Was in wally world today getting some bread making stuff and was listening to one of the ex con YouTubers I like ( Jay Williams let's live life , amazing story teller !) talking about how they made wine in the pen . They used some pretty cute deals but apparently could make some high proof stuff . Tasted terrible but apparently that was because large amounts of sugar and proper filtering was an issue.. where using sugar packets and hair nets that stole from the cafeteria same with fruit. Well that reminded me I was given a bunch of wine making stuff few months back from a lady who was getting out of it so I said " well if prisoners can make it I should be able to do something!" so yeah 10min of us snickering like some 10 year olds in the juice isle we picked out some stuff and just decided to see what happens .. because doing the sensible thing and following a recipe.....well the wife is measuring stuff to the gram and following recipes with her sourdough figured one of us should just go at willy nilly

So got a five gallon bucket and a lid , of of those little venting deals added juice , water , some.bakers yeast ... because even though I had wine yeast these guys in the pen use bread soninjaut wanted to see what would happen aannnd some sugar.
It's probably going to be absolutely terrible but hay




I remember reading similar recipes that just use juice only take like 7 days to be ready to bottle .. really curious what the white grape juice will do with the red

To keep it real, you could of made the hooch in a toilet.

Keith

I admire your curiosity, but for what you have invested so far you could have bought a couple bottles of drinkable wine..lol...
Have fun with it!...

You mite want 911 on speed dial. I hope it doesn't start bubbling like your sourdough.

I have a vent triesd making wine yet but I think its soupused to bubble part of the fermentation process and why it gets a vent/pressure release.

Thinks for posting this wolfdog.. you just reminded me i wanted to try making wine when I had time and I have time as well as being more limited on activity. Wine will be a good project.

You will want something to kill the yeast when you are done. Yeah, they don't usually in prison "jungle juice", but they aren't bottling it per se either. If you don't kill the yeast it will continue to ferment and if bottled tightly will build up pressure and blow the bottles.

If you want higher octane you can always freeze distill it. Stick it in the freezer and wait until it is partially frozen, then pour/strain off the liquid and toss the ice. The water in the wine will freeze first, so you remove the ice and are left with higher alcohol content. They used to make AppleJack in the northern states this way, make hard cider, leave it in a barrel outside and when it had frozen over, take a pick or something similar, knock a hole in the ice and pour off the liquid. This could be repeated until you got something high enough proof so it doesn't freeze, if so desired.

with that bag hanging out how are you getting a seal on your lid?

did you clean everything first?

Hence why I figured, heck I could make something semi drinkable in a food grade bucket

Well the issue was the lid always a little loose and I really didnt wanna trust it and have a bucket full of fruit flies so had the mesh bags for straining . figured it would still let the gasses get out bright the little vent thing but it would better seal the rim in under the lid. Which it seems like it's doing pretty well

Ahhh ok gotcha , I got some packets of some of that yeast killer stuff I think with what she gave me . I gotta order a alcohol meter so I'll order some of that yeast killer too ! That apple jack stuff sound pretty cool

Lol you should see our lil booze collection got plenty but we're the fun in that , besides got like $12 in the bucket and juice

Well that's what that little vent thing on top is supposed to prevent right ? Or should I add some extras ?

I see where starting with a ill fitting lid for your bucket is a problem , I am not sure you solved it but time will tell.

the goal of the water in the fermentation lock is to be a one way valve for escaping CO2 and not let anything undesirable in.

you definitely want to start in the future with a bucket and lid with an air tight fit.

but for prison hooch it will probably work.

a friend of mine did the prison wine thing in the dorm of the seminary high school he went to they used 2 liter bottles with balloons as the lock it would inflate then burp a little out and then seal back up. they all liberated some juice and sugar from the cafeteria. got together and mixed it and kept the bottles hidden in their closets.