Tiny Dancer

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<b>A Beginner's Guide</b></div>
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Wine
happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>It is the natural fermentation
of fruit. When yeast on fruit breaks down its sugar, it creates carbon dioxide
and alcohol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Loosely
speaking, wine can be made from strawberries, blueberries, dandelions, and
really, anything that ferments. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But
when people speak of wine, they are usually speaking of wine made from fermented
grapes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Because
fermentation is a natural process, wine is as old as civilization itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>A winery has been unearthed in the oldest
civilization yet discovered, Old Armenia, whose merry citizens were partaking
in 4100 B.C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Wine
is pretty easy to make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You may recall
the story of JC turning water into wine at the behest of his mother when the alcohol
ran out at a particularly jubilant wedding. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absent wizardry, it does require more than an
instant for the juice to separate from its crushed skin and to settle, for the
sugar to turn into alcohol and for the flavors to gently resolve into a savory drink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You will need to invest a touch more time and
attention to detail than JC evidently needed before you can be confident that
your dinner guests will appreciate your offering. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What kind of wine can I make?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Well,
what kind of wine do you like?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>That’s
what you should make!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Red
and white wines are all made from three basic groups of grapes: European
grapes, or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vitis vinifera;<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></i>native grapes, meaning those that
grow in nature around you; and hybrids, which are a cross between the two,
meaning essentially that one parent is a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vitis
vinifera </i>and one is a native.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">How do I know what wine grapes are best?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Foxgrapes grow wild in my neck of the woods and a lot of
folks grow Concords on trellises in their yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The flavor of foxgrapes cannot be tamed and
concords in my estimation make better grape juice than wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The upside of course to native plants is that
they are resistant to the pests and mildews that plague the more delicate <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vitis vinifera</i>, but they have sharp
flavors and pungent aromas and do not usually make a smooth wine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The
names you recognize from the wine store: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot
Noir, Chardonnay, Viognier, to name a few are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vitis vinifera</i> which have been cultivated for thousands of years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Not
long ago something really bad happened which almost destroyed all of the vitis
vinifera across Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>During America’s
colonial years, folks brought these grapevines to America to try to grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Likewise, visiting Europeans took home native
American grapevines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Unfortunately,
the soil clinging to the American grapevines was home to an local pest, the
phylloxera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>With no local predators, the
invasive species quickly spread, chewing through the roots of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vitis vinifera</i> and destroying seventy
percent of the vineyards in Europe in no time flat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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To
save the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vitis vinifera</i> growers
cloned, that is they attached the upper part of the vine to a resistant
American root, and that is how it is grown today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>When you order a grapevine, you will select
the grape and can also sometimes choose the rootstock you feel will grow best
in your soil.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Most<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vitis
vinifera</i> like abundant sunlight, long, dry summers and sandy soil, which
obviously does not exist everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>They
can be difficult to grow in wet climates where they are susceptible to molds or
chilly climates where winter winds<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , sans-serif;">
</span>freeze and kill them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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That
being said, you will find heartfelt testimonials of tough-love winemakers who
swear that clay or chalky soil is preferable as they compel the vines to
struggle, imparting a heartier flavor to its fruit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hybrids
combine the best of both worlds, the hardiness of native grapes and the flavor
of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vitis vinifera</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>New varieties are becoming increasingly
available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You might recognize Marachel
Foch, Chambourcin or Vignoles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Find
the grapes you like best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Do you like a
light fruity wine or a dry heady wine? You may not be able to secure the exact
kind of grape you want in a given year, but you can probably find a similar
alternative and you can combine a couple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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In
time you may even decide to grow your favorite grapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I prefer organic grapes or better yet, grapes
grown biodynamically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>These are not very
easy to find and that is another good reason to grow your own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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If
you take one look at the seasonal spraying schedule published by any one of the
university agricultural departments for the quantity and frequency of toxic chemicals
recommended for controlling pests and mildews, you too may be more particular
about which wines you imbibe. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Procuring wine grapes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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It
is much easier to procure wine grapes than in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>If you live near a vineyard, wander over and
ask if they have any extra they’d consider selling you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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You
can also inquire at your local wine and home brew store if you live in a
mid-size town. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You
can try a local wholesale producer if you live in a metropolitan area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Too,
you can simply search “wine grapes for sale” on the internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Grapes from California are available in early
autumn and grapes from South America are available in Spring.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How much do I need?</b> The easiest vessels
to store it in are five or six-gallon glass carboys (jugs).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>One gallon of wine requires about 16 pounds
of grapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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You
will leave some room for fermentation, but some will evaporate as well and you
will want to replace it, so go ahead and buy 100 pounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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If
you can, it might be interesting to order 50 pounds each of a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">vitis vinifera</i> and a hybrid variety you can
blend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Creating sensational flavors is a
good deal of the fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What are you talking about?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Winemakers
have their own language and freely toss about phrases you may never have
heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Don’t be intimidated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>It is far simpler than it sounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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For
example, a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">primary fermenter</i> can be
just a plastic bucket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lees</i> are just sediment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Must</i>
is floating grape skins. Here are a few more common terms:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bung:</b> A bung is a rubber stopper to
