How to Make Your Own Wine

People spend lifetimes perfecting the science of making wine. Here is an overview of the basic steps involved. Equipment and materials needed for this procedure can be rented or bought at a winemaking supply shop.

Before Fermentation:(Things You'll Need)

granulated sugars (sucrose) or corn sugar (dextrose)

wines yeast

fining materials materials

siphon hoses

fermentation locks

hydrometer

acid-testing kits

plastic bucket for mixing

glass gallon jugs or barrels for fermenting

vinifera red grapes

sulphite crystals

grape crushers

grape press

STEP 1: Crush grapes into primary fermentor. Fill fermentor only 2/3 full.

STEP 2: Remove up to 80 percent of stems.

STEP 3: Add sulfite crystals to fermentor. Use about .1 gram of sulfite powder per liter or 1 campden tablet per 10 liters. Dissolve into 1 cup of warm water and stir into fermentor using a wooden or plastic spoon.

STEP 4: After adding sulfite, let the crushed grapes, or "must," sit for 2 hours.

STEP 5: Check Brix (a measure of sugar content) of juice. It should be around 22 to 24 degrees, depending on varietal.

STEP 6: If Brix is lower than 21 degrees, add sugar to juice.

STEP 7: Check and adjust acid level of juice, using an acid-testing kit found at a winemaking shop. Acid content should be about 5.5 to 6.5 g/liter.

STEP 8: Check temperature of must and adjust if necessary. Temperature should be 70 to 75 degrees F (21 to 23 degrees C). Raise temperature by placing a
heating pad underneath the fermentor or applying a heating belt. One way to lower temperature is to place a heavy object into a large freezer bag. Add ice to the bag, tie the bag securely and lower into the fermentor. Monitor the temperature for changes and remove the heating or cooling element when the proper temperature has been reached.

STEP 9: When the proper Brix, acid level, and temperature are reached, dissolve 1 gram yeast pellets in 1 cup of warm water for every 3.8 liters of must. Let yeast solution sit for 10 minutes, then add to fermentor.

STEP 10: Cover fermentor with cheesecloth.

Fermentation

STEP 1: Check after 24 hours. Bubbles and gurgling noises indicate fermentation is taking place. As fermentation takes place, the temperature will rise, which is acceptable.

STEP 2: Stir twice daily to keep the "cap" wet. The cap is the top layer of seeds and grape skins.

STEP 3: Check Brix daily. There should be an average drop of about 2 degrees in Brix.

STEP 4: When the cap stops pushing up to the top or when Brix is around 0 degrees, press the wine into gallon jugs and attach a fermentation lock. Save the cap material (pulp) to top up after initial racking.

STEP 5: When sediment drops out, rack and top up with pulp. Add sulfite

STEP 6: Add fining material right after racking, or later, when wine is clear.

STEP 7: After sediment drops out, rack and add sulfite crystals. Continue racking as necessary when sediment drops out.

STEP 8: Depending on varietal, age for appropriate amount of time.

STEP 9: Bottle.

STEP 10: Depending on varietal, bottle age for the appropriate amount of time.

For more details and variations refer to related Web sites or ask vendors at winemaking shops.
Be careful about adding too much sulfite after racking. Too much sulfite can damage wine. Ask at a winemaking shop for necessary amounts.
Avoid carbon dioxide fumes during fermentation

Monitor the Brix of Fermenting Wine

Brix is a measurement of the amount of sugar in a liquid. The sugar converts to alcohol during fermentation. As Brix numbers decrease, the amount of alcohol in the liquid increases. Measure Brix with a device called a hydrometer.

Measuring Brix

Instructions

STEP 1: Be sure the hydrometer is clean and free of oils from your fingers.

STEP 2: Fill 3/4 of a graduated cylinder or testing jar with juice. Avoid including seeds, stems, skins and bits of fruit in the sample.

STEP 3: Check the temperature of juice with a thermometer and note it.

STEP 4: With the bulb end first, place the hydrometer into the juice and give it a gentle spin with your fingers.

STEP 5: After about 5 to 10 seconds, at eye level, inspect the location of the bottom portion of the meniscus against the hydrometer. (The meniscus is very top of a column of liquid; when seen in a clear container, it almost looks like a thin lid.)

STEP 6: Record the number on the hydrometer that coincides with the lowest portion of the meniscus.

If bubbles accumulate on the hydrometer, gently spin the hydrometer. When the hydrometer floats without bouncing, record the number immediately.
Determine the amount of alcohol the juice will yield by multiplying the initial measurement of Brix - taken before fermentation - by .6. Approximately 60 percent of the sugar will convert to alcohol during fermentation.
Adjusting Sugar Level in Liquid

STEP 1: To increase Brix by 2 degrees, add 3 1/2 ounces of standard granulated sugar (sucrose) to 1 gallon of juice.

STEP 2: Add water to sugar to create sugar syrup.

STEP 3: Add sugar syrup to must (juice with seeds and skins) in small amounts. Stir thoroughly.

STEP 4: Check the Brix and add more sugar to raise the level.

STEP 5: To decrease the Brix, add water, in small amounts, to dilute the must, or add low-sugar grapes. If you add water, check the acid level and make the necessary adjustments

Rack Wine

"Racking" wine is the process of separating wine from its sediment, or lees, and transferring the wine into another container using a siphon.

STEP 1: Place the container of wine on a table.

STEP 2: Place an empty container below the table, such as on the floor or on a lower table.

STEP 3: Place the notched end of the siphon tube into the container of wine. Be sure the tube is in the wine but does not touch the layer of sediment. (The sediment should be at the bottom of the container.)

STEP 4: Suck on the other end of the tube until wine begins to flow.

STEP 5: When the wine begins to flow, insert the tube into the lower container.

STEP 6: Fill the container.

STEP 7: When the container is full, or if sediment starts to travel with the wine, stop the flow by holding the hose in a downward position and pinching a section of it. Clamp if necessary.