How to make Jug Wine

Make a tasty alcoholic beverage to enjoy year round! Tons of fun and super easy!

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Gallon Glass Jug with lid
• Balloon
• Funnel
• Water
• 2 cups Sugar
• 2 medium Lemons
• Concentrated Flavoring
• Wine Yeast

1. In a cup, mix 2 tablespoons of sugar into a ½ cup of warm water.
2. Open the yeast packet and pour it on top. DO NOT mix it. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
   
   (Check out www.homebrewers.com to get wine yeast. My favorite for this is Lalvin 71B but, you can experiment with others.)
3. Sterilize Gallon jug. You can either do this with chemicals or if you have a big pot, you can boil it on the stove. Let the jug cool before continuing.
4. Add the 2 cups of sugar to the jug.
5. Cut the 2 lemons in half. Using the funnel, squeeze them into the jug. Try not to get seeds. If you do, leave them to remove later.
6. If necessary, defrost the concentrated flavoring. Add flavor into jug. You can use anything you want from cool aid to concentrated berry juices. It all depends on what you want it to taste like. If you use a non-sweetened concentrate such as cool aid, add another cup of sugar as well. You will want to use 2 units of flavoring (ie. 2 cool aid packets or 2 frozen grape juice concentrates).
7. Fill the jug up most of the way with warm water. Filtered is best. Put the lid on the jug and shake well. Make sure all sugar is dissolved.
8. When the timer goes off, stir the yeast into the water in the cup. Then pour it into the jug. DO NOT stir it at this time.
9. Stretch the balloon over the mouth of the jug.
10. Leave this on the counter for 2 weeks. Give it a good swirling once a day. DO NOT remove the balloon unless you are afraid it will pop. If this happens, remove it quickly and put it back on immediately.
11. After 2 weeks, remove the balloon and fix the lid. Place in a dark closet or cabinet for 2 more weeks.
12. At this point there should be a sediment at the bottom. Carefully pour it into another CLEAN vessel, leaving the sediment in the jug. Wash the sediment down the drain. Clean the jug and lid. Put the wine back in the jug. If the wine doesn’t reach the shoulder of the jug, add a little water until it does.
13. You can drink it now if you want but, it would do well to age back in the closet or cabinet for another 2-4 weeks. Once you open it, keep it refrigerated. For best results, decant 20 minute prior to drinking at room temperature.

Tips & Warnings

• If you start a batch every 2 weeks, you will have some to drink all the time.
• Experiment with different flavors. Berries and grapes are favorites.
• Check out this link to make Jug Brandy! http://www.ehow.com/how_2091260_home-made-brandy.html
• Once you open it and remove some to drink, keep it refrigerated. Try to finish it off in two weeks.
• Try not to get any more air than necessary into the wine so avoid shaking it and things like that (other than where I advised).