Monday

Getting Ready To Bottle Wine

     Today I thought "I'm going to bottle the elderberry wine", forgetting that there is a little preparation before hand.  Unless you buy brand new wine bottles, the used bottles need a little prepping.  Old labels need to come off, and they need to be sanitized and dried.  This really needs to be done before the day you want to bottle.  Once you really get going on this wine making thing, all the old labels will be off of your bottle supply, and it gets easier.

Soaking the labels off old wine bottles.  Some come off easier than others.
Sometimes I wonder if they use super glue! 
 On those I give up, and make sure that bottle won't be a gift or a fair entry. 
Next time round I'll work at it again.
I'm getting 15 bottles ready for 3 gallons of elderberry wine.

Next I fill up a sink full of One Step sanitizer.  1 TBL. to 1 gallon of water.
It says on the label that you don't have to rinse it......but I do.
Buy it at your wine supply store.



The bottles get soaked in the One Step for a bit.  I will turn them because there is always an
 air bubble inside.....just making sure it's all sanitized.  Notice the one bottle that
I struggled with the label.  As long as the inside is clean, I'm not too worried.




The bottle drying rack. 
Now this is one helpful gadget.
The bottles dry inside really easy and there's no clanking
around of bottles.  It cost about $30, but worth every penny.
I bought it at the wine supply store.

     The next post will be on bottling the wine.  Tomorrow I start 3 days of becoming a "Master Canner" through our extension office.  I'll get the post off as soon as I can :-).

.....dr momi

10 comments:

Candy C. said...

Can't wait to see the wine!

MommySetFree said...

How cool -- Master canner?! I do hope you will share what you learn with us! :-)

Nice rack :-)

Goo Gone is the most amazing sticker remover EVER. FYI - you can find it everywhere now. (Walmart for sure) It is a "must have" in my house. :-)

Anonymous said...

I can taste it already :-) YUM YUM!

dr momi said...

Candy and Alli......I'll let you see and "taste it" in the pictures I'm sure to post :-)


Mommy Set Free......Goo Gone--never entered my brain (it's an old brain these days). I'll have to try it. Thanks!

Debi said...

I will be in search of the bottle drying rack this weekend. What a neat thing. Can't wait to see the wine bottled. This is going to be interesting!! Debi

Nancy said...

I've tried my hand at making wine from our grapes, but it didn't turn out so well. Looking forward to reading more of your tutorial to perhaps learn some things! :)

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

Add me to the list of those who will look forward to reading how this turns out!

I hope you have an enjoyable Thursday!!

Leigh said...

Ah yes, the prep part. Always puts a damper on my project parade, LOL

Your extension office offers a master canner course? That's fabulous! Do pass on any tips.

Unknown said...

You go through the same ordeal I do! My bottles are ready and waiting for blackberry wine that has been a long time settling! I enjoyed some last night. Oh, incredibly smooth while it warms my very soul! It's ready, finally!

dr momi said...

Ronda......Mmmmm blackberry wine...I'll have to try that this year, the blackberries are going to be bountiful!