How to Make Parsnip Wine by Brewbitz Homebrew Shop

[@martindawes6552]

Why did you reboil the parsnip juice?

[@newtogrowing64]

Had loads of parsnips in the garden last year so i made 11 liters of parsnip wine from this video now i only have 3 bottles left and it tastes great. This year i am making 23 liters and i have got the red current wine on the go.

[@ThosBN]

Like the vid. Just one word of caution on raisins (and any other dried fruit). I found the first wine I used them for ended up 'ropey'. On reading up a bit more, there was a suggestion that stray yeasts and other organisms tended to be introduced on unsterilized dried fruit in particular and you should boil them (or their juice) before adding to the ferment, as opposed to just scalding the cold fruit with boiling water, which rapidly goes below boiling point and isn't enough to properly sterilise the fruit. A couple of minutes at the boil should be enough. I've done that each time I've used them since and never had any problems. Given that hygiene is really important in brewing, another tip I've picked up is to use boiling water straight from the kettle to pour over and into heat-resistant utensils, bowls, spoons and jugs etc. before using them. This reduces the need for chemical sterilisation and is quick, easy and cheap to do. I wouldn't use it on glass bottles or your thermometer or hygrometer which are liable to shatter if you do.

[@Wornout1]

Thanks for extra info 🙂

[@garywhitbread9584]

Hiya, am I right in thinking that if I want a drier wine, I should use brewing sugar instead of ordinary sugar? Thanks.

[@Brewbitz]

That is one part of the total story. Using supermarket will add a sweetness to the finished wine. To add dryness you can add tannin. This makes the mouth feel dry.

[@paulaelcox1333]

Well I've just syphon to demijohn after 7 days in the bucket. Now I have doing another batch! . A quick question, how long do you leave once transfered to bottles?

[@Brewbitz]

Hi. Ideally 6 months, but if you cant wait that long, at least a month

[@paulaelcox1333]

Urgent please, hi I'm getting ready to make you recipe parsnip wine, I'm using super wine yeast nutrient powder is that ok instead of the yeast n b tabs? How much powder to I add please??

[@Brewbitz]

Hi. Read on the label on your pack to see how much to use.

[@williamhinton7652]

what did you use the campden tablets for? did I miss a bit

[@johnfiore9390]

hi again sorry. but have to ask when do you use campden tablets

[@billy4072]

you want to tell you freekin neighbour to stop playing that fekkin guitar.

[@geoff4022]

thanks for the upload. I'll make when I get a chance

[@hayleybishop4677]

Hi, how do you work out the sugar that you need to top it up to the desired alcohol % is there a chart to work this out or a sum? Also, i see your adding pectin, can you not buy sugar with pectin? And is there anything a bit more natural to use for nutrient other than Vit B? thanks in advance

[@Brewbitz]

Hi Hayley. To get to a specific %ABV, you will need a hydrometer which shows the Specific Gravity, the Potential ABV and the amount of sugar per litre. Take a look at this one on our web shop - www.brewbitz.com/ll/296-wine-beer-hydrometer-stevenson-reeves.html. You take a reading of your juice before you add the sugar. This will tell you how much sugar is in your juice and the potential ABV. Now if this is not as high an ABV as you would like, you will need to add more sugar to your juice. On the hydrometer, find the ABV that you would like to get and read around what amount of sugar would be needed in the juice to get to that ABV. Now just minus one from the other and this is how much sugar you need to add (per litre). We are adding an enzyme - Pectolase - www.brewbitz.com/p/623-pectolase-32g.html - which breaks down any pectin that is present in the juice. Pectin causes a hazy finished product. Lots of foods are rich in vit B1, Beef, nuts, rice, liver, but these arent the kind of things you would really like to add to a wine ;) hope this helps

[@coastalcreative69]

Hi, I have watched the racking off but can’t see when you added the Campdem tablet. Sorry am I missing something??

[@Brewbitz]

Ok. So when you siphon off the wine from your demijohn where the fermentation finished, add a crushed campden tablet to the new clean sterilised demijohn. This will help deoxygenate it if you get any splashes. It will also help prevent spoilage by unwanted bacteria. Hope that helps

[@coastalcreative69]

Brewbitz Homebrew Shop ah thank you

[@dav1dbone]

Hi Mate, really interested in your video and am thinking about making a couple of gallons, I take you used granulated sugar eg. Silver Spoon, would fermentation be improved by using invert sugar (prepared by boiling with Citric acid)?

