Learning to make excellent homemade grape wine at home
Some summer residents believe that making delicious homemade wine from grapes at home is quite difficult. Others, however, immediately get down to business, having understood only the main points of the process. Be that as it may, everyone wants to get a drink with a unique taste. To achieve the cherished goal, you need certain knowledge, skills, patience and a willingness to follow the instructions of specialists. We will learn the basic principles of home winemaking, which open the way to creating a divine drink.
Hard to learn, easy to fight
Modern scientists have explored the intricacies of making homemade wine from grapes at home. They realized that the fermentation process occurs as a result of the multiplication of unique fungi. Microorganisms enter an ideal environment where food, oxygen and heat are sufficient. They mainly feed on minerals such as magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. Fungi absorb carbohydrates and nitrogenous substances. Due to this, the temperature of the liquid rises, carbon dioxide and alcohol are released. After some time, an amazing drink with a pleasant aroma is obtained, which really "makes the heart happy".
All home-made grape wines are divided into 4 categories:
- dry;
- semi-dry;
- sweet;
- semi-sweet.
Depending on the alcohol content, they are light, dessert and fortified. Each type has its own technology for creating a drink, which must be carefully observed.
Dry wines are easily susceptible to diseases, since sugar is the main preservative in the drink.
Homemade grape wine at home: the first step towards the goal
Any business on earth requires some preparation. And winemaking includes several important stages:
- selection of containers (pots, cans, bottles);
- tools (secateurs, tubes, lids, gloves, rolling pin);
- harvesting grapes (baskets, boxes);
- preparation of berries (scissors, containers).
All tools and utensils used to make wine at home must be absolutely clean. Therefore, the items are thoroughly washed with hot water and dried with a kitchen towel. If necessary, clean the contaminated areas of enamel or clay containers with baking soda. Wooden containers are fumigated with sulfur for disinfection.
Glass cylinders (10 and 20 liters), which are freely sold in stores, are considered ideal utensils for winemaking.
To make homemade grape wine flawless, you must not allow long-term contact of berries with such surfaces:
- metal;
- copper;
- lead.
Scissors are used to remove ripe berries from the scallops. Although it is much faster to do it with your hands. First, they are collected in a bowl, bucket or saucepan.
Then they begin to squeeze out the juice. Place the berries in a small container.With the help of crush, they turn it into a fragrant slurry. The remaining whole berries are kneaded with your hands. If there is a large amount of grapes, use a meat grinder or a special mechanical crusher. Sometimes they squeeze out the juice with their feet, loading the berries into a wide container.
The resulting mass is poured into a bulk fermentation vessel. After 5 days, juice is taken from the pulp using a plastic or rubber tube. The thick mass is passed through a juicer or press.
Only stainless steel accessories are suitable for winemaking.
Harvesting subtleties
Ripe berries are used for homemade grape wine. Overripe fruits are suitable only for making dessert wines, as they contain more sugar. Grapes are harvested only in clear weather. If it rained the day before, wait at least 3 days to keep the yeast on the surface of the berries. Cutting off the bunches, carefully examine the fruits. Spoiled, rotten and green specimens are immediately thrown away. A pure product is collected in the basket without branches and foliage.
They start crushing the berries on the same day. If this is not possible, you can wait 2 days after cutting the fruit.
Under no circumstances should the fruit be washed. The remaining liquid has a detrimental effect on the taste of the drink. In addition, the water destroys the wild yeasts required for active fermentation.
Next, we will figure out how to make high-quality grape wine with a unique taste at home.
It is believed that the most exquisite drink is obtained from the juice that is formed under the weight of the cut bunches.
Making homemade wine from grapes at home
Chopped berries and the resulting juice are poured into spacious tanks. Containers made of stainless steel, glass or food grade plastic are best suited. The main thing is to have a wide throat. When filling the dishes, remember that as a result of fermentation, the pulp will rise up. Therefore, enough space is left from the top edge of the container. Otherwise, the liquid will "run away" to the floor.
Cover the dishes with a clean cotton cloth or lid. Placed in a dark place where the temperature is maintained at + 24 ° C. Throughout the day, the mass is thoroughly mixed to speed up the fermentation process, and the hat of the pulp is not covered with mold. The procedure is repeated for 3 or 5 days.
Understanding how to make grape wine at home helps you get a great drink. The fermented liquid is poured into a suitable narrow-necked container. Taste and add granulated sugar. It should be remembered that too large a dose of sugar inhibits the fermentation process. Therefore, it is added in several stages.
The resulting cake can be poured with water and made the so-called "Chacha" according to the traditional technology of making wine.
Containers are not filled to the very edge. Leave about 10 cm for foam. Then they are covered with rubber gloves or special covers (odor trap). They freely pass carbon dioxide from the inside, protecting the juice from oxygen ingress.
