Making Red Wine

You will need:

• Potassium metabisulfate
• Go-Ferm
• yeast nutrient
• yeast
• tartaric acid
• pectic enzyme

Optional:

• Malolactic bacteria
• grape tannin
• oak

Red Wine Flow Chart

1. Harvest
2. Crush/de-stem
   • Remove all stems
   • Crush each berry
3. Test must
   • Sugar - brix (ºB) ~22 – 25 ºB
     • <22 to low (see adds.)
     • >26 MAY dilute
   • Total Acid (TA) ~0.65 – 1.0 g/L
   • pH 3.2 – 3.6
4. Additions
   • Potassium metabisulfate (sulfite)
     • Add ¼ sulfite tsp per 5 gallons
     • Dissolve in small quantity of must, add
   • Nutrients
     • 1/8 tsp nutrient per gallon of must
     • Dissolve in small quantity of must, add
   • Total Acid (TA) ~0.75g/L
     • 1tsp Tartaric acid = 0.12g/L increase TA
     • Dissolve in small quantity of must, add
   • Yeast
     • Choose strain – wet or dry
     • Dry: rehydrate with Go-Ferm 1.25g:1g dry yeast
   • Pectic enzyme
     • ½ tsp per gallon of must
   • Optional – Chapitalize (adding sugar)
     • Must < 22 ºB
     • 1.5oz (~3T) sugar/ gal must = ~1ºB
     • Dissolve in small quantity of must, add
5. Primary fermentation (Days 7 – 14 @ 70-85 ºF)
   • Punch down cap & stir up lees - 3x daily
   • Add 1/8 tsp nutrient per gallon of must after 10ºB drop
6. Press (Days 7 – 14)
   • Regular wines – 0 ºB
   • Light & fruity wines – 3 – 5 ºB
   • Gentle pressing is better
   • Stop pressing when ‘runnings’ taste thin
7. OPTIONAL - Malolactic Fermentation (ML) (2 – 6 weeks @ 75 – 80ºF)
   • 1/8 tsp nutrient per gallon of must
   • Inoculate wine with ML bacteria
   • Considered secondary ferment, skip #8
8. Secondary fermentation (1 – 2 weeks)
   • allows yeast and small particulates to drop out
   • wine finishes fermenting
   • Transfer wine leaving behind gross lees
   • Allow oxygen contact when racking
9. Stabilizing (1 – 2 months @ 55 – 60ºF)
   • Add ¼ tsp sulfite per 5 gallons
10. Barrel maturation (3 – 12 months @ 55 – 60ºF)
    • Add ¼ tsp sulfite per 5 gallons
    • Oak:
      • 0.5-0.6oz Med plus oak per gallon of wine
      • American oak = more aromatic
      • French and Hungarian oak = more body
11. Additional rackings
    • Every 3 – 6 months
    • Add 1/8th tsp sulfite per 5 gallons per racking
    • Oak/ tannins by taste
12. Final racking/ Pre-bottling
    • ~1 month before balance
    • Add ¼ tsp sulfite per 5 gallons
    • pH/TA
      • Too acidic –difficult, call NB for help
      • Too flat – add tartaric acid to taste
    • pH ~ 3.5
    • Fining - Super Kleer or Sparkolloid
    • Optional - Filter
13. Bottle
    • Add 1/8th tsp sulfite per 5 gallons
    • Second year optimal
    • Wait 2 months before opening to avoid bottle shock