How is wine made at home?
Posted by admin
Please let me know a simple metod of making wine at home.And how to preserve it .How long can it be stored?
It depends on which kind of wine you want. They are so many methods. Many people will tell you that it is not possible to obtain a good wine at home. They are right that it is really difficult, but that is not a reason not to try. The first one will probably be disappointing.
Without giving you "the" method (depending on each case), I would advice you to first select the grape (mature and not rotten). Sometimes a bad weather during the year will impede you to obtain a good wine.
Another important thing is not to smash the stone with the grap : you have to pressure with care (max. 1,6 kg/cm²). Most of people make it with (clean) feets.
To avoid diseases inside your wine it is adviced to cover the fermenter, but the fermentation will be slower… Some people check if the fermentation is still going on by linking an hose between the fermenter and a glass of water : if it is bubbling it means that it is fermenting.Temperature depends on the wine but usually it should not go beyond 25 °C to respect the flavours, but also because the aim is not to obtain vinegar !
For the red wine you will have to mix the juice with the pulp and skin of the grape (that are not present in white wine for example).
You will have to add stuffs, it is a pity but there is no other way to obtain a good, controlled wine : always depending of which wine you are looking for, you will have to add yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the best), then after the fermentation the metabisulfite (be careful to add it in small amounts because it gives a taste to the wine) H2SO3, KHSO3 or K2S2O5, will stop the developement of all microorganisms to avoid a double fermentation (don't add to much!).
To reduce acidity of wine, some enzymes help (malolactic enzymes), there is also the potassium bicarbonate that reduce acidity of wine.
However the method depends on the wine you wish. If you want to increase your chance of success, you can start with the wine kits, for example : http://www.homebrewers.com/category/tnoirotliqueurs/
Your wine will however need patience and a lot of cares.
What are common pitfalls for newbie home wine makers such as me? I want to make sure to avoid these.?
Posted by admin
I am new to making wine at home and want to know what kinds of things to avoid doing.
Probably the biggest mistake newbie wine makers make is not taking good enough notes of when and what was tested and when and what was done to try to adjust the wine. It is also probably the biggest mistake that experienced wine makers make.
Common pitfalls would include not thoroughly sanitizing your equipment and making measuring mistakes like when adding sanitizer (SO2) or acid to your must or wine. Make sure to double and triple check your math before making any addition.
Another would be not adding enough SO2 post fermentation to stabilize your wine.
Another would be not keeping your wine in a cool dark place that is protected from temperature swings and light.
What a fun hobby! kw
Does anyone know where I can find empty wine bottles for home wine making? In US only.?
Posted by admin
CAMDEN BAR SUPPLY ON THE WHP IN OAKLYN HAS THEM. I HOPE YOUR FROM THE PHILLY AREA AS THE QUESTION STATED OR YOU WILL HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I TALKING ABOUT
How do i know if my home made wine is fermenting properly?
Posted by admin
i am making homemade wine, using grape juice, yeast, water, and sugar. it is fermenting in a gallon jug, and the gas is allowed to escape, and no air can be let back in. the mixture is bubbling at the top in the bottle, and i can hear a small fizzing sound. Is the wine fermenting properly?
yes, if you can hear the gas (CO2) escaping then your wine is still fermenting. It sounds like everything is going well. As long as gas is escaping it is fermenting.