| Easy wine making really consists of a healthy | | | | its almost boiling by the peak fermenting time (72 |
| balance between factual knowledge and common | | | | hours). Within a week the fizzing will cease and |
| knowledge. A combination of these two, along | | | | you will have to strain the wine to remove any |
| with a good wine-making grape will result in a | | | | seeds, grape peel and pulp. To do the straining |
| delicious glass of wine for you and your family to | | | | you can use a cheesecloth or mesh bag, |
| enjoy. | | | | squeezing out the wine thoroughly to extract as |
| Crushing & PressingGenerally speaking, 50 | | | | much juice as possible. |
| pounds of grapes yields five gallons of wine. | | | | The wine is then to be placed in a wine barrel or |
| Once you harvest your grapes, you must place | | | | in a glass carboy, depending to taste and/or |
| them in a plastic vat (found at any wine-making | | | | resources. It is important to keep the wine away |
| shop) for crushing. Always make sure to fill your | | | | from air exposure to preserve its taste and |
| vat only 2/3 so as not to waste any of the | | | | ageing process. An airlock is a popular choice |
| smashed grape mixture. | | | | amongst winemakers, as it keep oxygen out, but |
| Foot grape crushing methods have proved to be | | | | it allows for the release of the gases caused by |
| effective and easy to employ. For smaller | | | | the on-going fermentation of the wine. |
| amounts of grapes, you can crush them with a | | | | RackingAn average of 2-3 days is, usually, how |
| potato smasher, or simply your hands. | | | | long it takes for the fizzing to halt. Once this |
| Once the must (name given to grapes after they | | | | occurs, you must rack the wine in order to |
| are smashed) is done, you must add potassium | | | | remove the lees (yeast and grape residue) that |
| metabisulfite in order to prevent the growth of | | | | normally remain at the bottom of the barrel |
| unwanted yeasts that can affect the taste of | | | | carboy. |
| your wine. This chemical can be purchased in | | | | The most effective way of doing this is to siphon |
| Campden tablets, and the recommended dose is | | | | the wine out of the bearing container, remove |
| to be added to the must. The mixture is then | | | | the lees, and return the wine into the original |
| covered with a cloth and left to sit for a day. | | | | container. |
| Fermentation ProcessThe next day, the wine | | | | A second racking will be needed 2 to 3 months |
| fermenting yeast must be added. Wine yeast | | | | after the first racking, and a third racking will be |
| must not be confused with bread yeast, since | | | | required 3 to 4 months following that. |
| these two are not interchangeable. | | | | Once the third racking is completed, the wine is |
| After adding the yeast, work it in the mixture | | | | ready to be aged. Aging must be done in a very |
| using your hands to increase the temperature for | | | | dark, cool place, with just one rule of thumb that |
| the yeast to be activated. Comb out most or all | | | | is easy to remember: the longer the aging, the |
| stems, cover, and leave to rest. You will notice | | | | better the wine. |
| that the mixture will begin to fizz, and will look like | | | | |