Hi Screamlead.
Not, in any area going head to hesd. It's a good subject to have, especially for the people who live here full time.
Presently unemployed and living in Fethiye I thought it prudent to fall back on an old pastime we had in uk. Home brew. I often cheat, the peach snaps kit we used to get in Boots was brilliant but so was the peapod and elderflower we used to make. We did a couple of christmas parties where half a bottle of the cheapest vodca was added to each demijon and whines which go "off" are often "steamed" to collect the main ingreadient. Then added to a bit of toffee and a couple of smoke chips for a BBQ, you end up with a very presentable burbon. However I digress.
Living in Fethiye I often go down to the Vegi market on a friday to see what fruit is going cheap.Then I pick up about 5 kilos and start it into wine.
I fellow forum member brought a small tub of "Young's" super wine yeast which is nearly finished unfortuanatly.
Contrary to yourself I have always simmered my fruits to (a) steralise them and to extract all the taste. No problem with clearing at all. Cannot get finings here but often use a bit of egg white mixed with some of the wine. Just the same.
I presume that adding a cup of stewed tea is for the tanin ??
Just picked up four large melons, not water melons. They are down to less than one lira per kg. In uk I would top them, remove the seeds and pack with brown sugar. Normally we then hang them in a single leg of a pair of tights.
I am trying here a new method. Sliced and diced (unusable parts go on the compost) Placed in a plastic bottle, around 8 litre, and covered with brown sugar.
It ends up what we call a melon rum. I will let you know the results.
By the way I use a hand blender with most of my fruits before I simmer them
Orange and apricot clear after two weeks but a bit sharp so have added a touch mor sugar,