Thinking of taking your knowledge
of winetasting one step further? There are numerous home wine retail
stores that sell a wide selection of juices and concentrate from around
the world, wine kits, and even allow you to use their facilities if
you lack the space (or patience!) to do it at home.
With some basic knowledge and a few supplies, you can start a hobby
that will fill your cellar with wine made specifically for your tastes.
The Supplies
The easiest way for a beginner to start is to buy a wine kit from
your neighbourhood winemaking supplier. If you don't live near one
of these specialty stores, many have mail-order catalogs. A basic
winemaking kit can run you about $80-$100 and will make enough to
fill about 24 bottles. Anything less is almost not worth the work,
and besides, you'll want to share your batch with your friends and
family!
Basic Equipment Required:
5 Gallon glass carboy
7 Gallon plastic bucket
Straining bag
Airlock and Cork
Auto-Siphon and hose
Hydrometer (measures sugar content)
Carboy brush
Bottle Filler
Plastic Corker
30 Corks
Iodophor (or a type of sanitizer)
A book or guide to winemaking
Other supplies you may want to pick up are: a wine
thief, wine bottles (750ml), fermometer, funnel, and a long spoon.
Don't forget the recipe! These ingredients will vary depending on
what kind of wine you will be making: fruit, wine base, five gallons
of filtered water, sugar cane or corn sugar, acid blend, yeast, pectic
enzyme (for clarity), campden tablets, and potassium sorbate.
The Basics
Preparation
Cleanliness is essential to winemaking. Improper sterilization of
your equipment will result in mold and a spoiled batch of wine.
Primary Fermentation
After sterilization, a pulp (called a must) is made from your fruit
ingredients and fermentation starts in a covered bucket. Add yeast
and acid blend. Fermentation will make the contents bubble. After
about seven days it's time to remove the must from the wine.
Secondary Fermentation
While straining the must, siphon the wine from the bucket into the
glass carboy, filling almost to the top. Fit a bung and airlock and
wait as the wine continues to ferment. Now begins the process of measuring
your wine's gravity or sugar/alcohol content. Yeast was added earlier
to better control the fermentation process. This process will continue
until all the sugar is consumed by the yeast and yields an alcohol
content of about 14%.
Clarification and Bottling
Campden tablets are added to stop the fermentation process and a clarifying
agent can be added to reduce any haze in the wine. After clarifying
and sweetening, bottle (don't forget to sterilize) and cork and store
in a cool place. Some wines can be ready for drinking once corked
but you may want to let your wine mature for about six months to up
to three years before drinking.
