HOW TO MAKE GRAPE WINE.

This is probably one of the most difficult (and expensive) drinks you can make at home if you don't live in a grape-growing area. Traditionally grapes are harvested and crushed and left outside and a special yeast that grows only on the skins of grapes ferments the juices. This sounds simple but is not normally possible in climates such as Britain's and in parts of Europe and the USA. This recipe is a good alternative. However, kit wines usually make a better grape wine. Click here to buy one. Good quality home made grape wine can be made but a good experience of brewing and/or wine making is  needed. I recommend trying a basic fruit wine or basic beer recipe first. Each recipe makes about 1 imperial gallon.

WHITE GRAPE WINE RECIPE.

Ingredients.

3 Kg (8 lb) of ripe white Grapes* (or 1 gallon of pure white grape juice.) 1 tsp (or 1 packet) of wine or champagne yeast. Yeast Nutrient. Sugar (if the OG is less than 1.090) Water (to top up to 4.5 litres (a full gallon))

Equipment

See Equipment Page for details.

Primary Fermenter. (Should be a large food-grade sealable plastic bucket.) Secondry Fermenter.(A glass demijon or carboy) YOU MAY NEED MORE THAN ONE FOR RACKING. 6 ft (about 1.8 metres) Siphon tube. Airlock Bottles (with corks/corker) Wooden stiring spoon. Potatoe masher. (or any other clean cooking tool than can be used to crush the grapes.) A strainer of some sort to remove grape skins from the wine. A hydrometre and a thermometer will come in handy and will improve your chances of success.

Method.

-Clean and sterilize all equipment and rinse out very well. -Fill your fermenter with 1 gallon of water and make a mark at the water line then throw this water out. -Use the best grapes possible and try not to use damaged fruit. Put these grapes in the bottom of your sterile primary container and mash with your clean potatoe masher. -Once all the grapes are crushed and you have a large amount of grape juice, strain out the skins -Cover the fermenter and leave still for 2-3 days. -Test the OG using your hydrometer. The reading should be about 1.090 if it is lower than about 1.080, dissolve sugar into the juice until it reaches 1.090. Write the reading which you leave it at down and keep the number in a safe place. -Top up with water to the one gallon mark in your fermenter. Stir well and taste a small bit of the juice. It should taste extremely sweet and the grape flavour should also be very strong. If it tastes a little watery, add more grape juice otherwise you will get a watery wine which tastes FOUL! -Mix 1 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp of yeast in a cup of lukewarm water and wait about 15 mins until it starts frothing. Now add this yeast to your fermenter and fit the lid and airlock. -Primary fermentation should last about a week. After this time or after it stops bubbling, siphon the wine into your secondary fermenter and fit airlock. -Leave for about a month then siphon into another secondary fermenter. If you dont have another secondary fermenter siphon into your primary fermenter, clean out your secondary then siphon back into your secondary. This process is called RACKING and it helps to clear wine beacuse you siphon it off the solids at the bottom. -Fit airlock and leave for another month then RACK again then fit airlock and leave to age for 4-6 months then if the wine is clear bottle, if not RACK it every two weeks until it is clear. -Leave in bottle for at least a few months before trying.

RED GRAPE WINE RECIPE.

Ingredients.

3 Kg (8 lb) of ripe red Grapes* (or 1 gallon of pure red grape juice.) 1 tsp (or 1 packet) of wine or champagne yeast. Yeast Nutrient. Sugar (if the OG is less than 1.090) Water (if you don't get a full gallon of grape juice.)

Equipment

Same as for the white wine.

Method.

Exactly the same as the white wine recipe except: -Leave the grape skins in the grape juice for a few days after crushing the grapes. (If you don't do this your wine will not be red in colour because its the skins that give it its red colour.) -Age for longer than the white wine. (At least 6 months in the secondary fermenter and 6 months bottled.) AND THAT SHOULD BE IT.

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