When to remove the pulp. Homemade grape wine - a recipe. Cherry wine

We will not repeat ourselves about the beneficial qualities of homemade grape wine, since the fact has long been well known. Among the main ones, for example, grape wine normalizes blood pressure, cures anemia and improves appetite, and regular daily consumption of a small amount of wine helps to remove radionuclides from the body. But even if it was not so useful, people would still prepare this drink because of its unique taste and ability to cheer up. There are many ways to make homemade grape wine... And it is clear that each has its own secrets, nuances and features. But the basic principles and rules for making grape wine are the same for everyone - grapes are harvested, sorted, sorted, crushed, put into fermentation. All homemade wines are prepared according to this simple algorithm and only small additions or special additions lead to the birth of various varieties of this drink. Also an important factor of success is the time parameters of various stages. home wine production and experience gained.

Before making homemade grape wine, you need to properly plant and grow the grapes that would best suit your purpose. The grapes must be harvested as late as possible, when it is fully ripe and reaches the maximum sugar content and acidity decreases.

The raw materials should be as pure as possible, because one of the rules of winemakers is to never wash grapes. Natural colonies of yeast fungi live on the skin of grapes, thanks to which the further fermentation process takes place. For making wine, berries should be selected especially carefully, sorting out literally each one, removing all spoiled and rotten ones, so as not to spoil the taste of the drink.

Cooking the pulp

The best dishes for homemade wine making - enameled or glass. Metal dishes are completely unsuitable, since the contact of wine with metal causes a chemical reaction, and the drink darkens and acquires a bad taste. Alternatively, you can use plastic food containers. For cooking, it is best to use large containers - 20-50 liters, since in small volumes grape wine ferments faster, and it is very difficult to control the process. All dishes should be rinsed well with hot water and baking soda before use.

We place the selected berries in a large saucepan or basin and start crushing. Some winemakers advise you to do this directly with your hands, someone uses canvas bags for this, rolling berries in them and squeezing the juice out of them, and someone crumples with an ordinary crush. Whichever method you choose, the main rule is one - crush all the grapes to a single one, so that not a single whole remains.
The temperature of the room in which fermentation will take place should be 18-23 degrees. C. This is very important. At higher temperatures, the quality of the wine will be lower and even acetic acid fermentation may occur, and the wine will turn into vinegar. At a lower temperature, fermentation may not start. That is why, if the berries were picked at an outside temperature below 15 degrees. C, they cannot be crushed immediately, but you need to wait several hours for them to warm up to the optimum temperature. Cover the container with the pulp with a clean cloth to prevent wine flies from developing. Fermentation should begin the next day. The pulp will rise upward with the emitted carbon dioxide, forming a cap over the wort. The raised cap of the pulp needs to be mixed several times a day. If this is not done, the pulp may turn sour. For 3-5 days, the pulp is squeezed out through a colander, and it is best to squeeze out with a simple press for juice, which can be made with your own hands or purchased ready-made, the pomace is used for livestock feed or thrown onto a compost heap. During the fermentation of the pulp, the coloring and aromatic substances in the skin of the berries are extracted, and the wine prepared in this way is much more aromatic, more intensely colored and extractive than wine prepared with squeezed juice.
Fill the container by about 2/3, as the "cap" will rise over time.

The initial stage is vigorous fermentation

As soon as a slightly sour smell goes from the pulp, it must be immediately poured into any container with a narrow neck. We had 20-liter glass bottles, on which we immediately put on any kind of water seal - rubber medical gloves with punctured "fingers" needles, plastic double caps, recently sold in the markets.

You can also use a classic water seal, which is done like this: a hole is drilled in a strong long plug into which a narrow rubber hose is inserted. The cork is tightly coated with plasticine or wax on top, and the lower end is lowered into a jar of clean water, where carbon dioxide will escape. The main thing is to block the access of oxygen and ensure the release of carbon dioxide, which forms during fermentation.
Important details: the upper end of the hose should be at the level of the outlet from the cork, and the pulp is poured into a bottle no higher than three quarters so that the juice does not spill out during fermentation.

Doesn't it wander? Let's make!

