Wine making is probably going to be easier than you thought. There is a little time involved in the initial preparation, but most of the work to create wine is done by the fermenting process. The following is a simple step-by-step wine making guide.
Before beginning wine making, be sure you have all the supplies needed. Many of the supplies will be reusable and will be a one-time cost.
The 9 step wine making guide
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Choose a recipe-keep it simple for your first time. Once you have a few successful batches of homemade wine under your belt, you can then move on to more complicated recipes and even making your own recipe.
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Prepare the ingredients for the wine-hand preparation is the best way to prepare the ingredients. Over processing can create a bitter wine.
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Stir the ingredients (EXCEPT YEAST)-this is done in the primary fermenter with the pulp in a fermentation bag that is submerged in the winemaking mixture. Add enough water to mixture to equal 5 gallons. Add 5 crushed Campden tablets.
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Cover the fermenter-use a clean towel that is thin. In 24 hours the juice will be sterilized and it will be safe to add the yeast.
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Add yeast-sprinkle on the top of the juice and cover with a clean thin towel. In 24 hours there should be foaming indicating the yeast has begun it’s work. In 5-7 days 70% of fermenting occurs.
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Remove pulp and siphon-this is done 5-7 days after the yeast is added. After removing the pulp and discarding it, the wine mixture is siphoned to leave behind sediment. It is siphoned into the secondary fermenter. Add enough water to mixture to equal 5 gallons.
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Final fermentation-a wine making airlock is attached to the secondary fermenter and ½ filled with water. In 4-6 weeks the juice will become a clear wine. Nothing further is needed to be done while waiting for it to become completely clear.
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Final sterilization-the wine will be siphoned one last time. Be careful not to get any sediment, even if some wine is sacrificed. Add 5 crushed Campden tablets and stir.
- Bottle the wine-this is what you have been waiting for! Add your own label and you are ready to sit down, pour the first glass, and enjoy!
With this simple wine making guide, you can start making the first of many batches of wine to bottle and enjoy and to share.