The Art Of Wine Making - How To Make Your Own Wine

Some people will discover that they already know a great deal about the process, because they've learned how to brew their own beers and ales. Wine making is the logical next step for home brewers, because they already have a lot of the equipment they will need and have learned the importance of cleanliness and patience.

Cleanliness is critical when you're making wine, and you'll find that if you keep your work area and equipment always clean you will avoid many problems in the wine making process. Unwanted Bacteria is your enemy, keeping all clean and sterile is your solution.

Patience can also be your enemy but this is very important, learn it soon and you stand a better chance at succeeding. It's quite natural to want to taste your wine as soon as possible, but Mother Nature needs to be allowed time to work.

Though the Art of making wine has remained the same for centuries the differences we all put into our recipes/style is what keeps all our wine a little unique. I can make a nice Merlot or Vidal or Cherry wine, you can use the same recipe and get a bit of a different taste, body, bouquet. Do not be alarmed by this, temperature, yeast, fruit ripeness and many other things can change it. That is what makes it your own wine.

To go into the fine details would take forever and it really in personal thought is not needed as you will develop your own ways in time. But we all need a starting point and that is what I will try to give you. To know the basics and then find your own way from there will get you further now than a whole lot of complicated data.

So let us begin....

Before we start I want to stress no one can remember everything they did weeks, months or years in the past so please take notes. Write down everything you did in as much detail as possible this will save you hours of time. A good wine can take a year to many years of aging, what if it was the best wine you ever made and you just could not remember how you did it, what a shame that what be. Or what if you waited a year or 2 for a wine that turned out badly to your desire would you not want to know what went wrong and where so you would not do it again? TAKE NOTES!!!

To help you on this you can click this link Wine Makers Log it has already in template form notes that you should be taking. Feel free to adjust, delete or use in anyway you see fit but USE IT.

Eight Steps to Making Your Own Wine

Wine making is a fairly simple process and can be accomplished in eight easy steps:

Choose grapes/fruit.
Crush grapes/fruit.
Strain juice into fermenter.
Inoculate juice with yeast. (Yeast Types)
Allow wine to ferment. Be patient!
Rack wine (that is, move the wine containers as needed). Be patient!
Bottle wine.
Age wine. Be patient!

Wine Making Equipment

Basic Equipment:

Primary fermenting vessel, 6.5 to 7.5 - gallon (25 - 28 L)
1 or 2 Glass or Plastic carboy's (Note: plastic can retain smell), 5-gallon (19L)
Siphon
Stirring spoons or paddle
Plastic Tubing (get 10ft at least, you will use it)
2 Bottle brushes
Fermentation locks (air locks)
Carboy bung's (rubber stoppers)
3 Funnels
Measuring cups
Hydrometer (saccharometer)
Hydrometer jar**
Thermometer (floating)
Acid test kit
Bottles
Corks or caps

*= See Calibrating Your Hydrometer Hydrometer Calibration

Advanced Equipment:

Vino meter
Wine thief
Bottle sterilizer and rinser
Crusher or De-Stemmer-Crusher
Fruit-Grape press
Bottle Closure
Bottle corkers
Refractometer (Brix Reading)
So2 Test Kit
Bottle filler

Do not forget about storage.

Click the image for more information and how to Order your own Wine Cooler Today!

Variable temperature settings
One Touch digital control for Red, White, or Sparkling Wine
Chrome Trim with Security Lock
Electronic Display
Internal light
Auto-Cycle defrost
Reversible tempered double-glass door
Space saving flush back design
Maintains optimum temperature & humidity
34 Bottle Capacity
Auto defrost
Not meant to be built in
Vents in the back
Residential Warranty: 1 Year Parts and Labor � 5 Years for the compressor
Color: Black
Dimensions: 34� "H x 20 "W x 21 "D
Weight:67 lbs.
Power: 15Volt -60Hz

Again do not forget once you make your wine you must have a place to store it, keep it cool and ready for the time you wish to open your creation. This Wine cooler made by Avanti holds up to 34 bottles red or white. The price is very good for anyone, shipping also reasonable. Take a look and see for yourself. As you can see it can get expensive but use your head when buying, think that some things can be found that are not wine specific like a Thermometer. Own a fish tank? Or the press, it can be hand made and will work just fine here is a link to a picture of a home made press Home Made Press. Some things are wine specific and will cost you but again always think can you use something else to do what you want to do.

