Instructions for making your own wine
Questions and answers for homemade wine
If you are making 3 separate batches of the wine, you will need to treble all of the ingredients.
If you are making one batch three times larger than the recipe, I would recommend that you reduce the sugar in your recipe by a third, and only make one yeast starter mix – The yeast will reproduce itself if there is enough sugar – Just make sure that the starter mix is really frothing before you add it.
AbbyS asks:
I am making a couple different types of fruit wine- the old fashioned way- (the way my grandfather made wine)- and it says for when you are filling the wine- and are going to put the cork in you are to cork loosely- (by tying a string around the cork, and allowing for fermentation to continue until it is complete) —-does anyone know anyother way to cork loosely without using a string tied around the cork?
Instead of the string, use plastic wrap for a couple of days, then remove the wrapped cork, resoak the cork and insert fully. However, it is safer to wait until fermentation has stopped completely if you don’t want to risk corks exploding!
Question from Charles Brown:
“does watermelons have there own yeast and grapes/fruits trying to make wine for the first time and my friends say i do not have to get yeast because watermelons/ grape already have yeast, is this true.”
While it is true that there are airborne yeasts everywhere that will cause fermentation to occur naturally, the yeasts in the air vary a lot in quantity and type. You can’t be sure they will make wine from your fruit. Many naturally occurring yeasts will not tolerate a high level of alcohol for instance.
By providing a closed environment for the yeast of your choice to work in, random yeasts are eliminated, and other contaminants are kept to a minimum.
I had a problem first starting the wine off as the temp dropped and the fermentation did not start, so after 3 days I started some more yeast in 500 ml of the juice (once warmed). After an hour and the yeast was activated I add it to the rest in the primary. Temp has been good for two days now but still no fermentation…?
I have several carboy’s of wine working and add sugar syrup frequently. Should I continue adding sugar syrup, as necessary, when the bubbling slows down? … When do I stop adding sugar syrup? Do I continue this process of adding syrup for a year?
Hydrometer – The books I have talk about how to use one but its not real clear and how do I know if mine takes readings at 60 degrees or 68?
How long can you let wine sit in the fermenting jug?
If you have a question – post it here and I will try and help.
Comments are always welcome.
How do you preserve home made wine like the wineries?
How long should the yeast starter mixture bubble ?