I have been checking my apple trees to get a handle on the expected crop this year. All the rain this spring and then the summer heat has not affected the fruit so far other than the occasional heavy rain that washes away the spray I use to control diseases.
Very soon the season of the dancing deer and staggering goose will be here. Each year as the apples begin to ripen, the deer visit the orchard for dinner. Deer are very particular in their diet when it comes to apples. They only enjoy the first bite while the apple is still clinging to the tree. They waltz their way under the fruit laden branches, stretching and straining upward to access the low hanging fruit. Standing on their hind legs, they nibble at the half ripened apple until it breaks loose of its thin life line and falls to the ground, where it is left.
As you know from reading my blogs, rotting means fermentation. The apples lay there on the ground and begin the transformation into hard cider. I know I should get out there and pick them all up but, if I did I would be depriving my neighbor’s pond full of illegal alien Canadian geese of their daily comic ritual.
Every afternoon around 2 PM a flock of fat water fowl make the way up the hill that boarders my collection of 9 dwarf apple trees. The waddling procession of the Royal Canadian goose armada, heads right for the fermenting apples to eat their fill. As you can imagine, the wild hard cider takes its toll. By 3:30 the party takes on the character of a public parking lot in the local bar district at closing time.
It is a little known fact that geese cannot hold their liquor. Under the influence of “dropped Apple Cider”, they chase each other around, honk their heads off, snap at each other and flap their wings trying to get their fat “beer” bellies off the ground. You would think they were a gang of adolescent males exercising their new found beer muscles after a keg party. By 4 PM, they are sleeping it off in the late afternoon shade under the trees.
I will give them credit for pulling themselves back together quickly. Before 5:15 they are back on their feet and on their way back to the pond for a swim.
As for this season’s crop, I am looking forward to pulling out the old cider press that has decorated the store for many years and “pressing” it into action.
Check leeners.com for specials on apple peelers, kettles and more…
The proper storage and ageing of homemade wine:
The lifetime of the wine depends on the classification of the kit. All kit wines as well as wines made from fresh fruit will benefit from proper aging. The wine must be allowed to mature at its own pace. Though drinkable shortly after bottling, you will taste each component of the wine individually. Tannin, acids, sugars and other flavor and aroma compounds will not have had enough time to meld together. In time, the wines own unique flavor will emerge. Kits comprised of highly concentrated juice will mature faster than less processed kits. Take this fact into consideration when selecting wine.
Store your wine in an area of constant temperature. Fifty-five degrees is perfect for red wines, slightly cooler for whites. A constant temperature is required to prevent unseating the corks. If the temperature is too high, the expansion of the wine as it warms may push the cork out of the bottle. Lay the bottles on their sides to keep the corks wet and do not disturb the bottles. When ageing a batch for years, it may be necessary to replace the corks after 36 months or when they show signs of deterioration.
When your ready to bottle, you will need the following equipment: 30-750ml wine bottles, 30 new wine bottle corks, bottle corker, siphon, bottle filler, primary fermenter pail without lid, hydrometer and sanitizing chemical.
First, sanitize the bottles. To do this, fill the primary fermenter pail half way with an EZ Clean solution. Hold each bottle under the solution to fill it with about two inches of liquid. Shake the solution so it comes in contact with the whole surface of the interior. Drain the liquid back into the pail and place the bottle upside down to dry. Tip: The time required to prepare bottles can be greatly reduced by using a sulphiter bottle rinser. This device sprays the sanitizing solution into an inverted bottle and allows it to drain in a single motion. Carefully rack the wine from the carboy to the primary fermenter pail so the sediment is not disturbed.
Take a final gravity reading with the hydromether when the transfer is complete. Record the reading for the calculation of alcohol content later. Rinse the auto siphon and attach the bottle filler to the hose end. Place the fermenter pail on the counter or table. Insert the bottle filler into an empty bottle. There is a thinner hose attached to the filler. Place the end of this hose into a heavy glass or another bottle to collect any over-run. Taping the hose end to the overflow vessel prevents spillage. Fill all bottles. Tip: The bottle filler is designed to stop the flow of wine into the bottle when the proper fill level is reached, however you must press the sides of the filler before you lift the filler out of the bottle to prevent the flow of wine to resume. Pressing down on the top of the bottle filler once it is firmly inserted into an empty bottle will start the flow again.