close up the jug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Ideally it has a hole
drilled in it for a fermentation lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Even more ideally, it has a sparkling clean double fermentation lock in
it that lets bubbles out without letting extra air in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Campden tablets:</b> A sterilizing agent so
that wild yeasts don’t destroy your wine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Carboys:</b> Big jugs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fermentation lock:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>There are a few different kinds. I often chip
or lose the caps on the small vertical plastic ones and I like the geometry of
the double ones a little better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hydrometer:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>An instrument that measures the specific
gravity or density of the liquid compared to the density of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This means that it is measuring the sugar in
the liquid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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This
is significant to a winemaker because the sugar turns into alcohol and you want
to keep your eye on that process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lees: </b>This is just another name for the
stuff that filters out of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>It has tiny seeds, pieces of grape skin, dead
yeast and other things that were part of the grape’s ecosystem and won’t
completely dissolve. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Must:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Definitely not as bad as it sounds. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not as though you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must</i> do something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Must
happens on its own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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When
the yeast starts bubbling away, filling your home with the aroma of baking
bread and happily turning the sweetness of summer into alcohol, the gas bubbles
push as many grape skins as it can to the top of the juice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This layer is called the must.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>If you don’t push them down, they will become
stagnant and attract microorganisms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>So
you punch it down below the surface and mix it back in with a long spoon every
so often over the few days it’s in your primary fermenter..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s
also called the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cap</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pips:</b> What you get on your toes from
stomping grapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Psych!</i> It really means grape seeds.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Primary Fermenter:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The first vessel the crushed grapes are out
in for fermentation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Secondary Fermenter or third or fourth:</b>
Depending how many times you rack your wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>It is the next vessel you have transferred your wine into so that it is
free of the old sediment that has gathered and can set about dropping out a new
layer of sediment to be removed later.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sediment: </b>See<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Lees.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Top off the Head:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span>In winemaking, this means to add wine to a
fermentation or storage vessel so that the liquid stays near the top of the
container and excess oxygen is not allowed to contaminate it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rack:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Probably not what you are thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>This means to remove the sediment from the wine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Specific Gravity: </b>The density of the
wine juice compared to water, in essence, how much sugar is in it at any given
time.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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If
this short list of new terms is only whetting your appetite and you are thinking
that adding a dash of the oenophile might splash an appealing edge to your life,
there is an entire language out there just for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Peruse a glossary of winemaking terms for
possibilities.  <span style="font-size: 12pt;">You
can regale your drinking pals with a chilling story of an acetobacter haunting
your wine cellar.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">  </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Another night you
might share a cigar and discuss the Solera system.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">  </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">At least you will only be talked about as
wine snob rather than a wine nerd, which is in actuality just as appropriate.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Equipment and Supplies<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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The
processes for making red and white wines differ a bit because different results
are being sought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
A
red wine is generally more full-bodied. Its more robust flavor can benefit from
the acidic tannins in grape stems and its ruby color deepens when it is
fermented with its purple-red skins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
White
wine is generally more delicate and the flavor imparted from the stems would
add an unwanted bitterness. Its skins are light and do not add significant
color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Accordingly, neither stems nor
skins are included in fermentation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The grapes
also prefer cooler temperatures that require refrigeration. You might seek a
more precise filtration process (than a mesh bag and siphon) as the clarity, or
lack thereof is more readily apparent in a clear liquid in a clear bottle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
process for making specialty wines like, port, champagne or sherry are a bit
more complex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
This
article is written for the enthusiast who is experimenting with wine-making for
the first time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Red
wine is a bit simpler and requires less precision than white wine to make, so
let’s start with a red wine. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
You
can buy all kinds of equipment to make things easier. Visit a modern winery and
listen to the hum of the huge polished steel wine presses. Once you have made
your first batch of fine wine, you may become interested in further refining
your techniques.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
You
will want a crusher and a presser if you don’t have a troupe of barefoot
merrymakers about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
At
some point you may want a more advanced filtration system and oak barrels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Many a winter evening can be passed reading
about the history of barrel making and the different types of wood preferred by
professional vintners. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Perhaps
you will even hang out in your own laboratory blending different varieties, but
for now, let’s start out with a minimal investment and make five or six
gallons. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">For the first time, here is what I recommend buying:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A plastic food grade pail that holds at
least seven gallons.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You will not
use the lid at the initial fermentation stage, but a pail with a lid that
accepts an airlock can come in handy in a pinch to hold extra juice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;">
You will need only <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">a thin towel</b> to cover your pail as you
want gas to be able to escape, but it does need to completely cover it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A 5 or a 6-gallon
glass carboy.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
I’ve
always used a five-gallon carboy and that’s just about as heavy as I want
anything to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>But you may be stronger
than me and feel that if you are going to the effort of making five, you may as
well make six.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If you want to buy your supplies separately, rather than buy
a starter kit, you can buy a five or six-gallon glass carboy at any winemaking
store or easily find one online.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
If
to start out with, you buy a kit with a carboy, at some point you will want
another. It is simpler to have an extra carboy for racking the wine. Otherwise,
you have to transfer it to a pail and then back to your carboy after the
sediment is cleared. I’m not a big fan of plastic, so the less time my wine
comes in contact with it, the better.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
If
you have an extra, you can just let the wine continue to ferment in that one.
