| Do You Know the Basic Steps to Make Wine? | | | | and sugar. Cover and let sit for a day. In the |
| These Winemaking Instructions will Test Your | | | | meantime, place the must and/or grape juice in a |
| Wine Savvy | | | | primary fermentor; mix in 4 crushed camped |
| All wines are made differently, where the | | | | tablets and cover. . If desired, incorporate two |
| winemaking process is easily adapted to the | | | | crushed Campden tablets to rid your crushed |
| different grape cultivars that exist. While the | | | | grapes of any bacteria or unwanted yeasts from |
| process of making wine is one and only, there are | | | | interfering with the wine fermentation. |
| many variations that you can apply to better suit | | | | 4) Fermenting |
| the style of wine you wish to brew, and the type | | | | Once your starting liquid has rested for a day, |
| of grape varietal that you've harvested for your | | | | you'll see foam forming at the top. Incorporate |
| winemaking. | | | | the liquid to the primary fermentor along with the |
| Below you will find the basic wine making steps | | | | must (for red wines) and/or grape juice (for |
| and instructions to achieving a delicious bottle of | | | | white wines). A yeast nutrient can also be added |
| wine. You can follow this to the t, or tweak it in | | | | at this point. Top container off with water up to |
| your best knowledge to improve the quality and | | | | the 5.5gal mark. Do not mix or stir. Cover. |
| taste of your resulting brew. | | | | 5) Fermenting II |
| 1) Sanitization | | | | After 2 days have elapsed, you must now mix in |
| Alike other processes of food and beverage | | | | the fermenting liquid twice a day. Do this until a |
| production, all materials and consumables must be | | | | week of fermentation is complete, or modify this |
| ridded of bacteria and natural yeasts, which can | | | | step according to the type of wine that you are |
| alter or throw off the quality and flavor of your | | | | making. Alterations will include temperature |
| wine. To eliminate harmful microorganisms | | | | conditions, length of fermentation and other details |
| successfully, use cold water to wash your | | | | in the process. |
| produce and allow to air dry. Next, prepare a | | | | 6) Racking |
| solution made of 5 crushed Campden tablets, in | | | | Once the grape juice has been made into wine via |
| half a gallon of water. Cover al surfaces with the | | | | fermentation, you are now ready to rack the |
| mixed solution, let act for ten minutes and rinse. | | | | wine and eliminate sediments. If you are making |
| Allow surfaces to air-dry thoroughly before you | | | | re wine, make sure to remove the pomace (or |
| begin using your workstation. | | | | left over seeds, stems and skins) that float on |
| 2) Crushing | | | | the surface of the fermentor. Extract any |
| In winemaking, crushing is done to create a must | | | | retained juice by using a mesh bag to squeeze |
| (liquid and solids) out of the grapes. While crushing | | | | the liquid through. Using a hose, siphon the wine |
| is generally achieved with the use of a crushing | | | | into a carboy, making sure to leave any sediment |
| grate, it used to be traditionally done by feet | | | | in the bottom of the primary fermentor. |
| stomping. Nowadays, tools like crushing grates or | | | | Top off carboy with water if necessary (up to |
| wooden paddles allow us to obtain the same | | | | measured line), and set up a moistened airlock to |
| result, with much less space and physical effort. | | | | prevent the intrusion of oxygen in the wine. Allow |
| For white wines, grapes that are crushed must | | | | the wine to sit for 4 weeks, and do a second |
| then be separated from their skins, stems and | | | | racking to eliminate other sediments that could |
| seeds (also called lees) in order to prevent the | | | | remain in the wine. A third racking might be |
| extraction of color into the juice and wine-to-be. | | | | necessary for heavily-sedimented red wines, or if |
| For red wines, the lees are left in the must to | | | | you wish to clarify your wine further. Clarifying |
| incorporate tannins (the pigment responsible for | | | | agents can also be used to eliminate the need for |
| red wine color) into the brew. | | | | a third racking, yet many winemakers |
| 3) Preparing a Starting Liquid | | | | recommend doing this to achieve a smooth, nicely |
| In order to have an efficient fermentation | | | | bodied wine. |
| process, you must make a starting liquid with the | | | | Following the racking, you'll bottle and age. Make |
| wine making yeast that you have chosen. To | | | | sure to adapt the aging process to the style of |
| prepare a starting liquid, allow 24hrs for yeast to | | | | wine that you wish to make. To your winemaking |
| wake. Mix yeast, with a jug of lukewarm water | | | | success! |