Making Wine Like a Pro

By Bill Kaplan


Wine making is an easy, cost     to make your wine smoother    
-efficient way to stock up on    and sweeter. Finish this step
your favorite vintages.          by transferring the           
Although the wine-making         ingredients into the jug.     
process is fairly simple, it's   2. Adjust the Juice This    
important to follow the steps    is a crucial step in the wine-
carefully to ensure you don't    making process. You must      
miss any elements. These         measure the acid content using
steps will be crucial to the     your titration kit. The ideal 
success of your batch.           level is 6 to 7 grams per     
                                 liter for red wine and 6.5 to
Once you've decided to make a    7.5 per liter for white wine.
batch of wine, the first         You'll want to regulate the   
thing to consider is the         sugar level by measuring it   
equipment needed. The            with your hydrometer from time
following is a list of the       to time. Sugar levels should  
wine making equipment required   remain at 22 for both red and
to make a basic batch of red     white wines. The fermentation
wine:                            should remain around 70-      
                                 degrees-Fahrenheit for basic  
Large nylon straining         red wines. Abiding by these   
bag                              temperatures will ensure that
Cloth any kind will do        the process goes smoothly.    
Large pail with a lid         3. Rack the Wine Insert     
Hydrometer                    your clear plastic hose into  
Thermometer                   the wine jug and attach it to
Acid titration kit            the opening of the other      
Clear, bendable plastic       empty sanitized jug. Siphon   
tubing a half inch in            the wine from one jug to the  
diameter                         other in order to keep the    
Two, one gallon glass         wine in a completely sanitized
jugs                             container. Next, fit the jug  
Corks                         with a bung and fermentation  
Hand corker                   lock. This step may take some
Fermentation lock and         time, but it's important to be
bung                             slow and careful so you don't 
Wine bottles between 5        stir up the sediment. Let the 
and 7                            wine sit for an extended      
                                 period of time some people    
After you've assembled the       choose to wait weeks or even  
necessary equipment, just        months.                       
follow these easy steps and      4. Bottle the Wine          
you'll produce a great batch     Bottling your wine is the easy
of wine in practically no time   part. Simply siphon your wine 
at all:                          from the jug into your wine   
                                 bottles. Be sure to leave     
1. Prepare the Produce         about 2-inches at the top of  
First, inspect the fruit to      every bottle, otherwise it    
ensure the grapes are ripe and   will cause overflow when the  
free of insects or other         cork is inserted. To cork your
contaminants. Put the grapes     wine bottles simply insert a  
in the straining bag and         cork into the hand corker,    
measure the sugar level using    position the corker over the  
your hydrometer. A hydrometer    lever and insert.             
can be purchased at any wine     5. Drink and Enjoy!          
making store. The sugar                                        
density should be 22 ideally.                                  
Also, remember to remove the                                   
stems from all grapes in order   

About the author:
Bill Kaplan spends most of his free time researching and practicing the art of beer brewing and wine making and serves as a contributing editor for the Beer Brewing and Wine Making website. The site offers information on making wine, various types of wine cabinets, the beer and wine forums and more.


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