VARIETY______________ PREMIUM RED WINE SUGAR______________

PREMIUM RED WINE

FROM FRESH GRAPES

VARIETY______________                                   SUGAR_______________

YEAST___________                                            pH_______________

ACIDITY_______________                                  M/L______________



#1 - CRUSH AND DESTEM GRAPES

Rinse a clean Primary Fermenter with Sulfite Solution. Drain well.

        Fill up to 3/4 full with crushed and destemmed grapes.

( Sulfite Solution: 1 tsp. Sulfite Powder + 1 tsp Acid Blend/gallon water )

If using a Liquid Yeast, put one cup of juice and one cup water into a wine bottle, adding one ounce of the yeast starter. Cover loosely. Keep warm (85*F)until needed.

If using Malo/Lactic Culture (M/L), do the same in a separate bottle, using one ounce of the M/L starter.

If using Dry Yeast, just take the yeast home for adding tomorrow.

#2 - SULFITING

If sulfiting, now add 1/2 teaspoon Sulfite Powder/100 lbs grapes. Mix well. Sulfite prevents browning and spoilage. Keep cap of skins wet, submerged until ferment starts.

#3 - TESTING AND ADJUSTING SUGAR / pH / ACIDITY

Using your Hydrometer, check sugar, adding if necessary. Mix well.

Using your pH Papers or Meter, adjust to just below pH 3.6 with Tartaric Acid. Mix well.

If you can’t check pH, check Total Acidity with your Acid Testing Kit, adjust, as directed, with Tartaric Acid. Mix well.

#4 - WHEN TO ADD YEAST AND MALO/LACTIC CULTURE

If Not Sulfiting:

Add Liquid Yeast after 12 hours growth in the wine bottle. Or, if using Dry Yeast, rehydrate and add right away.

Also add one tablespoon of Super-Super Food/100 lbs for strong yeast growth.

Meanwhile, keep the cap of skins submerged and wet with juice.

When ferment starts, gas being produced, wait another twenty four hours and then add the M/L bottle.

Also add one tablespoon of Super-Super Food or Leucofood/100 lbs

with the ML.

If Sulfiting:

Add Liqud Yeast after 24 hours growth in the wine bottle. Or, if using Dry Yeast, wait 12 hours, rehydrate and add. Meanwhile, keep cap submerged, wet. Also add one tablespoon of Super-Super Food/100 lbs.

After one day of active ferment, add the M/L bottle and one tbl/100 lbs. of Super-Super Food or Leucofood.

#5 - PRIMARY FERMENTATION

Fermentation should start within 24 hours of adding the yeast. A cap of skins will rise to the top due to CO2 gas being produced, as sugar is changed into alcohol.

Punch the cap down into the juice at least twice a day. All the "goodies" are in the skins. Flavor, color, intensity.

Temperature in the cap should reach 85 - 95*F at mid-ferment. Punch down the cap more often to dissipate this temperature build up. Higher temperature can result in a stuck fermentation and flavor loss.

The more punching down the better.

#6 - PRESSING THE SKINS

Standard timing: Pressing when Hydrometer reads 5* to 0* Brix.

   This will yield the maximum color, more intense tannins, and

   the freshest fruitiness.

Extended masceration: Pressing 7 - 21 days after 0*Brix.
This allows the harder tannins to link-up and to become softer.

Some fruitiness is lost.

A CO2 condition must exist on top of the cap of skins. This comes from either the M/L or from injecting CO2 gas or adding Dry Ice. Keep the fermenter tightly covered. Keep the skins wet but do not over-manipulate the cap.

#7 - SECONDARY FERMENTATION

Siphon the pressed wine into sanitized glass/stainless steel Secondary Fermenters.
From now on and until bottling, all air must be kept from the wine.

Keep all secondary fermenters topped up into the narrow part of the neck, 1/2 inch below the stopper.

Do not splash the wine while racking.

      Attach Fermentation Locks, filled half- way with

      Sulfite Sanitizing Solution.

In 24 hours, rack off of the gross lees (sediment) into sanitized secondary fermenters.

Top up and re-attach fermentation locks refilled half- way with Sulfite Sanitizing Solution.

Repeat racking if a sediment of 1/2 inch or more forms. These rackings reduce the chance of H2S (rotten eggs) generation - and subsequent mercaptan off-odors.

If you added ML culture, keep the cellar temperature above 65*F. Also, add Leucofood or Superfood each time if still going through M/L fermentation.

Rack a final time in 3-4 weeks or when relatively clear and stable (M/L finished).

#8 - AGING AND FINING After M/L is finished (or at the end of sugar ferment if M/L is not being used):

Adjust Sulfite level to 25-30 ppm.

       ( approximately 1/4 teaspoon/5 gallons )

Adjust pH, using Tartaric Acid, to pH 3.6. Cool cellar temperatures will precipitate out excess acidity…and the pH will also drop slightly.

If only checking Total Acidity, adjust, by taste, to 6.5 - 8 g/L.

Higher acidity/lower pH = crisper, tighter, more stable wines.

Lower acidity/higher pH = softer, more accessible, less stable wines.

If too acidic (very usual if pH had to be lowered), try chilling in a refrigerator for 2- 3 weeks.

If still too acidic, try Potassium Carbonate, although the pH will rise.

You can then also chill for further acid reduction and to lower the pH.

Fining includes clarification as well as reducing tannins and acidity. End result is a stable wine that tastes balanced and drinkable.

If too tannic (from skin, seed, barrel contact), fine with Gelatin or Skim Milk/Casein or Egg Whites.

Different types of tannins are removed by each and should be chosen accordingly.

Fine with Gelatin early, within the first four months, after M/L, to promote color stability. Gelatin is aggressive and is used to knock down excessive, bitter, skin and barrel tannins.

Casein/Egg Whites can be used up to a month before bottling to reduce astingency, improving the mouthfeel.

Barrel Aging is a way to mellow the wine, adding a hint of oak complexity.

Choices abound: French/American/Oregon/French built American, Water bent and so on.

Each imparts a different flavor/texture/mouthfeel. Barrels also reduce fruitiness but increase "complexity". The choices are yours to make.

Be sure to top up the barrels on a very regular basis. More for smaller barrels. Also, be sure to not over-oak. Taste as you top. When you finally taste oak flavor, you’ve usually gone to long.

Store empty barrels with great care. Follow standard procedure to avoid spoilage and loss.

#9 - BOTTLE AND ENJOY

When clear and stable and you’ve run out of patience, check and adjust the SO2 level.

Average is 25 - 30 ppm, but follow the chart that refers to pH/SO2 levels.

Fill and cork clean bottles rinsed with Sulfite Sanitizing Solution.

Let stand upright for two weeks. Then store bottles on their sides.

Drink and enjoy!

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