There is no doubt that wine can be very expensive. The cheap wine does not even taste good half the time. So why not make your own wine? Here, you will find a detailed guide on what some of the ingredients and equipments are needed to make wine.
Ingredients
There are a number of different ingredients that you will need in order to make your wine. Most importantly, you are going to need yeast. You will also need yeast extract, which helps yeast ferment to its fullest extent. If you are making a flower or grain wine, you need tannin. If you are making a fruit wine, you need a pectolytic enzyme. You also need citric acid, which adds a fruity taste and adds acidity. Campden tablets are important to prevent oxidation of the wine.
Equipments
There are a number of different pieces of equipment which are necessary to making your own wine. First off, you will need at least one Demijohn, which are glass containers which are usually about one gallon. Next you will need a bung, as well as an airlock. You will also need a large container to hold the fruit mix. The larger the container is, the better. You will need a sieve to remove the fruit from the juice before you transfer it. Plastic tubing will be used to transfer the wine from the sediment into another container. You will need wine bottles, a measuring jug and scales, a hydrometer to determine the sugar content of a liquid, a thermometer, a funnel and large containers. 5.5 gallons is an ideal size for containers.
Instructions
Each wine recipe tends to differ, especially between fruit wines and flower or grain wines. In order to make sure that you are getting the absolute right instructions, you need to find out from your recipe. Do not just assume that because one recipe has certain steps, another recipe will follow the same steps.
The Most Important Step
There is one step that, with every wine recipe, is the same and it is also the most important. This is to make sure that you sterilize all of your equipments. Majority of the time, when wine smells bad or tastes bad, it is because of something getting into the wine that you did not know about.
The other most important thing that you should keep in mind when you make mind is to have fun! Do not give up if you get one or two bad batches of wine. It is an art and chances are that you will not be satisfied until you have mastered it.
