How to Make Homemade Wine Quickly and Effectively
Despite the passage of time, making wine at home remains a fascinating and rewarding hobby. It can be a time-consuming and often fiddly process, but once you master the initial setup, producing a batch of around 6 bottles can be surprisingly straightforward and affordable. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through the steps and provide tips for making homemade wine quickly and effectively.
The Essential Gear and Ingredients
To get started, you'll need the following:
2 x 5L demijohn bottles 2 x rubber air bungs 1 x sterilizing powder 1 x bottle brush 1 x funnel 6 x wine bottles and their respective caps or corks 1 x syphon tube 1 x hydrometer for testing alcohol strength 1L of grape juice (100% for white or rose wine, red or black for red wines) 1L of fruit juice (not from concentrate, but basic single-flavoured juices are fine) 1kg bag of granulated sugar Sachet of wine yeast, recommended unless you have a seafood allergy Sachet of finnings (for standard use, unless you have a seafood allergy) Sachet of yeast nutrients Sachet of pectolase (recommended for better clarity and mouthfeel)Preparing the Wine Mixture
The first step is to sterilize all your equipment. Follow the instructions on your sterilizing powder, making sure to clean the demijohn, funnel, and any other tools you'll be using. Once everything is clean, it's time to mix the grape and fruit juices. Pour 2L of grape (or 1L of each for a unique blend) and fruit juice into the demijohn and gently shake to mix.
In a saucepan, heat 2L of water until warm, but not to the point of boiling. Dissolve the granulated sugar in this warm water and allow it to cool. Pour the cooled mixture into the demijohn. At this point, you can use a hydrometer to take an initial reading by placing a small piece of cellotape on it and gently inserting it into the liquid. Record this reading before removing the hydrometer.
Adding Yeast and Other Ingredients
Add the wine yeast, yeast nutrients, and pectolase according to their instructions. Stir gently but not too vigorously. Fill the demijohn with water until the air bung is covered. Cap the demijohn with the air bung and place it in a warm, preferably dark room, maintaining a temperature of around 20°C or above.
Check the demijohn weekly. Initially, the air bung will bubble a lot due to fermentation. After about 3 weeks, the bubbles should have slowed to about one every 6-8 seconds. At this stage, there should be a tannish-coloured sludge at the bottom of the bottle, indicating that the fermentation process is complete.
Secondary Fermentation and Racking
For the next phase, you'll need to begin a process called racking. Carefully transfer the wine to a new demijohn using a syphon tube to avoid stirring up the yeast sediment. Check the hydrometer reading again and adjust if necessary. You can add more yeast and nutrients or a bit more sugar at this point.
Allow the new batch to ferment for another week before racking it into clean, sterilized bottles. A slight amount of sediment from the previous batch can be left in the bottle to promote clear wine.
Cleaning and Final Storage
Once the wine is clear and the yeast sediment has settled, you can add finnings to the bottle for additional clarity. Seal the bottle and store it for a couple of days to clear the wine further. Finally, sterilize the wine bottles and rack the wine into them, capping them as needed.
The entire process, from start to finish, takes around 3 weeks for a basic batch. More involved methods can extend this process by up to 2 additional weeks.
Results will vary, but you should aim for a wine alcohol content of around 10-14%. With effort, you can achieve wine with an alcohol content of 18% or more.
Overall, making homemade wine can be a delightful and rewarding experience, whether you're looking for a quick and easy method or a more detailed and advanced approach.