Wine Making- The Basic Steps of Making Red Wine

Making wine is a process that takes years to master, with some winemakers spending their entire lives to perfect their process. This article will give you the basics of wine making to help you make your own red wine.

Step 1- Crush your grapes and place them into the fermentor, filling them only 2/3 full.

Step 2- Add sulfite crystals to a cup of water. You will want to add .1 gram of sulfite powder per liter and place it into a cup of warm water. Let the sulfite dissolve into the water and the stir it into the fermentor.

Step 3- Allow the crushed grapes to sit for 2 hours and then check Brix, a measure of sugar content, of the juice. You want the Brix to be around 22 to 24 degrees. If the Brix is below 21 degrees you will need to add sugar to the juice.

Step 4- Using an acid-testing kit to test the acid level of the juice. You will want the acid content to be around 5.5 to 6.5 g/liter.

Step 5- Now you need to check the temperature of the crushed grapes. You want the temperature to be around 70 to 75 degrees F. Adjust the temperature to this level. Placing a heating pad underneath the fermentor is a good way to raise the temperature and placing a bag full of ice into the fermentor is a good way to lower the temperature.

Step 6- Once you have the proper Brix, acid level, and temperature you need to dissolve 1 gram of yeast pellets/3.8 liters of crushed grapes in a cup of water. Allow the yeast solution to sit for around 10 minutes and then add it to the fermentor before covering the fermentor with a cheese cloth.

Step 7- At this point you need to wait for 24 hours. During this period you should hear bubbles and gurgling noises which is a good thing, it means fermentation is taking place. Also, the temperature will raise a little, which is also acceptable.

Step 8- You will need to stir the fermentor twice daily to ensure that the top layer of seeds and grape skins, called the cap, stays wet. Also, check the Brix daily to ensure that it is dropping about 2 degrees daily.

Step 9- Once the Brix is around 0 degrees or the cap stops pushing to the top you will need to press the wine into gallon jugs and attach a fermentation lock. Once sediment drops out of the mixture you will need to rack and top up with pulp and add sulfite. You will need to repeat this step until sediment no longer drops out.

Step 10- Right after you rack, or when the wine is clear, add finishing material. Depending on varietal you will need to bottle age for the appropriate amount of time, and then you are done!

Follow the 10 basic wine making steps listed in this article and you will be on your way to successfully making red wine.

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