Deluxe Winemaking Kit Instructions

The Deluxe Winemaking Kit contains:

Fermenting Equipment

Siphoning Equipment Bottling Equipment Sanitizing and Cleaning Equipment

In addition to the kit, you will also need:

Assembly

Overview of the winemaking process

The following is an overview making a batch of wine from a typical wine concentrate kit - always closely follow the manufacturer's instructions that come with the wine concentrate kit.

Preparing the must

  1. Sanitize equipment. Mix a sanitizer solution and sanitize the 7.9 gallon bucket and lid (the primary fermenter), plus the fermentation lock and the plastic paddle. All surfaces that will touch the must (unfermented wine) need to be sanitized. See the section titled “Sani­tation” for more details.
  2. Mix the juice/concentrate with water. Mix the juice and/or concentrate in the kit with good-quality drinking water in the sanitized primary fermenter - refer to the instructions that came with the kit for proportions. Add additives (Bentonite, oak powder, etc.) as called for by the kit instructions. Mix the must thoroughly with the sanitized plastic paddle.
  3. Take a hydrometer reading. Take a hydrometer reading and record it. See the section titled “Using a hydrometer.”
  4. Add yeast to the must. Dry yeast can be sprinkled directly on the surface of the must without further preparation.
  5. Seal the fermenter. Fill the S-shaped fermentation lock with a small amount of water (about a tablespoon), and insert it into the small grommeted hole in the bucket lid. Place the fermenter in an area where the temperature is consistently 65-75° F.

Primary fermentation

During fermentation the yeast converts the sugars in the must into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Fermentation should begin within 48 hours, indicated by gas bubbles escaping the airlock. Primary fermentation usually lasts from 7 to 10 days, depending on ambient temperature, the yeast strain, and the wine - your mileage may vary. When fermentation subsides (indicated by gas bubbles in the airlock slowing or ceasing), take a hydrometer reading and proceed with racking as directed by your kit instructions.

Racking and secondary fermentation

Racking is the vintner's term for transferring wine from one vessel to another. It's necessary to rack the wine after primary fermentation in order to separate it from the lees (the layer of sludge at the bottom of the fermenter, made up of grape solids and dead or dormant yeast cells). The young wine is racked from the primary fermenter to the secondary fermenter.

During secondary fermentation, the wine will improve in clarity and flavor; there may or may not be a brief renewal of bubbling in the airlock as the yeast consumes any remaining sugar in the must. It's important to minimize air contact as much as possible from this point on; the wine should be siphoned without splashing and stored in a carboy filled close to the top.

  1. Sanitize equipment. Sanitize the six gallon carboy, carboy bung, airlock, and the siphoning equipment.
  2. Rack the wine. Siphon the wine from the primary fermenter into the secondary, being careful to splash it as little as possible. See the section titled “Siphoning” for more details.
  3. Add additives. Refer to the kit instructions for any stabilizers or finings to be added at this point.

Some kits may call for a subsequent racking of the wine to aid in clarification and separation of the wine from the solids - this can be done by adding a second 6 gallon carboy to your system, or by cleaning out and re-sanitizing the included six gallon carboy while the wine is temporarily held in another sanitized vessel.

Bottling

Once the wine is clear and has been stabilized it's ready to be bottled.

  1. Sanitize bottling equipment and bottles. Assemble and sanitize the bottling bucket, Auto-Siphon and siphon tubing, the bottle filler, the 3/8” tubing, and the wine bottles.
  2. Add final additives. Refer to kit instructions for any additives to be added to the wine at bottling.
  3. Rack the wine into the bottling bucket. First make sure the spigot on the bottling bucket is in the “off” position, then siphon the wine from the carboy into the bottling bucket.
  4. Attach the bottle filler. Lift the filled bucket onto a counter. Connect one end of the 3 foot length of 3/8” tubing to the bottle filler, and the other to the spigot.
  5. Fill and cork the bottles Open the spigot to the “on” position, insert the bottle filler into the bottle, and push it all the way to the bottom. Fill the bottle almost to the very top, then lift the filler up. This will close the valve on the bottle filler, and stop the flow of wine into the bottle. When you remove the filler from the bottle, you will be left with about two inches of head space, which is ideal.

