a lot of info.  Wonder why?  Been thinkin about distillin some E85 lawnmower fuel soon myself kinda like granny's roomatiz medicine.   

[jvs]

Maybe you oughta try makin one of those counter top stills out of a slo-cooker.  To me, it looked like it was easy enough to make, and small enough that you didnt have to worry about blowing up the place.
 
 
I saw one on the internet; supposedly it had a home in Alaska, a place where just about everybody has a counter top still for various reasons.

[BUGEYE]

I used to make a lot of hard cider until the law stepped in and required apple juice to be pasturized.
if I ever find a cheap press, I'll make my own juice and turn it into hard cider.

[keith44]

with time and space and a few tools you might be able to make your own.  cost can be spread out into affordable increments.  In other words build your own, buy the materials as you can a little at a time.  Here's a link to an article about building one:
 
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1976-09-01/How-To-Build-A-Cider-Press.aspx?page=3
 
 

[BUGEYE]

with time and space and a few tools you might be able to make your own.  cost can be spread out into affordable increments.  In other words build your own, buy the materials as you can a little at a time.  Here's a link to an article about building one:
 
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1976-09-01/How-To-Build-A-Cider-Press.aspx?page=3

that's a good idea for "normal" folks.  but my right hand shakes so bad that making anything is out of the question.  I'm sure I'll stumble onto one some day.  we go to north Ga. to flea markets (apple country) quite often.
hard cider is great stuff.

[keith44]

Yes it is BUGEYE.  Good luck with your search.

[doc623]

Don't know about the personal use argument.
Atlaw would know better or could probably find out.
Personnaly I do not feel like being a test case and do not have the time nor resources to defend anything against the feds in court.
In reference to not having enough wine to last long enough; the answer is simple - make larger batches or make more.
If there is a mistake(s) to be made in reference to making wine I have probably already made it (them).
So if you have any questions - ask; if you have any tips to share - please do so as I am always willing to learn.
Questions?
 Or is this just to get a thread started?
 

[AtlLaw]

Questions?
 Or is this just to get a thread started?

   Well, it was actually just some musing on my part.       But at least I found out there are others out there in GBO land that engage in the ancient - and honorable - art of adult beverage production!   
 
I'll let you know the next time I start a batch to bubbling if you let us know when you do!   

[doc623]

I am currently working with this year's blackberry production.
I have some concord blends from last year that need finishing.
I am just about to start a peach/apricot chardonney and a zinfendel.
I also have a white from up state NY to finish from last year.

[keith44]

the revenours were basically out chasing the guys selling without proper lisences, and they did not report the income nor pay their taxes.  The state and county police were and probably still are wanting to stop the manufacture of distilled alcohol without lisence.  It may still be federal charges in both cases.

[powderman]

I used to make wine using Welches grape concentrate that turned out really good. Sears used to sell everything needed but doubt they do anymore, seems they had a farm catalogue back then.  I just used regular bakers yeast, couldn't find the brewers yeast but it's supposed to be much better. The juice was the frozen kind. I also tried the apple concentrate and some cranberry concentrate. The apple came out very tart. I added xtra sugar to the cranberry wine and it came out real sweet. I was disgusted, but then I thought, hmmm, they make cranapple juice so I'll mix em together. Turned out pretty good. I made a lot of wine in gal jugs, some in 5 gal.  POWDERMAN. 

[AtlLaw]

I got to see if I have any of my wine making stuff left.  Don't think so.       But, at least it's not expensive to set up.  I GOT to give it another shot!      And the beer making also!
 
I heard something about fermenting the beer in a refridgerator...     Bottom fermentation or something like that.  I guess a little more study is needed!   

[blind ear]

I'm a frustrated bootlegger! , It's better than being a frustrated wino. ear

[doc623]

There are beer and ale self contained kits available.
All you need is the equipment.
Does well.
Questions?

[keith44]

I just recieved the winter 2011 William's Brewing catalog.  It lists wine making supplies and equipment, along with beer making supplies and equipment.  gonna have to study this for a while 

[jvs]

I dont know how big craigslist is where you guys are, but around here alot of people use craigslist to buy and sell stuff.  I have found almost anythinig I was looking for on craigslist.  Sometimes it takes a while, but usually everthing ever made goes through a craigslist ad sooner or later.
 
I just checked and there were at least 6 ads of people wanting to either buy or sell winemaking supplies in my area.
 
We also have a few wine hobby shops around here.  One stop shopping for most anything connected to wine and beer making.
 
