| Harvesting Your Red Wine Grapes - The
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| | hard, or too many times, you get low
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| first step in making red wine is to have
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| | quality wine. You can save the pressings
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| the grapes perfectly ready to be picked.
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| | separately from the free-run or it can be
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| They need to be harvested not only at the
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| | combined. This pressed wine will take
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| proper time in their life cycle, but also
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| | longer to become clear and ready for
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| at the right time of day to ensure the
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| | bottling.Secondary Fermentation - The
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| acids and sugars are all at the right
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| | juice, now wine, needs to settle after
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| balance for the wine.Red wine grapes
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| | this ordeal and continue to ferment out
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| should contain enough sugar to be
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| | all the residual sugars. During this
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| considered ripe and be able to attain the
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| | time, the wine should be stored in glass
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| alcohol content you are aiming for. They
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| | carboys fitted with fermentation
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| must also have the right balance of
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| | locks.Fermentation locks keep oxygen out
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| acids. This means "hang-time" on the vine
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| | of the wine while allowing the carbon
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| until the grapes have met the proper
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| | dioxide from fermentation to escape.
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| quality factors. A sugar content of 24
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| | Without them, oxidation will occur and
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| Brix at harvest will give you about 12%
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| | the wine will spoil into vinegar or
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| alcohol.De-stemming and Crushing - This
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| | something worse. In the lack of oxygen,
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| step in making red wine removes the stems
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| | the wine undergoes subtle changes that
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| from the grape bunches, and crushes the
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| | affect the flavors of the resulting
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| grapes (but does not press them) so that
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| | wine.Malo-Lactic Fermentation - Many red
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| the juices are exposed to the yeast for
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| | wines need a non-alcoholic fermentation
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| fermenting. This will also expose the
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| | to remove excess acidity. This secondary
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| skins so they can impart color to the
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| | fermentation will turn the tart malic
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| wine while in the primary
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| | acid (of green apples) into the softer
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| fermentation.This step in making red wine
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| | lactic acid (of milk). A special
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| can be done manually by squeezing the
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| | malo-lactic bacteria is added which
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| grape bunches over a grate with holes to
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| | allows malolactic fermentation to occur.
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| allow the grapes and juice to go through
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| | This is done during the secondary
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| while leaving the stems behind. I've used
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| | fermentation. Wines are held at about 72F
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| old Coke crates, perforated plates, and
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| | during, or at least at the end, of the
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| other means to accomplish this.
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| | secondary fermentation to favor this
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| (Depending on the type of wine, the stems
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| | activity. The yeast that has settled to
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| could be left in for a more tannic flavor
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| | the bottom during the secondary
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| or removed). This mix of wine is called
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| | fermentation also favors this
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| must and is put into a fermentation
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| | process.Racking and Clarification -
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| vat.You can always "stomp" the grapes and
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| | Moving the wine from one container to a
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| remove the stems afterwards - the old
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| | new container by siphoning allows you to
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| fashioned way. There are crusher
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| | leave solids and anything that might
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| destemmer machines that can be purchased
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| | cloud the wine, behind. This clears the
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| if you have a lot of grapes to crush. If
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| | wine and prepares it for bottling.
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| you are going to adjust the acidity, this
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| | Fermentation locks must be employed with
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| is the time to do this.Primary
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| | each racking to keep the wine from
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| Fermentation - The must is held in a vat
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| | spoiling. Wine is racked at least once
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| that can be made of food grade plastic,
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| | but more may be needed to assist
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| glass, or stainless steel for
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| | clarification.Cold Stabilization - During
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| fermentation. In whichever container, the
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| | one of the aging stages between rackings
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| sugars inside the grapes are turned into
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| | and bottling, the wine can be placed in
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| alcohol by yeasts. The yeast used should
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| | the cold of refridgeration to be
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| be specific for red wine. This
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| | stabilized. This cold period will make
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| fermentation process typically takes from
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| | the cream of tarter settle out of the
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| 3-4 weeks.How long the must (juice and
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| | wine and reduce the acidity further. The
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| grape solids) is allowed to sit, picking
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| | wine is then racked off the cream of
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| up flavor, color and tannin is up to the
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| | tartar during the next racking. I suggest
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| wine maker. Too long and the wine is
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| | you do this early in the racking and
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| bitter, to short and it is thin.
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| | aging process of making red wine.Aging -
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| Temperature is very important during this
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| | The wine is stored for anywhere from 9
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| stage - it also affects flavour and
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| | months to 2 1/2 years to give it the
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| color.Punching Down the Skins - Skin and
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| | correct amount of flavor. Oak barrels can
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| other solids float to the top as
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| | be used for aging but they are very
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| fermentation proceeds. The carbon dioxide
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| | expensive. Nowdays, when making red wine
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| gas given off by the fermentation process
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| | at home, oak chips are used. The amount
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| pushes them to the surface of the
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| | of time you age your wine with oak
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| developing wine. The rising skins are
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| | depends on the flavors that you wish. At
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| called the "cap" and need to be pushed
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| | the end of the aging period, you will be
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| back down to stay in contact with the
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| | ready to bottle.Fining or filtering - At
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| must. This should be done a couple of
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| | the end of the aging period it helps to
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| times a day. As you punch down the cap,
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| | remove anything that may be making the
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| you will notice that the wine is taking
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| | wine cloudy. This can be accomplished
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| on more color from the contact with the
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| | with various fining agents (like
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| skins.End of Primary Fermentation(?) -
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| | sparkalloid), with filtering, or both.
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| The winemaker must decide if the must has
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| | This makes the wine crystal clear for
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| fermented long enough. This will take a
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| | bottling and will prevent any sediments
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| few days to a week. Much of this decision
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| | from forming during bottle aging.Bottling
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| depends on how much color you want in
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| | - This is done carefully so that the wine
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| your red wine. Generally, the wine has
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| | does not come in contact with air. Finer
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| not completely fermented at this time.
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| | wines may be stored for several years in
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| There still should be some residual sugar
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| | bottles before they are drunk. But I
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| that will need to go through further
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| | suggest that a minimum of 6 months to a
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| fermentation.Remove Free Run and Press -
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| | year lapse before drinking.So there are
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| At the end of the primary fermentation,
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| | the steps in making red wine. Properly
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| the must is put into the wine press. The
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| | done, you will have a wine that will not
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| best quality wine is made just from the
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| | only give you drinking pleasure, but will
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| juice portion of the must. Many wine
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| | make you the envy of your family and
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| makers allow this to run off and save it
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| | friends.Jim Bruce has been making growing
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| for the best red wines. The rest of the
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| | grapes and making wine since 1974. You
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| drier must (now called pomace) is
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| | too can grow your own wine grapes.
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| pressed.Pressing squeezes the remaining
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| | Interested in growing your own grapes for
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| juice out of the pomace. If you do it too
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| | making wine?
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