Making wine is a great activity to do if you're a wine enthusiast and ready to take your interest to the next level.It helps you learn more about your passion, and it lets you enjoy all the delicious rewards.It's possible to make your favorite wine in the comfort of your own home with a bit of research and patience.
Step 1: For every 1 carboy of wine, you should get about 70 to 80 pounds of grapes.
Ask about grape availability at the vineyard.You can research local grape suppliers and arrange for them to sell you grapes.When grapes are ripe, you need to be ready to make wine at any moment.Before buying any grapes, you need to know how many wine bottles you want to make.Each carboy holds 6 gallons of must, which is the mass of juice and fruit turned into wine.About 30 bottles of wine are made from this amount.If you like red and white wines, try merlot grapes.Do not use table grapes for wine grapes.If you want to skip this step, order concentrated grape juice online.
Step 2: You should wash your grapes thoroughly.
Put your grapes in a strainer and run them under cold water.They should be turned around so that you can clean their entire surface.There are rotten or bruised grapes.The stems should be removed if you don't want tannins in your wine.If you want your wine to have a dry taste, keep stems.
Step 3: You can crush grapes using a honeycomb crushing tool.
Use a honeycomb crushing tool to crush your grapes in a 1 gallon carboy.Press down on the grapes when holding the tool vertically.As you press down on them, twist the tool to the left and right.Continue crushing the grapes until you have released all the juice and created a must.If you have a large container, you can stomp on the grapes to crush them.
Step 4: Add sugar and water to adjust the gravity.
A sieve is placed into a measuring cup.Take a sample of juice from the measuring cup and put it into a graduated cylinder.If you want to read the potential gravity where the surface of the juice intersects the scale, place a hydrometer into it.If you want your must to be between 1.080 and 1.097, adjust it with sugar and water.At a time, add about 0.35 ounces of sugar.Add more water if you want to decrease the density of your solution.After each addition of water or sugar, measure the specific gravity of your must.Continue until it's within the desired range.For optimal accuracy, keep your samples at 60 F.
Step 5: Add 1 tablet of metabisulphite for every bottle of wine.
You will need 5 tablets.The tablets should be placed in a mortar.Press down on the tablets with the pestle if you hold it vertically.The powder should be dumped into the 1 gallon carboy.Sulfur dioxide gas (SO2), formed by Metabisulphite, will prevent most wild microorganisms from growing.If you are allergic to sulfites, skip this step.You have a higher risk of contaminated wine.
Step 6: The must should have a liquid thermometer in it.
The temperature should be between 72 to 75 F.If it's too warm, put a bag of ice into the 1 gallon carboy and check again.Place a warm water bottle in the middle if it gets too hot.Wait about 5 minutes, stir it, and check again.If you have a large fridge or freezer, you can use it to decrease the temperature.
Step 7: You must add a package of wine yeast to your diet.
Add 1 package of yeast when the temperature is between 72 to 75 F (22 to 24C) and stable.Make sure your grape juice is evenly coated by pouring it onto the surface.The yeast will convert the natural sugar in the grapes into alcohol.The amount of yeast needed is determined by the weight of the grapes.Do not try to substitute wine yeast with bread yeast.
Step 8: You can keep your must in the airlocked 6 US gal plastic ferment for up to 7 days.
The temperature in the room should be 72 to 75 F.Look for bubbles or foam on the surface of the liquid when you stir the wine 1 to 2 times a day.The wine should be kept in a cool place because of the heat that comes from the fermentation process.Your yeast may die before you know it.The darker the wine, the more it will have.Don't ferment for more than a week.
Step 9: A clean 6 gallon carboy contains juice from the ferment.
The counter and the carboy are on the floor.The inner tube should be put into the opening of the carboy.Move the inner tube 3 to 4 times to raise the pressure.Wait for the juice to fill the carboy.The carboy should be 3.5 inches from the top.The siphoning process can be stopped if the inner tube is removed.The bottom of the container should be left undisturbed.
