Making Wine from Juice
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
PRIMARY FERMENTER: Food-grade plastic container with a over. Must be at least 20% larger than your juice volume. For example, 26 litres of juice will require a container of at least 31 litres.
CARBOY or DEMIJOHN: A large, bottle-like container made of glass or food-grade plastic.
AIRLOCK AND RUBBER BUNG: A valve that seals the carboy or demijohn at the neck. It prevents oxygen and spoilage organisms from entering while allowing fermentation gases to escape. The airlock must be half-filled with water and attached to the carboy or demijohn whenever there is wine in it.
SIPHON HOSE AND SIPHON ROD: 1.8 m (6 ft.) of food-grade tubing attached to a rigid acrylic rod. Used for transferring wine from one container to another while leaving sediment behind.
HYDROMETER AND TEST JAR: A hydrometer measures specific gravity (see “Winemaking Terms”) and is very useful for monitoring the progress of fermentation. You should take a hydrometer reading at each step and record the specific gravity (S.G.) in the space provided.
WINE THIEF: Used for removing samples from the carboy or demijohn in order to measure specific gravity (S.G.) and carry out other winemaking procedures. Lower thief into carboy or demijohn and allow it to fill. Place finger over open top and remove.
SPOON: Food-grade plastic, approximately 70 cm (28 in.) long.
FLOATING THERMOMETER
MEASURING CUP: A 500 ml (2 cup) measuring cup is useful for mixing and measuring.
WINE BOTTLES, CORKS AND CORKER: For every 23 litres (5 gal.) of wine you will need thirty 750 ml bottles and thirty corks. You will also need a corker to insert the corks into the bottles.
WINEMAKING TERMS
RACKING: Transferring wine from one container to another using a siphon hose and siphon rod.
CLEANING: Removing visible residue from equipment.
SANITIZING: Disinfecting equipment to prevent spoilage.
FINING: Clarifying the wine with products such as bentonite, gelatin and kieselsol.
SPECIFIC GRAVITY (S.G.): Measurement of the density of your juice or wine in relation to water. Used for tracking the progress of fermentation: as yeast converts sugar into alcohol, the liquid (juice or wine) becomes less dense, giving a lower reading on the hydrometer. (For more information, see our “Using Your Hydrometer” handout.)
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Please record the wine type you are making and the date purchased. If you have any questions about your wine, we will need this information.
Wine type: __________________________
Date of purchase: _____________________
CLEAN AND SANITIZE YOUR EQUIPMENT!
All the equipment that will come in contact with your wine must be cleaned and sanitized before use. Wine is susceptible to microbial spoilage, so it is assumed that every piece of equipment coming in contact with the wine has been thoroughly sanitized before each procedure. Either sodium metabisulphite or potassium metabisulphite is a good choice for sanitation. To make a sanitizing solution, dissolve 50 g (8 tsp.) of sulphite in 4.6 litres (1 Imp. gal.) of cold water. Completely coat all surfaces of your equipment with the sanitizing solution and rinse thoroughly with clean water. The sanitizing solution can be stored for a month in an airtight container.
Day 1
DATE _____________________
S.G. _________________ (normally 1.070–1.095)
Sanitize and rinse the primary fermenter and lid, hydrometer and test jar, thermometer, wine thief and spoon.
1. Allow your juice to reach room temperature. This will take at least 24 hours and, depending on the volume of the juice, may take longer.
2. Pour juice into a primary fermenter.
3. Using a hydrometer, check the specific gravity (S.G.) of your juice. Note this figure in the space provided. (Juice a with lower starting specific gravity requires a shorter primary fermentation.)
4. Add 5 grams of yeast nutrient per 23 litres(1¼.). 12 grams per 54 litres(3 tsp). Stir well.
5. Sprinkle yeast over the surface of the juice. Do not stir.
6. Put the lid on the fermenter and store in a warm area (20–23?C/70–75?F). Raise the fermenter approximately 1 m (3 ft.) onto a strong counter or table to avoid disturbing the sediment when racking on Day 4.
Day 4-6
DATE _____________________
S.G. _________________ (1.030 or lower)
The vigorous fermentation will be complete. Sanitize and rinse the carboy or demijohn, siphon rod, siphon hose, bung, airlock, wine thief, hydrometer and test jar.
Note : the addition of more yeast nutrient at this time provides yeast with extra nutrients to ensure a complete fermentation occurs.