If the weather is cool and the juice does not begin to ferment for a long time, you can do two things. Pour a liter and a half of juice, mix with sugar and heat up to 40 degrees, and then pour back into the bottle. Or put 150 grams of finely crushed raspberries into an open jar, cover with gauze and wait a few days until the raspberries ferment. Then pour this yeast into a bottle and mix with the contents. The process will go on.

Next, we monitor the state of the pulp.
0.6% alcohol is formed from 1% sugar. But since most grape varieties in the central regions rarely accumulate sugar over 20%, it is impossible to get sweet wine with a strength of more than 10-12%. For this you need to add sugar. After 2-3 days, fermented wort should be tested for sugar. As soon as you feel that the wort has become sour (it means that the sugar has already been converted into alcohol), you need to add 50 g of sugar for each liter of it, mixing thoroughly. Repeat this several times, until you feel that the sugar content does not decrease. This means that fermentation has basically stopped, and the wort has accumulated about 15% alcohol. The fact is that the bulk of yeast cannot live in an environment with an alcohol content higher than 15-16%. That is, they destroy themselves and sink to the bottom.
From the beginning to this moment (depending on the temperature) the wort ferments for 2-4 weeks. The suspended particles sink to the bottom and the wort is partially clarified. It must be removed from the sediment using a siphon (hose) and sugar added to your liking. Some people then suggest placing the container under a water seal in the cellar for further clarification and maturation of the wine, which lasts several months. But a water seal is not needed for wine with a strength of 15% even at this stage. Wine with such spirituality will never turn sour. The fact is that very quiet fermentation will take place at this moment, and in a hermetically sealed container (say, in a glass cylinder) such a pressure of CO2 can be created that it will simply burst. To prevent this from happening, you need to suppress the vital activity of the remaining especially strong (pardon the pun) yeast specimens. Yeast bacteria at temperatures over 70 degrees. C perish. Therefore, the wine must be pasteurized at a temperature of 75-80 degrees. C for two hours. For those who have a gas water heater, it is very convenient to do it in the bath, provided, of course, that the volume of wine is significant. Personally, I immerse about 100 liters of wine in a bath in 3-10-20 liter bottles. The cylinders should not be fully filled, as intensive fermentation will take place for some time with abundant foam. Naturally, the plugs or lids must not be properly closed. In the absence of a column, pasteurization is performed on a gas stove. After the end of the heat treatment, the cylinders are topped up and tightly sealed with stoppers. The next day, after cooling down, they are taken to the cellar. The warmed wine brightens up perfectly and, quickly ripening, becomes soft, velvety and harmonious. You just have to remove it from the sediment several times.

First drain

We prepare another bottle - wash it, dry it, put it next to the full one. We insert the rubber hose into the pulp almost to the very bottom and drain all the juice through it. As a rule, from two full bottles of pulp, one juice is obtained without pulp, grains and rind.

We taste it. If it is sour, add 150-200 g of sugar for each liter of juice and put it back under the water seal. At this time, you can remove the containers from a sunny place, put them in the room. Sometimes the juice is very tart, so some add a liter and a half of water to it. But it's better to do without it.

Secondary or peta wine

What to do with the pulp, from which the juice has already been taken? We do it differently. Some owners who have little wine in the family just throw it away. But there are people, including myself, who love repeated wines - for my taste, they are both subtler and more refined than the first brighter, more concentrated and hoppy wines.

We measure how much juice has left the bottle, heat up the same amount of clean, preferably soft water, dissolve sugar in it - from 200 to 300 g per liter - and fill in the pulp. She, too, will wander, but for a longer time. As soon as the pulp becomes completely colorless and compressed into a dense layer, it can be discarded. And the juice, like the primary juice, is put into fermentation.

How wine matures

Now is the most crucial stage. When quiet fermentation begins, we ourselves will see how the sediment will sink to the bottom. The more often we remove it, the more transparent the wine will become.

Next, the blending process begins. Of course, this should be done if the farm has many grape varieties and among them are very sour, and vice versa, very sweet. In the end, by adding, diluting, adding additional norms of sugar, we do what we like best. But many of us prefer to make dry and semi-dry natural wines.

