To make wine, you don't need expensive equipment, chemicals or detergents. With a little yeast and sugar and with the help of a mini fermenter, a simple and inexpensive device, you will be able to distil wine at home in small quantities. With these few things and a little time on your hands you can have an inexpensive alternative to wine that you would buy in a store.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Defining the Alcoholic Potential of Wine
Step 1. Choose the right juice
Any type of distillation is fine, but it's best to start with something familiar, like grape juice. The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing the juice is its sugar content, which has an influence on the final alcohol content of the wine.
- The higher the sugar content, the stronger the wine will be.
- Try to avoid juices that contain corn syrup-based sweetener. The aftertaste of corn risks producing a wine of low quality from the point of view of the aromatic profile.
- To make wine as pure as possible, it is best to use pure fruit or berry juice.
- In theory, a quantity of juice equal to about 2 liters is sufficient; however, to make measurement easier as you learn to master the process, it is preferable to use 4 liters.
Step 2. Check the sugar content of the wine
This is an optional step. You can limit yourself to using the juice without measuring the sugar content, but this way you will not know the strength of the final product in advance. Based on the initial temperature, it heats or cools the juice until it reaches the temperature indicated on the hydrometer (also called a hydrometer or mostimeter), usually 15 ° C. If necessary, wash the hydrometer first with soap and water; afterwards:
- Dip the hydrometer into the juice, with the bulb facing down. The level of the liquid inside the appliance must be equal to that of the juice.
- Rotate the hydrometer slightly, being careful not to touch the sides or bottom of the vessel.
- Wait until the hydrometer stops bubbling. The level reached by the liquid inside the appliance will indicate the gradation of the final product. For most density meters on the market, this level fluctuates between 0.990 and 1.120.
- A level of 1.090 produces a wine with an alcohol content of 12.3%. The average alcohol content of the wine is between 12% and 15%.
- Generally, winemaking densimeters have a graduated scale on the side that indicates the percentage of alcohol in the wine that will be obtained.
Step 3. If necessary, add more sugar
In some cases, the sugar present in the juice is insufficient to reach the desired alcohol content. In this case, you need to remove some of the juice and dissolve some sugar in it. For example, if you want to add two cups of sugar, you must first remove two cups of juice from the bowl.
- Using a funnel to pour the sugar can make the job easier.
- If you don't have a funnel, you can also improvise one by rolling up a sheet of plain paper or parchment paper.
- As a general rule, keep in mind that 4 cups of sugar are needed for 4 liters of juice (one cup equals about 200 grams). If you want to make a lighter wine, use a smaller amount.
Step 4. Dissolve the sugar in the juice
It must dissolve completely, with no grains remaining around the container or on the bottom. The best way to speed up the melting process is to shake the container well.
- To make sure it has melted completely, let it sit for 5-10 minutes. If there is some sugar left at the bottom, you need to shake the bowl again.
- It is possible that the fruit juice has a very dark color. Therefore, being able to see the sugar can be difficult. However, you can increase visibility by holding the container up to the light or illuminating it with a torch.
Part 2 of 3: Ferment the Fruit Juice
Step 1. Check the temperature of the juice
For the fermentation of yeast, the ideal is a temperature that oscillates between 21 ° C and 32 ° C. The higher the temperature, the faster the yeast will ferment. At room temperature, the process should run in an acceptable manner.
Step 2. Add the yeast to the fruit juice
You can use any one, but the ideal is the yeast for sparkling wine. For 4 liters of juice you will need approximately 1/5 of packet, which roughly corresponds to the diameter of a 5-cent coin.
- If you don't have the coin to take the measurements, a 2cm diameter yeast pinch should be enough.
- Other types of yeast take longer to ferment the juice and risk producing a low alcohol wine.
- It is not necessary to mix the yeast once it is added to the juice. It melts on its own.
Step 3. Insert the mini fermenter into the bowl
This is the most important accessory for distillation purposes; costs 1 euro and can be bought from producers of wine making equipment. The mini fermenter lets out the carbon dioxide produced during the fermentation process, while protecting the juice and yeast from external contaminants. Before using it, wash it well with soap and water, rinsing thoroughly.
