How
to make wine |
Wash
the fruit to remove dirt, insects and bits
of greenery - especially if making country wines. Blend the fruit in a food processor or even a hand mincer. The fruit can be heated or frozen to break down the cell walls, or both which ever you prefer. When the fruit is processed, pour into a pre-sterilised 5 gallon fermenting bin. Dissolve half the sugar in a large pan, e.g. a preserving pan and pour into the fruit, add the nutrients, tannin etc. Only add the yeast and enzymes when below 35 Celsius, otherwise the heat will inactivate it. Seal with an air tight lid and keep in a warm place for 5-7 days. Stir the mixture daily, ensuring that the fruit is thoroughly mixed. At the end of the initial fermentation, take a second pre-sterilised 5 gallon fermenting bin and pour the wine mixture into it via a large sieve or colander. This will remove the bulk pieces of fruit. Repeat the process with a large mesh nylon bag and then with a fine mesh nylon bag. Using hot water from the kettle, wash the fruit to make up the required volume to dissolve the other half of the sugar. Allow the dissolved sugar to cool before pouring into the fermenting bin with the wine. Mix thoroughly and decant into pre-sterilised 1 gallon demijohns. Ensure that at least 2-3 inches gap is left to allow space for any vigorous fermentation. Place the demijohns onto a grow bag tray from homebase or similar. At some time, some of the wines WILL froth over and the grow bag tray helps to keep the carpet or floor clean. After the vigorous fermentation has subsided, additional water can be added to the demijohn. When the wine appears clear, carefully decant the wine into a pre-sterilised demijohn with plastic tubing, repeat this process over a few months until both the wine is clear and there is no sediment. When the wine has stopped fermenting, it can be bottled. Is is possible to add Campden tablets to kill the yeast, but I prefer not to add sulphur dioxide to any wines. |
Temperature |
The
best temperature for the initial 5-7 days
fermentation is between 20-25C as this will allow a rapid fermentation
of the wine yeast and reduce or stop growth of any natural yeasts which
have not been removed. An ideal place would be an airing cupboard or
near
to a central heating boiler. When the wine has been strained through the muslin and put into the demijohns, it can left somewhere warm like an airing cupboard or in a warm part of the house for several weeks. When sufficient sediment has accumulated it can be removed, such a process is called racking, the wine can then be either left somewhere slightly cooler or back in the airing cupboard. |
Sterility |
Unless you are trying to make nice vinegar,
then all the materials that you are using need to be sterilised, the
personal choice is Chempro SDP, but you can use Milton or similar
materials, a cheap but effective method is to mix sodium metabisulphite
and citric acid, but preferably outside as chlorine gas is generated,
guaranteed to sterilise most things and bring on an asthma attack for
those with asthma ! Essentially you need to remove bacteria which will cause the wine to go off. |
Materials |
Food grade plastic for the fermenting bins,
glass for the demijohns, rubber corks, plastic or glass airlocks. Use
of copper is not recommended, but aluminium for a preserving pan does
not seem to cause any problems. |
Fruit
Flies |
This is a free source of natural vinegar ! If
the fruit flies get into your must or wine, then there is a very good
chance of getting the wine converted to vinegar free of charge,
appropriate
use of sticky fly papers near to the wine is very much recommended. |
Fermenting bin |
Plastic, food grade - 5 gallons
capacity. Two are needed, so that wine can be transferred. £5-10 |
Preserving pan |
Metal, ideal for boiling up some of the
ingredients if required and dissolving sugar, the wide base allows for
rapid heating and the metal allows for reasonably rapid cooling of the
must |
Hydrometer |
Can be used to work out the theoretical alcohol
content, but tend to split the sugar into two batches and so not used
much |
Funnel |
A plastic funnel is required, but you will
need to give it an airspace when pouring the wine into the bottles as
a tight seal can result in the wine being wasted onto the floor, a cut
funnel is good for the transfer of dry herbs to a demijohn for
metheglin. |
Scales |
Always good to have accurate scales that allow
you to put a small tub on the scales and then "tare" the tub so that
liquid honey can be poured into the tub. |
Muslin / Nylon bag |
These are used for straining the must, a large
mesh and fine mesh bag are required to strain the pulp. |
Strainer / Colander |
To be used initially to strain the bulk wine
must, the second fermenting bin can then be used with the large mesh
bag to strain the first stained wine. Then the wine can be re-strained
through the fine mesh bag |
Airlock |
Essential - Rubber bung, with plastic airlock
will keep out the fruit flies, The best type that I have found are of
the S-type, they restrict entry to the flies, the convoluted shape
reduces
evaporation in the long term. |
General |
No copper based containers, as copper can act
as a poison to yeasts. |
Amylase |
To break down and reduce starch hazes, such as
from carrots, potatoes etc. |
Pectolase |
To break down and reduce pectin hazes, such as
from fruits |
Citric acid |
Generic acid to give the right acidic conditions
for yeast to prosper |
Tartaric acid |
Used for making mead, generally with malic acid
33% |
Malic
acid |
Used for making mead, generally with malic acid
66% |
Yeast nutrient |
TronOzymol - Ritchie Products |
Kwik Clear Finings |
An outstanding two part liquid fining (gelatine
& kiesolsol). Brilliant clarity is often achieved in less than 24
hours. Has no effect on the flavour & bouquet of delicate wines. |
Boots the Chemists Filter Kit |
Unavailable now, but can still get the pads
fairly easily |
No.
