I think the key to making good wine is "cleanliness", good high power yeast, perhaps a bit of added sugar (of course tastes vary), the proper hardware, and lots of patience. I made my first batch year before last with homegrown grapes. I couldn't wait to taste. After 2 weeks in the secondary fermenter (bubbling like crazy), it had a taste that only a mother could love. It seemed a good idea to taste test each batch at least daily, perhaps 2 or 3 times each in order to compare variations in recipes, and to monitor (e.g. try to remember) the results. As I recall, it went well. Perhaps a bit silly, but I had to take a sample to my buddy. The bottom of the bottle had at least a quarter inch of lees settled before I could get it to him (overnight). But, I had to show off my new baby. It is as I read somewhere "that which is nasty after 1 month, will taste decent in 3 months, pretty good after 6 months, and better after 1-3 years. Last years batch is still on the shelf in the secondary fermenter, patiently waiting to be bottled. But we can wait for now. Although I'm not sure what to do with the green bean experiment. I don't think they make enough time for it to heal. I have postponed my beer making idea for the moment. Perhaps next year. Much too explosive! I make enough of a mess during bottling (darn bottles won't stand still, nervous I guess). Larry p.s.: an air-lock is a good investment, and they are cheap. Don't bottle until the last bubbles are long gone. ----Original Message---- To:    GERMAN-LIFE-L@rootsweb.com Subject:    [GERMAN-LIFE] Brews Sounds like a little bit of heritage pops out in all of us... I was making some wine and knew I was going to be gone for a week and my Dad was coming up to the house to check everything while I was gone... so I put my two crocks in the sink and covered them....mistake!!! I guess my peach wine blew all over my white kitchen with its black floor... my Dad said that he scrubbed and scrubbed, ceiling to floor cleaning up my ungodly wine mess... he never let me live that one down... g _____________________________