If desired, you can mix whites with reds and pinks. But a higher class should not be confused with, say, Riesling with Aligote, Bordeaux with Isabella, Lydia with Hamburg Muscat, etc. In such cases, rosé wines are not mixed with any others at all.

As a rule, wines fermented in September are ripe for the New Year. During this time, they are removed from the sediment twice or thrice. If we see that the wine has not yet ripened, but has completely stopped fermenting, it can be refreshed by pouring it twice in the air from one bottle to another.

In wineries, wine is artificially clarified by adding gelatin or egg whites. My advice is to do without it. Ripe wine, which is promptly freed from sediment, will clarify itself. When the wine is ripe, it will acquire its inherent taste and strength, it needs to be fixed.

Pasteurization

So that the ripened wine does not turn sour in the future from the penetration of air, it must be fixed by interrupting the process of quiet fermentation. For this we prepare bottles of champagne, cider or any dark bottle. Washed and dried, they are waiting in the wings. Bottles should only be glass.

Pouring wine into them, carefully seal them and, wrapping them with tow or any cloth, put them in a large saucepan, filling it with hot water. Insert a thermometer into one of the bottles. As soon as the wine in bottles heats up to 60 degrees, we keep it in this state for 20 minutes, take it out and send it to a cool, dark place, laying them on one side.

Diseases of wine and how to treat it

When making homemade grape wine, there is a chance that the process will go wrong for various reasons. Here are the main symptoms and methods of struggle.

Acetic fermentation of the drink

Symptoms of the disease: a film forms on the surface of the liquid, the grape alcohol is converted into vinegar.

Reason: this disease occurs when the required absolute purity of the process is not observed at any stage of making homemade wine. It is possible that the recipes were violated when adding yeast or sugar. Failure to comply with the temperature of the fermentation of the drink. Failure to comply with the proper rules for storing the product.

Treatment of wine disease: if the disease is detected at the initial stage (transparent thin film), the drink can be "cured" by sterilizing the liquid at 65-75 degrees Celsius and adding alcohol.

Obesity drink

Symptoms of the disease: homemade grape wine becomes oily, thick, stringy.

Reason: wine obesity occurs during "oxygen starvation" in anaerobic conditions.

Wine treatment: a sick drink is treated by simple airing when moving (pouring) the contents from one container to another clean container or by heating the liquid for 15 minutes at a 50-degree temperature.

Sour drink (murine disease)

Symptoms: Homemade grape wine smells like mouse urine.

The reason: such wine diseases are manifested when the technology and purity of preparation are not followed, or when the finished drink is not properly taken care of.

Beverage cure: 15-minute pasteurization of the product at 80-degree temperature. Sometimes adding citric acid to homemade wine helps. However, the drink, which is very "sick", cannot be restored any more.

Wine mold

Symptoms: the presence of a grayish film on the surface of the liquid, which subsequently shrinks, increases in thickness and, as a rule, acquires a yellowish or dark gray color. The strength of the wine decreases, the drink loses its aroma, acquiring an unpleasant smell.

Reason: non-compliance with cleanliness during the preparation of the drink, violation of fermentation requirements, violation of the rules for storing the product.

Wine treatment: the drink must be passed through activated carbon.

These are, perhaps, all the main diseases that homemade grape wine can undergo. True, sometimes the drink also has various off-flavors, but they, like many of the indicated wine diseases, arise mainly when purity and production technology are not observed.

Remember that good and healthy homemade wine can be obtained only with full compliance with the production technology, absolute cleanliness of the room, hoses, utensils and, of course, your hands. And then no wine cure is required.

Hand-made grape wine is always unique, it cannot be compared with what is sold in the store, not to mention the quality of purchased wine.

Quick jump to article

The first filtering of alcohol is done immediately after the end of active fermentation (depending on the type of wine, the duration of the process ranges from 35 to 55 days).

You yourself will determine the exact moment of removal from the sediment by the characteristic manifestations:

• the rubber glove worn on the container was blown off;
• the water seal has stopped gurgling, that is, carbon dioxide is no longer emitted into the dish with water;
• the wine has changed its color, that is, it has become transparent;
• a precipitate formed at the bottom.

