Wine brewing: From vineyards to glass, tips to brew wine at home

For some wine lovers, just tasting all the varied vintages that the world has to offer is not enough. Instead, most oenophiles choose to study the agricultural, chemical and artistic skills that go into turning vines into the most revered beverage, wine. Making wine is a simple chemical process. It involves the natural process of fermentation to turn juice of the fruit into alcohol. The whole process is partly a lab experiment and partly a culinary art. Here are a few crucial tips for brewing wine at home.

Finding grapes

Grapes are the most essential element of the process. The price of a bottle of wine largely depends on the quality of the fruit. Growing your own grapes can be a difficult task and taking care of them requires a lot of hard work. Instead, you can try asking some local vineyards, if they can provide you with good quality grapes. There are some vineyards that allow people to purchase some amount of grapes. You can find potential sources through word of mouth. On a whole, look for quality and be open to the variety.

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Starting Small

As a beginner, it can be an extensive process for you, as it requires a lot of time and care. Try to begin with only one or two 7-gallons jugs and the equipment recommended for your batch size. Once you have tested a small batch, you can determine what are you ready for everything involved. It is always better to have some knowledge before starting on your own.

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Start with concentrate

The exact directions for a good, homemade bottle of wine vary as per different kits and recipes. It is better to keep the process simple. The winemaking process is centered on fermenting fruit juice. The process of crushing your own grapes may seem fun but you may end up introducing undesired microorganisms through bruised or rotten fruit. In order to simplify the process, you can use grape juice or concentrate for the first time.

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The Science of fermentation

While brewing wine, try to understand the science of fermentation. Ultimately the formula of alcoholic beverages comes down to the levels of yeast and sugar so as to equalize the carbon dioxide and alcohol levels in the final product.  Therefore, wine is created through the combination of sugar in grapes and yeast. During the fermentation process, be careful with the contamination from additional yeasts and toxins in the air. Put an airlock on your vessel to avoid any type of contamination. After it is reached to a desired level of alcohol, your beverage is ready to be bottled.

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