Be sure you have the proper cork for the bottle you are using and the amount of time the wine will be stored. The minimum quality and size corks used in standard wine bottles are first quality #8. First quality corks are intended for use in wine that will be consumed within 18 months of bottling. Leeners or your local wine shop can help you select the proper cork. Next, place the corks in a bowl of warm water. Do not boil or use any chemicals on the corks, they only need to be wet.
Place a damp kitchen towel on the counter or table; this will help prevent the wine bottle from slipping as it is corked. Place a wet cork into the breach of the corker in line with the metal plunger. Hold the loaded corker on top of the bottle and push or pull down on the levers using equal pressure. When the cork is inserted you will feel a slight thump. Allow the bottles to stand upright for 48 hours after corking, this will seat the corks. Then the bottles should then be stored on their sides. Laying the bottles down keeps the corks moist and prevents them from shrinking and loosening the seal. When newly filled wine bottles are ready for storage, label them with the name and bottling date. Full color labels that match the Winexpert wine kits are available from leeners.com.
Tip: The floor corker has two advantages. First, it greatly reduces the effort required to cork a bottle. Second, it is capable of using thicker and denser corks which is recommended for wine aged longer than 18 months.
Once the transfer from the primary fermenter is complete, leave the carboy at 72 to 75°F for 10 days. There may not be further fermentation activity in the carboy and that is ok. There is plenty of activity taking place. The lack of bubbling in the airlock does not mean fermentation is complete. In 10 days, proceed to the next step.
Step 5: stabilizing and clearing
After ten days check the specific gravity with the hydrometer; it should read .0996 or less. If it’s higher, allow the wine to sit for two more days and test again. If there is no change after five days, proceed to next step. Do NOT rack the wine before stabilizing and fining. Winexpert kits require that you stir the sediment back into the wine. Racking the wine off the sediment prior to fining may prevent clearing. Be sure to stir all of the sediment up from the bottom.
What you need:
- Packet number 2: sulphite
- Packet Number 3: stabilizer
- Packet Number 4: fining agent
- Carboy Spoon
- Measuring Cup
Note: Vigorous stirring is required during this stage to release carbon dioxide gas and ensure clearing. Whip the wine until it stops foaming with a carboy spoon or a mix-stir attached to a variable speed drill.
If kit includes an F-PACK, make room for the additional juice by removing 2 cups of wine and reserve it for topping up the carboy later. Shake the F-pack bag and carefully remove the cap. Gently pour the contents into the carboy. Stir vigorously for 60 seconds. The gravity should now read between 0.998 and 1.005 depending on the style of the kit.
Dissolve the contents of package #2 containing metabisulphite and package #3 containing sorbate in ½ cup of cool water. Add this mixture to the wine and stir very vigorously for 2 minutes. Again, be sure to stir up the yeast sediment from the bottom of the carboy.
Tip: Winexpert recommends adding ¼ teaspoon of Potassium Metabisulphite at this time if you intend to age your wine for an extended period. This should be done regardless of ageing. This addition is extra protection against renewed fermentation. Sulphite is a natural byproduct of fermentation and occurs in all wine, this small amount in six gallons is minimal.
Shake package #4 containing chitosan or isinglass clarifier. These are fining agents selected specifically for the type of wine being made. As a rule of thumb, chitosan is used in red wines while isinglass is reserved for whites. The fining agent works by attracting molecules of silt with the opposite ion charge. The combined molecules then sink. Both chitosan and isinglass are seafood products with the protein removed to avoid allergic reactions. Carefully cut open the corner of the pouch and pour into the carboy. Stir vigorously for thirty seconds, longer if foaming persists. Leave the wine to settle for at least one week. If possible, lower the temperature to enhance the performance of the fining agent. As little as five degrees can make a difference. Once the wine has had a chance to clear you have the option of bottling it or racking it to another carboy for bulk ageing. If bulk ageing, consider the wine; more concentrated kits can be bulked aged for one or two months while the premium and estate kits bulk age for up to a year. Monitor the water level in the airlock during aging. Evaporation will occur and the seal on the carboy can be lost.
