Tag Archives: Homemade
Homemade Wine Making Equipment
If you’re thinking about making your own homemade wine, here are some things you should know about the equipment required to get you started.
First and foremost, we need to talk about cost. You could visit online merchants here, there and everywhere to shop around for the best prices on individual items you’ll need to start making your own wine, but most sites that sell equipment offer some sort of beginning equipment kit that will have all the items you need to get your wine making career started. This is absolutely the best way to go in my opinion. Kits will run anywhere from $ 80-$ 150. That’s a lot of money, but this equipment can be used over and ever and thus will eventually pay for itself.
So what’s included in a kit, anyway? For starters you’ll get a plastic primary fermentation bucket, usually around 8 gallons. After primary fermentation you’ll need something to transfer your wine into for secondary fermentation. This is usually a 5 or 6 gallon glass bottle, called a carboy, although in some kits the secondary is plastic.
Also included will be some rubber stoppers that fit the fermenting vessels, and an airlock, which is a device used to let carbon dioxide out when your wine is fermenting while not allowing air and bacteria in. You should also get a couple of brushes, one for cleaning the bottles and another so you can clean the carboy.
Some sort of cleaning agent and also a sanitizer will be included. Cleaning and sanitizing is a crucial step when making wine. A length of plastic tubing will be supplied, and a sometimes a device called a racking tube which aids in transferring your wine from one vessel to the other. Some kits also include a little device to slip onto the plastic tube that allows you to shut off the flow of wine when you’re bottling.
Most kits include a hydrometer. This is a device that measures the specific gravity of the wine during various stages of development. You can also use it to measure the potential alcohol of your wine. Corks are also in most equipment kits, as is some sort of corker to insert the corks.
This is the minimum list of items, and you’ll find some kits that include much more. What is generally NOT included is an ingredient kit, although some sellers will allow you to add one to your package for a reduced price and if you can afford it, this is a good way to go. Bottles are usually not included either, but are easy to collect from friends and family.
Consider getting started making your own homemade wine today. It’s a fun and fascinating hobby that you can explore endlessly.
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Homemade Wine Making Facts
Wine is more popular than ever in the United States. There are almost 3000 vineyards in the US, with at least one winery in every state. Most US wine production occurs in the west, with the states of California, Washington and Oregon leading the way.
Here’s something you may not know. More and more people are discovering the fascinating hobby of making their own homemade wine. If you’ve ever thought about making your own wine at home, there’s no better time to start than right now. Let’s take a look at what’s involved to get started making your own wine.
First of all, you really don’t need a lot of space to get begin. All the wine I’ve made, a couple thousand bottles, has been produced in my 10 X 15 foot kitchen. And all the equipment you’ll need can be hidden away in a hall closet when it’s not in use. So for most folks space is not an issue.
Time is a factor for most people these days. Homemade wine making need not be labor intensive. When using wine making kits, the absolute easiest way to get started, the total time you’ll spend from starting a batch to carefully putting the last drop into the bottle will be approximately 4-5 hours, spread over a one month period.
Money is another factor for most folks these days. A basic wine making equipment kit will cost approximately $ 100 to $ 140 depending upon where you’re shopping. This equipment can be used over and over again, so the initial investment will eventually pay for itself.
Ingredient kits can cost $ 60 to $ 150, putting your cost per bottle in the $ 2 to $ 5 range. This is a bargain for the high quality, delicious wines that are being produced by homemade winemakers.
Wine making is a fun and fascinating hobby. You can begin with the basics and stay there, producing high-quality wines that you and your friends and family will enjoy. If you have a creative side and love to explore new things, you can take your wine making hobby as far as your creative desires will lead you.
Wine making is fun, economical, and easier to do than you think. Begin your wine making journey today!
Sulfites in Homemade Wine
Sulfites are a source of much discussion in wine making. Let’s start our discussion by finding out exactly what sulfites are and why they’re important to winemakers.
Sulfites occur naturally on all sorts of foods, including grapes, garlic, onions and lots of other plants. This is nature’s way of preventing the growth of microbes.
In wine making, sulfites are used by wineries as a preservative and sterilization agent. They also use sulfites during the initial grape crush to kill off the native yeasts that occur on all wine grapes. When the wild yeasts have been eliminated the winemaker can introduce his own yeast to better control the fermentation and also the end product.
Are sulfites dangerous? The answer is yes, they can be. A person who is sensitive to sulfites can have asthmatic reactions and also headaches that range from mild to severe and even life threatening. If you’ve ever had a bad headache from one glass of wine, you may be allergic to sulfites.
There are laws that regulate the use of sulfites, and manufacturers are required to label all products that exceed 10 parts per million. Wine containing less than 10 PPM sulfites don’t have to be labeled. In fact, the use of sulfites has been banned for use in fresh fruits and vegetables by the FDA.