[@Brewbitz]

Supermarket sugar adds a sweetness, if you use brewers sugar, it will create alcohol without adding a sweetness.

[@chasinsunsets917]

Hi Davin (and all), I've just made this today,, my starting reading was 1.100, I added the same amount of sugar or just under as you did, How do you identify the exact ABV? Is it a rough guess based on the final SG reading?

[@Brewbitz]

Hi. At the end of fermentation, you make a calculation based of the original SG (OG) and the Final Gravity (FG). This will tell you the abv.

[@chasinsunsets917]

Brewbitz Homebrew Shop yeah I have some some research on it now. Always helps! The replacement bin arrived today, thanks very much. (My wife tweeted or something!)

[@robertjcashworth4712]

When you made your parsnip wine you took a gravity reading from the parsnip water and then decided that you didnt need as much as 3 pounds of sugar to make it up to 14%. Can you tell me how you calculate the amount of sugar you need from the OG please?

[@Brewbitz]

Take a look at our video on how to use a hydrometer, it may help - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIOsp5iOYtSgd5Y

[@shaun3473]

I’ve got a 180+ parsnips in my allotment definitely going to try this

[@Brewbitz]

180? Thats a lot of wine! And it’s a really good wine!

[@shaun3473]

Brewbitz Homebrew Shop, my allotment is 600 sq feet, I might give it a blast

[@lindaemery9287]

Hi Davin I'm in the process of making your parsnip wine a well and truly beginner I'm afraid and in desperate need of your help. I have just transferred my wine after 7 days to a demijohn and it looks like my 5 litres now reduced to 4. There is a big gap at the top now . Will my wine still be ok I've put an airlock in or do I have to fill it up with something and if so what? Don,t particularly want to water it down and lower the alcohol content but is that my only option and if so how will I need to do it. ? Please urgently need your help. Love watching all your videos.Tia Diane

[@Brewbitz]

Hi. Seem like you have lost a lot of water somehow. Do not top up the demijohn and this can make your finished wine taste watery. Just leave it, ferment the 4 litres. Look back as to where you could have gone wrong and learn from that for your next brew.

[@lindaemery9287]

@@Brewbitz Thanks for your reply! I however ended up putting it into 2 ,2 litre pop bottles and put a grommet and airlock in each. The only thing I could think of is that I boiled the parsnips 45 mins so probably too long and water evaporated. When put into the bottles it tasted very 🤔 bitter and TCP ISH will it sweeten as time goes on or will I have to sweeten it once cleared. My Elderflower Champagne is clearing nicely.

[@Brewbitz]

Tcp is not usually a good sign. What did you use to sterilise? And then watch again to see what you did differently.

[@Brewbitz]

Glad to hear the elderflower is coming along nicely.

[@lindaemery9287]

@@Brewbitz used hot soapy water rinsed then with sodium metabisulphite. Will keep my fingers crossed then it's clearing nicely however. I suppose it's all trial and error to begin with

[@crankvision4834]

Looks great. How do you calculate the amount of sugar to add? Thanks.

[@Brewbitz]

Crankvision Hi. You will need a hydrometer (www.brewbitz.com/testing/296-stevenson-reeves-homebrew-hydrometer-for-wine-or-beer.html). On this, it will tell you how much sugar is in the fluid in Grams per Litre. Get your fruit concoction to the point just before the recipe call for you to add the sugar. A) - Take a sample of the juice and test it with your hydrometer. This will tell you how much sugar is already in the juice. On the hydrometer linked to above, it will also tell your the expected ABV if you ferment the wine to dryness. B) - Choose the ABV you want your finished wine to be. Use the guide on the hydrometer to see how much sugar should be in the liquid to get you to your desired ABV. Now is a simple calculation. On the Grams per Litre figure, take B and minus A - this is the amount of sugar you will need to add per litre of juice. Remember, if you are making a gallon (4.5 Litres), you will need to times your final figure by 4.5 As this is the first time you have done this, make the calculation, but dont add all the sugar at once. Add a little at a time, stir and make sure its disolved, and then take another sample and see how the hydrometer has changed and recalculate to make sure you have got it right. Good luck. The worst that can happen is that you have a wine with not much alcohol - well thats great, cause it tastes great that you can drink it all night. Or, You have an amazing tasting wine thats more akin to a liquor ;) Keep a diary, and amend if needed the next time you make it.