Wine Additives

Basic Supplies:

Potassium MetaBisulfate powder, campden tablets (Read About Sulfur Usage)
Sodium Bisulfate (could just use Pot. Met.)
Acid Blend (the following 3 acids depend on preference and need)
Citric Acid
Tartaric Acid
Natural grape tannin
Yeast nutrient
Pectic enzyme
Wine yeast
Bleach (my choice for cleaning)
Gelatin powder/Sparkaloid (if desired, fining agents)
Sugar (or your choice of sweetener, i.e.; honey etc.)

There are many more additives that you could use but these are just the basics. For a listing of others and a bit about them you might want to check out the Additives chart I have set up. Again there are more like some spices such as Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves and so on. That I will let you look into for yourself.

The Math Stuff

Brix/ Specific Gravity/ Acid/ pH:

Now comes the technical side of Wine making and there are really no good ways around it, you will do some math. Though grouped here each are different and need to be treated as such but they do all come together in your wine, different yes, but all work together to form your wine the character-body-feel of your wine. This will only be a basic breakdown of each as there individual topics are long and I will leave the advanced material for you to search out at your own leisure.

Brix Factor- The Brix, or Balling scale is a numerical range from -10 to 40 degrees that indicates the percentage of sugar content in a liquid. The Brix count multiplied by 0.575 indicates the eventual alcohol content of the juice. For example a Brix reading of 21 degrees would generate a final alcohol content of approximately 12 percent. [ 21 x 0.575 = 12 percent ]

Specific Gravity- The more sugar there is in a liquid the thicker or denser it will be or the greater the gravity will be. This also allows items to float in it; the hydrometer makes use of this principle. To be able to measure this we need to have a standardized scale of some sort to start from so we use the gravity of water which is 1.000, other liquids are compared to this and the resultant data are classified as Specific Gravity.

A good rule is to start your wine with a S.G. of around 1.090 this will produce a alcohol content of approximately 12 percent, below 10 percent is risky as the life of the wine decreases with a low alcohol content. This will, if left alone, typically produce a dry wine. If to dry you may sweeten to taste at bottling or when you drink it as your taste buds desire. There are some real good articles and charts on this and would recommend you read them as your time allows.

pH- Lets just keep this one simple and just let you know that the optimum figure is 3.2 but anywhere in the range of 3.0-3.4 is acceptable. If you are using tap water, measure it and remember that the lower the pH the higher the acidity.

See article on: Acid-pH Adjustments

Acid- Types of acid, Citric, Malic, Tartaric, Succinic. Acidity plays a vital part in determining wine quality. Lack of acid will produce poor fermentation and a medicinal taste. In any wine it is essential that acidity, tannin content and sweetness be in balance to the type of wine you are making. A sweet wine will need more acid than a dry wine with the ranges of acid levels will typically lie somewhere between 3 and 7 parts per thousand for a dry and 3.5 to 4.5 for a sweet, higher for fortified and sparkling wines.

A safe general acidity to aim for is 3.5ppt, which translates to 30 g, (3/4 oz) or 2 level teaspoons of citric acid per gallon. But be careful on this as some fruits are very high in acid to begin with such as Black currants, rhubarb, white currants, grapefruit, Morello Cherries and others as strawberries, gooseberries, loganberries and more. So this is where your acid tester comes to play, measure before adding any acid. The Math for this is as follows for you Math people.

Calculations

Tartaric acid is the main acid in grapes so the total acidity is expressed as percent tartaric acid.

The formula used to calculate % Total Acidity is as follows:

Tartaric acid, g/100ml = (V) (N) (75) (100) = % T. A.
(1000) (v)

Where V = volume of sodium hydroxide used to titrate to the endpoint

N = normality of the sodium hydroxide (0.1 is recommended)

v = the volume of the juice or wine sample (5 ml is recommended)

If you use 0.1N NaOH and use a 5 ml sample of juice or wine as recommended, the formula is simply:

%T.A. = (V)(0.15)

Or literally the volume of 0.1N NaOH used to titrate to the end point multiplied by 0.15.

Juice for wine should have acid levels between 0.6 - 0.9 grams/100 ml tartaric (0.6 - 0.9% Total Acidity)

If you have a pH meter, you can set the end point to 8.2 and then titrate to the pH of 8.2 instead of using phenolphthalein indicator.

