People have been making wine at home for thousands of years. It is possible to prepare it with any type of fruit even if grapes are the most popular choice. After mixing the ingredients, let them ferment and then age the wine before bottling it. This simple and ancient process allows you to make a delicious wine to be proud of.
Ingrediants
- 4 kg of fruit
- 480 ml of honey
- 1 pack of yeast
- Filtered water
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Ingredients and Tools
Step 1. Prepare everything you need
In addition to the ingredients you must also have some basic tools available to make sure that the wine ages without being contaminated by insects or bacteria. This is nothing extremely expensive, so you don't need to put your savings into special equipment. Here's what you'll need:
- An 8L jug or glass jar (you can often find these in thrift or vintage stores; however, remember that these containers may have been used for pickles or fermented sauerkraut and could contaminate the wine).
- A 4 liter demijohn.
- An airlock valve.
- A thin plastic tube for transferring.
- Clean wine bottles with new corks or screw caps.
- Sodium or potassium metabisulfite tablets (optional).
Step 2. Choose fruit. Wine can be made with any type of fruit, although grapes and berries are the most commonly used
Buy fruits at their peak of ripeness for their flavor; it would be advisable to procure products from organic farming, which have not been treated with chemicals to prevent these from ending up in the wine. If possible, use the fruit you have grown yourself or go to a farmer's market. There are also dealers specialized in grapes for home wine production and they could be a good solution if you live in an area away from the vineyards.
Step 3. Clean the fruits
Remove the stems and leaves, check that there are no particles of dust and dirt. Rinse the fruit well and put it in the pitcher. You can decide to peel it before mashing it, but know that most of the flavor of the wine comes from the skins. If you choose to peel the fruits, you will get a lighter wine.
Some winemakers do not wash the fruit before crushing it because there are natural yeasts on the skins. In this way it is possible to ferment wine without adding other yeasts but only using those naturally present in the air and on fruit. However, washing the fruits and controlling the doses of yeast allows you to make a wine to your taste; "wild" yeasts could give the final product an unpleasant taste. However, if you want to try it, divide the fruit into two batches, one with controlled yeasts and one with natural yeasts, finally compare the wine produced
Step 4. Mash the fruit
Use a clean potato masher or your hands and squeeze the fruit to release the juices. Continue this operation until the liquid level reaches 3-4 cm from the edge of the jug / jar. If you don't have enough fruit to get to this point, supplement with just enough filtered water. Add a sodium or potassium metabisulfite tablet which, by releasing sulfur dioxide into the mixture, will kill natural yeasts and bacteria. If you have decided to make wine with "wild" yeasts do not put the tablet.
- As an alternative to sodium or potassium metabisulfite, you can pour 480 ml of boiling water over the fruit.
- Tap water may alter the taste of wine, as it contains additives. Use only spring or filtered water.
Step 5. Add honey
Honey guarantees the yeasts the necessary nourishment and makes the wine sweet. If you prefer a sweeter product, use more honey than recommended; if you love a dry wine, limit yourself to 480 ml. Also take into account the type of fruit you are using. Grapes are high in sugar, so you don't need too much honey. Berries and other fruits are less sugary so you can add more.
- You can replace honey with white or brown sugar.
- You can always add more sweetener in the later stages, if the wine is not sweet to your taste.
Step 6. Inoculate the yeast
If you have decided to use the controlled one, now is the time to put it in the mixture. Pour it into the pitcher and mix with a long-handled wooden spoon. At this point you have the must.
If you have chosen to use sourdough, skip this step
Part 2 of 3: Ferment the Wine
Step 1. Cover the pitcher and let it rest overnight
It is important to protect the wort from insects, but at the same time you have to let it breathe. You can use a lid specially designed for this purpose, or spread a tea towel or old T-shirt over the opening of the container and secure it with a rubber band. Put the covered jug in a warm place with a temperature of about 21 ° C all night.
Storing the container in a cold room does not facilitate the proliferation of yeasts, but a place that is too hot could kill them. Find a good compromise in a corner of your kitchen
Step 2. Stir the wort a few times a day
The next day, uncover the container, mix the wort and put the cover back on. Repeat this procedure every 4 hours for the first day and then reduce to a couple of times over the next three days. The wort will begin to bubble as the yeasts are activated. This fermentation process will give you a delicious wine.
Step 3. Filter the wort and liquid
When the formation of bubbles slows down, after about 3 days, it is time to filter the solids and transfer the liquid part into a demijohn for long-term storage. Once the liquid has been transferred to the carboy, close it with the airlock valve to release the fermentation gases and protect the contents from oxygen (which would ruin the wine).
If you don't have an airlock valve available, you can place a small balloon over the opening. Every 2 or 3 days remove it (it will have collected the fermentation gases) and replace it immediately
Step 4. Wait for the wine to age for at least one month
It would be better to wait at least nine; during this time the wine matures and ages becoming sweet and with a better flavor. If you have added more honey than recommended, it is better to opt for a longer aging, otherwise it will taste too sweet.
Step 5. Bottle the wine
To prevent it from becoming contaminated with bacteria and turning into vinegar, add a sodium or potassium metabisulfite tablet to the wine as soon as you remove the airlock valve. Transfer the wine into clean bottles almost to the brim and close them with the cork immediately. Let the wine still age in the bottles or enjoy it right away.
Use dark bottles to protect the color of red wines
Part 3 of 3: Making Wine Like a Pro
Step 1. Learn the tricks that lead you to the production of a great wine
People who have successfully vinified for thousands of years have learned a few details that make a difference. Remember the following when you are preparing wine for the first time:
- Use only very clean equipment to prevent bacteria from spoiling the wine.
- Keep the liquid covered during the first fermentation process but ensure adequate ventilation.
- Let the second fermentation take place in the open air.
- Fill the bottles completely to avoid the presence of oxygen.
- Store red wines in dark bottles so they don't lose their appearance.
- Try to make a rather dry wine rather than too sweet, you can always add sugar later.
- Taste the wine at regular intervals to make sure everything is running smoothly.
Step 2. Know what to avoid when making wine at home
If you pay attention not to make the most common mistakes, you will have a good product. You must not:
- Selling wine, as it is illegal.
- Let the vinegar gnat come into contact with the wine.
- Use metal containers.
- Using tools or containers made of resinous wood that spoils the taste of the wine.
- Try to speed up fermentation by raising the temperature.
- Filter without a reason or do it too soon.
- Store wine in non-sterile jars or bottles.
- Bottle the wine before the fermentation ends.
Advice
- Keep all utensils clean and sterile. Bacteria turn wine into vinegar. However, if this also happens, do not dispose of the liquid. It is a great marinade for meat and poultry. For example, you can add herbs and spices to it and marinate the chicken.
- It is essential to transfer the liquid part by separating it from the solid one. This operation is called racking and must be done at least two or three times before bottling.
- Give the wine an aftertaste of aged wood. In the second fermentation, add a 10 cm piece of oak wood to the glass container. A wood with a diameter of 1.2 cm is very good. To keep the wine at the top of the fermenter's neck, add some sterilized marble to take up space. Wait for the wood to release its aromas. Finally, the pure liquid is drawn off into sterile bottles closed with new corks.
- Keep the bottles resting on the side and the neck upwards just enough to allow the wine to rest on the cork.
- If the fresh fruit you have selected is too acidic and the fermentation languishes, you may get a too acidic "wort". Add a little piece of chalk (just like the one you use to write on the blackboard), it will work wonders.
