| When I was in college one of my old
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| | afterwards. There would be nothing worse
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| roommates used to like to brew his own
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| | than having to throw away your batch of
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| beer. I always enjoyed watching him
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| | wine because it was tainted with bleach
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| concoct his creations in our tiny
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| | that didnt get rinsed out.
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| apartment kitchen in Tallahassee and then
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| | It is important to check the sugar levels
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| watch over the coming weeks the water and
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| | of your juice, and to double check the
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| sludge mixture turn into something more;
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| | levels if using a juice from concentrate.
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| to turn into a delicious tasting beer. I
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| | Using your hydrometer, the sugar level
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| myself enjoy the occasional bottle but
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| | should be about 22 Brix. If for some
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| never enough to make my own.
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| | reason the level is not around 22 Brix,
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| Wine however, is another story. Ive still
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| | the level is quite simple. If the level
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| yet to make my own wine, and I am not
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| | is too high and needs to be lowered, it
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| entirely sure why I have not attempted
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| | can be done by diluting with water or
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| to. For first timers like me, it make
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| | juice. To bring the level up you can make
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| more sense to purchase a wine making kit
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| | a sugar and water mixture should by
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| from a supply store because these kits
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| | boiling 1 cup of sugar with a third cup
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| have all the essential bits and pieces of
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| | of water. Once this mixture is cool (do
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| equipment so you do not have to worry
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| | not add hot sugar to the juice) it can be
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| about forgetting to buy something.
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| | slowly added until the proper levels have
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| Before getting started it is important to
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| | been reached.
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| make sure that you have everything you
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| | Using your acid titration kit you will be
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| need. Whether you are buying a kit or
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| | able to adjust the acid levels. This is
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| buying all the pieces individually, make
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| | very important because red and white
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| sure that you have the following:
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| | wines have certain acid levels, which are
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| Large nylon straining bag
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| | essential. A dry red wine for example
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| Food-grade pail with lid (2 to 4 gallons)
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| | should be between 6 and 7 grams per litre
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| Cheesecloth
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| | while a dry white is between 6.5 and 7.5
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| Hydrometer
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| | grams per litre.
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| Thermometer
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| | Overall temperature of wine is also
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| Acid titration kit
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| | important and being able to adjust the
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| Clear, flexible half-inch diameter
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| | temperature of your juice is something
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| plastic tubing
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| | everyone needs to know how to do.
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| Two one-gallon glass jugs
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| | Fermentation for red and white wines
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| Fermentation lock and bung
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| | vary, the average temperature for reds is
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| Five 750-ml wine bottles
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| | usually around 70 to 75 degrees
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| Corks
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| | Fahrenheit while whites fermentation is
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| Hand corker
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| | usually cooler around 55 to 65 degrees.
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| Once you have the equipment it is
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| | If you find that your wine needs to be
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| important to pick your grapes. What
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| | adjusted there are many methods that can
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| grapes you use will depend to a certain
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| | be used. If trying to cool your wine the
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| extent as to what is available in your
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| | best method is to place a reusable ice
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| area. Vitis vinifera is the classic
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| | pack from the freezer (if you dont have
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| choice for flavour and character. It is a
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| | these ice cubes in a zippered lock
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| famous European wine-grape family that
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| | plastic bag will do the trick) into the
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| includes varieties such as Chardonnay,
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| | juice and stir until the temperature is
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| Merlot, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.
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| | achieved. Take the pack out and continue
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| In the United States, to make a very
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| | as before. Warming wine can be a little
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| broad generalization, vitis vinifera
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| | tricky. Some people like to take a small
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| grapes thrive in California and the
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| | amount of juice and warm it in the
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| Pacific Northwest. However, they do also
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| | microwave before adding it back to the
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| grow well in microclimates scattered all
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| | larger container of juice while other
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| over the country. Don't be discouraged if
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| | people like to wrap the juice bucket with
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| you live in a colder area where you are
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| | an electric blanket. This second method
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| less likely to find them. There might be
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| | takes longer but can yield a more
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| other hybrids which grow near you,
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| | accurate temperature as it is easier to
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| although if you are not sure your best
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| | control the warmth. Either method will
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| bet is to ask a local produce wholesaler
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| | work so it is more a matter of
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| or order some grapes from a wine making
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| | preference.
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| store.
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| | Transferring your wine from one container
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| Once you have your grapes it is important
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| | to another to separate the sediments is
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| to inspect them. Take a large handful or
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| | very important. Remember that the
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| two of grapes, squish them and strain the
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| | transfer container needs to be
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| juice. Take your hydrometer and measure
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| | sterilized! Using a siphon hose (your
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| the sugar level of the juice. The level
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| | clear tubing), slowly transfer the juice
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| should be around 22 Brix which or 11
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| | making sure to not to stir up the
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| percent potential alcohol. The fruit
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| | sediments and seal it with the bung and
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| should taste sweet and ripe but also
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| | fermentation lock.
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| mildly tart. Make sure the grapes you are
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| | Bottling wine is similar to bottling
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| going to use have been thoroughly cleaned
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| | beer. You fill your empty wine bottles
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| and all stems, leaves, insects or other
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| | with your wine, and use a hand corker to
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| bits of debris have been removed as this
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| | cork the bottle to seal it. This can be
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| will ruin the flavour of the finished
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| | hard to do the first time so it is
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| wine.
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| | suggested that an empty bottle is
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| It is important to mention at this point
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| | practiced on first to get the hang of it.
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| that it is not necessary to use fresh
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| | It is not important to purchase bottles
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| grapes, many homebrew shops sell a grape
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| | if you have empty wine bottles at home
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| concentrate that you can use as well so
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| | you can sanitize and recycle those.
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| do not get discouraged if you can not get
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| | A common myth is that homemade wine is
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| the correct kind of grapes for the wine
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| | not capable of tasting as good as wine
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| you want to make, the concentrates are
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| | produced at a winery. The same methods
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| available in many verities and some have
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| | are used to create wine at home as they
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| sugar already added so you do not need to
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| | are at wineries; the only difference is
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| worry too much about fooling around with
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| | the size of the batches being made. Also
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| the Brix.
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| | dont be afraid that making wine from home
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| Like beer brewing, it is extremely
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| | could cause you to go blind if it is not
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| important to make sure that all pieces of
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| | correctly made; this is another fallacy
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| equipment are clean and sterilized. Clean
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| | that people often believe to be truth.
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| everything with very hot water and boil
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| | The alcohol made by the fermentation of
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| anything that can be boiled. There are a
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| | sugar is ethyl alcohol not its deadly
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| lot methods that can be used for
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| | cousin methyl (wood) alcohol.
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| sterilization, some people like to use a
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| | After doing this research on making wine
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| bleach and water mixture, others like to
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| | at home, it appears that it is nowhere
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| use a sterilization powder which can be
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| | near as difficult or dangerous as many
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| purchased at your local wine making
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| | make it out to be. Perhaps in the coming
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| store. Regardless of what option you pick
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| | weeks I will put my wine making skills to
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| it is important to follow the
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| | practice and make my first batch of vin
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| instructions and make sure that
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| | de Finnigan.
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| everything is thoroughly rinsed clean
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