Distilling home made wine

[i_m_Braveheart]

Right guys you helped me tremendously with my last problem so heres my next question

i have managed to lay my hands on 20 demijohns full of various flavours of home made wine, as im not a wine drinker i was wondering if i can run this through my still and if so is there anything i need to do to it first and what kind of results should i expect. this wine has been kept in sealed demijohns for approx 5 years

[dakotasnake]

just run it and make cuts, it may make a nice unrepeatable brandy. run nice and slow. maybe age a jar or 2 on white oak and leave a jar or 2 white.

[ChefSteve]

Do what you want I would make a small batch sugar wash to add to your wine,and make a good base brandy add your flavor and you will be the talk......good luck

[ErnieV]

You need to give it to other members to "experiment" with.

[Durace11]

20 demi's full of 5 year old wine...I'd drink it up, or at least bottle a few of each one to have for later. Otherwise, just run it out and see what you get. It's going to be more grappa than brandy but if it's a fine wine it will make a fine drink.

[1bottler]

I run wine all the time, [ex winery]. not had to make a wash yet. Just run it as usual, through a pot or reflux.

[biker geek]

When distilling wine is better to run it once really slow, or to strip it and then do a spirit run?

[Prairiepiss]

Do what you want I would make a small batch sugar wash to add to your wine,and make a good base brandy add your flavor and you will be the talk......good luck

Why would you add a sugar wash to a wine? It would dilute the flavors from the wine. And add what flavor? The wine already has flavors.

[Stainless]

Hi all, I agree with pp, just run it in a pot slowly, or just drink it as is

[Grappa-Gringo]

could be a version of Grappa....20 demi's....damn.....

[i_m_Braveheart]

Hi guys thanks once again for the advice

i am starting to feel really bad about running this stuff through my still as i have been told it is really good quality, i sort of inherited it along with a load of wine making equipment a friend of my mothers husband passed away around 6 months ago, he was making wine for over 40 years, well his widow decided to sell up and move way down south to live with her daughter i got a call from my mother asking me if i wanted some Demijohns because her friend was throwing them out . well you can imagine my surprise to see they where all full of different flavours wines. and the shock when my mothers friend apologised for not having time to empty all the demijohns out ( she had already poured 7 down the drain ) the lady in question refused to take any money for them so i said as i had a pick-up i would take all her unwanted stuff to the local tip. included in all this stuff was two boxes of wine-making equipment needless to say it did not make it to the tip.

well thats my story on how i acquired 20 demijohns full of good quality various flavoured wines and as i cant stand wine i will be running it through the still and if i get a nice spirit i mights just use the wine making kit to make more to run through the still

[i_m_Braveheart]

one more thing

will i still have heads and tails so to speak

[ErnieV]

It has been made by yeast fermenting sugars in the same way as all other alcoholic beverages.

I am really new myself, but from what I've read on here, I'm sure it will. I would run it in the normal way, taking cuts. BTW if you're anywhere near Yorkshire, I would love some more demijohns if you have any going spare.

[Prairiepiss]

You will always need to make cuts. Sometimes more sometimes less. But there will always be some heads and tails in all runs.

I would try the wines. If you like them. Bottle some to drink as wine or save for later. But if its not pleasing to your pallet ad wine. No need in keeping it as wine. Make brandy from it. If you don't like the brandy it makes. Clean it up making a vodka out of it. I am sure he would be more pleased with what you do with it. If it make you happy in the long run.

[i_m_Braveheart]

i have decided not to use my wine just know as i realised that my reflux still will strip all the flavours out so as of this weekend i intend to start building a pot still any good plans for a pot still would be appreciated guys.

god this hobby is turning out to be addictive

[ErnieV]

I pipe and a liebig coming out of your condenser. How hard do you want to make it?