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When making red wine from whole grapes, about
twelve to thirteen pounds of grapes yield one gallon.
The grapes need to be destemmed and crushed. You may use our machine for this task for a modest fee or free if your buy our grapes. Add potassium metabisulfite at the rate of
1/8 teaspoon per 30 pounds of fresh grapes. After the grapes are crushed take a hydrometer reading of the fresh juice to determine the sugar percentage or brix (o).
Adjust the sugar to 210
or 220 brix. We use corn
sugar as it is a simple sugar ready for yeast consumption. Compute the increase in brix desired (i.e. 16 to 21=5). Estimate your gallonage after fermentation based on 12-13
pounds of fruit per gallon. Multiply the increase of brix desired (5) by the number of gallons to be adjusted (5x5 gal=25). As .125 pounds of sugar raises 1 gallon 10
brix, multiply this (25) by .125 which will equal the pounds of sugar to add to the entire batch of must (or crushed grapes). (3 cups of corn sugar is
approximately 1 pound and 2 1/4 cups of cane sugar is about 1 pound.) Add the required sugar. If you use cane sugar it is recommended to heat it in some of the juice.
The heat and acid will convert it to a simple sugar.
Re-hydrate the yeast and add to room temperature grapes (must). Ferment 1-2 weeks. Every day during fermentation you have to push the skins down as they float and form
a cap. This blends the skins with the resulting alcohol which extracts the color and flavors from the skins into the wine.
On the last day, leave the cap in place, siphon the juice underneath via racking rod and siphon hose into a clean carboy, press the skins, adjust sulfite levels and continue the
fermentation (secondary and much slower) in glass. 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 will not be much activity. Wines fermented with Cotes des Blanc and the Lalvin yeast can be topped up more and earlier due to the low
foaming nature of these yeast. Ferment 1 to 2 months more.
Rack when bubbling has ceased or has become very slow and a definite line of sediment (lees) shows. Sulfite and fine as necessary. Top up the new vessel with a compatible
wine to within 1 inch of the stopper. We do not recommend topping up with water. Water will throw off the acid structure and change the brix or residual sugar.
Steve Shanker, one of our favorite winemakers, has a neat site regarding making wine from red grapes. Pictures
complements of Steve Shanker
www.home.rochester.rr.com/winemaker |
