How to Make Wine at Home

PREPARATION

· Get ready at least 1 week before you buy your grapes.

· Make sure your fermenter, demijohns & equipment is clean.

· Use OXYPER to clean & sterilize your fermenters & demijohns

 

Typical Ingredients Required for 100lt of Red or White wine

 

  • Campden Tablets  Pack of 50 (used to kill bacteria and wild yeast on the grapes)
  • Yeast Nutrient 25gm (used to energise the yeast and assist in a complete fermentation)
  • Pectinase 50gm ( assist in the breakdown of the grape flesh and assists in clarity)
  • Quality Wine Yeast 25gm
  •  Solfitanico Tablets 3 per 100lt of Red or 4 per 100lt of White Wine ( preservative for wines )
  • Bentonite ( optional - can be after during racking period to assist in clarity of the wine)

 

WHITE WINE

DAY 1

1. Clean & sterilize your equipment.

2. Crush the grapes & add grape sterilizer (Campden Tablets) to the crushed grapes immediately. Use 5 tablet per 100 litres. Crush the tablets & dissolve in a little grape juice then stir this into the rest of the juice.

3. Dissolve Pectinase 50gm per 100lt in a little juice & add to the must.

4. Dissolve Yeast nutrient 25gm per 100lt in a little juice & add to the must.

  Be sure to thoroughly mix the juice.

5. Press the grapes straight away & put the juice into your fermenter barrel or demijohns.

6. Fit an airlock to your fermenter barrel or demijohns & leave it for at least 24 hours.

 

DAY 2

  1. Add wine yeast to the must - Use 25g per 100 litres
  • Soak the yeast in a 100ml of cool boiled water (max temp 30°C) for 15 minutes then 200ml of the wine juice- per 25gmm of yeast
  •  Wait till this mixture gets frothy then add it to the must (approx. 20 mins)
  • Stir in well with a cleaned and sanitized paddle and mix over
  1. Put the airlock back on so your wine will ferment without contact of air.
  2. Take hydrometer reading after 7 to 10 days  to assess if the wine has fully fermented the sugars ( hydrometer reading of ZERO)

 

END OF FERMENT

  1. Wait until the fermentation stops. Use a hydrometer to measure the end of fermentation. When the bubbling slows down or stops take a reading and then 1 to 2 days later take another. If the gravity readings remain stable it means that fermentation is complete.

 

 At this point it is time to add another dose of steriliser to the wine. Add 2 Solfotannico tablets per 100 litres (or if you are using Campden tablets add 40 tablets). Crush the tablets & dissolve in a little wine then stir this into the rest of the wine.

 

  1. Wait for another 7 days to give the wine a chance to clear & for the sediment to settle at the bottom of your fermenter barrel or demijohns.
  2. Transfer the wine to clean containers. It is important to do this very carefully so the wine does not splash around & no sediment comes through with the wine.
  3. Make sure your container is full of wine then seal it & allow your wine to mature.

 

NOTE that you may have to repeat steps 2 & 3 if the wine is not completely clear after the first time and also add some BENTONITE . Do not add extra sterilizer when you repeat these steps.

 

RED WINE

DAY 1

  1. Clean & sterilize your equipment.
  2. Crush the grapes & add grape sterilizer (Camden Tablets). Use 5 tablet per 100 litres. Crush the tablets & dissolve in a little grape juice then stir this into the rest of the juice.
  3. Dissolve Pectinase  50gm per 100lt in a little juice & add to the juice.
  4. Dissolve Yeast nutrient 25gm per 100lt  in a little juice & add to the must. Be sure to mix the juice thoroughly.

5. Cover the container & leave it for 24 hours.

 

DAY 2

  1. Add wine yeast to the must - Use 25g per 100 litres
  • Soak the yeast in a 100ml of cool boiled water (max temp 30°C) for 15 minutes then 200ml of the wine juice- per 25gm of yeast
  •  Wait till this mixture gets frothy then add it to the must (approx. 20 mins)
  • Stir in well with a cleaned and sanitized paddle and mix over
  1. Your wine will start to ferment with the skins. Keep it covered & leave it for a few days until it has enough colour & the tannin taste is right for you. This will usually take from 4 to 7 days but it may take just 2 or 3 days or it may take more than a week.

3. During this time, the grapes will float to the surface. You should push this down & mix it back into the must up to 2 to 5 times each day. 

  1. After the fermentation on the skins (for colour is to your satisfaction) drain the wine into your fermenter barrel or demijohns then press the remaining grapes & add the extra wine into your fermenter barrel or demijohns.

4. Fit an airlock to your barrel or demijohns & allow the fermentation to continue.

 

 END OF FERMENT

  1. Wait until the fermentation stops. Use a hydrometer to measure the end of fermentation. When the bubbling slows down or stops take a reading and then 1 to 2 days later take another. If the gravity readings remain stable it means that fermentation is complete.

At this point it is time to add another dose of steriliser to the wine. Add 1 Solfotannico tablets per 100 litres (or if you are using Campden tablets add 20 tablets). Crush the tablets & dissolve in a little wine then stir this into the rest of the wine.

  1. Wait for another 7 days to give the wine a chance to clear & for the sediment to settle at the bottom of your barrel or demijohns.
  2. Transfer the wine to clean containers. It is important to do this very carefully so the wine does not splash around & no sediment comes through with the wine.
  3. Make sure your container is full of wine then seal it & allow your wine to mature.

 

NOTE that you may have to repeat steps 2 & 3 if the wine is not completely clear after the first time and also add some BENTONITE. Do not add extra sterilizer when you repeat these steps.