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My grape wine recipe

Have you ever thought about making your own home made wine, but after some investigation, you discovered that it takes a substantial investment in equipment to make that first batch?

Have you worried that after spending some money, and going through the wine-making process, you might end up with a wine you didn't like?

Have you always thought that it was much easier to just go to the grocery store and buy some wine instead of taking a couple of months to make your own?

I had the same issues. But I got over it, and made some wine anyway. I decided to try making good wine with a minimum of fuss and equipment. I have made my favorite wine using the exact equipment and process described here, and you can too.  And once you finish making that first batch, you can start a second batch while you enjoy drinking the first!

Firstly, I got a recipe for making grape wine using Welch's Grape Concentrate from Jack Keller's excellent web site. Then I modified the recipe to make a wine that has a little less alcohol, retains the taste of the grape, and can be sweetened to my taste.


The Equipment

 

  • 6.5 gallon carboy
  • stopper to fit the carboy (drilled for airlock)
  • airlock
  • food grade tubing
  • some sanitizer (Easy Clean or Star San or other acceptable sanitizer)

    Optional equipment
  • carboy spoon
  • hydrometer (for measuring potential alcohol content)
  • racking cane
  • fermenting bucket
  • bottle corker and corks (if using cork-type bottles)


The Recipe

 

    Pre-fermentation
  • 13 cans frozen Welch's grape concentrate from Concord grapes (11.5 oz each)
  • 3 lbs Sugar
  • 8 tsp acid blend
  • 4 tsp pectic enzyme
  • 4 tsp yeast nutrient
  • 1 pkt Wine Yeast (Lalvin K1V-1116 or equivalent)
    Post Fermentation
  • 3/4 tsp Potassium Metabisulfate
  • 2 1/2 tsp Potassium Sorbate
  • 3 or 4 cans Welch's Grape Juice from Concord Grapes


The Procedure

 



Start by measuring out 5 gallons of water and putting it in the carboy. Make a mark at the 5-gallon level. Pour the water out, you don't need it any more.

Sanitize all the equipment you will use (carboy, spoon, measuring spoons, airlock and stopper)

Thaw 13 cans Welch's Grape Juice from Concord Grapes, and put it in the carboy. You may use plain water to rinse each grape juice container if desired. Add sugar, acid blend, pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient, and stir until the sugar is disolved. Using a sanitized container, add enough water to bring the level up to the 5 gallon mark you made on the carboy earlier. Stir thoroughly.

If you are fermenting in a fermenting bucket, you can just sprinkle the yeast on top of the grape juice, put the lid on the fermenter, and affix the airlock.

If you are fermenting in the carboy, you should put the Lalvin K1V-1116 (or equivalent) yeast in about 1/2 cup of warm (70 to 80 degree) water. Yeast will be damaged if the water is 90 degrees or above. Pour this mixture into the carboy, and affix the airlock, remembering to put some water in the airlock.

Primary Fermentation
Now wait. You should ferment your wine at 70-80 degrees F. By morning, you should have a vigorous fermentation going. Expect this to continue for 7-10 days. You will notice some sediment accumulating in the bottom of the carboy. After 10-14 days, you should use some sanitized food-grade tubing to rack (siphon) the wine off into a clean, sanitized container, leaving the sediment in the carboy. If you are using a bucket as primary fermenter, you can rack straight into the carboy. If you used the carboy as a primary fermenter, you will have to have a container large enough to hold the entire 5 gallons of wine while you clean and re-sanitize the carboy, and then move the wine back into the carboy. Clean and re-fix the airlock.

Secondary Fermentation
Now the hard part..... waiting. This stage of fermentation takes 2 to 4 weeks or more. Generally you can see bubbles of CO2 rising up along the side of the carboy. When fermentation has completed, the bubbles will stop rising and the airlock will no longer bubble.

Sweetening and Bottling
Once the fermentation process is complete, you should rack the wine into a clean, sanitized container. Wash out the carboy and resanitize it, and move the wine back into the carboy. Add the potassium metabisulfate and potassium sorbate and stir vigorously. Stirring will drive off excess CO2. The pot-meta and potty-sor will keep the yeast from reproducing, so the fermentation will not re-start when you add a sweetening agent. Taste the wine, it should be completely dry. If you like dry wines, it is ready to drink. For my taste, I like to sweeten it up a bit. Thaw out some more Welch's Grape Concentrate made from Concord grapes. Stir in one or two cans of Welch's and take a taste. I like to use 4 cans.

Your wine is ready to drink. If you let it set a few days, the solids from the new cans of Welch's Grape Juice made from Concord Grapes will settle out and your wine should be clear. It is very dark, difficult to see through, so I don't usually worry too much about the clarity. 5 gallons will fill 25 375ml wine bottles. Bottles should be washed and sanitized before filling, and stored in a dark place. Or you can do what I do, pull off a gallon at a time, and when it's gone, pull off another gallon. I keep the carboy in the dark most of the time.


Conclusion

 

This recipe requires a minimum of equipment to make a great wine. Once you have made a batch, you can expand your equipment list and even use this equipment to try some other recipes. You may have to get all your friends to save empty wine bottles for you.


Where can I get stuff?

 

The Brew Shop in OKC
High Gravity in Tulsa