What is the basic process to making wine?
Wine begins in a plastic bucket (called a primary) that is slightly larger than the finished volume (ie: 5 – 6 gallons to yield 5 gallons). After the initial fermentation, when it is half way finished, it is transferred (racked) to the glass secondary. When the wine is finished fermenting, it will be racked twice more (each separated by a month). The wine will be clearer each time. The wine can be bottled after this. What is topping off? Once wine has been racked to secondary, it should be topped off. This means the wine should be within 1-2 inches of the stopper. If a large air space is left in the carboy, the wine will oxidize, turn brown and taste bad. When racking from primary, extra wine should be put into a smaller bottle (wine bottles with stoppers and locks) and used for topping off after each racking. This smaller quantity of wine should be treated the same as the larger one, as it is fermenting along with the rest. If extra wine is not available, a similar finished wine shoul
. The process for making wine is much easier than most people think. When yeast converts sugar in fruit to carbon dioxide and alcohol, the CO2 escapes into the air and what’s left is wine. The winemaker’s job is to create perfect conditions for the yeast to do its job and let nature take its course. For a complete lesson of the winemaking process, see the video “Making Wine”.
The process for making wine is much easier than most people think. When yeast converts sugar in fruit to carbon dioxide and alcohol, the CO2 escapes into the air and what’s left is wine. The winemaker’s job is to create perfect conditions for the yeast to do its job and let nature take its course. For a complete lesson of the winemaking process, see the video “Making Wine”.
The process for making wine is much easier than most people think. When yeast converts sugar in fruit to carbon dioxide and alcohol, the CO2 escapes into the air and what’s left is wine. The winemaker’s job is to create perfect conditions for the yeast to do its job and let nature take its course.
