Wine Making 101?

[hatfieldenator]

I have a unique oppurtunity to get my hands on some fresh California Grapes in the next few weeks so I thought I would try to make some wine for the first time. Can anyone point my in the direction of some how to resources? I want to know what sort of additional equipment I'll need outside of a fermenter. I already have a lot of beer brewing equipment, so I'm hoping at least some of it will be useful for making wine, but I'm totally clueless about what it involves. Thanks!

 

[Yooper]

I have a unique oppurtunity to get my hands on some fresh California Grapes in the next few weeks so I thought I would try to make some wine for the first time. Can anyone point my in the direction of some how to resources? I want to know what sort of additional equipment I'll need outside of a fermenter. I already have a lot of beer brewing equipment, so I'm hoping at least some of it will be useful for making wine, but I'm totally clueless about what it involves. Thanks!

I really like Jack Keller's website for all my winemaking questions, techniques, and recipes.

The basics are covered here (along with more info if you click on the link): http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/basics.asp

I don't have a press, or a crusher, so I do things the hard way I guess. I hand crush (it's easier if the grapes have been frozen first), and ferment in mesh bags. When it's time to press, I just squeeze my little heart out! It works pretty well, all things considered.

You should have everything you need, other than a press, a crusher, some extra large mesh bags, some campden tablets, and a corker. If you're using wine grapes, they are often adjusted for pH and things, but sometimes you can buy the crushed grapes that are already adjusted. It's not hard at all- if you can make beer, wine will be just as easy for you!

 

[hatfieldenator]

Thanks Yooper! I'll definitely check out that site. I'm going to try to keep it as simple as possible. I'll probably invite over some friends for a grape crushing party when its time to crush it all. Its easy to get people to do work for you when you've got homebrew on tap Anyway, about how many pounds of fresh grapes do you think I need if I want to make a full 5-6 gallons of wine?

 

[gregbathurst]

This book was written specifically for home winemakers in california, its very good.

http://www.amazon.com/Way-Make-Wine-Craft-Superb/dp/0520247191

 

[Yooper]

Thanks Yooper! I'll definitely check out that site. I'm going to try to keep it as simple as possible. I'll probably invite over some friends for a grape crushing party when its time to crush it all. Its easy to get people to do work for you when you've got homebrew on tap Anyway, about how many pounds of fresh grapes do you think I need if I want to make a full 5-6 gallons of wine?

It depends on what kind of grapes you mean! For wine grapes, you don't add any sugar or water so you need about a full 7 gallon bucket to make 3 gallons of wine. I don't know how many pounds that is- but you could sure find it on the internet pretty quickly.

I've done it, but I usually use "free" fruit, so I'm more often using native grapes. That varies depending on acidity and sugar content much more widely, so I usually use about 4-7 pounds per gallon (most often catawba grapes) and add water (to cut the acidity) and sugar (to boost the ABV, as they are low in natural sugars).