Lockdown has seen
people trying all manner of new things, namely new DIY projects. Lots of people
have spent their time baking and cooking in addition to home renovation, but
some people have tried something totally new in the form of making their own alcohol.
There are lots of
reasons why making your own alcohol can be a good idea. It’s something to do,
it’s a unique skill to have, you can give it as presents to loved ones, and
it’s always nice to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
If you’re feeling like
stepping up from craft beer and want to try your hand at something more
upmarket, why not brew your own wine? It’s simpler than you might think and is
the perfect way to impress your loved ones with your newfound talent.
Interested? Read on to
find out how to make your own homemade wine.
Equipment
First thing’s first,
make sure you’ve got everything you need:
- 18l
plastic container/bucket with a lit
- 5x 4.5l
glass containers
- 3x
fermentation trap airlocks
- Rubber
cork
- Nylon mesh
straining bag
- 20x wine
bottles
- Funnel
- Pre-sanitized
corks
- 6ft of
plastic tubing (0.5 inches wide)
- Hydrometer
- Cloth
- Large
quantity of wine grapes
- Wine yeast
- Water
(filtered)
- Granulated
sugar
These are the basic
things you’ll need to begin making wine. You’ll need to make sure everything is
completely sterilized before you proceed and begin, and you’ll also need to
make sure you go through your bucket loads of wine grapes to select only the best. You’ll want to toss
any that look past their prime. You’ll then need to remove the stems.
Once everything is
prepared, you can start.
2. Add the wine yeast to the 18l container.
3. Put the hydrometer into the container and look for a 1.010 reading. Any less than this, add granulated sugar that has been dissolved in the filtered water and stir.
4. Put the cloth over the 18l container and leave the mixture to ferment for 10 days.
5. Strain the liquid using the nylon mesh straining bag.
6. Use a funnel to pour the liquid into four 4.5l glass containers. Fill the liquid to the top and add the airlocks. Leave for five weeks.
7. Pour the liquid through the plastic tube into clean 4.5l containers.
8. Repeat the siphoning several times over the course of three months until it runs clear and free of sediment.
Now the actual making
and fermenting is done, it’s time to bottle the wine.
Clean the plastic
tubing and pour the liquid from the 4.5l containers into the wine bottles.
Ensure there is enough space at the top for the cork and an extra 0.5 inch gap.
Storing Homemade
Wine
You should store
homemade wine standing upright for around three days after it has been bottled.
After this, you can store it on its side which will keep the cork moist and the
wine fresh. Ideally, you’ll want to age the wine for the best taste. If you’ve
made red wine, you should be ready to drink it in 12 months or so. For white
wine, you can drink it after six months. It’s definitely a more long term
project, but it’s well worth it when you get to the time to enjoy the fruits of
your labor!
How Long Homemade
Wine Lasts
Once opened, homemade wine lasts as long as standard wine you would buy from a shop. This means you
should aim to consume the wine over the course of 3-5 days.
That’s it! Wine make
is simpler than it seems, and whilst it’s a long play game, it’s more than
worth it in the end.
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