SI No.	Description	Bottling Gravity	Wines
0	very dry	0.992-0.994	Oaky Reds
1	dry	0.994-.0996	Medium Reds
2	medium dry	0.996-0.998	French Whites
3	medium	0.998-1.002	German Whites
4	sweet	1.002-1.0066	Dessert Wines
5 +	very sweet	1.006-1.030	Ice Wines
-	stuck ferment	1.030 (do not bottle)	1.030 (do not bottle)

SI = Residual Sweetness Index of finished wines. The number appearing after each wine type indicates its approximate degree of sweetness. Gradually bulk prime a commercially prepared Wine Sweetener & Conditioner into stabilized wine to reach the desired bottling gravity.

Starting Your First Batch

Lets make some wine:

Sanitizing The Equipment

The most important thing any wine maker can do to help his or her wine turn out great is to sanitize all equipment thoroughly and properly. Poorly cleaned equipment is the leading cause of contaminated homemade wine. Sanitize all equipment that will touch the wine or juice by rinsing it with a MetaBisulfate solution:

Put 3 tablespoons (56 g) of potassium MetaBisulfate into a 1-liter (33.8 oz) jug of hot water - 85F (29C) - to make a reusable sanitizing solution. It will last up to 6 months, if kept tightly sealed. (Store at room temperature.)
Rinse all equipment thoroughly in the solution.
After sanitizing, rinse equipment with cold water.

Preparing The Must

After sanitizing the equipment, it is time to mix together the ingredients that will eventually ferment to become wine. The main ingredient in your wine is water. Tap water is perfectly fine unless it has an unusual taste, such as of chlorine. Boiling tap water eliminates the taste of chlorine and will also kill off any unwanted organisms if your water is from a well. Fifteen minutes at a rolling boil should do the trick. Remember to let the boiled water cool to room temperature before using it to make wine.

Sprinkle the package of bentonite enclosed with the kit in approximately 2 cups (475 mL) of warm water. Mix to form a slurry.
Pour the bag of concentrate into the primary fermentor. Be sure to rinse out the remaining concentrate with hot water so none is wasted.
Fill the primary fermentor to the 23-liter mark for 23-L kits) with cool water. The temperature of the must in the fermentor should be between 72 and 77F (22-25C).
Using a hydrometer, check the specific gravity, it should be between 1.0 74 and 1.080.
Sprinkle the contents of the yeast additive package onto the surface of the must.
Place the lid on the primary fermentor. Insert rubber bung with an air lock half filled with water. This will help prevent contamination.
Place the primary fermentor in an elevate area that maintains a temperature of 72to 77F (22-25C) to work for approximately 8 days, or until the specific gravity on the hydrometer is 1.010 or lower.

Hints and Tips:

Weight and Measures
Weigh fruit on kitchen scale.
Sugar: 1lb=2 rounded cups.
Always use level measures for measuring chemicals.
When converting 1 gallon recipes to 5 gallon recipes cut back on the acid measures by 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon.
Optional Amounts
White or red grape concentrate: use 5-10 oz per gallon to add body and bouquet to the wine improves character.
Raisins
Use 8 oz per gallon to add body and sweetness use golden raisins for white or rose wines and dark raisins for red wines.
Bananas
3 lbs fresh bananas to add body to wines.
Alternatives
Procedure: Before fermenting, pick, wash and freeze the fruit you are going to use. Freezing makes sugars more accessible.
Take the fruit out of the freezer the morning before you ferment to thaw. I find it particularly convenient to put the fruit into large ziploc freezer bags about 1/3 to 1/2 full. That way you can crush the fruit in the bags after it's thawed and avoid a mess.
If using honey put into 2-3 gallons of water and bring to a boil. Boil 20 min or so. Cool to approx. 70 F and pour into primary fermenter. Dilute to 5gal and add 1.25 tsp yeast energizer (pectic enzyme and acid blend are optional).
Pitch a good wine yeast. I have had very good luck with Lalvin 71B-1122 S. cerevisiae. If it is an Epernay type yeast that ferments quickly and leaves just a bit of residual sweetness. When the fermentation of the honey (if using sugar follow all the same just do not boil) must is nearly complete, rack it onto the thawed and crushed berries in a second bucket type fermenter. Allow the fermentation to continue to completion and rack off the fruit pulp and yeast into a glass carboy.

