Production time

Clean the grapes and let them dry for 1-2 hours until there is no moisture on the surface;

After canning, ferment for 20-30 days. The flavor is almost set.

Production process

Selection of ingredients

As the saying goes, seven parts grapes, three parts wine. This shows the effect of grape quality on wine. Usually, the grapes used by home-brewing enthusiasts to make wine are ordinary grapes, and some use mountain grapes. The following introduces the characteristics of the main grape varieties:

Mountain grape - Objectively speaking, mountain grape has the advantages of deep red color and rich polyphenols, but it is not suitable for winemaking due to its high acidity. If it can be picked when fully mature, it is also a good choice for wine making.

Ordinary grapes - the grapes we usually eat. Because wine grapes require high sugar content and low acidity. What’s more, it’s cheap and has become the first choice!

The quality of grapes depends not only on the variety, but also on the maturity, so buy grapes when they are on the market in large quantities!

Clean and dry

After purchasing the raw materials, first remove diseased, shriveled, moldy fruit, green and rotten fruits. As for whether cleaning is needed, it varies from person to person. There are pros and cons to washing or not washing grapes. Cleaning the grapes can remove or reduce dust, mold, bugs, pesticides, etc. on the surface of the grapes, but it will also cause the grapes to absorb water and sugar, and some water will enter the grape juice because they cannot be completely dried. Not washing the grapes avoids the above risks. The author believes that grapes with better quality do not need to be washed with water. If some grapes are contaminated with mold or have a lot of soil, they need to be cleaned locally. You can rinse with tap water without using any disinfectant to avoid destroying the natural yeast on the grape skins (white frost on the skins). However, it must be dried after cleaning. You can use scissors to break it into small strings, spread them out on clean items, and place them in a cool and ventilated place to dry naturally. To speed up drying, use a fan. Avoid exposure to sunlight.

Removal and crushing

Removal and crushing: Squeeze the grapes with your hands to remove the stems. The container should be a plastic basin or stainless steel. Iron containers cannot be used.

After cleaning and drying, the work of destemming and crushing can be carried out. From now on, all containers and hands that come into contact with grapes or grape juice need to be clean. The containers must be water-free and oil-free, and the hands must be washed. If you are worried, you can use medical sterilized disposable gloves or rubber gloves. The container can be washed first with clean water and then scalded with boiling water. If it is a container that is afraid of high temperatures, such as glass, you can rinse it with cold boiled water or use high-strength liquor for disinfection. When everything is ready, first pick the seeds and remove the stems, and then start to crush them with your hands until the pulp and skin are separated. If the fruit is very crushed, the wine will be more turbid.

Canning

After the grapes are crushed, they can be canned. Of course, if possible, you can also crush them in the main fermentation tank. What should be noted here is that the crushed grape solution cannot fill the container, it is best to fill it to 2/3 of the container, because the later fermentation process will produce a large amount of gas, which will cause the liquid level to rise. If it is full, Overflow will occur.

Add sugar

Add sugar - it can be added all at once after crushing the grapes, or it can be added in 1-2 installments after the fermentation starts. The amount of sugar added is mainly determined by the grape variety. Since we are home brewing and do not have professional tools, we can add it in a certain proportion. If it is some grape varieties with lower sugar content such as Kyoho, it can be between 10:1.2 ---10:2. If it is some wine grapes with higher sugar content, it is recommended to add sugar between 10:1-----10:1.5. You can add white sugar, rock sugar, etc., but it needs to be dissolved with grape juice to be decomposed by yeast. Don’t add too much sugar, otherwise it will affect the fermentation time and the clarity of the wine. If you want to drink sweet wine, it is recommended to add sugar when drinking it.

Main fermentation stage

After canning, the fermentation stage usually begins 24 to 48 hours later. After fermentation, a large number of bubbles will float, and the grape skin residue will also float, forming a relatively hard scumbag hat. Since the fermentation process also requires a trace amount of oxygen and produces a large amount of carbon dioxide gas, do not seal it, but leave ventilation holes to prevent dust and small insects from falling into it.

Temperature - During the main fermentation, the barrel temperature is controlled between 15-30 degrees. The barrel temperature is based on the temperature at the bottom of the dregs cap. If the temperature is low, the fermentation time will be longer, and the color of the wine will be lighter, but the taste will be lighter. and better quality.

High temperature shortens the time and the wine color is better, but the taste and quality are not as good as low-temperature fermentation.

Frequency of cap pressing - cap pressing, that is, pressing a thick layer of hard cap formed by the floating skin residue into the wine. First, it can prevent the skin residue from rising and breeding bacteria; second, it can prevent the skin residue from rising and breeding bacteria. It can strengthen the infiltration of the peel, usually 2-4 times a day;

Fermentation time - the main fermentation generally lasts 7-10 days, the specific time is determined by the grape variety, the amount of sugar added and the fermentation temperature. to determine the separation time. The standard for separation and filtration is: after a vigorous fermentation period (a large number of bubbles are produced), the amount of bubbles is greatly reduced or disappears, and a strong smell of wine can be smelled and the sweetness has disappeared, then it can be filtered. It is best not to not filter for a long time, because too long a time will increase the tannins in the grape skins and other substances that affect the taste, making the wine more astringent.

Wine separation - after the main fermentation is completed, the wine needs to be filtered and separated. It is best to stop stirring or pressing the cap within 12 hours before separation, so that the wine is less turbid and the separation is best. Use a siphon method to prevent the wine from becoming turbid and exposed to too much air, causing oxidation or acetic acid bacteria infection and deterioration. The skin residue after the wine liquid is separated can be filtered with 3-5 layers of gauze or nylon socks, and gently squeezed by hand. The pressed wine can also be poured into the siphoned wine liquid for secondary fermentation. If If you feel that the pressed wine is too cloudy, you can put it in a separate container and wait for a period of clarification before drinking.

Separation and aging

The clarified wine is close to the finished wine and tastes good. But if you want it to be better and more fragrant, you need to age it. It is recommended to use small-capacity containers when aging, because it is best to drink the aged wine within a short period of time after opening it. The container can be a Coke bottle, or an old red wine bottle, etc. The best aging time is after winter. Because the low temperature in winter can crystallize the tartaric acid in the wine, the acidity of the wine is reduced. In addition, after aging for such a long time, the fusel alcohols have basically been decomposed, and the fruity aroma will increase. Therefore, the quality of aged wine is definitely better and more fragrant. When aging, you need to pay attention to filling the bottle and sealing it; keeping it at low temperature (8-10 degrees is best); and storing it away from light. Can be covered with black plastic bags to avoid light. It is also worth mentioning that before aging and bottling, be sure that all fermentation has been completely terminated. Generally, home-brewed wines do not have any preservatives added, so if the procedures are strictly followed, and those with a slightly higher alcohol content can only be stored for about 1-2 years, it is best to drink them during this period to avoid deterioration.