can grapes that are grown in backyards be made into wine or jelly?

Question

have a vine or two

Answer 1

Grapes grown in backyards can be made into jelly. (My personal favorite is jelly from Mom and Pop stores off the roadside in the Appalachians.)

Wine is a bit more complicated, but it can be done (as long as you have grapes!). Steps to wine making are available on the site below.

1.) You need a supplier of wine grapes.

2.) Add good quality yeast and correct type of yeast for the wine you are making. Add 1 packet of yeast for each 5 gallons of juice.

3.) Add sulfite - "Patasium metabisulfite is essential for making sure bad yeast cells do not spoil your wine, it also ensures a healthy activation of the good yeast cells. . . "

4.) Ferment - Store the juice in a larger (sanitary food grade container) and cover with a clean screen or cheese cloth. DO NOT COVER THE PRIMARY FERMENTOR, IT NEEDS TO BREATHE. Fermenting will cause the juice to boil violently this is a natural process of the natural sugars being eaten up by the yeast, so be sure to leave room at the top of container so you don't have any spilling over. Leave in this primary fermentor for 5-7 days, stir vigorously each day at this stage. In 5-7 days the ferment should subside down to a minor fizz.

5.) Rack - This is done by siphoning . . . . Make sure you discard the sediment from the bottom of the primary fermentor. You must fill this containor all the way just 1/4" below an air stopper, which you must keep attatched to prevent air and also to prevent oxidation. At this stage I always add American White Oak Chips at a rate of 1/2 pound for a 15 gallon batch. Your wine will stay in this container (with air lock) for 1 month.

6.) Rack again - It would be a good idea to keep different sized carbouys handy because when you rack you will lose a bit of wine from leaving sediment behind, thus you will need smaller jugs and extra air stoppers handy. Your wine will stay in this container (with air lock) for 3 months.

7.) Rack again - YES...RACK AGAIN. I cannot express the importance of racking. This process will clarify your wine and prevent autolysis or rotting dead yeast cells which will give your wine an off flavour. Your wine will stay in this container (with air lock) for 3 months.

8.) Stabilize - At this point you will add 1/4 teaspoon of patassium sorbate for each 5 gallons of wine, this will prevent any further fermenting of residual sugar left behind. Using a sterile rod, stir and splash the wine vigorously to break up any carbon dioxide bubbles. Stabilizing is important because if you skip this step you may end up with a fizzy wine or worse that that the carbon dioxide will cause your corks to pop or bottles to explode on your finished wine. Your wine will stay in this container (with air lock) for 2 weeks.

9.) Bottle - This is the fun, yet time consuming part. Have sanitized bottles ready. Soak your corks in water for about 2 hours or until soft. I use a hand corker for pressing corks.

10.) Be patient - The biggest mistake any amateur wine maker will make is stealing a bottle of wine from the vessel to give it a try. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT !!!
If you leave an air gap and don't keep your wine topped up at all times you might as well toss it all away later. An air gap will cause oxidation and your wine will end up having a metal taste. Patience, your wine must mature.

Answer 2

Yes, they can. We live in the midwest and made wine from the grapes in the backyard. It was in the 90's and I cant quite remember what we did because I was just a kid helping out with the process. I do remember itching from the yeast that we used. Try researching the internet. I'm sure you will find some homemade wine "how to" instructions. Good luck and drink up!

Answer 3

I've heard of people growing grapes and making wine from them all over the place. It should be possible even in the northeast.

Check with a local gardening shop, just ask if you can grow grapes. From there check with a winery place and see what they say about making home-grown grapes into wine. But eating them I'm not too sure of, you'd probably need to live in FL or CA to eat them and actually enjoy them let alone not get sick from bad nutrients in them.

Answer 4

Absolutely!

You can even make jelly and/or wine out of native species (such as mustang grapes).

Personally I make both wine and jelly from a native variety of plum that grows wild in this area. They are both wonderful!

Answer 5

Of course they can. Naturally the quality of the soil and air that your berries get will directly affect how good your jelly or wine. My ex in-laws lived in Norway and hiked the mountains gathering cloudberries and then they made it into the most rot gut wine you could ever imagine...I drank gallons of it...still feel the skid marks on my brain and liver.

Answer 6

i myself had this precise problem a lengthy time period decrease back. gee, its a small international!! yet worry no longer, i visit grant you with the reply- it really is absolute to get to the bottom of your problem - run up and down the steps 21 situations yelling "o.ok.,o.ok.,wama,wama".. no longer 20 situations, no longer 23 situations- yet precisely 21!!! -next drink a 33 millilitres concontion of 10 ml grapefruit juice, 18 ml liquidised sheep's liver, and extremely last yet no longer least 5ml olive oil (playstation ... by the way it really is likewise a sturdy medical look after irritable bowel syndrome) -wait 5 minutes then get a set of 6 pals, (3 should be bare yet for the different 3 it really is optionally accessible) those 6 pals ought to lay on correct of one yet another- then you stand on correct of the sixth individual, do a ballet pirouette, leap in the air and make contact with your elbow on your knee, then leap off of the mountain comprising of your persons. After this you ought to take a cleansing bathe I assure in case you're attempting this, your wine will be reversed into grapes. promise!

Answer 7

It takes about thirty-five pounds of grapes to make 2.5 gallons of wine. You're going to need a crusher/destemmer, various chemicals, books, and fermenting equipment. Let's just say that you have enough to make five gallons of wine. It'll cost you about $100 a gallon to make wine.

Answer 8

Yes just have to know how most any fruit can be made into wine or jelly.

Answer 9

they can but a wine grape is the best for wine like a tokay-flame grape is a wine grape but any would make a jam

Answer 10

Sure! My brother in law makes wine out of the wild grapes that grow in his back yard every year! www.winemaking.com