Comments:

Because the alcohol content of the honey/sugar must is already fairly high and there is an enormous yeast population, I have found that pasteurization of the fruit is unnecessary. My experience is that this is the most satisfactory way to make fruit wines. I think that one preserves more of the fruit aroma and flavor by fermenting the honey/sugar first and then adding that to the fruit. Whether you per ferment the honey/sugar or add the fruit in at the start both ways are great, side by side comparison reveals more berry aroma in the batch where the fruit was added after the honey/sugar was fermented though, your choice.

Secondary Fermentation Process

This step is needed only if the specific gravity the must is 1.010 or lower. At this point, the must is about halfway to becoming wine, thanks to fermentation.

With the sterilized tube, siphon (or rack) the fermenting wine from the primary fermentor to a carboy, leaving behind the sediment. If the carboy is not full, top up within 2 inches (5 cm) of the bottom of the air lock with water that has been boiled, then cooled to room temperature.
Reinsert air lock and rubber bung into carboy.
3. Place in a location where the temperature will be a consistent 72 to 77F (22-25C) to allow the fermentation to finish - 4 to 7 days, or until the specific gravity is below 0.998.

Stabilizing and Clearing Your Wine

The wine is now fermented, but it still needs to be stabilized and cleared before bottling. This will help the wine to look and taste its best when you uncork your creation.

Remove and discard 1 cup (240 mL) of wine from the carboy to allow for later additions. (To make this process easier, discard the contents of the test cylinder after measuring the specific gravity above, which will make room for later additions. Remember, the specific gravity reading on the thermometer should be below 0.0998.)
Add the kit's package of potassium MetaBisulfate and potassium Sorbate to � cup (120 mL) of water. Stir to dissolve. This mixture will help stabilize the wine by killing off any yeast or other organisms still alive and active. This step is also called sulfating.
Slowly add the potassium MetaBisulfate/Sorbate mixture to the carboy and stir well with a sanitized long-handled plastic spoon.
Mix the kit's isinglass in � cup (120 mL) of cool water. This mixture will help clear the wine of any cloudiness.
Add the isinglass mixture to the carboy, stirring well to ensure a complete blend. Replace the air lock and rubber bung.
Twice daily for the next 3 days, vigorously stir the wine in the carboy with a long-handled plastic spoon to remove dissolved gases. After stirring, place the wine in an elevated area to allow clearing (approximately 10 days) and to prepare for racking.

Bottling:

Once the wine is fully cleared, you may proceed with bottling. Never bottle a cloudy wine. If the wine is cloudy, leave it for an additional period to clear. Always choose bottles to match the type of wine you're making. This will help you "sell your wine by making it appear more authentic in the eyes of your guests.

Sanitize all equipment.
Siphon or filter (optional) the wine into a primary fermentor. Depending on your preference, you may wish to sweeten or adjust the wine at this time (contact your retailer for more details).
Fill a sanitized container with tepid water and � teaspoon (1.4 g) of potassium MetaBisulfate powder. Mix well. Soak corks in sulfite solution for 20 minutes. Thoroughly rinse the corks with hot water before inserting them into bottles.
Use a siphon hose to transfer the wine into bottles, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) to the bottom of the cork.
Insert corks by hand if using push-top-style corks or with a hand-corking machine.
Leave bottles standing upright for 1 week this allows the cork face to dry) prior to laying wine bottles on their side for storage. Keep the wine in a temperature controlled environment around 70F (21C) and out of direct sunlight for 2 to 3 months prior to consumption.

Labels

Labeling can be as hard as you want them to be or as simple as just the kind of wine you have made stuck on the bottle. This is a preference only if your not selling. If your selling then a whole new world opens up and a lot more information so I am not going there. It will suffice just to give a few of my labels as examples and the tools used to create them.

Paint Shop Pro (Paint program of choice) http://www.jasc.com/
Visual Labels http://www.rkssoftware.com/
Muster Scanner

Here, [Honeycreek Labels] you can look at some of my Label's, (graphic intense so give it time). Again have fun, use your imagination and make your wine the best it can be in content and appearance.

Conclusion

I have giving you the basics of "The Art Of Wine making" but this is only the beginning of the art. Many, many more things can be done and learned, experienced and tried. To give all to you would take more than 1 life time, besides I have Wine to make and need to conclude this page. I do not claim to be the expert nor the only source, I have only done what I said I would do, "Give you My Way of making Wine".

I wish you success, enjoyment and some really good wine.

Ben McCune
HoneyCreek Vineyard/Orchard