After 7 to 10 days, open the primary fermenter pail and use your hydrometer to check the specific gravity. It should be 1.010 or less. The lower the fermenting temperature, the longer it will take to reach this stage. If your gravity is not at or below this level, close the primary fermenter and wait 3 or 4 days, testing the gravity each day until it reaches this number or less. When primary fermentation is complete it is necessary to transfer the wine to a carboy. The equipment needed to siphon the wine is a carboy, auto siphon and hose, hydrometer, carboy airlock stopper and sanitizing cleanser. We recommend the better bottle be used; however, you would need a glass carboy if you intended to bulk age your wine (allowing the wine to remain in the carboy for an extended period prior to bottling).
Racking is the term used to describe the transfer of wine from one fermentation vessel to another. The timing of steps given in your kit instructions are minimum requirements. It is very important that the wine NOT sit on the lees for an extended period. Lees is the spent or dormant yeast which collects at the bottom of the primary fermenter. If the wine is left in contact with the lees too long, the yeast cell begin to break down and releases amino acids into the wine which can add an unwanted flavor.
The carboy is used for fermenting because it has a smaller opening and can hold the carbon dioxide in its neck which creates a protective blanket over the wine surface preventing exposure to oxygen and aceobactar, the two elements required for the conversion of wine to vinegar.
The auto siphon is used to transfer the wine because it minimizes the exposure to the atmosphere. It also has a special tip which forces the wine to enter the tube from about one inch from the bottom of the pail. This is done to avoid siphoning the sediment. During the transfer the co2 gas trapped in the liquid is released creating a protective blanket and forcing the air out of the carboy as it fills.
Prepare one gallon of sanitizing solution in the clean carboy using warm water, be sure that solution comes in contact with the entire surface of the interior and sanitize for thirty seconds. Use a small pail or bowl to sanitize the airlock and carboy stopper. You can use the auto siphon to transfer the solution from the carboy to the small pail, which will sanitize the siphon and the equipment in the pail. It is a good idea to rinse the apparatus with cool clean water just prior to use. Be sure to rinse the outside of the auto siphon because it will come into contact with the wine.
Place the primary fermenter on a counter or table and the empty carboy on a stool or the floor if your siphon hose is long enough. Carefully insert siphon into pail so as not to stir up the sediment. Make sure the hose is in the bottom of the carboy, you want the carboy to fill from the bottom up. Pull up on the interior tube of the auto siphon and then push down. It will take one or two strokes to fill the siphon with liquid then the siphon will flow automatically. DO NOT ALLOW THE WINE TO SPRAY OR SPLASH DURING THE TRANSFER. Close the carboy with the stopper and airlock once the transfer is complete. Clean the auto siphon and primary fermenter, DO NOT ALLOW WINE TO DRY ON EQUIPMENT, this will attract bacteria and risk contamination of the wine. Tip: An optional bucket clip can be used to hold the auto siphon in place while transferring and prevent the tubing from wiggling and disturbing the sediment.
Next week, secondary fermentation, bottling and ageing your wine. Have a fabulous weekend!
You will no doubt encounter wine makers who insist that they can make wine without adding anything to the juice. This method of spontaneous fermentation may work, but consider this; everything turns to wine. If you leave a banana on the kitchen counter for a week, it begins to ferment, it is the wine maker’s job to control the spoilage and make the best wine.
Pitching is the term used by wine makers to describe the adding of yeast to juice. You will note that the yeast packet is printed with instructions for re-hydrating the freeze dried powder in the packet. There is no need to do this. If the yeast packet has exceeded the use by date printed on the package, discard and purchase a new one.
Pitched Yeast
The starting temperature of the wine is critical. If yeast is added to a kit that is too cold, it will not ferment or clear on schedule. If the temperature is too warm, you run the risk of activating an inferior yeast strain and producing off flavors and aromas. The juice temperature should be between 65-75°F (18-24°C) before adding the yeast.
Tip: If your wine making area is too cool or has a wide variation in temperature over a 24 hour period, a device called a brew belt may be used. This is a reusable electric heat strap that wraps around the fermentation vessel and helps to hold a constant temperature.
Pitch the yeast by simply sprinkling it on the surface of the juice. There is no need to stir it in. Place the lid firmly on the pail and tap it in place. Fill the airlock with water to the indicated fill line and fit it into the rubber grommet on the lid.
