Most Frequently Asked Questions On Honeycreeks Site

There are no dumb questions just someone needing answers. We hope to help you find those answers. If you cannot find the answer you are looking for somewhere in this site including the Forum by all means feel free to e-mail us your question but please look through the site as it is my bet you will find your answer somewhere. I average around 100 e-mails a day (this is not the only site we have) so if you ask a question give me a chance I will get back to you as soon as humanly possible for me to do so.

How do I get a banner or advertisement on your site for our products?

Please e-mail us your company's information so that we may verify it and make sure the content does not conflict with our standards. Let us know exactly what you are wanting to add to our site whether it is textual or banner style ads. We will accept NO ADULT rated content of any type, the ad must relate to the wine industry no off topic ads will be accepted. Pricing will be e-mailed back to you for your review once the content has been approved.

I have two Crab apple trees in my yard. The apples are very sweet and I am going to attempt to make wine with them this year. However, the tree that is south of the two is always redder than the tree next to it as the one next to it is not getting the sun light that is blocked out by the other. My question is when is the best time to pick these and how if needed do I keep the ripe ones good till the second trees apples ripens?

This is a good example of why anyone that has fruit and/or veggies needs to have a refractor to measure the brix levels of the fruit or veggie in question. IF you had a refractor then the answer is easy, national average for Crabapples is right at 15.4 brix. This is when if all was perfect crabapples are at there best point for picking. Without a refractor all you can do is guess, go off of your taste buds and experience with the fruit in question. So that being said the only response to when I can give is that if they taste well, are easily eaten and appear ripe then pick away. As far as how to save until all is ripe and picked, freeze them. Will not hurt a thing, in fact when ready to crush or press will be softer and easy to do. You will not hurt them for short periods under 6 months or so. IF you can vacuum freeze them even better. We freeze all of berries, and a lot of the other fruits until the winter months when we start making our fruit wines.

The recipe does not tell me how much it is for or the amount of water to add?

In most cases if the recipe does not say the amount or the size of the batch it is for 1 US Gallon so if you want more adjust as required. Beware though on the chemicals used, please read your chemical's labels for that. Water, fruit and sugar additions adjust as required for your batch.

I would like to know what is the best yeast to use for wine making?

This is somewhat of a loaded question because there is no one answer. Each and every fruit or grape has a certain character to it that you want to try and bring out. Contrary to believe yeast does a lot more than just break down sugar. It can add flavor and smell to your wines. Please visit Yeast Strains to learn about the different strains of east before you make your final choice on your yeast type.

You do not list a wine recipe for my fruit do you have one?

Though the grapes or fruit maybe different and there is a bit of difference in style if you use just a basic recipe it will get you to the same results just modify the amounts as you need too. There is now way to post every grape or fruit or whatever type recipe. You have to remember this and is stressed through out this site, "A Recipe is ONLY a guide not a stone tablet". If a recipe is not listed think of what it is like. Example a Pear or Apple is very close use which ever one. Or a Boysenberry and a Blackberry same thing in a sense. If you have the basic equipment needed, hydrometer, acid test you can modify any recipe to suit your need. If you do not have any equipment at all to test your must or juice and just are throwing ingredients in with a hope and a pray (which is 100% waste of time and good fruit) then what does it matter what recipe is used, going to turn out crappy anyway... Sorry to be so blunt but it is the truth. Wine making is a art and with any art there is time and effort put into it. If you do not have the patients nor the time then you do not have the desire and should just buy the bottle in a store. But in any case just use the closest match to your fruit of choice if a direct recipe on the recipe page is not listed, modify as required.

How much sugar do I add?

In order to make a good wine you must have a few simple tools one being a Hydrometer. This allows you to test your sugar content and adjust it as needed with out guessing. By asking this question it tells me you do not have 1 basic required tool and therefore are guessing. Since wine can take 1 to 3 years to age you are wasting a lot of time by doing this, guessing that is. Purchase the basic tools listed in Wine 101 please do not waste your fruit or time. This cannot be answered with out knowing what style of wine you are making, what sugar content it has now and what your goal for the end result is.

How do I make home made wine?

