Over the years I made wine using different fruits and juices. They differed in ways of initial processing and in flavor. I make my wine without chemical additives. That is as close to all natural wine as I got. The next notch would be to use organic fruits or juices, but the whole cost will increase significantly, unless you grow your own organic fruits. I have done once a small batch of organic wine from the wild blackberries, and it was definitely worth the effort. The flavor was exceptional. Now, when I reminisce about it, I’ll probably do it again after the next year’s crop. It was gooood!
I like to use concentrated juice over the whole fruit in the process of winemaking. Using juice allows to skip the fruit pressing step, makes the batch cleaner and easier to work with. And the flavor is not compromised.
After many years of experimenting, I found my favorite - concord grape wine - and that is what I continue to make. I buy the frozen concentrated juice, NOTE: without sulfates added. Most concentrated juices contain the sulfates, but check the ingredients and you’ll find the one without sulfates. Red wine is my favorite so concord grape juice suits me well.
My most basic idea regarding winemaking is to keep it simple. My first batch was so labor intensive, that I almost gave up the winemaking altogether. Then, I thought, there has to an easier way. After all, as the legend says, invention of wine happened by accident… it must have been simple. I don’t use any chemicals to clean the equipment, to enhance the flavor or to clarify the wine. My main objective is to create the natural, healthy beverage. The following recipe is for the sweet desert wine. If you like, you can reduce the amount of sugar for more dry effect.
EQUIPMENT
To make any kind of wine, basically the same equipment is needed: glass carboy, a couple of large…, large pots, carboy bung, funnel, measuring cup, water lock, bottle brushes for bottles and carboys, steering paddle, siphon tubing, bottles, corks. All those supplies can be found online or at your local winemaking supplier. I use the glass carboy for the entire process of fermenting, so I didn’t list the primary fermentation pile, but you can certainly add it to your list.
PREPARING THE MIXTURE
The most important thing in making a good batch of wine is to keep everything as clean as possible. The wine can spoil easily, and you’ll end up with a big batch of … vinegar. So, I start with boiling the concentrated juice in a big pot for 20 min. I do the same with the water with sugar. This process should kill the unwanted bacteria.
As I said, I don’t use the primary fermentation pile, just the carboy. Before use, I wash the carboy using dishwashing liquid, hot water and bottle brushes, assuring all surfaces are scrubbed well, then thoroughly rinsed with hot tap water. The bung and water lock are washed with dishwashing liquid and hot water, then rinsed well with hot tap water.
I use 3 gallon carboys so the recipe is for this size of the carboy. The recipe is for the sweet desert wine. If you like you can reduce the amount of sugar for more dry effect.
INGREDIENTS:
- 10 12oz cans - frozen concentrated concord grape juice without sulfates
- 5 ½ lb - sugar (added in 3 stages)
- 1tbsp + 1tsp - dry active yeast
- 7qts - water
- 1tsp - ascorbic acid (or 2 tbsp of lemon juice)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Boil 4qts of water with 3lb of sugar for 20 min and cool to room temp. Boil the rest of the water in a separate pot without sugar and also cool to room temp.
2. Boil the juice for 20 min and cool to room temp.
3. Dissolve yeast in 8-10oz glass of water (use boiled and cooled water).
4. Pour juice, water with sugar and dissolved yeast into a clean carboy. Mix thoroughly, add water to fill about 80% of carboy. Mix again, close with water lock leave away from direct light and the room temperature about 70F. I keep mine on the kitchen counter. If direct light can not be avoided, simply wrap the glass carboy with a bath towel. Direct light may stimulate unwanted bacteria to grow.
5. For next 3 days stir the mixture once a day. It can be done with a paddle or just give it a good swoosh swirling the bottle. Do it carefully; fermenting mixture is bubbly so be careful not to let it go to the water lock. If it does, just remove the lock and rinse it in a cold running water.
6. For next 7 days, leave the carboy alone and let the fermentation continue. There should be tiny bubbles of fermentation gasses rising up from the mixture. You will see them and smell them too. It’s good to keep the carboy in a place where it will be easy to rack it without
7. After next 10 days the fermentation will slow down. It’s time now to rack the mixture to a clean carboy using the siphon tube. Don’t move the carboy before racking, we don’t want to disturb the sediment. The objective is to separate the clear mixture from the sediment. I rack to a clean, big pot, then wash the carboy and pour the mixture right back to it. Dissolve 1 ¼ lb of sugar in 24oz of water and boil it for 20 min, then cool to room temperature. Boil and cool more water to fill the carboy 3 to 4in from the top edge of the neck. The water lock needs to be rinsed well in cold water and reinstalled on the carboy.
8. After next 2 weeks rack the mixture again and add another 1 ¼ lb sugar using directions from pt 7. After that, place the carboy in a cooler, dark space, around 60F and leave for next 5 weeks. If dark space is hard to find wrap the carboy in a bath towel. Be patient…
9. Rack the wine every 5-6 weeks until at least 4 months from the beginning of the process. Racking will make the wine clear. Once, I have kept the wine in the carboy for almost a year racking every 6-8 weeks for the last 6 months and the wine turned out great. Patience does pay off in winemaking.
10. After you decide that the wine is clear enough for bottling, rack the last time and bottle. Mature at least 6 months. Best after matured at least 3 years. Enjoy.
