Making Red & White Wine at Home Why making it when you can buy wine everywhere? **Desirable quality of your choice ; Better than average commercial wine Acidity, % alcohol, fullness and dryness Fruity, oak and spices of your pick **24 bottles or two cases per 5 Gallon batch Consistent quality with no surprises Encourages wine consumption at dinner Perfect gifts for different occasions **A healthy & rewarding hobby for retirement **Able to make other specialty foods from wine

Wine Making Basics White wine fermented from pressed grape juice –Light, crispy, fruity aroma and easy to drink –Needs low temperature fermentation (60-65 F) –Does not age well, best drink in 1-2 years Red wine fermented with grape skin –Thicker body, more complex taste with oak aging for more experienced wine drinkers –Needs extra work to separate the pulp from the juice after a few days –Last many years and usually better with aging

Good News for first time wine makers Concentrated grape juice is available commercially Along with yeast, terminator and clarifier package All steps are laid out in an one-page instruction A 5 gal carboy, hydrometer & a gas locker to start 4-6 weeks later buy a siphon tube, 2 cases of wine bottles, 2 dozen corks, 2 dozen of shrink sealers & wine labels and -- Here you go-- -- Making and bottling your own wine--

General guidelines in wine making Sterilization of all containers is a must Air is the enemy of wine making Minimal disturbance the better Be Patient; don’t rush before its time Use good quality cork and store wine side way Drink, share & compare notes the only way to improve

A few things to remember 1) Fermentation basics Natural fermentation converts up to 25% sugar into 14% alcohol, no more. Use hydrometer to check the alcohol contents during fermentation; 1.10 g/cc to 1.01 g/cc equal to 25% to 0% sugar, or 0 to 14 % alcohol The process needs to be under gas lock, free of air It takes 2-6 weeks to complete a 5 gallon batch; -- watch the bubbles and enjoy the aroma--

A few things to remember 2) Stop the fermentation (clarifying) As the desired alcohol level is reached Add Potassium metasulfite (yeast stopper) at 1 tea spoon or 1 tablet per gallon, crushed, fully dissolved in water first before pour into wine Add clarifying agents, mix well to clarify the wine ---Bentonite or Iceglass Wait undisturbed until wine is very clear About 2-3 weeks

A few things to remember 3) Polishing and adjusting flavors ( skip these for beginners) The less adultery the wine the better Acidity can be adjusted (red and white) Tannin can be adjusted (red wine) Dryness (sweetness) can be adjusted (white) Spice/Flavors can be added (white or red) Oak aging flavor can be added (mostly red ) Alcohol % can be boosted (Sherry or Port)

A few things to remember 4) Bottling and Storage Transfer under no disturbance; siphon not pour Buy the best corks and soak with dilute metasulfite solution overnight Cork, seal and package it anyway to your liking Record the date and type of wine you made Store the bottle side way to keep the cork wet for needed good seal

Red wine Grapes (100 lbs ) White wine Grapes Crush w/pup add yeast ~8 gal Punch down 3 days, extract skin color Squeeze juice in a cheese cloth F, 2-4 weeks Sugar to zero, bubble Stops, 12-14% alcohol Pressed juice, add yeast, under gas lock F 4 cups ice twice a day, 3-6 Weeks, Sugar to 0, or fit taste, 11-13% alcohol Add 1 tsp/1tablet metasulfite per gallon to kill yeast, add bentonite or iceglass and mix vigorously. Takes 2-3 weeks to clear. If not clear, chill for 2-3 days and wait. Commercial Juice Conc. Add water 5-6 gal

Clear wine with sediments at bottom Wine usually is done at this stage. May add extra oak aging flavor if desired Optional polishing; transfer to a clean 5 gal carboy, add oak chip for aging. For red wine; adjust Tannin and Acid level, add spice and flavor such as Cinnamon, Chocolate, Raspberry Blackberry, etc. Following bottling instruction

Enjoy the wine you made A glass of chilled white in summer afternoon A glass of solid red at dinner to go with food Bring it when visiting friends Mild wine consumption is good for your health Excellent retirement hobbies and exercises Enjoy life and enjoy what you do --And now let’s move to wine sampling--

Vinegar from Wine Great flavor salad dressing & bread dip 1 part vinegar starter, 1 part water & 2 parts wine Put in a large bottle less than half full Open to air in a warm place for 2-3 months Save ¼ as the new starter Give the rest ¾ a quick boil or add metasulfite to end the vinegar making process Add flavor of your choice, enjoy Ta Yen Ching, 4/8/2006 presentation to LLC/JCCAA at Houston, TX