An Overview of Wine Making At Home

Some people are hesitant to prepare or make their own wine at home but I'd say, give it a go! By making your own wine, you will be joining thousands of people who have already discovered this fascinating and satisfying pastime. Making a wine at home is a hobby that really is rewarding.

There is a raft of information on the internet, in book stores and in shops on how to make your own wine. I have outlined one method below in making wine at home. Please note that you may need to purchase a number of items or pieces of equipment.

1. Make a list of the resources and equipments required for wine making. These include a kitchen scale, measuring spoons or cups, flasks, and a thermometer.

2. Disinfect the jugs, jars, and bottles with warm water.

3. The bottles used for ageing must be air-locked.

4. The bottles must also be cleaned with sulfites to prevent corrosion when surface comes into contact with wine.

5. For beginners, begin with a one-gallon wine jar.

6. Make sure you use gloves when handling materials and equipment.

7. The wine differs with changes in temperature, quality of materials used, etc. so take note of the physical conditions before you begin.

8. Add about 3 liters of cold water to the grape juice.

9. Make a sugar solution by adding sugar to hot water, and stir continuously until the solution turns syrupy. Add this to the juice-filled jug.

10. Store the jug at between 21 and 24 degree Celsius to trigger fermentation. The jug should not be moved as this will disturb the yeast activity.

11. After the waiting period, add 2 compressed tablets of Campden and Potassium Sorbate to the juice.

12. Seal the jug tightly and store it in a cold place (e.g. a cellar or basement) at a temperature of 15 degree Celsius. An electricity-powered wine refrigerator would be the ideal but this can be quite expensive.

13. It is important that the storage location have zero percent pest activity and be well-ventilated.

14. The wine then needs to be filtered, bottled and aged.

Making your own wine at home is an extremely satisfying hobby. You can experiment with a variety of recipes to produce different types of wine and start your own personal wine collection.