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.

1. Use your hands to crush the grapes in the 18l plastic container. You can also use your feet if you want to be more authentic.
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.

When to Bottle Homemade Wine

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.