1 Green Label (S.cerevisiae, Bordeaux strain 7013) |
This yeast is widely used in France to make both
white and red wines. It starts quickly, works at temperatures down to
15°C and settles well at the end of the fermentation period. It
will tolerate up to 100 ppm of sulphur dioxide. It is recommended as
general
purpose yeast. |
No.
2 Red Label (S.cerevisiae, Monrachet strain, Davis 522) |
This is very vigorous yeast giving a rapid start
to the fermentation. Excellent for all red table wines, it is
especially recommended for making wines from autumn fruits such as
blackberries, elderberries and sloes. It will ferment at temperatures
down to 15°C. Because this yeast ferments vigorously, room should
be allowed in the fermentation vessel to take possible foaming into
account. |
No.
3 Yellow Label (S.cerevisiae (bayanus) Pasteur Institute strain) |
This yeast is designed to produce sparkling
wines, so it tolerates higher levels of alcohol than most yeasts and is
ideal
for high alcohol dessert style wines. It is excellent for restarting a
"stuck" fermentation due to too much sugar being added to the must.
This
yeast can be used for either white or red wines, and allows the wines
to
take on the main characteristics of the ingredients. It will ferment
well
in the 12-30°C range. The sulphur dioxide level should be kept
below
25 ppm. |
No.
5 White Label (S.cerevisiae, strain GVN) |
This French yeast is particularly good for
making quality white fruit table wines. It forms little foam and
ferments well at low temperatures (8-15°C), thus ensuring that the
wines develop
excellent bouquets. This yeast is used for the production of quality
English
table wines. |
Red/White Label (S.cerevisiae, Bordeaux SF strain) |
This French yeast was selected by INRA at
Narbonne to compliment the characteristics of the grapes. It is used
for the production of red Bordeaux (Claret) wines. It is described as
an "aromatic" yeast, which develops a pleasant and lasting aroma. It
produces minimal frothing, and produces a good yield of glycerol. It
ferments well over the temperature range 18-35°C. It will tolerate
up to 50 ppm of sulphur dioxide. |
Black/White Label (S.cerevisiae, Narbonne selection, CC strain) |
This is another high quality "aromatic" yeast,
intended for the production of wines with a young fruity bouquet,
similar to many of those from Germany. It starts easily, and produces
little frothing. It ensures fermentation at temperatures down to
10°C, with associated formation of fruity esters. |
Gold Label (S.cerevisiae (bayanus) Strain EC1118) |
This yeast is said to be involved in the
production of 70% of Champagne. It has similar characteristics to No. 3
yeast, but
is considered rather superior by many professional wine makers. It is
recommended for making sparkling wines, dessert wines and for
restarting "stuck" ferments. It is used world wide for the production
of
high quality white and rosé table wines. It is valuable for
producing high alcohol wines (up to 18.5%). |
Red on White Label (S.cerevisiae, strain 71B) |
This yeast has two particular characteristics.
Firstly it produces an exceptionally fine bouquet. Secondly it can
metabolise up to 35% of any malic acid present in the must. This makes
the yeast very
useful when the fruit basis (e.g. apples, gooseberries, rhubarb) may
have
too much acid, with a high percentage of malic acid |
Blue on White Label (S.cerevisiae, strain V1116) |
This yeast contains the "killer" factor, which
helps to inhibit the growth of "wild" yeasts. It ferments well even
when the
nutrient level is on the low side, so it is ideal for the production of
"honey" wines such as mead. It is further capable of producing wines of
high alcoholic strength. Very "clean" wines are produced, allowing the
flavour
and aroma of the ingredients to dominate. It will ferment down to
10°C |
Purple
Label New Yeast Strain GV26 |
High alcohol tolerance - upto 21% if adequate
nutrient is present, fast fermentation. |
Honey and bee keeping materials |
Thornes of
Windsor |
Excellent speciality honeys |
Garvin
Honey Company |
Wine & Beer Supplies |
Laxtons of Broxbourne Pharmacy, 45 High Road,
Broxbourne, Herts, EN10 7HX 01992 462293 |
General Wine & Beer supplies |
Hamstead
Brewing Centre |
Luton Wine makers |
|
Ritchie
Products |
|
Leyland
Home Brew |
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Home
Wine making |
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Decent Plastic wine corks |
Wilkinsons |