Wine Fermentation can be very tricky. You have to know the right ingredients and the right process to follow in order to produce a perfectly fermented wine. Fermentation, as defined in the dictionary, “is the change brought about by ferment, as yeast enzymes, which convert sugar into ethyl alcohol”.  Simply put, it is the process by which a fruit is made into a wine by the use of yeast as an enzyme. 

 As part of the process, the ideal condition for a perfect fermentation is a warm environment. This will help the living organism in the fruit being fermented and the yeast, as the enzyme, to multiply rapidly.  

 You will need 14 days of fermentation under a warm condition before you can put the wine in a bottle or stone jars. It is important to keep the wine in a warm place, during fermentation. Cold places can kill the yeast and fermentation will not happen or will be greatly slowed down.

 It is also crucial that you keep a tight sealed bottle to prevent other bacteria from growing and air from getting into the wine, but that will also let air out. This will not only keep the wine good quality, it will also ensure a hygienic wine fermentation. 

 Natural wine fermentation is also the best way to produce wine. A promising bacteria called lactic acid bacteria or LAB can fight against the growth of harmful micro-organisms. This will protect the wine from any further damage once the fermentation process is finished.

 It is wise to invest in a good quality wine making kit. This will include airtight containers, either plastic or glass bottles for the first fermentation and a carboy in the next process of fermentation. Racking tools for transferring the wine after the first fermentation to move to the second fermentation are also necessary.  This kit will also include some chemistry tools, which can be bought from your wine shop or you may order them online.  With these tips and tools you will be well on your way to begin your first wine fermentation.

Wine makers and connoisseurs of fermentation use certain “terms” to refer to the various steps and processes that have to happen in order to turn fruit or juice into wine.   Learning and knowing them can help make your journey toward making homemade wine that much easier.

One of the first things you have to do to your juice, before adding the yeast is called “musting”.  This is where you add some kind of a sulfite to the juice to make sure that you kill all of the bacteria that might be already living in the juice.  Typically, Campden Tablets are used for this and they are crushed, dissolved in water and then added to the juice and given atleast 24 hours to do their work.

The next step is called “pitching” – this is the act of adding the yeast to your juice.  The types of yeast that you can “pitch” vary widely from the most common baking yeast that you can get in the grocery store to specialty yeast strains that are used by expert wine makers.  Different strains of yeast can greatly affect the taste of the wine both negatively and positively depending on your tastes and preferences.

The last important term to learn in making homemade wine is “racking”.  This is where you move the wine form one container to the next between its primary and secondary fermentation process.  There are several ways to do this, but typically some sort of plastic tubing is use to siphon the wine.  It is important to not disturb the sediment that have fallen to the bottom of your containers, because the wine that sits there often has an “off” taste.

Learning the art of making homemade wine takes time and patience, but can be achieved and is very rewarding when you finally find a great recipe and produce a really good batch of homemade wine.  Take the time to educate yourself and with trial and error you will become an expert wine maker and be able to share your art with your family and friends.