But for the first time, it’s probably good to get the extra experience of
racking from one vessel to another anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Racking is simply lifting the wine juice away from tis sediment,
clarifying it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
You will need a<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>rubber stopper (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">bung</b>)<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>with a hole
drilled through it for an air lock, and the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">air lock </b>itself, sometimes called a fermentation lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span>The bung should be the right size to fit in
the mouth of your carboy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
You will need four to ten feet
of 5/16 inch clear <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">food grade siphon
hose</b> with a small plastic shut-off clamp so that you don’t have to worry
about not squeezing it tight enough and spilling wine all over the room as you
move from bottle to bottle. You will need a 5/16 inch <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">auto siphon</b>, which is a hard plastic tube to which you attach the
flexible siphon hose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The auto siphon
has a small filter at its bottom to prevent sediment from sucking into the
siphon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You will rest it near the bottom
of the fermentation pail a safe distance above the line of sediment so you
don’t suck the sediment up. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
You will also need a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">brush to clean out the carboy</b>, an
eight-inch diameter <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">funnel </b>that fits
into the mouth of your carboy<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">, </b>a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">thermometer</b> that floats to so you can
make sure the juice does not get too hot or cold for the yeast, and a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">hydrometer</b> with its own test jar which
measures the sugar and alcohol content. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Do the math and compare
equipment from different companies but it is generally economical to buy a
starter kit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Remember that you will
still need a brush to clean the carboy and an eight-inch diameter funnel. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
You will need a sterile muslin
or other open weave cloth or other mesh straining bag to place in the funnel to
collect the grapeskins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Then you can
squeeze the grape skins for more juice before taking them out, dripping across
the floor and outside to your compost pile. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
A <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">test jar for the hydrometer</b>, which simplifies matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>That way you can take a sample of juice from
your fermenter (pail) and read it more easily and accurately to find the
specific gravity than trying to read it in the bucket among the floating grape
skins. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Whether
you buy the kit or not, you will also need the following:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A
sterilizer of potassium metabisulfite, available in one-pound bags or in pill form
as mentioned above called Campden tablets.<span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">You need <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">wine yeast. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>A decent all-purpose yeast is Montrachet
Red Star yeast created by the University of Davis, renowned for its viticulture
research.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">You might also want a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">yeast
starter</b>, nutrients the yeast likes, to encourage the fermentation
process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You can get a jar inexpensively at a
winemaking supply store.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Civilizations
probably handed down wine yeasts they cultured to produce reliably good wine. The
rate of fermentation<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and the flavor that results are
related to the qualities of the yeast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
If
you find yeast you are particularly fond of, you could culture it and use it
the next time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it is easy and
inexpensive to buy a packet of wine yeast to make five or six gallons of the
wine you like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Enologists
are working on creating new strains as you are reading this: strains that
remove histamines from grapes that give many people headaches, strains that
slow fermentation time and strains that specifically complement the characteristics
of a specific variety.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Yeasts will die if temperatures become too high and will
go dormant if too cold, so keep your fermenter covered in a quiet, temperate
darkish room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Yeast <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">only
grows between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit and thrives between 70 and 80
degrees Fahrenheit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
You
will need <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">a</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">long spoon</b>,<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> a corker</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">corks</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">wine bottles</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Drink a lot of wine to determine what you like best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And save the empty bottles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Just be sure to run them through the
dishwasher or wash them thoroughly, rinsing with boiling water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Then store them in a clean, dry place and
wash them thoroughly again before you bottle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>You will need 25 bottles for six gallons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
Egyptians and Greeks carried and stored their wine in clay vessels called
amphorae.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>These vessels resemble modern
day wine bottles for good reason. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
The
narrow neck minimizes the amount of oxygen that can flow into it, shouldered
bottles are used to keep any sediment from pouring into the glass with only a
slight tilt, and a concave bottom can easily collect sediment that settles out
from the wine during its storage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The amphora were easy to carry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Picture the maidens in the long white tunics
