Basic Wine Making Instructions

Today, there are thousands of wine making instructions on the Internet, and making wine is now simpler than baking a cake.  But just like you need to follow certain steps to bake a cake, there are certain wine making instructions which need to be followed.

Wine making instruction No.1 – ensure sanitation and sterilization.  While breweries are equipped with equipment, maintaining a sterilized atmosphere at home is not all that easy.  The best way is to soak all equipment in boiling water or in cold water with added sanitizer for a minimum period of 10 minutes.

Wine making instruction No.2 – Yeast converts the sugar in the fruit into wine and yeast works best in a temperature of between 25 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.  Sometimes, if the temperature is too high, yeast can be killed or its power weakened.  Similarly if the temperature is too cold, it can deter and slow down the fermentation process.

Once the above rules have been followed and, of course, the fruit is ready, you are set to begin your wine and given below are the wine making instructions. The following wine making instructions are to produce around 10 gallons of wine using 100 pounds of grapes.

Place your crushed grapes in plastic air tight containers along with a fermenter and stir till it dissolves.  Add cold water till you are about an inch below the `full’ mark on the jug.  Sprinkle yeast (do not mix it) on the surface and then shut it airtight and keep it in a temperature of between 25 to 30 degrees Celsius.  The fermentation process begins with 24 to 48 hours

On the sixth day, siphon the wine into a clean, dry carboy and top it again with cold water.

Three weeks later, or 20 days to be precise, check the gravity level. If it is between .990 and 1.000 it is ready for the next step, which is siphoning the wine into a brewing bucket.  40 additive packets need to be stirred in for a few minutes and then the wine can be replaced in its container. Repeating this process every two days will drive out the CO2 which lessens the wine’s taste and clarity.

Typically by now the wine should be ready, but you can continue to let it ferment until the bubbles near the lid disappear. Once the bubbles stop, the wine is ready to be poured into your glass.

Some tips to remember:

Yeast needs to be rehydrated and the instructions are normally available on the yeast package.  Adhering to instructions will ensure that the wine is clearer and tastier.

• While you can use tap water, distilled water ensures that the fermenting process goes smoothly without interruption from the bacteria in water which can deter the process.
• Checking for bubbles will let you know if your wine is fermenting properly.  If you don’t notice bubbles within 48 hours, open and check to see if the bubbles are gathering below the lid.  If you continue to not notice bubbles, it is time to talk to a wine making expert in the neighborhood who can give you proper wine making instructions.
•  Siphoning wine periodically will ensure clarity.  Who can resist a glass of ruby red wine or crystal clear white wine?