Does anyone have winemaking equipment?

wineo


Joined: 03/10/2010
Posts: 3

Message Posted:
03/10/2010 12:43

Having retired 4 years ago from work and winemaking and moved to North Cyprus, I am now missing my winemaking. Has anyone any winemaking materials out here they would consider letting go?

I take winemaking very seriously, and, was Master Amateur winemaker in uk for a few years, runner up three times and Master twice.

I would be looking for Demi Johns, and bubbler tops, fermenting buckets, hydrometer etc. Chemicals and other additives not required.

We can discuss prices, or any other arrangements at a leter date! (possibly a liquid return?)

Does anyone know where to get hold of Grape concentrates in Cyprus? Red and white, and any other fruit concentrates?

mahdel


Joined: 28/05/2009
Posts: 255

Message Posted:
03/10/2010 13:18

When my wife gets back from the UK next weekend I'll have an extra airlock you're welcome to. I know you can get good quality glass demi johns from some of the olive oil pressing places. The one in guzelyurt on the road to lefkosa definitely sells them and I'm sure the ones over by girne will too. BrewUK will ship things here but its a small fortune for delivery. The fermenting buckets you'll probably have to repurpose from whatever buckets you can get here but there are plenty of places to buy plastic buckets with lids for fairly cheaply and they should be fine. As for the concentrate, I'd try the local juice company (I think it's Mera). I know that a lot of their juices are from concentrate so it stands to reason they'd have some and they might let you buy it off of them.

kibsolar


Joined: 14/09/2008
Posts: 552

Message Posted:
03/10/2010 15:15

there are some (also foreign) winemakers in the north but it will take some time for me to find out. most probably you have to get the sensible equipment from europe as i know that the cypriots have "their own ways" which are quite "improvised".

we used to make our wine (or wine-mash, we havent been interested in winemaking, see below) ourselfes, but stopped that due to lack of time.

Dont use the common plastic containers. They are full of PCBs and other chemicals which will be outwashed into the wine by the alcohol. They are not „food prove“ and it will take years of use until they are „quite save“. Years ago we got plastic containers from „Safa“, in Famagusta, in which the „raki or brandy concentrates“ and the industrial alcohol from Turkey is delivered in.

Of course you can make any wine from concentrates for the beginning (and.. its „cleaner“), but i believe the best choice for you is to wait until the plum season starts again.

kibsolar


Joined: 14/09/2008
Posts: 552

Message Posted:
03/10/2010 15:16

Cont

Usually these trees are more or less free for harvest and you will find many people who have one or two of them in the garden and are happy to get rid of the mess. Same applies maybe for „yeni dünya“. Still, the temperature question remains, as all fruits and grapes are rape in the hot season with temps above 30 degree celsius, not perfect for winemaking. Might be that the we have some „+30degree - yeast“ left.

the (grape) season is over now, either the farmers sell the grapes to a market or they press them to juice and boil them down to "pekmez rolls" with almonds in. These grapes are usually „verigo“ or „sultan“ grapes, not good for winemaking anyway, same as the concentrates you might find. The remaining mash they "just leave" and either it will become vinegar (sometimes quite a good one) or it will become pomace. this pomace they destill in a so called "imbik" to the well known

kibsolar


Joined: 14/09/2008
Posts: 552

Message Posted:
03/10/2010 15:17

"Zivaniya", the cypriot answer to the italian "Grappa". you have to be brave to drink that stuff, as it is not professionally destilled (of course not if you buy in a market, i refer to the „village stuff“, but professionally destilled Zivaniya i only saw on the greek side ). we use this „village stuff“ to "develope it further", meaning we destill again two times with a professional machinery, which is more then drinkable and is as good as the most expensive greek cypriot Zivaniya.

We did this years ago with our plum-wine as well (plum brandy or yugoslavian „Slibovitz“) and we would be happy if someone would deliver 200 liters of plumwine.... We produce also our own orange liqueur (Cointreau), based on our Zivaniya.

wineo


Joined: 03/10/2010
Posts: 3

Message Posted:
04/10/2010 13:38

Thank you both for your ideas, I have several items arriving next month(with neighbors!), Buckets, I will improvise with. The glass demi johns for fermenting and storing, I will try the olive press" Mahdel " suggested along with the suggestion of the concentrates from" Mera".

Chegwin


Joined: 24/03/2009
Posts: 775

Message Posted:
04/10/2010 13:40

wineo

What is the difference between a concentrate and a juice?



Thanks

Chegs

wineo


Joined: 03/10/2010
Posts: 3

Message Posted:
04/10/2010 20:41

Hi Chegs,

A concentrate is made by boiling grape juice/fruit juice at a reduced pressure to eliminate about 75/80% of the natural water present! Nothing is added to this final liquid, it is almost "pure" juice.

By adding it to a wine it will give extra body, bouquet,and to a degree, colour.

A grape/Fruit "juice" is just a naturally pressed liquid with additives.