Step 10: You can cap the carboy with a bung and airlock for 10 days.
After securing the carboy with a bung and airlock, the second process begins.The little cap in the airlock should stop popping after 10 days.The end of the process is here.The airlock is filled with water to prevent the wine gases from escaping.The temperature for red and white wines should be between 70 and 80 F.Wait as long as 14 days if the cap in the airlock doesn't stop moving after 10 days.
Step 11: The specific gravity of a sample can be measured using a hydrometer.
There is a sample of juice in the measuring cup.Take a specific gravity reading and transfer it into a graduated cylinder.Proceed to the next step if the specific gravity has reached 0.996 or lower.Allow your wine to ferment for a few more days if your gravity is over 0.996.
Step 12: The mixture of metabisulphite and sorbate should be added.
Take 0.14 ounces and 0.194 ounces of metabisulphite and sorbate and put them in a cup of water.After pouring the mixture into the carboy, stir it vigorously for 2 minutes.If your measuring cup doesn't have a spout, place a funnel into the top of the carboy.Attach a wine whip to a 8 inch drill to make stirring easier.
Step 13: Wait 24 hours for the wine to be added with bentonite.
2 cups of boiling water will get 3 ounces of bentonite.The mixture should be added to each carboy of wine.Dead yeast can be settled to the bottom of the carboy with the addition of bentonite.Wine making kits usually have a solution.Shake it before pouring it into the carboy.
Step 14: Remove the airlock, put the carboy in the water, and let it sit for 14 days.
Cool water can be poured to the bottom of the bung.After that, let the airlock sit for another 14 days.Check the wine for clarity after this time.Let it sit for another 7 days if it isn't completely clear.Wine should sit for 14 to 21 days before being tasted.You can either start drinking it if you like it or wait until you're happy with the flavor.
Step 15: A metabisulphite solution is a good way to clean bottles.
Put a clean bucket with water in it.Metabisulphite crystals can be dissolved into the bucket.
Step 16: Wine bottles should be sterile with the metabisulphite solution.
Place your wine bottles in the solution.Use a bottle brush to scrub the insides of the sink.Dump them out after filling them with warm water.Repeatedly, rinse out the cleaning solution.Red wine is light sensitive, so always use green bottles.Gloves or tongs can be used to handle equipment after it has been sterilized.
Step 17: The wine should be bottled using a scuplture.
The wine should be placed on a flat surface.In front of the wine, put the bottles on the floor.The plastic tube should be put into the wine bottles.Wait for the wine to fill the bottles by moving the inner tube 3 to 4 times.The wine flow can be stopped by removing the inner tube.
Step 18: To seal your wine bottles, insert a cork.
Press the outside handles upward to open the corker.There is a new cork in the middle of the tool.Put the head of the corker over the wine bottle's tip to make it flush with the rim.The cork should fit into the bottle's opening if the handles are pressed down slowly.Purchase corkers from online suppliers or from a local wine shop.
Step 19: Within 45 to 65 F, your wine can be kept.
The ideal temperature is 55 F.It's ideal to have a cool storage.Refrigerators can be used for up to 2 months, but they are not ideal long-term solutions since temperatures will likely fall below 45 F.Purchase a wine cooler from a local store or online supplier.Don't keep your wine in places where it could get cold, such as in the freezer or garage.Don't go to the regions of extreme temperature fluctuations.
Step 20: The age of the wine depends on the type.
Red wines that age best after 3 to 5 years are merlot, zinfandel, and pinot noir.riesling can be aged for 3 to 5 years, while chardonnay is best after 2 to 3 years.After 1 to 2 years, Rosé's are the best.Don't feel obligated to wait if you enjoy the taste of your wine.Aging makes it taste different, which is not necessarily better.
Step 21: Enjoy your job.
After opening a bottle, smell the wine.Look at the colors on the edges of the glass.Take note of the flavors.Take note of the dry flavor if you added tannins.Next time, add more stems.For your next dinner party, save your bottles in a dry place.