| Brew King manufactures a
wide assortment of wine kits as seen on this site. Each kit is designed to
produce 23 liters (6 US gallons) of delicious product. Directions may vary
from kit to kit, but the guiding principles are the same. |
| |
| What Am I
Doing? |
| Is
Winemaking Dangerous? |
| How Do I
Prevent Problems? |
| Wine Making
Process |
| Primary
Fermentation |
| Secondary
Fermentation |
| Stabilizing
and "F" Packs |
| Clarification
and Bottling |
| So When Is
My Wine Ready To Drink? |
|
|
| What
Am I Doing? |
| |
Simply put, you are making wine.
You will introduce yeast into a solution of natural sugars which will
begin a biological reaction as the yeast consumes the sugar and leaves
behind alcohol and carbon dioxide. |
| |
|
|
| Is
Winemaking Dangerous? |
| |
Unless you are fermenting wood
or some item you would not normally eat, winemaking is safe and fun. Many
fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers have been made into delicious wine
for centuries. Occasionally, organisms other than yeast can get into your
wine and alter the process. When this happens your wine will usually have
offensive flavors or aromas. Drinking this affected wine will not hurt
you, but neither will you find it enjoyable. |
| |
|
|
| How
Do I Prevent Problems? |
| |
To minimize the chance of
anything going astray, make sure anything that will come in contact with
your wine is well sanitized; that directions are followed, and that
accurate records are kept at every stage of the process. Every Brew
King wine kit comes with an easy to follow instruction guide. There is
a spot on this sheet to keep track of how your wine is doing at the
different stages of its creation. |
| |
|
|
| Wine
Making Process |
| |
The process can be
grouped into four main areas; Primary Fermentation, Secondary
Fermentation, Stabilizing and Clarification/Bottling. Since complete
directions are included in each kit, only a brief description of each step
will follow. |
| |
|
|
| Primary
Fermentation |
| |
Sanitize all of your
vessels and equipment per kit instructions. Fill your fermenter with
contents of kit. Add any packets (included in kit) if directed and top up
with water to the 6 gallon mark. |
| |
|
Note: It is a
good idea to know where this mark is before you start. Many people note
the gallon marks on the outside of their fermenting vessel by adding a
gallon of water at a time before they even start the winemaking process. |
| |
When topping up
with water consider your water source. If your municipal supply is
reliable then topping up from the tap is not problem. If you are in a
community that relies on bottled water then it is best to use this for
your wine also. Mix well and take a sample, measuring it with your
hydrometer (see equipment page on this site) Add yeast per directions.
Cover your fermenter per the directions, attaching an airlock if your
equipment requires one at this point and keep your wine at a comfortable
65 to 80 degrees. Fermentation should begin in the next 24 to 48 hours. |
| |
|
|
| Secondary
Fermentation |
| |
In five to seven
days when you again take a sample and measure it with your hydrometer, it
should read 1.010 or less. If it is not yet dropped to that point, give it
a few more days before moving your wine to a secondary vessel. When your
wine is ready you will be moving it to another fermenter to finish the
fermentation process. This is called "racking" your wine.
Remember to sanitize all equipment and the carboy (large glass vessel)
which will soon hold your wine. Leave all sediment behind as you transfer
to secondary. This stage allows more sediment to settle out of the wine.
Secure an airlock in the mouth of the carboy to prevent any oxygen from
entering the headspace above the wine. Let wine sit for another 10 to 15
days. |
| |
|
|
| Stabilizing
and "F" Packs |
| |
Once your
hydrometer drops to 0.996 or lower, you are ready for this step. In
theory, yeast will continue to consume sugar as long as you continue to
offer it. Eventually the alcohol level will rise sufficiently to kill the
yeast off, but the goal here is to make good wine, not rocket fuel.
Sometimes the wine we make is too dry for our taste and needs to be
sweetened. But unless we stabilize the wine and prevent the yeast from
consuming any added sweetener, we are just increasing the alcohol level.
So, we stabilize. This is a fancy term for adding potassium sorbate which
keeps yeast from rebudding. The kit directions will walk you through the
process every step of the way. |
| |
Many Brew King
kits have "F" Packs which are flavor packs used to enhance your
wine. Directions will tell you when to add this if necessary. You will
also be advised about adding any clarifying agent. Allow another week for
wine to settle before proceeding to the final step. |
| |
|
|
| Clarification
and Bottling |
| |
By now your wine
should be clear enough to bottle. If not you can allow more time to settle
or pass your wine through a filter to make it sparkle brilliantly. Many
home wine and beer shops sell small filtering units and pads for this very
purpose. Rack your wine into bottles and seal with a cork. The truly fun
aspect of winemaking is dressing up your bottles. |
| |
To find out more
about bottle dressing, go to the bottle dressing
page on this site. |
| |
Store your wine on
its side to keep the corks moist. A good temperature for storage is about
50F. |
| |
|
| So
When Is My Wine Ready To Drink? |
| |
In theory you can
drink your wine any time after bottling. In reality, all wine benefits
from a degree of aging. Big reds and oaky whites should be aged three to
four months to allow them to begin mellowing. Sweet whites don't require
as much cellar time. Bottom line...if it tastes good to you, drink it. You
can always make more.
Kit Instructions provided
by Steinbart Wholesale, Portland OR
|