If you have two people, pass the bottle to your partner, who will cork the bottle. If you are working alone, set the filled bottle aside and seal it once you are done filling bottles.

Corking with the floor corker (Deluxe):

  1. Pull the corking lever all the way back – this will open the iris jaws that compress the cork, and unlock the bottle platform. When the lever is pushed down, the iris jaws will close and the bottle platform will lock in place.
  2. Place a filled bottle on the bottle platform. The mouth of the bottle should be centered underneath the opening through which the cork will be pushed, and the lip of the bottle should be resting against the metal guide.
  3. From the top of the corker, load a cork in the iris chamber.
  4. Push the lever down all the way to push the cork into the bottle with the plunger. Pull the lever all the way back to unlock the bottle platform, and remove the corked bottle.
  5. If necessary, adjust cork depth by moving the circular nut up or down the threads on the plunger.

Corking with the double-lever hand corker (Basic):

  1. Load a cork in the chamber of the corker.
  2. Once loaded, center the corker over the bottle, and push down both levers. The corker's jaws will grip the bottle neck, and the plunger will push the cork into the bottle.
  3. You can adjust the depth of the plunger stroke using the two nuts at the top of the corker, above the plunger.

Natural corks can be softened and lubricated, if necessary, by dipping them in lukewarm water right before corking; sulfite is optional. Do not soak corks.

Conditioning and storage

After the bottles are corked, stand them upright for three days. This allows the air that was pushed into the bottle by the cork to seep back out and the bottle pressure to equalize. After three days, the bottles can be laid on their sides for long term storage.

Bottles to be cellared should be stored neck-down or flat to keep the corks from drying out. Keep the bottles in a cool, dark, humid spot.

Enjoying

Uncork the bottle and gently pour the wine into a clean glass. Watch the bot­tle carefully when pouring, as you may wish to leave behind the wine at the very bottom of the bottle. Sediment will collect at the bottom of the bottle, which will cloud the wine in the glass. Enjoy the aroma and flavor of your handcrafted wine. Repeat as necessary.

Sanitation

Most flaws in home made beer or wine can be traced back to improper sanitation. There are a wide range of bacteria and wild yeast that can cause off-flavors in fermentations. It is a big disappointment to discover that your work, time, and money have been wasted producing a bad batch just because you did not spend the few extra minutes and cents that it takes to sanitize properly. Proper sanitation will reduce the micro-organism exposure of your beer or wine to a point where it will not be spoiled.

Sanitation vs. Cleaning

A surface cannot be sanitized until it is clean. If something does not look or smell clean, it probably is not clean. Cleaning chemicals are very powerful, often alkaline, chemicals which effectively remove organic deposits. These cleaners need to be thoroughly rinsed after use (unless noted otherwise). Examples of these chemicals include B-Brite and Powdered Brewery Wash (PBW).

Contact Time

All sanitizing solutions (One Step, Star San, etc.) need to be fully immersed with a surface for a certain amount of time to effectively reduce the number of microorganisms on that surface. Times vary so read the instructions on the sanitizer's packaging before use.

Rinsing

All unboiled water is a potential source of contamination in fermentations. Rinsing can cause infection so it is important to use cleaning chemicals designated “No Rinse” or “Final Rinse” - examples include Star San and One Step. These are very effective against bacteria, but harmless to beer, wine and people when used as directed.

What needs to be sanitized?

Everything that comes into contact with wort, beer, must or wine should be sanitized. This includes fermenters, tubing, spoons, rubber stoppers, fermentation locks and bottles.
There is one exception to this rule: it is not necessary to sanitize prior to boiling beer wort. Part of the purpose of boiling is to ensure the sanitation of the wort. Kettles, spoons, etc. will not need a separate sanitation step.

