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General Wine Making InformationNOTE: Please read these instructions from beginning to end before you begin.1) Prepare and clean all equipment, inspect for cracks or damage. Sterilize with sulfite solution. Drain well. Sulfite solution: 1 oz dissolved in ½ gallon water. 2) Prepare fruit, grapes or concentrates according to recipe. Check specific gravity: average starting gravity should be 1.080-1.095 (increase with sugar, decrease with water) 3) Check acid: fruit wines 0.50 tartaric White wines 0.70-0.75 tartaric Red wines 0.60-0.65 tartaric To increase acid, use acid blend. To decrease acid, use water and sugar, or calcium carbonate. If water and sugar is used, correct hydrometer before proceeding with recipe. Pectic enzyme: helps clear white wines, aids in extracting the most color and flavor of all wines. 4) Yeast nutrient: gives yeast a boost. Use as directed. 5) Tannin: adds astringency to red wines. Use as needed. Campden Tabs: Fresh fruit: add 1-2 tabs per gallon 24 hours prior to adding yeast. For all wines, use ½ tab per gallon at first racking, ¼ tab per gallon at each additional racking, 1 tab per gallon at final racking. 6) Yeast: 1 pkg. for 1-5 gallons, for larger quantities, make a yeast starter. Rehydrate in a little warm (not hot) water just prior to use. 7) Yeast Starter: either follow directions of yeast starter culture, or make orange juice starter. Bring 1 cup of orange juice and 3 cups of water to boil. Cool, add 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient. Put into starter bottle, add yeast, and attach fermentation lock. Activate for 1-2 days. Add to must. 8) Fermentation lock: fill half way with sulfite solution. 9) Clearing agents: use 30 days after fermentation is complete or 2 weeks prior to bottling. Follow directions for use. If using a kit wine, follow directions given. 10) Bottling: soak corks 24-48 hours prior to bottling in cool, boiled water. Make sure corks are fully submerged in water. Drain, then soak for 10-30 minutes in sulfite solution. Insert into bottles using corker. Keep bottles upright for 48 hours after bottling, then lay down for storage. Let age a minimum of 3 months before drinking. Wines made from grapes will vary in the amount of bottle aging time needed for maturation. 11) Wine Filters: adds the final finishing WINE MAKING TIPS1) Marking the volume on your Primary Fermentor: Fill your 23 litre glass or plastic secondary carboy (11.5 litre if using Selection Spéciale wine varieties) with water. Empty this volume into your Primary Fermentor and mark off the water level. 2) Temperature Factor: It is important to keep the fermentation temperature constant (70 - 75°F). Yeast cells are sensitive to temperature. 45°F (7°C)...Stuck Fermentation 50 - 60°F (10 - 15°C)...Slow Fermentation 65 - 75°F (18 - 24°C)...Normal Fermentation 80 - 115°F (27 - 46°C)... Very Rapid Fermentation 120°F (49°)... Death 3) Sanitizing Your Equipment: Make sure all utensils and equipment are clean before use. Use a chlorine cleaning agent to sanitize your equipment. We suggest preparing a soaking tub solution made from your sanitizing agent. Instruments such as your wine thief, hydrometer, mixing utensils, and thermometer are constantly used - keep these soaking in solution until you need them and remember to rinse them thoroughly before use. 4) Racking Tips: Racking your wine or beer (from primary fermentor to secondary carboy, or into a bottle) involves the risk of incorporating air into your wine or beer. To minimize the risk of "oxidation": i) Avoid splashing of wine when racking. Always keep the end of the syphoning hose below the surface of the liquid. ii) Always make sure that your airlock and bung are securely attached and level of water in airlock is properly maintained. 5) Water Quality: Be sure to use good quality drinking water. 6) Cork Quality: When bottling wine, be sure to use quality corks only. Higher quality corks give better protection against oxidation. Longer corks ( min. 1 3/4") and those with little or no large fissures are preferable. Natural corks are generally better for long term aging. Check with your retailer for more details on the different ESSENTIAL WINE MAKING EQUIPMENT1) Primary Fermentor: Food grade plastic container with 36 - 45 litre capacity (8 - 10 Imp. Gal). Best complete with a lid, although a plastic sheet tied down is adequate. 2) Secondary Carboy: A 23 litre (5 Imp. Gal., 6 U.S. Gal.) glass or food grade plastic carboy. Selection Speciale products require an 11.5 litre (2.6 Imp. Gal., 3 U.S. Gal.) size carboy. 3) Airlock & Bung: This attachment is used with the secondary carboy. This valve is designed to allow gases to escape while also preventing air and airborne contaminants from coming in contact with the wine. ALWAYS be sure that the water level in the airlock is half-full and properly maintained during use. 4) Hydrometer & Test Vial: This instrument will measure the Specific Gravity (S.G.) of wine or beer in order to give accurate readings on sugar levels, alcohol content, and the progress of fermentation. To use, immerse the hydrometer into a vial of liquid. The hydrometer should be free floating. The point at which the liquid intersects the hydrometer will be your S.G. reading (see diagram). To check to see if your hydrometer is working properly, suspend your hydrometer in 60°F (15°C) water. Your S.G. reading should be 1.000 +/- 0.002. 5) Sanitizing Agent: A chlorine cleaning solution used to sanitize all equipment. This product is available at your local home brew retailer. Follow directions on sanitizing package on how to prepare cleaning solution. Remember to rinse all your equipment thoroughly with hot water before using. 6) Mixing Utensil: A long handled spoon or rod required for mixing of ingredients in your fermentation vessels. 7) Wine Thief: A hollow glass or food grade plastic tube that allows you to extract samples without pouring or syphoning. 8) Dairy Thermometer: A floating thermometer used to keep track of the temperature during fermentation. 9) Syphoning Hose: Six feet (1.8 m) of food grade tubing attached to a rigid syphoning rod used for "racking". Racking allows liquid transfer from one container to another without the transfer of sediment. |