and gold sashes arriving at the party with a curved pot on her shoulder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>That’s what I’m talking about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If you want to make special labels, just do a little
research and you are sure to find an option to please.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You should at minimum, note somewhere the
grape and year of your production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Until you are at the stage where you are storing your wine
in oak casks, you should probably drink your red wine between one and two years
old and your white wine, even younger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>You might save a bottle or two to see how they age and how your corks
hold up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">You should have a couple five-pound bags of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sugar</b> on hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Sugar is what feeds the wine yeast so that it
makes alcohol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>If there is not enough
sugar for the yeast, there will not be enough alcohol in the wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Become familiar with a hydrometer, which measures the
specific gravity or sugar content so you can see where your wine is headed and
make any necessary adjustments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>For more
in-depth information on alcohol and sugar, you can find helpful articles on
winemaking supply websites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">For your purposes now, just know that you are aiming for an
alcohol content of between nine and fourteen percent. Expect to be on the
higher end for red wines and the lower end for whites.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You
might want to buy an <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">acid blend</b> for
a few more bucks <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">or</b> you can just squeeze
in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">a lemon</b> if you need a bit more
acid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Important Basics</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Cleanliness is next to godliness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>It’s true.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
All
of your equipment must be squeaky clean, that is, as close to sterile as you
can get it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Stray
microorganisms from wild yeasts, molds and bacteria can seriously mess with the
fermentation and cause your wine to turn to vinegar in an afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Wild is wild.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>There are 1500 strains of invisible wild yeasts lurking about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>If your wine turns to vinegar, well, you can still
use it to strip old paint or varnish from furniture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Do
not use chlorine bleach to clean your equipment as its residue may also kill
the good wine yeast. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Wash
your vessels and siphon and everything else you are going to get anywhere near
the wine, with plain old Seventh Generation dish soap, or whatever you usually use
and then rinse it very well with hot water and potassium metabisulfate. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
You
will be adding a pinch to the wine at the beginning of the fermentation process
anyway, and it’s cheap, so there is no reason not to have a pound of this
crystalline powder on hand and use it for all of your sterilization needs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Oxygen will destroy your wine.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oxygen
affects fruit as soon as it is exposed to air. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of how once the protective skin of an
apple has been peeled, in a very short period of time it turns brown and mushy
and its flavor is off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The same thing
happens to grapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oxygen
is not a huge concern at the beginning of the fermentation process when the
must appears to be bubbling because the carbon dioxide is pushing most of the
oxygen away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
initial fermentation will be done in your pail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>If you don’t have one with a lid, you can simply cover the top with a
thin towel to keep out flies and curious children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>For the first 24 hours after you have added
the potassium metabisulfite and before you have added the yeast, it is
especially important that the gas can escape. You will be removing the towel at
least once a day to punch down the must, stir the juice, check the temperature
and measure the specific gravity. Once fermentation slows though, it becomes
more important to reduce exposure of the wine to air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This is when you will transfer it to a vessel
with a smaller headspace, that is, your glass carboy jug and plug it with a fermentation
lock which allows the carbon dioxide to escape, but does not allow oxygen to
enter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Light
and heat encourage oxidation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>That is
the reason wine is usually aged in colored glass bottles to shield it from
excess sunlight and stored in cool places, like a wine cellar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As
mentioned before, there are also airborne microorganisms that can turn your
wine to vinegar in short order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And
fruit flies will appear out of thin air bearing lethal bacteria on their tiny
feet. In sum, you need to be vigilant during initial fermentation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Racking
is just a fancy word for removing the sediment that collects as the skins and
debris separate out of the juice and drop to the bottom of the carboy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You can see the clarity and the sediment in
the glass carboy and decide when you want to rack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is
important to not jostle the carboy and just let the sediment fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Then take the siphon, placing it far enough
above the sediment that it won’t suck it up and then siphon the clear liquid to
the second sterile vessel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you
don’t have a second carboy, transfer it to the clean bucket, clean the sediment
out of your carboy, clean it thoroughly and siphon the juice back in to
continue fermentation and settling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
second fermentation stage can last up to seven months, so if you are gentle and
inclined to do so, you can rack it a few times before you bottle your wine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After
the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed and placed in the primary fermenter, add
a couple pinches of potassium metabisulfite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>It will kill the wild yeasts. Wait 24 hours before adding yeast or it
