How to Squeeze Grapes for Wine Making
The first step in wine making--after picking the grapes--is to squeeze the grapes to extract their juice. The traditional way of doing this is to stomp on them with your feet. Oddly, this is still considered the best method by some, even when compared to methods that use modern technology. This part of wine making is physically demanding, but the end result is well worth it. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Pull the stems off all of the grapes.
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Rinse the grapes under running water for five to 10 minutes. This isn't always necessary if the grapes are organic, but it is a must if they are not organic. Traces of pesticides and fertilizers on the grape skins can easily ruin a batch of wine.
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Dump the grapes in a food grade container. The size of the container needed depends on the amount of grapes you have. If you do not have a container big enough to hold all of your grapes, you will have to squeeze them in batches. Do not let the grapes fill up more than 2/3 of the container.
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Decide which squeezing method you want to use. If you have a small batch, you can use your hands to smash the grapes. However, if you have enough grapes to fill a large container, use your feet.
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Wash your hands or feet with soap and warm water and dry them with a clean dish towel. Dish towels are best to use as they generally do not leave fabric residue on the skin.
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Smash the grapes with your hands or feet. Depending on how many grapes you have, this can take anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours. Once you feel like all of the grapes are smashed, continue to smash them for an additional 10 minutes. The final result should contain no whole grapes or large clumps of fruit.
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