You can find wines produced by some wineries that contain no sulfites, although some folks will argue that grapes naturally contain sulfites and so therefore can never be sulfite free. However, the levels of sulfite can be so low as to be undetectable, and the winemaker will add no sulfites at any time during the process. Wine purists are able to appreciate the bouquet and fruit flavors of a wine without sulfites.
So, should you use sulfites in your homemade wine? My answer is yes, as recommended by the kit or recipe that you’re following. But it’s really a personal decision, and there’s lots of room for argument and experimentation.
I believe sulfites make up for less than sanitary conditions that are present during homemade wine making, and can extend the shelf life of your wines. I would, however, encourage experimentation on your part if you think you’d like to try making wines without adding sulfites.
Just ensure your cleaning and sanitizing are impeccable and give it a try!
Yeast in Homemade Wine Making
Yeast kicks off the fermentation process in wine making. After adding it to your must, it begins to consume the sugar, producing equal amounts of ethanol and carbon dioxide.
There are wild yeasts everywhere around us, including on the skins of grapes if you’re making wine from fresh fruits. Generally, winemakers discourage these yeasts from fermenting by adding sulfites to kill them off before they can get started. This is done so the winemaker has more control over the fermentation and can produce a consistent wine from batch to batch.
There are basically two types of wine available to home winemakers; liquid and dry.
Most homemade winemakers prefer to use dry yeast. It’s easier to store and to work with.
A subject of debate among homemade winemakers is whether or not to re-hydrate the dry yeast you’re working with. I’ve found that re-hydrating is really not necessary and in fact can lead to problems if the process is not done exactly right.
Two things that can adversely affect the performance of your yeast are the temperature and also the oxygen level. In order to achieve a proper, vigorous fermentation the temperature needs to be maintained between 70 -75 degrees. There are exceptions and variations to this. Some white wines are fermented at lower temperatures to enhance certain flavors, but special yeast is used to do this.
Oxygen is needed during primary fermentation because the yeast are multiplying rapidly during this stage and without air this multiplying can be severely restricted. During primary fermentation the use of an airlock is discouraged so the wine can get all the oxygen it needs. Primary fermentation lasts approximately 7 days and 70 percent of the fermentation is complete at this point.
During secondary fermentation the wine is usually placed in another vessel with an airlock attached. The airlock is to allow carbon dioxide to escape while preventing bacteria and other micro-organisms. The reduced exposure to air also gets the yeast to stop multiplying and put its energy into making alcohol.
Yeast is a crucial part of homemade wine making. The more you learn about yeast and the fermentation process, the more you’ll be rewarded wine batch after batch of consistent, delicious homemade wine.
Racking Your Homemade Wine
Racking your homemade wine is vital to producing a high quality product. Don’t be put off by the term, though. When winemakers rack their wine, they are simply transferring it from one vessel to another. A typical batch of homemade wine will be racked at least 2 times, and can sometimes need to be racked up to 4 times.
The most important aspect of racking wine is to leave the sediment behind. This will help the wine clarify and can also prevent the wine from picking up unwanted flavors and odors that can come from sitting too long on the sediment.
When to rack your wine is an important consideration. When you start a batch of wine, the initial fermentation will be very vigorous as the yeast consume the sugar in your must and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide. This is called primary fermentation and usually takes 5-7 days. Approximately 70 percent of the wine’s fermentation will take place during this stage.
After primary fermentation slows down, your wine can no longer protect itself from contamination and needs to be protected by an airlock. This is the first racking, and a simple siphon method through a flexible food grade plastic tube will accomplish it. Gravity does all the work, so carefully place your primary fermenter a couple feet off the ground and start the siphon process.
There are items available to assist with racking. One is called a racking cane. This is a rigid piece of plastic about 2 feet long. One end is specially made to sit on the bottom of the vessel while not drawing excess sediment into the tube. You can get by without one, but it’s a great tool to have in your wine making toolbox.
For the first racking, try to leave as much sediment behind as possible. If a little is transferred into your secondary fermenter, don’t panic. It’s not as important on the first racking, so get as much liquid as you can.
The second racking should take place after your fermentation is complete. This can be a week or two or even 6 or 8 weeks, depending on how your fermentation progresses. This time you can be a little more careful about leaving sediment behind, even if it means losing a little liquid. Again, the same procedure as above applies. Start a suction and let gravity do the work for you. Don’t forget to put the airlock right back on the wine, as exposure to air will oxidize your wine.
The third racking should take place after your wine has completely cleared. Remember, it will not clear in the bottles so be patient with this step and don’t rack until you’re sure it’s as clear as it can be. Leave every bit of sediment behind during this racking. This is also the time you can add Sodium Bisulfite to the wine. This will drive off any excess oxygen that was created during racking.
Racking is an important step in homemade wine making. The better you understand and perform this vital step, the better your finished product will be.