When the glove rises and takes shape, it should be pierced with a needle in one finger to release gas.
The next stage of making grape wine at home involves a vigorous fermentation process in glassware. For this, the required temperature is maintained in the room (+ 25 ° C). If it drops to 10 degrees, wild fungi hibernate. And at high rates (+ 35 ° C) they die. The containers are installed away from direct sunlight and drafts.
The fermentation process recycles all the sugar in the juice. When it is finished, the glove is completely deflated, and the water seal keeps bubbles out. A sediment appears on the bottom of the dishes. It's time for the first pouring of the drink.
Preparing for quiet fermentation and pouring into storage
To properly make wine at home, you need to pour it several times into different dishes after vigorous fermentation. The wine container is placed on the table. A rubber tube is inserted into it, a “breath” is taken, and directed into an empty dish on the floor. In this simple way, the wine is removed from the sediment. If you do not do this procedure, the drink will turn out with a bitterness, which not everyone likes.
For a quiet fermentation process, the dishes are filled with wine to the very edges and again covered with a water seal. Add sugar if necessary. The balloon is taken out to a cool place. The process lasts from 3 to 4 months. During this time, the drink will gradually lighten, forming a sediment at the bottom. The finished wine is poured into suitable bottles and tightly closed. Store in a cool dry place.
Pouring the wine stimulates its ripening as the liquid is saturated with oxygen. The process is done once every 30 days.
Video recipe for wine from grapes Moldova
The original drink made from Isabella grapes
Experts offer beginners an easy way to make homemade wine from varietal grapes.
For the case you need ingredients:
- ripe bunches;
- granulated sugar;
- water.
The berries are removed from the scallops. Gently crushed by hand or crush. The resulting liquid is left for 5 days, stirring daily with a rolling pin. The pulp is filtered through a thin cotton cloth. The thick mass is squeezed out well. The resulting juice from Isabella grape taste. If it is too acidic, add pure water (500 ml is enough for 1 liter).
The liquid is poured into a container, filling it by ¾ of the total volume. Granulated sugar is added (150 g per 1 liter of liquid). Mix well. Cover with a glove or water seal. They are sent to a dark place where the temperature is stable at about 22 ° C. After 5 days, add the remaining sugar portion. Stir. Cover with a glove and wait until it falls again.
When a sediment appears at the bottom of the dishes, the wine is poured into a clean container. Add another portion of sugar if desired. For this, a little wine is poured into a saucepan. Pour in granulated sugar. Stir and heat it on low heat, trying to control the temperature. The resulting liquid is poured into the remaining wine. Cover the bottle and place it in a room without light. Six months later, the drink is bottled. Store in a basement or refrigerator for about 5 years.
Delightful drink of clear amber color
There are many recipes for making wine at home from white grapes. Let's get acquainted with one of them. 10 kg of berries will require 3 kg of granulated sugar.
Popular varieties are suitable:
- Chardonnay;
- Riesling;
- Sauvignon Blanc;
- Pinot Blanc.
The berries are carefully sorted out, removing damaged specimens. Pour into a small container. Juice is squeezed out in the traditional way. The liquid is poured into a saucepan. Leave for 5 days. The resulting hat is broken daily to stimulate fermentation.
The resulting mass is filtered and poured into a clean glass container. Add granulated sugar. Cover the container with a glove and leave the wine for 3 weeks. When fermentation stops, the drink is carefully removed from the sediment. Poured into jars, covered and stored in a cool room.
After a month, the wine is ready to drink.
Soft drink for women
Consider a simple recipe for homemade grape wine with pure water. It tastes interesting and tastes much softer.
Would need:
- grapes (5 kg);
- granulated sugar (3 kg);
- clean water (12 l).
Selected berries are crushed by hand in an enamel bowl. The mass is left for 4 days, covered with a thick cloth or lid. They must be mixed several times a day, completely breaking the cap that has formed.
The fermented liquid is poured into glass containers. Add 1.5 kg of granulated sugar. Stir. Cover with a glove or water seal.
After a week, the wine is poured into a clean container, leaving a sediment in the jars. Add the remaining sugar and cover again. After 10 days, the resulting juice is diluted with water. Leave for quiet fermentation for a month. The finished drink is poured into clean containers. Sent to a dark place for full maturation.
The described technology is universal for making grape wine at home. However, for some varieties, there are special nuances that are usually indicated in recipes. Adhering to simple recommendations, many have learned how to prepare a divine drink with their own hands. And they are worthy of praise.
Every year we make wine from grapes at home, and this year the grape harvest was not very good, unfortunately. I hope next year will be better, then we will definitely try according to your scheme, although we always do approximately this ...