| Winemaking at Home!
Successful winemaking is easier than you
think! Whether you choose to use fresh fruit
or a wine kit, the initial process is really quit simple (as
little as 15 minutes) and can produce great, award-winning
wines. For specific instructions and steps, click
here.
Below is partial list of prestigious awards that have
been won with our kits or local ingredients.
AWARD WINNERS
BEST OF SHOW 2000
Colorado State Fair
- Cabernet Sauvignon -
by Tony Simmons
BEST OF SHOW 2002
WineMaker Magazine International
- Columbia Valley Riesling -
by Tony Simmons
Best Fruit Mead in the
USA 2002
Mazer Cup
- Raspberry Ginger Honey Wine -
Brewed by Tony Simmons
BEST OF SHOW 2003
WineMaker Magazine International
- Sparkling Peach Apricot Chardonnay -
by Tony Simmons
Best Pyment (Wine) Mead
in the USA 2004
National Homebrew Competition
- Pious Pyment -
Brewed by Tony Simmons & Julie Jessen
Gold 2006
WineMaker Magazine International
- Riesling -
by Tony Simmons & Julie Jessen
Gold 2002
WineMaker Magazine International
- BC Chardonnay -
by Tony Simmons
Gold 2002
WineMaker Magazine International
- Tempranillo -
by Tony Simmons
Gold 2002
WineMaker Magazine International
- Apple Honey Wine -
by Tony Simmons
Wine Making Information
We've got a wide range of award-winning ready-to-use
musts (pressed juice) from all over the world. So,
no purple feet! They also only take about 15 minutes to make...
Really!
Follow the wine kit instructions carefully (especially the
cleaning procedures) and you’ll be on your way to making
great home wine. Below are instruction links for reference:
Winemaking is fun and a surprisingly easy hobby. Pre-pressed
wine kits have
fewer steps and are a breeze to make. However, creating wines
from scratch
is extremely rewarding. Just follow these 21 simple steps
and (along with a
recipe) you too will be able to create outstanding grape,
fruit, vegetable,
flower, or even spiced wines. Enjoy!
For more information…
Check out our website: www.brew-haus.com
or
Mary’s Recipes (instruction booklet with about 100 wine
recipes) Only
$5.99!
General Ingredients:
* Concentrated fruit juice or fresh fruit
* Water (enough to just reach the volume you are making)
* White granulated sugar (until specific starting gravity
is reached)
* Additives (Sulfite, Peptic Enzyme, Yeast Nutrient, Tannin,
Acid Blend &
Sorbate)
* Wine Yeast (dry or liquid)
Step 1 – Read these instructions, your recipe, and
hydrometer instructions
thoroughly.
Step 2 – Have ready a primary fermenter (food grade
plastic, glass, or steel
work well) and either a matching lid or plastic sheet.
Step 3 – Mix up a separate container of cleaning and
of sanitizing solution.
Step 4 – Wash, clean and rinse your fermenter and anything
else that will
come in contact with your unfermented wine (called “must”).
Step 5 – Sanitize the same equipment.
Step 6 – Pour the fruit concentrate into the primary
fermenter or put
crushed fruit into fermentation bag. Tie end shut. (FYI -
Use only sound,
ripe fruit… NOT over ripe.)
Step 7 – Measure out the amount of water specified
in the recipe. Water
temperature should be from 65-75F.
Step 8 – Add white sugar (FYI - Some vintners make
a sugar syrup). Stir
well.
Step 9 – Add all the other additives suggested by the
recipe EXCEPT the
yeast and sorbate. Stir well. (Note: some vintners also opt
to add the
acid later. Ask us about it.)
Step 10 – Measure gravity with hydrometer (this is
important to measure your
starting sugar content, which will allow you to later calculate
the future
alcohol content.) Most regular strength wines will register
on the
hydrometer at 1.085 – 1.100
Step 11 – Cover the must (unfermented wine) with plastic
sheet or lid – wait
for 24 hours. FYI - the sulfite will neutralize any wild yeast
or bacteria
during this time.
Step 12 – Next day prepare yeast. While some vintners
just sprinkle the dry
yeast on top, others and some recipes suggest you re-hydrate
the dry
powdered yeast before use. To do so, take a 12 oz glass, pour
yeast in, add
about 6 oz. of warm (75-95F) water. NOTE - Much hotter will
KILL the yeast!
Stir yeast with sanitized spoon and wait 20 minutes. Another
option is to
use liquid yeast. It costs a bit more, but is a lot less hassle
(basically
just unscrew the lid). You also get a wider variety of strains,
including
some from Europe.
Step 13 - Add yeast to must. Cover loosely or use a lid with
airlock.
Place in an out-of-the- way space where the temperature does
not fluctuate
much (e.g. closet, bathroom, etc.) The goal is to keep it
approximately
65-75F. FYI… Warmer temperatures will produce fruiter,
more alcoholic wines
than can taste a bit “off.” Cooler temperatures
can retard healthy
fermentation and can also create additional “odd”
off-flavors.
Step 14– After fermentation becomes apparent (high
level of foam or
bubbles), allow it to ferment for some 3-10 days. NOTE: Do
NOT firmly seal
fermenter without an airlock. Otherwise, the pressure (CO2)
will have
nowhere to escape. It will keep building and building in the
vessel’s small
enclosed space. This can potentially cause the vessel explode
and resulting
serious injury. If nothing else, it will create a HUGE mess.
Step 15– After fermentation has subsided, you will
“rack” the young wine to
another vessel using a sanitized siphon tube. NOTE: Do NOT
simply pour
because the sediment will pour with it and add off-flavors.
Before racking
remove a sample for a hydrometer reading. Most wines should
be at 1.010 or
less. If not, make sure the ambient temperature is not too
cool (see Step
13) and allow it to ferment for another week or so and then
rack it.
Step 16– After racking, re-attach airlock and allow
more sediment to settle
to the bottom.
Step 17– This racking (siphoning) will help your wine
clarify. You can
rack the wine to another vessel after a few weeks or months.
Some vintners
do it once, while others may do it several times. Other additive
can also be
used. Check with the shop for suggestions.
Step 18– When the wine is finally clear, remove a sample
for a final
hydrometer reading.
Step 19 - Add the sorbate. This will keep the wine from re-fermenting
in
the bottle. Stir well to mix and release any remaining bubbles
out of the
wine. Allow the wine to settle for a few days or week before
bottling or
serving. “Wine Conditioner” can also be added
at this time to help
smooth-out an overly dry wine. Ask for it at the shop.
Step 20 – Bottling… You can use any kind, shape,
or color of bottles. Just
make sure the bottles and corks are all cleaned and sanitized.
NOTE: the
fermentation must be completed before bottling. Wine bottles
are NOT
designed to hold pressure and can explode.
Step 21– Savor a glass of quality homemade wine with
friends and families!
Any questions, please feel free to call The Brew
Haus in Pagosa: 970-731-BREW (2739) |
