| If you've thought you'd like to learn how to make | | | | the grapes ferments completely. You'll want all the |
| homemade wine, it's actually quite easy. Many | | | | sugars to be broken down by good bacteria by |
| people love a nice glass of wine at the holidays, I | | | | the end of the process, so always keep it |
| know I do. Wine making has evolved through the | | | | covered. |
| centuries than man has been fermenting grapes. I | | | | After the 10 day primary wine fermentation |
| imagine the first wine was an accident and would | | | | process is complete you can open the container |
| probably be considered undrinkable by today's | | | | and strain the liquid into a big glass or plastic jar or |
| more sophisticated pallets. | | | | carboy. Make sure that you remove all the |
| Almost everyone who has enjoyed a good glass | | | | sediments from pulp. You are now refining the |
| of wine has thought about the idea of creating his | | | | wine for the next fermentation process. Now |
| or her own vintage. However, for millennia, the | | | | cover the liquid with a fermentation lock. This is a |
| production of the "nectar of the gods" has been | | | | special lock that keeps the oxygen out while |
| steeped in mystery. Of course, the few ambitious | | | | expelling the carbon dioxide produced during |
| souls who have attempted to make their own | | | | fermentation. Oxygen will stop the fermentation |
| wines using more chemistry skills than wine | | | | so make sure to use a fermentation lock. |
| making knowledge. The wines that they produced | | | | Store the wine solution in the glass in a warm (but |
| were interesting, but not always worthy of an | | | | not hot) environment for another six weeks. This |
| award. Thus, the vast majority of wine lovers | | | | is the secondary fermentation process and it |
| simply left the process to the professionals. | | | | finalizes the fermentation of all the sugars. Look |
| But it's actually fairly easy. You just find a simple | | | | at the jar until you see there are no bubbles being |
| wine recipe online that gives you all your exact | | | | produced. This means that all the sugars have |
| measurements of the ingredients that you will | | | | been used up and been changed to alcohol. |
| need. I'm going to assume you want to make | | | | If, like most people, you can't afford oak barrels, |
| grape based wines, so mash the ripe grapes into | | | | simply empty the wine into a glass aging vessel |
| a fine pulp. For grape wine you don't need to put | | | | using a plastic hose to make sure that all the |
| any yeast. See how easy it is to make | | | | sediments are left in the jar. The wine aging glass |
| homemade wine? | | | | is a big round vessel with a flat bottom to stand |
| Now add 5 gallons of filtered water and mix well | | | | on. Tightly stopper the aging vessel and ensure no |
| with the grape pulp that you mashed Next add | | | | oxygen gets into the liquid. Then let sit for some |
| another gallon of boiling water and sugar or honey | | | | time until it changes color to a colorless sparkling |
| into the mixture and stir again. This mixture of | | | | solution. |
| fruit pulp, water and sugar is called a must. Allow | | | | Now for the fun part, after the liquid has changed |
| the mixture to cool down for about 24 hours. To | | | | color, empty it into clean wine bottles and store it |
| kill all bacteria and avoid mold from growing, add | | | | away in wine rack in your basement or a cool |
| some Campden tablets that have sodium | | | | dark place. You can use it after a month, a year |
| bi-sulphite. The sodium bi-sulphite will clear in 24 | | | | or more. The longer the wine has stayed in the |
| hours leaving behind a sanitized mixture. | | | | bottle the tastier it will become...for the most part. |
| Stir the wine must and cover the container with a | | | | Often home made wines should be consumed |
| piece of cheese cloth. If you make wine from a | | | | shortly after making. |
| fruit other than grapes, this is where you would | | | | Now that you know how to make homemade |
| add yeast.. Allow the mixture to ferment for | | | | wine, why not start your first batch so that you |
| about ten days, making certain that you stir the | | | | can enjoy it for the holidays? |
| must everyday to make sure that the sugar in | | | | |