First Homebrew Wine - Lessons Learned

All the wine has been drunk now... and very good it was too. The quality exceeded our expectations and was easily comparable with mid-range priced wines (£5-£9 at current prices).

The wine kit came in at just over £40 - making it work out at £10 a bottle. If the 5th bottle hadn't been spoilt, it would have been more like £9 a bottle, which isn't much more than the equivalent shop price. This is not bad, considering the up-front equipment bought. I'm expecting the cost to drop for the next batch.

During this exercise, I've learned:

• A "6 bottle" kit won't necessarily make 6 bottles.
• This brew made 4.5 - but one got contaminated with sediment and was undrinkable.
• Next time, I'll add more water...
• The lid probably doesn't need to be opened to relieve the pressure.
• Temperature fluctuations don't seem to matter too much - within reason.
• Sediment looks solid - but mixes into the wine with the slightest movement.
• Syphoning takes practice - and possibly a widget on the end of the tube to avoid sucking up the sediment.
• Corks need to be steamed (or otherwise softened) before insertion into the bottles.