will kill your wine yeast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The packet can be sprinkled on top of
the must and gently stirred in. Most packets are for five gallons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Acid blend – To add or not to add?</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you have a scientific bent and want to measure and control the amount of acid
in your wine, you can buy pH strips or a wine titration kit that can advise
exactly how much acid you want to add.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
is an abundance of information about acidity in winemaking to guide you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A
wine’s acidity obviously affects its flavor and professional winemakers who
produce large quantities must measure the acid levels so that they are not
selling wine that makes your lips pucker and your eyes roll at the first sip. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
for your first batch of five or six gallons, just add a pinch of acid blend or
squeeze a fresh lemon at the end of fermentation to increase the acid to a
desirable level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wine is good for you.</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
In
Cato’s book on homesteading practices written around 160 BC, the oldest
surviving book of Latin prose, he recommends planting a vineyard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Dionysius and Bacchus were worshipped as gods
of wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>In recent years, California has
upped its game in wine production and other states are following suit
production, as its popularity has grown in the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
A
plethora of articles on the health benefits of regularly drinking moderate
amounts of wine have been published recently in popular magazines and even in
scientific journals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Food and Wine
magazine recently ran an article citing scientific studies indicating that wine
promotes longevity, reduces the risk of heart attack and heart disease, reduces
the risk of type 2 diabetes, lowers the risk of having strokes and of getting
cataracts, cuts the risk of colon cancer and slows the decline of brain
function.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let’s Do It!</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You’ve cleaned your equipment, you’ve
got your grapes, now let’s get to work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1. De-stem and crush your grapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Yes, there is lovely equipment to do this,
but you don’t have it yet, so have some friends over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Wash
your hands, try to get 90% of the stems out and then crush the grapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>If you are going for an old-fashioned
grape-stomping, make sure feet are clean and remember things can get slippery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2.
Throw the grapes into your primary fermenter (plastic pail) and test the sugar
content with your hydrometer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Adjust the specific gravity to 1.095 by
adding water if necessary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you have decided to measure the acid content, adjust the acid to .65% by adding
acid blend or freshly squeezed lemon juice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.
Dissolve a pinch (1/3 ounce) of potassium metabisulfite in a small bit of water
and add to the fermenter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4.
Check the temperature of the must.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Remember
it should be between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
it’s over 80 degrees, lower a tightly-sealed bag of cracked ice into the
fermenter until it cools and if it’s too cold, increase the heat in the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>If you are going to add yeast starter, do it
now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Cover the fermenter with a thin
towel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6.
After 24 hours when the temperature is around 75 degrees, add the yeast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Stir in gently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7.
When the cap forms, that is when the grape skins have bubbled to the top and
formed a bit of a ceiling, punch it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Stir the skins back into the mix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>This will help keep the microbial levels down and the skins will deepen
the color of the wine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Punch the cap down at least daily and keep an
eye on the temperature as it will heat up and could get so hot that it kills
the yeast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>After five or six days, it is time to rack
off the free-running wine into a secondary fermenter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You will need to lift the pail to a higher
surface than the carboy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Place a funnel in the carboy and a mesh
cloth to catch grape skins that come through and funnel into the carboy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Try not to splash or get extra oxygen into
the wine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Squeeze
the juice from the remaining pulp through the mesh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You want to always keep the carboy at least
7/8 full, so put remaining juice aside under similar conditions to top off the
juice in the primary fermenter as its liquid evaporates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Add a touch of potassium metabisulfite to the
fermentation lock and plug the carboy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Keep
in a safe, quiet place free from temperature changes where it can continue to
ferment for five to seven months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>After a few weeks and periodically
thereafter, you will want to rack the wine, that is, transfer it from one
vessel to another, leaving the sediment behind. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use the siphon so you can extract the juice
out without mixing in the sediment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Too,
there is less chance of oxidation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you have just one carboy, transfer it to the pail, wash out the sediment and
return it to your carboy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>After five or seven months, when fermentation
has stopped and you are pleased with the clarity, carefully siphon your wine
into clean wine bottles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Store
them on their shoulders in a cool, dark place and drink as you please. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>

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How to Make Wine at Home

A Beginner's Guide Wine happens. It is the natural fermentation of fruit. When yeast on fruit breaks down it...

Posted by Tiny Dancer / Monday, March 11, 2019 / No comments / Viva

How to Make Wine at Home

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