The wine is now ready for primary fermentation. It may take 24 to 48 hours for fermentation to begin. The yeast must complete two stages of its life cycle prior to any real signs of fermentation. The first is re-hydration, then aspiration. At this time the yeast cells take up water and oxygen from the juice in preparation for the consumption of the sugar suspended in the juice and reproduction. Once fermentation starts you will see the airlock begin to bubble. It will look like the cap of an active coffee percolator. Primary fermentation will take approximately 7 days.
The hydrometer is an essential piece of test equipment used in making wine and beer. It is made of blown glass with a weighted, bulbous bottom and a long narrow stem. The hydrometer is designed to float in liquid with the bulbous end down. A reading is taken matching a scale (contained in the stem) with the surface of the liquid being measured.
A Triple Scale or Dual Purpose Hydrometer refers to one with the three different measuring scales within the hydrometers stem. Two of the scales are called specific gravity and Balling (Brix) scale. Both represent a measurement of liquid density relative to water. The third scale measures potential alcohol. Ordinary water, at 60°F has a specific gravity of 1.000. Taking a hydrometer reading before yeast is added to the must (juice prepared for fermentation into wine) or wort (unfermented beer) will tell you what the original gravity is and what the maximum potential alcohol could be. Once yeast is added and fermentation is underway, periodic readings will track the extent of fermentation.
Eventually your reading will remain constant over a two day period indicating that the sugar fermentation is complete. This will take days for beer and weeks for wine. Note that the end of sugar fermentation is not an indication that the wine is ready.
Tomarrow’s topic: Wine yeast.
Sorry I missed posting on Friday! I have been so busy working on our new website, which should (fingers crossed) be up and running within a couple of weeks, that I did not have time to blog. Anyway, today I have a piece about starting your wine kit, what you need and the first steps. Tomorrow, I’ll have a little bit more about hydrometers. Here ya go…
The juice in wine ingredient kits has been concentrated in order to increase the viscosity and make it shelf stable without preservatives. The concentration method used only eliminates water. Minerals normally occurring in the juice remain intact. For this reason, plain filtered drinking water should be used to bring the volume up to the 23 liter mark. DO NOT USE WELL WATER DUE TO EXCESSIVE MINERAL CONTENT. We recommend using bottled spring water or filtered tap water. The amount of water needed will depend on the wine kit being made.
As a rule, the degree of concentration used to package the wine kit will affect the life cycle of the finished wine. Kits which are more concentrated will mature more quickly and reach their flavor peak sooner. Less concentrated kits will mature more slowly and continue to improve and develop over years rather than months.
Combining the initial wine kit ingredients
What You Need:
- Wine Kit Juice Pack
- Packet #1: Bentonite
- The Yeast Packet
- Water
Place 2 liters (½ gallon) of warm water into the sanitized fermenter pail. Sprinkle the bentonite from packet 1 into the water while stirring vigorously for 30 seconds, breaking up any clumps. Bentonite is inert clay. It’s used to provide the active yeast some material to crop onto. The yeast colony will keep the clay suspended in the juice during the initial, vigorous fermentation. Once the food resource is exhausted the clay will sink pulling the yeast with it. This helps to clear the wine and eliminate unwanted yeast flavors. Placing the bentonite in a 1 quart container with a tight fitting lid, adding water and shaking is an easier way to mix the clay.
Tilt the wine kit box on its back with the large bag spout facing up. Open the flap covering the spout and pull the spout into place, securing it there with the flap. Pry open the cap seal on the bag. An optional kit juice opening tool is available. The cap on the bag can be difficult to remove by hand.
Tilt the box upright and allow the juice to pour into the primary fermenter pail. Once empty pour one or two liters of water into the bag and rinse it into the pail.
Add water to fill the pail to the 23 liter mark. Stir the wine juice for 15 seconds to blend the juice and water.
Making the kit a full 23 liters (6 US gallons) is crucial to the functioning of the fining agents and stability of the finished wine. If you make it to any other volume, it will not turn out correctly.
When the juice settles hold the hydrometer by the small end and lower it into the pail. Release it when the large weighted end is submerged. The hydrometer will float. Do this gently to prevent banging the instrument on the bottom of the pail and avoid bobbing up and down. When the hydrometer is steady, note the original gravity (specific gravity); match your reading to the expected gravity given in the kit instructions. You should be within .002 points of the anticipated reading. I’ll have more about using hydrometers tomorrow.