- Keep the cap of the juice bottle. You will need it later to close the container. Wash it in warm soapy water and put it in a bag until you are ready to bottle.
- It is better to buy more than one mini fermenter, so that you will be able to make several batches of wine at the same time.
- To put this appliance into operation, you need to fill it with water. It should have a line that says "Max": fill it up to this point.
- If you want to make sure it's free from bacteria or other contaminants, fill it with vodka instead of water. It is especially useful if you do not intend to replace it quickly.
Step 4. Wait for the fermentation process to finish
For 3-4 liters of juice, it generally takes about two weeks. You notice that the fermentation is over when the bubbling of the mini fermenter subsides.
- Initially, the appliance releases bubbles every five seconds.
- When the bubbles come out every 50 seconds or so, it means the wine is ready to be bottled.
- You can also wait for it to stop bubbling altogether.
Part 3 of 3: Allowing the Wine to Age
Step 1. Bottle the wine
Remove the mini fermenter and close the container that contains the juice with its cap. At this point you will notice some sediments on the bottom: this is the yeast, now dead, that fermented the wine and is a natural by-product of fermentation.
Step 2. Eliminate the sediments
If you leave them too long in the vessel that contains the wine, they can change the flavor. The yeast weighs more than the liquid, so you can easily eliminate it by pouring the wine into another container: the sediments will remain on the bottom of the first.
- In any case, dead yeast is not bad for your health, so if you forget to take it out and don't want to throw the wine away, you can safely drink it.
- The yeast by-product is particularly nutritious and can make an excellent compost. If you have a composter, you can give it inside.
- If you choose to pour the wine into a second bowl, first wash it thoroughly with soap and water to avoid any bacterial contamination.
Step 3. Label the wine
It is advisable to specify the date on which the fermentation ended, as well as the method of vinification, i.e. the amount of sugar, the type of juice used, etc. This serves a dual purpose: it serves as a reminder of the terms of wine aging and to identify the optimal procedure.
For example, you may find that using white sugar slows down the aging process too much. If this is the case, you might want to try using honey instead
Step 4. Age the wine
Immediately after separating it from the yeast by-product, the wine will probably still not taste good. It should be left to age until it acquires an adequate flavor. In some cases, this happens within a couple of weeks; in others, it may take a long time, up to six months.
Generally, wine fermented with white sugar requires a longer aging time to become palatable. In fact, the greater the amount of white sugar used, the longer it will be necessary to age the wine for it to acquire an acceptable flavor
Step 5. Store the wine in the cellar or pantry and check for aging
It is not necessary to have a special room to age the wine. However, tradition requires a cool, dark place where the wine can age without the process being affected by external factors, such as heat and light. It is not uncommon for some types of yeast to remain active even after bottling, so be careful if the container seems swollen.
- Any swelling is due to the release of carbon dioxide by the still active yeast. Just unscrew the cap to let the gas out and then close the container.
- In this case, when the yeast is no longer active, sediments will probably remain on the bottom of the container. This implies the need to filter the wine again to eliminate the yeast by-product.
Step 6. Throw away the spoiled wine
Generally, industrially bottled wines can be kept for a long time. Your artisanal wine won't last that long, but for at least six months it will be good. Even in this case, however, problems of poor sealing or bacterial contamination may occur. Whenever you check if the wine is still good, pay attention to the possible appearance of one of these signs:
- A strong smell of apple sauce, burnt marshmallows, or nuts. This indicates that the wine has oxidized, so it has become stale.
- A strong smell of cabbage, burnt rubber or garlic. These, on the other hand, are indicators of the fact that the impurities contained in the wine have made it go bad.
- A sip of spoiled wine isn't dangerous: if you're not sure it's still good, try it. If it tastes sour of vinegar and burns the palate, or if it has a caramel aftertaste, similar to applesauce, it has probably gone bad.
Advice
- Keep a couple of bottles on the counter while you ferment the wine, so you can refill them as soon as the first batch's fermentation process finishes. This way, you can always have a substantial supply on hand.
- When making wine, always use clean utensils, to prevent bacteria and impurities from interfering with the fermentation process and limiting the shelf life of the product.
