Before you read this article let me tell you one important thing. This is a method for those who hate anything complicated but love excellent taste of wine as well as sharing it with friends. Personally, I think best taste is never dependent on your effort or time spent in the kitchen. I believe in working smart and not hard. If you are a follower of the same school of thought, I am sure you would love the following wine-making method.
The raw materials needed
|
Fruit Apple |
Quantity 16 |
Sugar 3.5 |
Acid 65 |
Yeast 25 |
Pectic - |
Tannin 10 |
Yeast Chablis |
For conversion —– * 1 kg = 2 pounds; ** 1 Lt = 1 quart Source: http://ingeb.org/junk/wine.html
Step 1 – make the must
Choose your favorite ingredient and move on to the next step. Use whatever quantity (see the table above) is indicated and de-seed. Remove everything else from the fruit such as stems, leaves and keep aside only the pulp.
The fastest way to do this is to use a juicer, which separates the seeds from the pulp while making juice. Alternatively, you could use your fingers or any other tool that helps you mash the fruit to pulp. The result would be a yucky looking fruit pulp, which is also known as “must”. Pour this must in the bucket or container you want to use for making wine. Use only one made of wood or plastic.
Step 2 – prepare your yeast
Before you proceed, you need to prepare your yeast. Warm about two cups of the must you just obtained and add to it the prescribed amount of yeast. Ensure that this mix is kept in a warm place (you could place it on the cover of a dish with hot water) for about 15-30 minutes. You will know it is ready when your yeast starts producing foam generously.
Step 3 – add the other ingredients
Melt the requisite amount of sugar in water on slow fire to obtain transparent syrup. Add it to the juice ensuring that you leave about 6-8 inches space to the brim of the bucket or container you are using because during fermentation this mix would produce a good amount of foam, which might otherwise spill over. Add all the other extra ingredients as recommended in the chart.
Step 4 – the week-long vigil
Once everything you needed is mixed, cover the container, and keep it in a warm place where it should not be disturbed. For seven days after you would be needed to stir it daily once with a wooden spoon to ensure that the ‘cap’ or hardening of the foam on the top of the container does not take place.
Step 5 – the results of your penance
After 7 days, you will observe that the foaming and raising of the murky liquid has decreased considerably. This is the time when the must needs to be strained to take out the wine. The best tool for this purpose is muslin cloth or panty hose. The idea is that you should be able to arrest most of the pulp and get as clear as possible juice (wine) out through this sieving process. However, do not worry if the juice you get is not as clear as you would want. Eventually the residue that escapes through the sieve would settle down as sediment.
Step 6 – the wine is ready
Take this resulting liquid and pour it back into your container. Add water enough to get the same level as before in your (same) container leaving about 4-6 inches from the top. Cover it with a lid; it should not be airtight. At this stage, your ‘juice’ is producing CO2 (carbon dioxide) which is a natural bactericidal, and which will make it look like it is boiling. Leave it like that (in a warm place) for about a month, after which you should siphon the juice carefully so the sediment at the bottom of the container is not disturbed, into another container.
Step 7 – ready to party
Pour this liquid into bottles and consume it alone or with your friends at parties.
Online resources:
- http://how-to-make-wine-at-home.weebly.com/ - easy-to-follow steps to make wine at home
- http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_Make_Wine - an in-depth guide to making wine from a wide variety of fruits plus a wealth of resources for information and additional guidance
- http://www.stormthecastle.com/mead/ - learn to make honey wine or mead – this is a new, less known but delicious wine
- www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Make-Your-Own-Wine-cheap-DIY-39032949 - for those who would rather see than read instruction, here is a great video on how to make wine
