How to Make Wine From Scratch

Making wine may seem difficult, but it's actually relatively easy. You can make wine from scratch at home using freshly picked fruit or fruit purchased at a local grocery, either fresh or frozen. You can even use fruit juice from the store, as long as it doesn't contain preservatives. With a few supplies, some simple equipment obtained from a home brewing or wine-making shop and a little knowledge, you can easily make wine from scratch. Get started with a simple grape wine recipe that will make one gallon of wine.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cans (11.5 oz) Welch's 100 percent frozen grape concentrate
• 1.25 lbs granulated sugar
• 2 tsp acid blend
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1.25 tsp potassium sorbate
• Water to make 1 gallon
• Wine yeast
• Hydrometer
• Acid test kit
• Potato masher
• Strainer bag
• 1 gallon food grade bucket
• 1 gallon glass jug
• Air lock and stopper
• Siphon hose
• Wine bottles with new corks
• Corking tool
• Sanitizing cleanser

Instructions

Preparing the Juice

1. Get your wine-making equipment. Purchase equipment such as hydrometers, air locks and siphons from stores specializing in brewing and wine making or online.

2. Sanitize all equipment that will come in contact with the ingredients prior to making your wine.

3. Mix the grape juice concentrate in a bucket to make juice. The bucket will act as your primary fermentation vessel.

4. Dissolve the sugar in one quart of boiling water. Once it has reached room temperature, add it to the juice. Check the specific gravity of the mix by placing a hydrometer in the juice. It should read around 1.090. If it is below this level, add more sugar and check the specific gravity again.

5. Add the pectic enzyme, acid blend and yeast nutrient. Stir the juice and add water to bring it up to the one-gallon level. Cover the top of the bucket with a cloth towel and let sit overnight.

6. Add the yeast to the juice mixture. There is no need to stir. Place the towel on the bucket again.

Fermentation

1. Watch the juice for fermentation to begin within the first 24 hours. Foam will begin to form on the surface.

2. Check the specific gravity of the juice around day five. If it has reached 1.04 or less, sanitize the siphon hose with cleanser and use it to transfer the juice from the primary fermentation vessel to the glass jug, which will act as your secondary fermentation vessel. Ensure that you have about two inches of air space between the level of the juice and the top of the jug.

3. Sanitize the airlock and stopper, and then fill the airlock with water and place them into the top of the jug. This will seal the jug, protecting the juice from contamination.

4. Observe the fermentation process in the jug each day. You will notice bubbles rising in the jug and carbon dioxide gas escaping from the airlock. Allow the juice to sit in the jug until the yeast settles. This may take around one month.

5. Siphon the juice into the bucket after one month, being careful to leave the sediment behind in the glass jug. Stir the juice vigorously in the bucket to drive off any excess carbon dioxide gas.

6. Clean the glass jug and siphon the contents of the bucket back into the jug. Top off the juice with water to leave about two inches between the liquid and the top of the jug and replace the airlock.

7. Repeat steps five and six each month until the wine clears, usually within two to three months. During this time, the juice will turn into wine.

Bottling and Storage

1. Take the specific gravity of the wine occasionally. When it is at or below 1.00, the wine is ready to bottle.

2. Siphon the wine into the bucket for the last time, leaving the sediment behind in the glass jug. Stir in 1.25 teaspoons of potassium sorbate to the wine to stabilize it and prevent yeast from further developing once the wine is bottled. Siphon the wine from the bucket into sanitized wine bottles.

3. Soak the wine corks in warm water for about 15 minutes. Cork each bottle using the corking tool.

4. Store your wine in a cool dry place. To keep your wine from spoiling, store your wine on its side to keep the corks moist.

Tips & Warnings

• The longer your wine ages, the better it will taste.

References

• All-Purpose Fruit Wine Recipe
• Making Homemade Beer and WIne