A few people have hit it big just by opening a wine hobby shop.  There are alot of wine hobbiest who are always looking for supplies.  Maybe you can look into opening a small wine hobby shop and see how it works out.
 
j

[SHOOTALL]

I had the good fortune to go to college in Franklin Co. Va. once considered the moonshine capital of Va. if not the USA. I saw several stills being carted off on flat bed trucks . One still I saw is at the Blue Ridge Insitute on display I have been told. This was back in the 70's and things were different back then. Many stills operated and it was rumored that the ones that got taken were old ones or ones that the owner didn't pay off the right people. One still it was said could produce 1200 gal a run and it could produce a run every 2 days. All that said there was always shine around along with peach brandy , apple jack , plum brandy etc. All just fruit added to shine and allowed to set for a while.
Just to make sure all know it is illegal to make shine period. There is no provision for personal use. It easy to check just call the ATFE or go on line and check.

[keith44]

actually the fruits were added to the mash, not the finished product...er that's what I hear anyway 

[SHOOTALL]

Well here its added to the jar ( less seed ) . Allowed to "sit" for some time before consumed. I have heard of capping mash (corn) with grain to add smoothness some say rye works well. I feel confident that the fruit I have heard about was added last since it is still whole in the jar I'm told . I have been told to eat the fruit will bring on a better high than drinking the shine . All hear say mind you.

[Old Syko]

actually the fruits were added to the mash, not the finished product...er that's what I hear anyway 

May be a regional thing.  I don't live too far from Keith and I've been told that is the way it was done here also.  I'm still not a big fan of peaches.      It took on the color of the fruit quite well as I remember.  I've not seen any of that stuff in a lot of years now and can't imagine going to look for any.  Makers Mark don't do it that way.   

[keith44]

may be just regional, or family differences.  I was told the fruit added early during fermintation adds sugars so you can use less "bought sugar" and it adds to the flavor.  Much like spiking hard cider with shine, if the apples that aren't suitable for selling, or "cellaring" are used and corn added to "firm up the mix" you can get some pretty good stuff.
 
Sadly those days and the exact recipie are lost to time
 

[SHOOTALL]

I know a guy who's uncle made it with out sugar or less sugar. Had to sprout the corn and some other stuff to make it work. Fruit it would seem would add sugar. The fruit stuff around here they say is just to add taste.

[Cornbelt]

  We sprout grain to add to sorghum juice to help convert starch to sugar. Malt extract is just the syrup part. But where is the fizz? Just made a batch of brew and added the required 1/2 tsp of sugar per bottle, but no fizz. Am I gonna need a seltzer bottle to carbonate it?

[AtlLaw]

Am I gonna need a seltzer bottle to carbonate it?

How long has it sat since adding the sugar?     The secondary fermentation (what adds the fizz!    ) usually starts pretty quick but takes a while to complete.  'least that's what I found in making sparkling wine...  don't know about beer... 
 
Speaking of beer, I finally opened up the kit my youngest girl bought me years ago.  A "Mr. Beer" kit.  They are still in business and have quite a bit of "ready mix" beer stuff.  I'm gonna start with the mix that came with the kit and see what happens.  Then, if it's fun - darn sure ain't as cheap or easy as drivin to the local likker stow...,    I'll start 'sperimentin' with the stouts and porters, my preferred brews!   

[jvs]

You still need a little active yeast in the liquid for secondary fewrmentation to take place.  If all of the yeast is dead, the secondary fermentation wont take place. 
 
 
 
Normally, there is enough active yeast left over to allow secondary fermentation to happen, unless you used some kind chemical to stop fermentation. 
 
A high alcohol content can also kill your yeast off.  Yeast has a tendency to poison itself out of existence when it comes to alcohol content.  I dont know exactly what alcohol content which is fatal to yeast, but if you usually end up with a 12% wine, there should still be enough active yeast left to allow secondary fermentation.
 
Using a Champange yeast also helps.  But it can be done with regular yeast if you keep a close eye on the alcohol content.

[Cornbelt]

  I maybe shoulda heated it all up when I dumped in the malt for a faster conversion, but adding sugar shoulda made it perk.     ...unless I used that other white stuff instead of real sugar.  Made that mistake w/bread couple times. Wouldn't ferment; wouldn't rise.
  Maybe I'll dump in some brown sugar, then I'll know for sure. Its been three wks since botteling, and not much in the way of alcohol. And no fizz.
  There is another fix, but I'm not quite desparate enough to try it just yet. Malt contains amalyse enzyme. So does spit. Makes ya wonder, don't it?

[jvs]

If you're talking about making beer, that would be over my head.  I never tried making beer.
 
If you're talking about a batch of wine, there should be enough active yeast left over to allow secondary fermentation to occur.  Unless your alcohol content got
 too high, which you said did not.  I nver had a bacth of wine that I could not get secondary fermentation to occur unless the alcohol content was too high for the yeast to survive OR something else went wrong late in the primary fermentation. 
 
Usually if I have something that went wrong in primary, it happens in the first week.  And that usually means something wasn't clean enough or bugs or fruit mold got at it.

[Cornbelt]

 I think I'll add sugar water and see what happens. If I get some bubbles, it ought to be on the right track.
 
 By the way, there was a still on Craigslist recently. Don't remember how much they were asking.