|
ANSWERS TO THE TOP 20 FAQ’S
ABOUT HOME WINEMAKING
1. Do I need any special equipment?
2. Is sanitizing and sterilization of equipment
important?
3. Do I need to follow the instructions?
4. What water should I use when making my wine?
5. Is there anything special I need to know about
yeast?
6. Are fermentation temperatures important?
7. Do I need to be concerned about the add packs
included?
8. Is degassing the wine really necessary?
9. Do I need to strain the water from the oak?
10. Can I use the pail that my kit comes in for
the fermentation?
11. How long will it take to degas my wine?
12. What is the #4 Sorbate pack used for?
13.
What is the specific gravity?
14. How do I know if my wine is fermenting and
when it is finished?
15. What do I do if my pail lid has no hole for my
airlock?
16.
Can I age my wine in the carboy?
17. How long can I age my bottles of wine for?
18. Do
I have to filter my wine?
19. How do I put the capsules on my bottles?
20. Do I need to treat the corks that
come with my wine kit?
<<
back
1. Do I need any special
equipment?
(top)
When you start wine making do not try cutting corners, don't just grab
anything you see around the house—ensure that old garbage cans, old
vegetable oil pails, wooden spoons etc. are not used because these items
cannot be sanitized properly and may ruin your wine. Proper winemaking
equipment is made from specifically designed food grade plastic, which
is suitable for the purpose of winemaking.
2.
Is sanitizing and sterilization of equipment important?
(top)
One of the most
important steps in winemaking is proper sanitizing and sterilization.
Every piece of equipment that will come in contact with the concentrate
or finished wine must go through these processes. These should be done
just before you are ready to proceed with every step. Detailed
directions for use can be found on the product package.
Sanitize,
using a pink chlorinated solution in order to clean. Remember, not all
dirt is visible so even equipment that appears clean must be sanitized.
Always rinse well with hot water.
Sterilizing
is to kill bacteria on equipment that has already been cleaned. This
should be done with a solution of metabisulphite and then rinsed.
Eliminating or doing these
steps incorrectly can ruin your end result.
3. Do I need to follow
the instructions?
(top)
For optimum performance, follow the instructions as carefully as
possible every time you make your wine (remember instructions can change
periodically). Wine kit manufacturers have plenty of experience in
making wine, and the instructions should be clear and easy to follow.
The instructions are written for each specific brand of kit and are not
interchangeable.
4. What water
should I use when making my wine?
(top)
Consumers think they need to be concerned about the water they use in
winemaking. TRUE. Local municipal water is not suitable, mostly
because of the high levels of chlorine. For the best results, you should
use filtered, distilled, or pure bottled water.
5. Is
there anything special I need to know about yeast?
(top)
IMPORTANT!
Please ensure that
the yeast is added properly. More experienced wine makers refer to
adding the yeast as, “PITCHING” the yeast. Winemakers should follow the
instructions found in all winemaking kits to get the best fermentation
results. For a quicker start to the fermentation, you can opt to follow
the instructions on the back of the yeast pack.
6. Are
fermentation temperatures important?
(top)
Advintage Wine Kit
instructions tell you to ferment the wine within a specific temperature
range. All of our wine kits have recommended temperatures for the best
fermentation results. These recommendations can be found in the
instructions and also in the helpful hints area.
Temperature control is
very important but of course, we understand that depending on the
climate where you are making the wine, temperatures may vary. Please
note that warmer temperatures will cause a faster fermentation and
cooler temperatures will slow down the fermentation. The most important
thing is to maintain the temperature range as specified in the
helpful hints section of your instructions.
Note: A cooler, slower
fermentation will produce a wine with a cleaner taste as opposed to a
wine that ferments more quickly at higher temperatures.
7.
Do I need to be concerned about the add packs included?
(top)
You must make sure that you add all the correct sachets at the indicated
times. Adding the proper sachet to your wine at the correct time is very
important because if you add a sachet at the wrong time or choose to
eliminate a sachet, your wine could stop fermenting or have various
other problems.
Make sure that you add the sachet # 2 (metabisulphite)
All wine making
Kits
include a package of
metabisulphite,
which you are required to stir into the wine. Sulphite prevents your
wine from spoiling, so please don't leave it out. Wine without added
sulphite may have a shelf life as short as one month.
8. Is degassing the
wine really necessary?
(top)
All wine must be
cleared. In order to do this correctly you start, by properly degassing
the wine. Degassing is done by stirring vigorously several times until
all visible signs of gas are removed. Then, by adding the proven and
tested clearing agents. These items come with the kit and need to be
dispersed thoroughly throughout the wine exactly as instructed.
9. Do I need to
strain the water from the oak?
(top)
The reason for adding the oak to boiling water is to be sure that there
is no bacteria present before adding it to your wine. You wait 15 to 30
minutes to allow it to cool and then add the entire mixture.
10. Can I use the pail that my kit comes in for the fermentation?
(top)
Absolutely! The
pail that the kit is sold in is a food grade plastic and can be used as
a primary fermented.
