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WINEMAKING SUPPLIES, GRAPES and JUICE
for amateur winemakers.
Fall Bright, The Winemakers Shoppe 10110 Hyatt Hill Dundee, NY 14837
HOURS: We are open all year round! We have always been closed on Mondays.
November to May 31: Tues-Fri: 10-5 Eastern Time Weekends (Saturday or Sunday) by appointment 607-292-3995
June to harvest Tues-Fri : 10-5 Saturday 10-4 Eastern Time
Harvest (Sept-Oct): Tuesday to Sunday 10-5 Eastern Time
Finger Lakes grown grapes, juices: Sept-Oct
Wine from Juice
Wine from Grapes
Yeast Starter
Basic Understanding
printable page
Basic Winemaking: Wine from Juice
Cold pressed grapes (red or white) require 15 pounds of fruit per gallon yield.
1. Our juices are sulfited; no additional sulfite should be added prior to fermenting.
2. To ferment take the level of the juice down to the shoulder of the carboy and equip with an airlock ½ filled with water. The balance of the juice may ferment in a glass gallon jug with an airlock. Our juices are refrigerated. Warm to room temperature by waiting 24 hours to avoid cold shock to the yeast.
3. Rehydrate the yeast with water according to packet instructions (no longer than 15 minutes as there are no nutrients present).
4. Add yeast to room temperature juice to avoid "cold shock".
5. Ferment 1 to 2 weeks or until a definite line of sediment (lees) is evident. Transfer via siphon to a clean container, add proper metabisulfite, and top up with the reserved juice or wine to within 1 inch of the stopper. This is called racking.
6. Ferment 1 to 2 months more. Rack when bubbling has ceased or has become very slow and a definite line of sediment (lees) shows. Top up the new vessel with wine to within 1 inch of the stopper. You may top up your wine with wine from your cellar or store. Do not top up with water as that will change your sugar and acid profile.
NOTE: Check your water level in the airlock frequently. They can go dry. Some winemakers use colored water to help visibility. Some use a meta solution for airlocks.
7. Rack, sulfite, and fine as necessary. (For fining, see page 15 of the catalog.)
8. Wine should be brilliant, having fallen bright. Now, you can cold stabilize. Put glycerin or sufficient alcohol (vodka) in the airlock to prevent freezing. If you wish to ADD SORBATE, do so now at the rate of 1-2 grams per gallon (1/2 teaspoon is approximately 1 gram). You must have proper meta levels when using sorbate. Dose the meta at the same time you do the sorbate (or run a free SO2 test). Place the carboy at 20-25o F for 2 weeks or more. Excess tartrates will precipitate from the wine. This mellows the wine by reducing the acid. It will help stabilize the wine by preventing these tartrates from settling out after bottling. Rack into a clean carboy while cold. If you add SORBATE without cold stabilizing, allow 24 hours before bottling. However, the addition of any potassium ion will make the wine unstable and this is why cold stabilizing is recommended after adding sorbate. Add proper metabisulfite.
9. Filter if desired and bottle when stable. Always rinse bottles with a C-Brite or a meta solution. Drain well. The drainer trees are very nice for this purpose.
Wine from grapes (for red wines)
1. Destem and crush the grapes. If you buy our grapes, you may use our machine free or pay a small fee for its use with your grapes. You will need 12-13 pounds of red grapes per gallon of wine desired, plus some extra for tipping. Add meta at the rate of 1/8 teaspoon per 30 pounds of fresh grapes. (White grapes are not fermented on the skins. They can be allowed skin contact after crushing before pressing.)
2. Rehydrate the yeast (step 3 above) and add to the room temperature must. Ferment 1-2 weeks.
3. Push the cap (skins) down twice a day during the fermentation. This blends the skins with the resulting alcohol, which extracts the color from the skins into the wine.
4. Siphon off the raw wine into a clean carboy. Press the fermented must. Add the pressed wine to that in the carboy. Adjust the sulfite level. Top up the carboy as much as whatever fermenting activity will allow (within 1 inch of the bung). The primary fermentation has finished, so there probably won’t be much activity. Ferment from step 6 above. Wines fermented with Cotes des Blanc and Lalvin yeast can be topped up more and earlier.
Mitchell's short cut starter: Sprinkle the yeast onto warm (40-45oC or 104-115oF) distilled or sterile non-chlorinated water. Leave for 5-15 minutes (NOT LONGER) and add an equal volume of sterile grape juice. Shake to aerate. It will take up to two days to become active. Make up however much you want. (A 5-gram pack of yeast is rated for 5-7 gallons). Making a starter of a total volume of 1/2 of a gallon will inoculate a lot more than 5-7 gallons.
Starter recipe in Frishman Enjoy Home Winemaking: (2 cups water, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon nutrient, 1/4 teaspoon citric acid, yeast) NOTE: In any recipe recommending ¼ or ½ teaspoon of yeast nutrient in a small volume of water (4 oz to 2 cups) REDUCE the nutrient to a pinch – else it will be too hot. The dose for nutrient is 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons of juice. Put it in the juice--and yet a starter will require some nutrient so use a pinch or the other starter method. REHYDRATE the yeast first for 5-15 minutes in the water before adding to the other ingredients.