This question will not even be replied to as it shows us you have not even tried to do any research or you would not have asked this question. Please read the site and if you have a more specific question we will be glad to help. We enjoy your questions on wine making.

How much yeast do I add?

Each 5 gram packet of yeast can do up to 5 gallons of wine if you are making less or more than 5 gallons adjust accordingly. Using more yeast than required will not hurt a thing as it will just add more yeast hulls to the bottom of your container when racking, using less can be a concern. So rule of thumb if your making a odd amount do not be afraid to add more yeast than needed.

How long should you age your wine?

There is no set in stone time frame but most generally if it is a Country Wine (apple, pear, berry etc.) 1 year same for a White Grape wine. A red Grape wine can go 2 or more years. All wine reaches a point that it gives its best flavor and color this point is solely dependent on the wine in question. Once this point is reached it begins back down the ladder. This could take many years or could be in months again depends solely on the wine in question. At Honeycreek no wine is opened before a minimum of 15 months of aging. This gives the fruit used a chance to all meld together as most of our wines are of a blended nature.

I would like to grow my own grapes or fruit what is the best make to buy?

I am glad you wish to grow your own it can be very rewarding to see your wine come from what you have harvested from your own garden. You must first look at your growing region to find out what temperature range you are in then look at the fruit labels to see what they can handle as far as low temperatures are concerned. Then look at your soil content, usually your local ag department can test your soil for pH, acid nutrient contents and advise you what you have and/or what is needed this is usually at a very low cost to you. Once you have all this information in hand then find what best suits your content. If you do not do these few steps you may end up wasting a lot of your time and cash. Example, Blueberries require high acid content soil, they well grow in less but will not produce well. Let us say you are planting a fruit in a old garden, let us again say in this old garden you planted Tomatoes, tomatoes require lots of Nitrogen and will deplete a area of it well you just planted a few grape vines in this area, guess what, slow growth and low yield will occur. So in short for me to say get this one or that one is impossible, I know what our soil content is, our growing area can handle I do not know yours. But I can give advise to you if you give me as much information as possible, this includes what type of wine you like as in flavor and color. Not sweet or dry as any wine can be made this way, that is a style not a fruit.

Who do you recommend to buy our products from?

Anyone listed at or on Honeycreeks site we have done business with at some point in time. If we had a problem or did not receive our goods or the service was poor they would NOT be listed on this site. This site is geared towards the wine industry (with the small exception of our other hobby, ATV riding) and will remain so through out its life span. If it has to do with wine and is listed on this site somewhere we have not had any concerns with the company in question. This does not endorse one over the other nor does it say you may not have a problem it just states we have not had a concern with any of the companies listed. This site is and shall remain 100% free to all. If you like and desire to support the site then by clicking on any of the banners and possibly making a purchase from where you land you will help the site to stay alive, this is the only revenue we get from this site and how we continue to make it free for all to use.

21 Row Curved Corner Wine Rack - Holds 84 Bottles The curved corners on this rack form a smooth 90-degree transition between walls. Made of individual bottle racks, 4 columns wide x 21 rows high, this wine rack is made from a knotty grade of wood, Country Pine, which is sought after for its rustic look. Soft creamy color combined with subtle streaks and small knot patterns.	Rectangular Wine Bins - Holds 192 Bottles The rectangular bins on this wine rack are 2 columns wide x 8 cases high. Including two cases stored on top, this wine rack holds 192 bottles! Made from Country Pine, which is sought after for its rustic look. Soft creamy color combined with subtle streaks and small knot patterns. Mix and match with other kits to create your personalized wine cellar!
Solid Bin Wine Case Rack - Holds 208 Bottles The Solid Bin Rack is constructed of sturdy 1 x 10 pine and has 24 open bins for a storage capacity of 208 bottles. The squared bins hold 16 bottles each. Each full bin is engineered to hold 9 magnums, 12 champagnes, and 16 standard Bordeaux bottles.	Liquor Decanters - Four Glass Bottle Set Store and display four classic spirits in style. Includes decanters customized for Bourbon, Rum, Vodka and Whiskey. Made of durable, heavy glass beautifully etched with each spirits name. Each decanter has a heavy glass stopper with sealing gasket.