This post has been contributed by Diana Smith.
Making wine is a really enjoyable experience and it is worth every last sip. When making wine by yourself there is plenty of time to make it as quality as possible since you do not have to worry about how many bottles you managed to squeeze into the market. That is why you do not have to use any chemicals and you can make your wine completely organic. If you want to make such organic wine make sure you follow this guide.
Making wine is a really enjoyable experience and it is worth every last sip. When making wine by yourself there is plenty of time to make it as quality as possible since you do not have to worry about how many bottles you managed to squeeze into the market. That is why you do not have to use any chemicals and you can make your wine completely organic. If you want to make such organic wine make sure you follow this guide.
Get all the equipment
First of all you have to make sure you have everything necessary for the wine to age safely, without being affected by any bugs or bacteria. Making homemade wine should not be expensive so there is no need to buy some special equipment. All you will need are 7.6 L crock or a glass jar and a 3.8 L carboy. Besides these, you will also need an airlock and a thin plastic tube which used for siphoning. Remember not to use a jar that has been used for storing pickles or sauerkraut since these can contaminate your wine.
First of all you have to make sure you have everything necessary for the wine to age safely, without being affected by any bugs or bacteria. Making homemade wine should not be expensive so there is no need to buy some special equipment. All you will need are 7.6 L crock or a glass jar and a 3.8 L carboy. Besides these, you will also need an airlock and a thin plastic tube which used for siphoning. Remember not to use a jar that has been used for storing pickles or sauerkraut since these can contaminate your wine.
Pick out the fruit and crush it
Even though wine can be made out of any fruit, grapes are the most popular choice. You should choose grapes which have not been exposed to any chemicals since you do not want these to end up in your wine. The best way is to grow your own grapes or contact retailers who can provide you organic grapes. Make sure you get rid of all the dirt and stems from the grapes before you start crushing it. You should crush it with a potato masher or your hands until the level of juice is 4cm of the top of the crock.
Even though wine can be made out of any fruit, grapes are the most popular choice. You should choose grapes which have not been exposed to any chemicals since you do not want these to end up in your wine. The best way is to grow your own grapes or contact retailers who can provide you organic grapes. Make sure you get rid of all the dirt and stems from the grapes before you start crushing it. You should crush it with a potato masher or your hands until the level of juice is 4cm of the top of the crock.
Stir it in the honey and add yeast
Honey is the ingredient that will sweeten your wine and provide food for the yeast. Sweetness of your wine will directly be affected by how much honey you use. If you are a fan of sweeter wines put more honey and if you are not you should limit yourself to 2 cups. If maybe you decide to use some other fruit than grapes, you should use more honey since grapes have a high amount of sugar in them as well. You can also use brown sugar if you want to. After this you should add the yeast to the mixture and stir it with a long spoon.
Honey is the ingredient that will sweeten your wine and provide food for the yeast. Sweetness of your wine will directly be affected by how much honey you use. If you are a fan of sweeter wines put more honey and if you are not you should limit yourself to 2 cups. If maybe you decide to use some other fruit than grapes, you should use more honey since grapes have a high amount of sugar in them as well. You can also use brown sugar if you want to. After this you should add the yeast to the mixture and stir it with a long spoon.
Ferment the wine
Once you do all of this you should let the wine sit for a couple of days. Just make sure you use a cover that will prevent any bugs from getting in contact with the wine. You can use a crock lid for this or stretch a piece of cloth over the opening and secure it with a rubber band. Keep it in the warm area so the yeast can grow. Stir it every couple of hours and you will see bubbling that will be the result from the yeast moving into action. It is important to do so if you want your wine to be as good as some of the best white wine specials you can find.
Once you do all of this you should let the wine sit for a couple of days. Just make sure you use a cover that will prevent any bugs from getting in contact with the wine. You can use a crock lid for this or stretch a piece of cloth over the opening and secure it with a rubber band. Keep it in the warm area so the yeast can grow. Stir it every couple of hours and you will see bubbling that will be the result from the yeast moving into action. It is important to do so if you want your wine to be as good as some of the best white wine specials you can find.
Strain and siphon the wine
After around 3 days, it is the time to strain and siphon the wine. That is when you should move the wine into the carboy where you will later keep it. Once the wine is siphoned into the carboy, you should affix the airlock so the gas can be released. This will also prevent oxygen from getting into your wine and ruining it. If you do not have an airlock you can use a small balloon secured to the opening with a tape. Even though this will release the gas, it will keep the oxygen out of the wine.
Once all of this is done your wine is almost finished. You should let the wine age for at least 1 month up to 9 months before you bottle it. Siphon the wine into the bottles and cork them as soon as you can. Let the wine age some more or try it immediately.
After around 3 days, it is the time to strain and siphon the wine. That is when you should move the wine into the carboy where you will later keep it. Once the wine is siphoned into the carboy, you should affix the airlock so the gas can be released. This will also prevent oxygen from getting into your wine and ruining it. If you do not have an airlock you can use a small balloon secured to the opening with a tape. Even though this will release the gas, it will keep the oxygen out of the wine.
Once all of this is done your wine is almost finished. You should let the wine age for at least 1 month up to 9 months before you bottle it. Siphon the wine into the bottles and cork them as soon as you can. Let the wine age some more or try it immediately.
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