In the event that your hydrometer reading differs widely from the instruction sheet, you may have added too much or too little water.
The original gravity of your wine may be used at bottling to calculate the alcohol content after fermentation.
The first step in the wine making process is to clean and santize the equipment. Anything that will come in contact with your wine must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized to avoid contaminating your wine. Be diligent about this step for the best possible wine. The wine making equipment needed for step 1 is:
- Primary Fermenter Pail with Lid
- Airlock
- Spoon
- One quart measure
- Optional thermometer
The Primary Fermenter Pail is a 30 liter (7.9 gallon) food grade plastic bucket. The fitted lid snaps on and provides a tight seal. There is a rubber grommet in the lid which holds the airlock. The pail has volume indicators printed on the side. Locate the 23 liter mark. If you want you can use a small piece of tape to mark this level, be careful of markers as they can leave odors behind.
Tip: Use a rubber mallet to snap the lid into place, if it’s too hard to do with your hands.
The airlock is a device which allows pressurized gas to escape from a closed vessel while preventing air and airborne bacteria from entering the vessel. This one way valve uses gravity and water to protect the wine during fermentation. The unique three piece design provides for a greater volume of water and a reduced risk of the locking seal being broken by evaporation.
The Hydrometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the density of a liquid, called specific gravity, as it compares to plain water at 60°F. The hydrometer in this equipment set is capable of measuring three factors. All are merely different ways of describing specific gravity. The three scales on the paper inside the instrument are specific gravity, balling scale and potential alcohol. This last scale is the most misunderstood. It represents the potential for alcohol production in a perfect situation. Some new wine makers mistake this scale for an indication of the current alcohol content of the wine. The actual device used by home wine makers to measure the strength of finished wine is called a vinometer. We are only concerned with specific gravity.
Our Deluxe Wine Equipment includes a plastic spoon with a small flat paddle on the handle. This long device is designed with a purpose. Plastic is used because metal spoons can scratch the plastic pail or other vessels. The paddle end is used to stir the wine once it is in the carboy.
You may want to use a thermometer to test the temperature of the wine. The easiest method is to use a stick on tape liquid crystal monitoring device. When attaching a liquid crystal strip thermometer to the primary fermenter pail, DO NOT use the peel away adhesive tape. The life of the thermometer will be reduced if it is repeatedly soaked or shocked by hot water during cleaning. It is best to attach the device to a strip of aluminum foil. The thermometer can be affixed to either the primary fermenter or carboy by smearing a thin coat of Vaseline on the foil and then pressing the strip onto the vessel. It can be easily removed, wiped clean with a paper towel and protected for future use.
EZ Clean is the recommended cleanser designed for home wine makers. It is critical that anything which will come into contact with your wine be clean and sanitized. Follow the manufactures directions and prepare the above equipment.
Tomorrow I’ll talk about the best water to use when making wine and the next step in making the kit.
Today I will talk briefly about the equipment needed to make wine using a six gallon Winexpert wine kit. I will go into more detail as the week goes on…stay tuned!
Required Wine Making Equipment:
- Sanitizing chemical to clean and rinse all equipment (everything that comes in contact with your juice or wine must be cleaned and as close to sanitary as possible)
- Eight gallon primary fermentation pail with airtight lid which is fitted with an airlock grommet. (this is where the magic starts)
- A six gallon Better Bottle or Glass Carboy, fitted with an airlock stopper. (for secondary fermentation)
- An airlock device to seal both the primary fermentation pail and carboy. (to allow gasses to escape without letting oxygen in)
- Siphon Hose Setup for transferring wine (racking) from one fermentation vessel to another.
- Hydrometer to measure the fermentation progress and determine alcohol content.
- Long handled spoon capable of being inserted into the carboy.
- Twenty-seven to thirty wine bottles.
- Thirty wine bottle corks.
- Hand Corker to drive corks into the wine bottles.
This is a simple introduction to the equipment needed. All equipment is available at leeners.com or in our retail store. Check back all week for more detailed information.
Happy Wine Making!
You-Make-Kit™