Making wine using an off-the-shelf kit

 

Lucinda and Sean Flynn, from Hurstbridge, are permaculture enthusiasts who are leading lights in North East Region Permaculture.

Click here for a pdf version of this article.

1. Add sanitiser to water.
2. Wash then sterilise your fermenting drum.
3. Open the box and remove the additional ingredients. Pour 1 litre of boiling water into the fermenter and stir in the Bentonite.
4. Remove the lid from the grape concentrate and pour into the fermenter. Add another 2 litres of boiling water, then top up to 23 litres with water.
5. Stir in oak shavings then, when temperature is in the right range (see instructions), sprinkle yeast on top. Add the lid and airlock half filled with water, and leave to ferment.
6. When your hydrometer shows the initial ferment is complete, ‘rack’ (transfer) into a second sterilised fermenting container using your syphon. Then, add sulphite and stir as per directions, and then Kieselsol. Re-attach the lid and airlock, then leave one day.
7. After a day, pour in Chitosan and leave the wine to clear for another week.
8. When your wine is ready to bottle, clean and disinfect your bottles and syphon. Syphon the wine into each bottle, re-attach the lid, and label. You can drink it straight away, but it improves with age.
9. Drink and enjoy!

 Leave a Reply

(required)

(required)