11. How long will
it take to degas my wine?
(top)
During the fermentation, your wine will become gassy. Every wine kit
will be a little different in regards to the amount of gas (CO2) that
will develop. A very gassy wine will of course take longer to degas that
one with less CO2 in it. CO2 will come out of your wine much more easily
at warmer temperatures. Therefore, it is a good idea to keep the wine at
a higher temperature during this step. Usually a wine will degas within
one day but sometimes it can take as long as three days. The important
thing is to continue the stirring process periodically until you see no
more visible signs of gas or gas bubbles. When that is, you can lower
the temperature for the clearing process.
12. What is the #4
Sorbate pack used for?
(top)
In our wine kits the #4 Sorbate pack should ONLY be added to the wine if
you are adding a sweetener before bottling time. If you will not be
sweetening your wine, DO NOT add the Sorbate pack.
13. What is the specific
gravity?
(top)
Specific gravity or density is actually just a measurement of how dense
(or thick) a liquid is. The density of water is 1.000. When you start
your wine it is full of unfermented sugars that are quite dense so your
specific gravity is high (between 1.075- 1.090). As the wine ferments
and the sugars are changed into alcohol, the density of the wine drops
steadily. A finished wine should be between .996 -.990.
14. How do I know if my wine is fermenting and when it is finished?
(top)
Many people think that if they do not see any bubbles in the airlock
that this means the wine is not fermenting. This is not true. Bubbles in
the airlock are just co2 escaping from the wine. If there are no bubbles
in the airlock it could mean that your wine is not fermenting but it
could also mean that the CO2 is just leaking out form another spot.
The ONLY TRUE way to know
whether your wine is fermenting is by using the hydrometer. By taking an
initial reading and then taking more readings on a regular basis
throughout the fermentation, you will be able to see if the Specific
Gravity is moving and this will tell you that your wine is fermenting or
not.
In the instructions you
are told that your wine is finished when the SG has reached .996 - .990.
This is a range and you will know when it is actually finished when you
have a reading in this range that remains constant for 2 – 3 days.
15.
What do I do if my pail lid has no hole for my airlock?
(top)
The lid of a primary
fermenter does not always come with a hole for the airlock. You have two
choices. You can drill a hole yourself that is the correct size for the
rubber stopper that comes with the airlock, or you can opt not to use an
airlock during the primary fermentation. You can just lay the cover on
top of the pail loosely without banging it down; This will keep your
wine free from bacteria and other airborne particles and at the same
time allow the CO2 gasses to escape under the lid and out the sides.
16. Can I age my wine in
the carboy?
(top)
This is commonly known as bulk aging and is usually an accepted practice
for people who are making their wine from grapes. When you are making
your wine from a wine kit, you do not need to bulk age your wine and
your wine WILL NOT benefit from doing so. Follow all the instruction
perfectly in the time frame recommended and then bottle within one or
two weeks
17. How long can
I age my bottles of wine for?
(top)
All wine kits are designed so that they can be consumed right away. Your
wine does have a shelf life however and can be stored and consumed at a
later date. The length of time that it will last depends on many
factors. There is no set aging time. A lot of it has to do with the care
that was taken during the winemaking process, and of course, the
conditions you have for storing your bottled wine. Optimum conditions
are a constant 55°F. Many people do not have these conditions. The most
important thing, however is that the wine is kept at a constant
temperature and not in a place where the temperatures fluctuates up and
down on a regular basis. Another fact to consider is that the corks we
supply with the wine kits are not meant for long-term aging. If you
want to age your wine, we recommend that you purchase a higher quality
cork.
18. Do I have to filter my
wine?
(top)
Filtering is not mandatory. We do however recommend it. By filtering
your wine, you give it an extra polish and more professional finish. You
will be sure to have a brilliantly clear wine with a crisp clean taste.
If you do not filter, you should be aware that it is possible to have a
fall out in your bottles at a later date.
Note: Please note that for
those who filter several batches through the same set of filter pads,
there is a very good chance that the last batch or two that passes
through the pads will also have the potential for fall out in the
bottles. Although the wine appears clear to the naked eye, because the
pads are already partially blocked, there will be particles that pass
through and deposit at a later date in the bottom of the bottles.
19. How do I put
the capsules on my bottles?
(top)
The best way to accomplish this task is as follows: Boil water in a
small pot. Put the capsule on the top of the bottle and hold it in place
with a wooden spoon. Turn the bottle upside down and immerse the top of
the bottle into the boiling water. Within a fraction of a second, the
capsule will shrink to form a tight fit on the bottle.
20. Do I need to treat the corks that come with my wine kit?
(top)
The corks that come with your wine kit are intended to be inserted into
the bottles dry. It is a good idea however to give them a quick
rinse in a solution of sulphite in order to sterilize them. DO NOT allow
them to soak for any length of time. This will cause the cork to
breakdown and will not give you a proper seal in your wine bottle. |