Do You Know the Basic Steps to Make Wine? These Winemaking Instructions will Test Your Wine Savvy

All wines are made differently, where the winemaking process is easily adapted to the different grape cultivars that exist. While the process of making wine is one and only, there are many variations that you can apply to better suit the style of wine you wish to brew, and the type of grape varietal that you’ve harvested for your winemaking.

Below you will find the basic wine making steps and instructions to achieving a delicious bottle of wine. You can follow this to the t, or tweak it in your best knowledge to improve the quality and taste of your resulting brew.

1) Sanitization
Alike other processes of food and beverage production, all materials and consumables must be ridded of bacteria and natural yeasts, which can alter or throw off the quality and flavor of your wine. To eliminate harmful microorganisms successfully, use cold water to wash your produce and allow to air dry. Next, prepare a solution made of 5 crushed Campden tablets, in half a gallon of water. Cover al surfaces with the mixed solution, let act for ten minutes and rinse. Allow surfaces to air-dry thoroughly before you begin using your workstation.

2) Crushing
In winemaking, crushing is done to create a must (liquid and solids) out of the grapes. While crushing is generally achieved with the use of a crushing grate, it used to be traditionally done by feet stomping. Nowadays, tools like crushing grates or wooden paddles allow us to obtain the same result, with much less space and physical effort.

For white wines, grapes that are crushed must then be separated from their skins, stems and seeds (also called lees) in order to prevent the extraction of color into the juice and wine-to-be. For red wines, the lees are left in the must to incorporate tannins (the pigment responsible for red wine color) into the brew.

3) Preparing a Starting Liquid
In order to have an efficient fermentation process, you must make a starting liquid with the wine making yeast that you have chosen. To prepare a starting liquid, allow 24hrs for yeast to wake. Mix yeast, with a jug of lukewarm water and sugar. Cover and let sit for a day. In the meantime, place the must and/or grape juice in a primary fermentor; mix in 4 crushed camped tablets and cover. . If desired, incorporate two crushed Campden tablets to rid your crushed grapes of any bacteria or unwanted yeasts from interfering with the wine fermentation.

4) Fermenting
Once your starting liquid has rested for a day, you’ll see foam forming at the top. Incorporate the liquid to the primary fermentor along with the must (for red wines) and/or grape juice (for white wines). A yeast nutrient can also be added at this point. Top container off with water up to the 5.5gal mark. Do not mix or stir. Cover.

5) Fermenting II
After 2 days have elapsed, you must now mix in the fermenting liquid twice a day. Do this until a week of fermentation is complete, or modify this step according to the type of wine that you are making. Alterations will include temperature conditions, length of fermentation and other details in the process.

6) Racking
Once the grape juice has been made into wine via fermentation, you are now ready to rack the wine and eliminate sediments. If you are making re wine, make sure to remove the pomace (or left over seeds, stems and skins) that float on the surface of the fermentor. Extract any retained juice by using a mesh bag to squeeze the liquid through. Using a hose, siphon the wine into a carboy, making sure to leave any sediment in the bottom of the primary fermentor.

Top off carboy with water if necessary (up to measured line), and set up a moistened airlock to prevent the intrusion of oxygen in the wine. Allow the wine to sit for 4 weeks, and do a second racking to eliminate other sediments that could remain in the wine. A third racking might be necessary for heavily-sedimented red wines, or if you wish to clarify your wine further. Clarifying agents can also be used to eliminate the need for a third racking, yet many winemakers recommend doing this to achieve a smooth, nicely bodied wine.

Following the racking, you’ll bottle and age. Make sure to adapt the aging process to the style of wine that you wish to make. To your winemaking success!

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