Tom_S
Junior Member
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- Oct 31, 2012
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This is the basic recipe I recommend for anyone starting out wanting to make wine. It's the recipe I use whenever I want to make a basic red Concord wine. I love the flavor that the Montrachet yeast gives to the wine.
Easy Beginner's Wine
This is for a 1 gallon batch, increase all amounts by five for a five gallon batch, except for the yeast.
1 gallon Sam's club or Welch's red or white grape juice
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. yeast nutrient
1 packet Red Star Montrachet wine yeast
1/2 tsp. potassium sorbate (if wine is to be sweetened)
1 campden tablet (potassium metabisulfite)
Pour most of the gallon of juice into a clean 1 gallon glass jug. Add sugar a little at a time and stir until it dissolves. You may need more or less than 2 cups to get an SG reading of 1.098 on a hydrometer, or 13% potential alcohol reading. Once enough sugar has been added, add the yeast nutrient and stir in. Add yeast by sprinkling on top of juice, it is not necessary to stir in. Cover mouth of jug with dry cloth or paper towel. After about 24 hours, the must should start bubbling. Once it is bubbling vigorously, top up with remaining juice, add airlock & ferment between 65-75 degrees for 7 days. Rack into a second jug and let set for about two weeks or until clear. Rack again being careful to avoid picking up yeast sediment on bottom of jug. Add sugar if desired for sweetness, or leave dry. If sugar is added, add 1/2 tsp. potassium sorbate to prevent refermentation. Add 1 potassium metabisulfite (campden) tablet per gallon by crushing tablet between two spoons & stirring into wine. Let set for about 3-6 months until acid crystals form & settle in bottom of jug with fine yeast residue. Rack again (filter if available or needed) into clean jug. Degas wine if needed by stirring vigorously or by creating a vacuum in jug. Add 1 campden tablet per gallon after degassing. Wine may be bottled after 24 hours or left to age in jug several more months before bottling.
Easy Beginner's Wine
This is for a 1 gallon batch, increase all amounts by five for a five gallon batch, except for the yeast.
1 gallon Sam's club or Welch's red or white grape juice
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. yeast nutrient
1 packet Red Star Montrachet wine yeast
1/2 tsp. potassium sorbate (if wine is to be sweetened)
1 campden tablet (potassium metabisulfite)
Pour most of the gallon of juice into a clean 1 gallon glass jug. Add sugar a little at a time and stir until it dissolves. You may need more or less than 2 cups to get an SG reading of 1.098 on a hydrometer, or 13% potential alcohol reading. Once enough sugar has been added, add the yeast nutrient and stir in. Add yeast by sprinkling on top of juice, it is not necessary to stir in. Cover mouth of jug with dry cloth or paper towel. After about 24 hours, the must should start bubbling. Once it is bubbling vigorously, top up with remaining juice, add airlock & ferment between 65-75 degrees for 7 days. Rack into a second jug and let set for about two weeks or until clear. Rack again being careful to avoid picking up yeast sediment on bottom of jug. Add sugar if desired for sweetness, or leave dry. If sugar is added, add 1/2 tsp. potassium sorbate to prevent refermentation. Add 1 potassium metabisulfite (campden) tablet per gallon by crushing tablet between two spoons & stirring into wine. Let set for about 3-6 months until acid crystals form & settle in bottom of jug with fine yeast residue. Rack again (filter if available or needed) into clean jug. Degas wine if needed by stirring vigorously or by creating a vacuum in jug. Add 1 campden tablet per gallon after degassing. Wine may be bottled after 24 hours or left to age in jug several more months before bottling.