Lets make some cheap wine

Okay, here comes the wine recipe. This is an easy recipe. Only issue is time. Yes, its going to take some work and over 30 days total.

So lets start with the ingredients

• Black grapes 1kg seedless. Basically, this can be 1kg of grapes, or 700gm grapes with 300gm oranges or plums. You can try different ratios, but I have seen about 60% should be black grapes for good flavor, unless you like orange juice type of wine
• Sugar 600gms (Can be little more or less, depending upon your sweet tooth
• Bakers yeast : 10gms
• Whole wheat grains : Get a handfull
• Water : About 2kg/2 liters
• One big ceramic jar to hold it all in

Prelim

• Make sure your water is germ free. This is done using repeated boiling.
• Wash your fruit thoroughly to get rid of any dirt etc.,
• Wash the wheat too
• Ditto for ceramic Jar

Preparation

• Mash grapes in jar to pulp(not blend). Takes about 10-15 minutes
• Pour in the water
• Prepare the yeast as per instructions to activate(put in warm water for 10 minutes) and add to jar
• Put in the what
• Put in about half the sugar (about 300gms)
• Evenly mix. Not to vigorously, just so that everything is in nice and good
• Seal the jar and store in a cool place (20-25 degree C)

Maintenance

• Every 24 hours, open jar and stir, bubbles will escape
• Seal it again. Repeat till no bubbles come. Takes about 10-20 days depending upon ambient temperature

Round 2

• Pour out the jar remove the gunk, and filter it
• Gunk can be next batch starter. Helps in fermentation. Or you can throw it
• You should get a clearish liquid. There will be stuff in it, do not worry.
• Add 300gm of sugar more. If you do not like much sweetness, just add 100gm. If you are the god of sugar, add more.
• Clean your jar, or use a new jar pour in the strained liquid with sugar
• Seal it and store it in 20-25 degree C
• Wait for 21 days

Final

• You are done.
• Your clear liquid will be at top, with thick stuff at bottom
• Take out some wine to drink and leave rest in. Do not shake the jar
• Every time you want wine, take from top till you get only the thick liquid which you throw

Some tips

• Wine can sometimes become vinegar. So you need to add campden tablets
• After 24 hours of mixing in first step, add tablets. Use volume as per on the label of the tablet you are using
• After you put in the campden tablet, you need to make sure seal is weak for 24-48 hours so venting can happen
• Once fermentation is done, add campden tab again during second 20 days seal phase. Use half recommended dose, and again, vent after 24 hours for few seconds and reseal
• I never used campden tablets, but for that you have to make sure everything is very very clean
• Green grapes make a peculiar tasting white wine. you may or may not like it, but do try it once. Very unique flavor.

bon appetit