[@chasinsunsets917]

@@Brewbitz Hi sorry for the recent comment Davin, my I am still a bit confused as to how you work out the ABV based on the sugar amount you added?

[@Brewbitz]

Ian Woodbridge i think i need to make a video on how to use a hydrometer 🙃

[@drumz9]

Hi guys, do you do a Dandelion wine? If you don't would it be a similar process to something like parsnip? Many thanks Gaz.

[@Brewbitz]

gaza davies Hi - never really fancied doing a Dandelion wine. Am always put off by what my mum used to tell me - "picking dandelions will make you wet the bed".

[@drumz9]

Ha ha! I tell you what, I will attempt to make it and let you know if that's truth or myth ;-)

[@questfish]

Hello - When do you use the camden tablet? thanks in advance

[@Brewbitz]

In this recipe, it will be needed later in the process. See the video how to rack off

[@markennor7398]

Good vid. Might try it + post a vid. Cheers

[@unbaisedwine7768]

Great video!

[@blackheartstk]

How do you calculate the sugar for 5 litres?

[@lauritan66]

Is the procedure for turnips the same?

[@Brewbitz]

Yep, don't see why not!!!

[@davidjones8220]

I have chosen this as my first attempt ever at winemaking. I will let you know how it turns out. A question though. Once the solution is in the fermentation bucket, is it necessary to stir it (as some recipes suggest) periodically? Or, should I just leave it alone for the entire week? Thank you.

[@Brewbitz]

We leave it alone, but it's up to you!

[@lksf9820]

How did it turn out?

[@davidjones8220]

Left it alone. Loved this method. Came out crystal clear and nice, dry and crisp.

[@Brewbitz]

@davidjones8220 excellent. Glad you like it!

[@johnfiore9390]

do you have a finish part to this as in How to transfer tub to demi johns? also how long it fermenting

[@Brewbitz]

john fiore hi. After a week syphon this into a demi-john leaving any sediment behind. Then pop in an airlock and leave in the warm place till no bubbles come through the airlock. Then rack to clear.

[@johnfiore9390]

Brewbitz Homebrew Shop ok thank you then its 4 to 6 weeks in demi johns? before putting into bottles

[@Brewbitz]

john fiore in the Demi-Johns until it’s clear. Then bottle.

[@lksf9820]

It's better to add the Pectolase then leave it 24hrs before pitching the yeast. Also, the recipe on your website needs amending, it says to crush the parsnips in the muslin to squeeze out the juice, this is a bad idea as it'll be very difficult and timely to get clear.

[@hectorsgaf]

Hi guys. This was asked 10 months ago without answer but please, is this to be stirred daily like the blackberry wine or simply left alone for the first 7 days in the fv? Thank you

[@Brewbitz]

Hi there, sorry if we missed your question. Leave it alone for the 7 days yes. www.brewbitz.com/content/13-parsnip-wine-recipe

[@hectorsgaf]

No need to apologise, it was not me who asked and it was 10 months ago. May I also ask though, what is the point / purpose of boiling the liquid for a further 30 / 45 mins after the solids have been removed? What does this achieve?

[@zsakosbimbo4383]

hectorsgaf one year done so hopefully you can get the right answers 😂😂😂

[@motog4-75]

Why not just shove all the parsnips through a juicer & ferment the must instead of just steeping them in boiling water? Surly that would be better. & Why do all recipes call for raisins in it?

[@Brewbitz]

Cooking them turns starches to sugars. Raisins are needed to enhance the wine. Try my recipe and try yours. Let us know the results.

[@motog4-75]

@@Brewbitz wow thanks for reply so quick🙏. I am thinking of taking your advice & maybe also shoving a few through the juicer for extra whatever it will give. Good or bad idea? I ounce made a raisin wine. Came out very sweet & strong, not sure of percent, could of been anywhere between 14 & 16%range. I prefer dry wines.

[@Brewbitz]

Try using brewing sugar instead of supermarket sugar. Supermarket sugar adds sweetness. Brewing sugar does not have that sweet taste.

[@lksf9820]

If you do that you'll have problems getting it to clear.