Using One Step

All of Northern Brewer's starter kits come with One-Step sanitizer. We choose to include One Step with our starter kits because it is inexpensive, environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and also because it can be used as both a cleaner and a sanitizer. It does not require rinsing.

Sanitation.pdf: Sanitation PDF

Siphoning

Siphoning is an important skill for any homebrewer or winemaker to master. Siphoning allows you to transfer beer or wine from one container to another without disturbing the sediment, and with minimal oxidation. Northern brewer starter kits contain the Auto-Siphon, which is the easiest and most sanitary way to start a siphon.

To siphon, place the container you are siphoning from at a higher level than the receiving container. Connect the 5 foot length of 5/16” I.D. tubing to the Auto-Siphon. One stroke of the racking cane will normally be sufficient to pull beer or wine all the way to the highest point in the siphon assembly. Once the column of liquid gets past this highest point, gravity will do the rest of the work. All the beer or wine in the top container will drain into the receiving container.

The black plastic tip at the bottom of the Auto-Siphon prevents the siphon from sucking sediment off of the bottom of the carboy. With this tip in place, you can lower the Auto-Siphon almost to the very bottom of the fermenter; just don't submerge the tip in sediment.

To minimize waste, tip the top container slightly by wedging a small object about the size of a hockey puck underneath one end. With the top container tipped slightly, you can siphon out of the low corner, and get nearly every ounce out of the fermenter without transferring sediment.

Beer or wine that has recently fermented can form bubbles while siphoning. These bubbles of CO2can gather into one large bubble, and this can cause the siphon to fail. If you see bubbles forming where the tubing meets the rigid plastic tube, pinch the flexible tubing where you see the bubbles, and they will be forced down stream.

As with everything else that touches your beer or wine, make sure the siphoning equipment is sanitized.

Using a Hydrometer

The hydrometer is an instrument designed to measure the density of liquids. Because the density of wort or must is closely related to its sugar content, and because its sugar content is closely related to its eventual alcoholic content, the hydrometer can be used to determine the potential strength of a beer or wine.

Specific Gravity

Specific gravity is defined as density relative to the density of water. To test, insert the hydrometer into a test jar full of water (The tube the hydrometer comes in can be used as a test jar). The stem of the hydrometer will protrude above the surface of the water right at the mark that shows a Specific Gravity of 1.000.

The original gravity is the amount of fermentable sugar present. This reading is taken before the yeast is pitched and fermentation begins. Original gravities vary widely. Generally, the higher the original gravity, the stronger the final product.

ORIGINAL GRAVITIES FOR BEER: Stronger Beers 1.123 <-------> 1.030 Weaker Beers

ORIGINAL GRAVITIES FOR WINE: 1.100 <-------> 1.080

During fermentation the gravity steadily drops as sugar is converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. After one week of fermentation, you should take a hydrometer reading daily until you get two consecutive, identical readings. With primary fermentation completed your beer or wine has reached its final gravity and you are ready to bottle or move it into your secondary fermenter. Final gravity is the measurement at the end of fermentation, when the yeast has consumed all of the sugar it can. Again the final gravities vary depending on the style of beer or wine you are making.

FINAL GRAVITIES FOR BEER: Sweeter Beers 1.020 <-------> 1.005 Drier Beers

FINAL GRAVITIES FOR DRY WINE: 1.000 <-------> 0.990

FINAL GRAVITIES FOR SWEETER OR OFF-DRY WINE: 1.010+

A hydrometer can also be used to estimate the alcohol content. To do this, take a reading before the fermentation begins, and another after it ends. For this reading, you should use the “potential alcohol” scale. Subtract the original reading from the final reading.

The easiest way to get a sample for testing is to use a thief. Immerse the sanitized thief into the beer or wine, and put your thumb over the hole at the very top of the thief. Withdraw the thief, and position it over your sample jar. Lift your thumb, and the thief will empty itself into the jar. Repeat until you have collected an adequate sample.

Accurate measurements