Use 5 grams of yeast nutrient per 23 litres(1¼.). 12 grams per 54 litres(3 tsp).
1. Use the siphon hose and siphon rod to gently rack the wine from the elevated primary fermenter to the carboy or demijohn. Be careful not to disturb the sediment on the bottom of the primary fermenter.
2. Place the carboy or demijohn in an elevated fermentation area.
3. Fill the airlock half-way with water. Attach the bung and airlock.
On Day 4 your wine will continue to ferment. However, there may be little, if any, bubbling in the airlock.
Day 20
DATE _____________________
S.G. _________________ (1.000 or lower, )
Your wine should now be finished fermenting. Sanitize and rinse the wine thief, hydrometer and test jar.
Specific Gravity Reading
1. Remove airlock and bung.
2. Using the wine thief, fill your test jar. Record specific gravity (S.G.).
If S.G. is above 1.000, reattach airlock and bung and let fermentation continue until S.G. is 1.000 or lower.
If S.G. is 1.000 or lower, proceed to Racking (below).
RACKING
Sanitize and rinse a carboy/demijohn or primary fermenter, siphon rod, siphon hose, bung and airlock.
1. Use the siphon hose and siphon rod to gently rack the wine from the elevated carboy or demijohn to the sanitized carboy or demijohn. Be careful not to disturb the sediment. (If you do not have a second carboy or demijohn, rack the wine into the sanitized primary fermenter and then back into your clean and sanitized carboy or demijohn.)
2. To help prevent oxidation and bacterial action, add 3 g (½ tsp.) of metabisulphite per 23 litres of wine Mix thoroughly.
3. Top up carboy or demijohn with a similar wine (or water). Attach the bung and airlock.
Day 50
DATE ______________________
Sanitize and rinse a carboy/demijohn or primary fermenter, siphon rod, siphon hose, bung and airlock.
1. Use the siphon hose and siphon rod to gently rack the wine from the elevated carboy or demijohn to the sanitized carboy or demijohn. (If you do not have a second carboy or demijohn, rack the wine into the sanitized primary fermenter and then back into your clean and sanitized carboy or demijohn.)
2. Add 1.5 g (¼ tsp.) of metabisulphite per 23 litres (3.5 g [½ tsp.] per 54 litres). Dissolve it in 125 ml (¼ cup) of your wine and then gently stir into the bulk of the wine. Mix thoroughly.
NOTE: If you like the taste of your wine at this point you can oak it, if desired, and then add fining agents (see Oaking and Fining). If your wine requires further ageing to allow its flavour to develop, continue to store it in bulk—racking every three months and repeating the addition of 1.5 g (¼ tsp.) of metabisulphite per 23 litres (3.5 g [½ tsp.] per 54 litres) at each racking—until you like the taste of the wine. Then proceed to Oaking and Fining below.
OAKING
DATE _____________________
NOTE: Oaking is not necessary, but it enhances the character of many wines. You can add oak to virtually any red wine. The only white wines that are normally oaked are Chardonnay and, on occasion, Sauvignon Blanc. Blush wines are never oaked.
1. Remove bung and airlock.
2. Add 1 to 2 grams of oak chips or oak powder for every litre of wine.
3. Replace bung and airlock.
4. Taste your wine once a week until you like the way it tastes. This should happen within two months. If you would like more oak flavour at the end of two months, add a second dose.
5. When you are satisfied with the oak flavour in your wine, rack it off the oak chips or powder. Proceed to Fining, below.
FINING
DATE ______________________ (usually two weeks before Bottling)
Add fining agents according to package instructions. We recommend Chitosan and Kieselsol because they are effective and convenient, but other fining agents (such as Sparkolloid) can be used. Rack your wine off any sediment before adding finings and allow up to two weeks for it to clear.
NOTE: Wine with even the slightest haze should be fined, but fining agents are not necessary if your wine is already perfectly clear. If you choose not to add fining agents, proceed to Bottling.
BOTTLING
DATE _____________________ (usually two weeks after Fining)
Sanitize and rinse the siphon rod, siphon hose,and bottles.
1. Remove airlock and bung.
2. Siphon wine into clean, sanitized wine bottles, being careful not to disturb any sediment on the bottom of the carboy or demijohn.
3. Cork the bottles using a corker.
After corking, bottles should be stored upright for 1 day. Bottles should then be stored on their sides to keep the corks moist. Although your wine is drinkable now, it will benefit from ageing.