Top 10 Tips to Making Wine at Home

Making wine at home is not only a fascinating hobby, it is potentially a great way to save money, as well. Homemade wine can be every bit as enjoyable as that bought commercially, and be far more satisfying because you will know that it was you who created it. Here are the top ten tips for successfully making wine at home.

1 - Don't use colored buckets

This is one of the common problems that needs to be addressed before you even begin to make your first wine. Always make sure you use only clear plastic bottles and buckets. Never use anything which has been subjected to a dye, as the materials used in such a dye may well cause the liquids to become contaminated, and could even be dangerous.

2 - Don't have the airlock too tight

If the airlock has been tightened to too great a degree, frothing can occur around the airlock. This can also occur when there is too much liquid in the vessel. If the airlock does begin to froth, that is not necessarily a time to panic. Remove the airlock, wash it, and replace more loosely.

3 - Make sure you thoroughly sterilize equipment

This one sounds obvious, but it really is just so important. If any acidic wine is created then the importance becomes even more acute, as you will not only have to throw away the wine you have made, you will have to throw away part of your equipment that cannot be thoroughly cleansed.

4 - Don't reuse corks from acidic wine

That part of the equipment is the cork or stopper from the container in which the contaminated wine was held. If you do get a batch of acidic wine, then sadly there is no option but to discard any corks to prevent further damage. Most of your equipment, thankfully, can still be saved.

5 - Don't ferment wine in too cold a temperature

A constant temperature of 25 degrees Celsius or just below is best for producing consistent results from wine making. Although some experts will try to produce varieties of white wine in cooler temperatures, it is not recommended for beginners. Too cool a temperature can lead to acidic wine.

6 - Make sure the jar is well stirred

If the mix in the jar is not fermenting properly, you will notice a sediment of concentrate settling on the bottom of the jar. This will cause the hydrometer reading to go higher. This is not a serious problem as thorough stirring of the mixture will cause the concentrate to dissolve.

7 - Never use expired yeast

If you notice that fermentation is not occurring, one possible cause would be yeast which is no longer active. It is imperative to use a yeast which has not gone past the date listed on the packet. Again, if you are having this problem, you should be able to solve it by adding fresh yeast.

8 - Make sure the liquid is the right temperature when you add the yeast

25 degrees, as mentioned above is the optimum temperature for making wine. This is especially important at the time the yeast is added, as too high a temperature here can even kill the yeast,

9 - Always filter wine

Filters do not, as beginners sometimes mistakenly believe, cause wines to lose body, flavor or color. Any commercially produced wine will have been filtered at some stage.

10 - Always make sure fermentation has finished!

This is the classic beginner's mistake! Fermentation can finish very quickly in warm temperatures, and beginners don't notice. Check with a hydrometer, or just by tasting.

And, the biggest tip of all, always learn from your mistakes!