Important! If fermentation lasts more than 55 days from the time the shutter was installed, then it is necessary to remove the wine from the sediment as soon as possible in order to prevent the emergence of a bitter taste of the drink. To do this, you must drain the drink and put it under the gate again for further fermentation at the same temperature.

This is especially true for apple wine, and in order for the apple wine to get an amber hue, it is better to place it in a lighted place for further fermentation (for example, a balcony).

It is also important that it is not recommended to remove alcohol in the phase of active fermentation, since the remaining live yeast bacteria are removed during the filtration process, and, therefore, fermentation will stop.

Home wine filtering rules

Before proceeding with the cleaning procedure itself, you need to find out how often grape wine should be removed from the lees, so that, for example, not to suspend the fermentation process.

Experts in this regard say that there are three transfusions in total:

The first filtration coincides with the end of the active fermentation of the drink. This happens when the odor trap stops bubbling and the wine gradually begins to brighten

It should be noted that if fermentation has not stopped after a month and a half - 50 days - it is necessary to remove the homemade wine from the lees as soon as possible in order to prevent the appearance of bitterness. After that, place the container with alcohol under the water seal again to complete the fermentation process.

These recommendations should be taken into account by those who are faced with the problem of how to remove apple wine from the sediment. Moreover, so that later the liquid becomes lighter, bottles with alcohol should be placed in a relatively lighted place - for example, on a balcony.

Experts recommend carrying out the second stage of cleaning after at least two months. Experts emphasize that after 60 days, you can no longer be afraid to disrupt the fermentation procedure - that is, to stop this chemical reaction.

The final stage is carried out three months after the second transfusion. However, if you manage to get rid of the turbidity during the previous phases, you do not need to repeat the procedure.

Depending on what raw material the drink was made from, the masters decide how often to remove the wine from the lees. There is a standard rule for most types of this alcohol: filtration should be carried out at the moment when a cloudy layer of 3-5 cm has formed on the bottom of the container.Further, cleaning should be carried out once every two weeks, if the substance was only sent for aging. In the future, it will be enough to filter the liquid once a month.

The drink is considered completely ready when the winemaker no longer sees sedimentary flakes at the bottom of the vessels. This will be a signal that you can safely pour alcohol into storage containers.

It must be remembered that tartar may form during the aging of the liquid. This noble sediment is not filtered off at this stage, since it indicates the naturalness of the product. In addition, these elements do not affect the taste of the drink at all. The stones are removed immediately before drinking homemade alcohol: the valuable substance is simply poured from the main container into the decanter.

How to remove sediment from muddy wine

After aging, the wine is clarified using the so-called "pasting": casein or egg white is introduced into it, forming an insoluble precipitate with unwanted substances. Then the wine is passed through a mechanical filter and bottled. Before cleaning muddy wine, you need to make sure that there is no mold and mildew.

As a rule, well-refined wines are not able to subsequently improve their quality, although they better tolerate transportation and temperature changes, while slightly clarified wines are easily vulnerable, but age well in bottles, while developing additional aromas. This is confirmed by the sediment inherent in expensive high quality wines.

The finished wine should be crystal clear, even with a slight haze, it is considered a low quality product. After the vigorous fermentation has stopped, the wine must be drained from the sediment, filtered and poured into a dry, clean bottle of slightly smaller volume, filling it completely to the neck. Approximately 3 days before pouring, the dishes with the finished wine are raised higher and if the wine after moving it does not show signs of fermentation, then it can be poured. Pouring before removing sediment from the wine also helps to air the wine.

You can pour wine using a rubber tube. To do this, one end of the rubber tube is lowered into a bottle of wine so that it is above the sediment level, and the other end is lowered into a clean bottle and a slight suction of liquid is made. The dishes filled with wine must be tightly closed with a water seal and placed in a cool place at a temperature of 10-12 degrees to continue the quiet fermentation, as a result of which the wine matures and brightens.

This fermentation lasts an average of 3-4 months. At first, the appearance of bubbles occurs at approximately the rate of 1 bubble in 10-15 minutes, and by the end of this period, fermentation completely stops. Then the cork with a water seal must be replaced with a cork stopper and the wine should be left in the same cool room for a while. This process is called aging. A sediment is gradually released from the wine and settles to the bottom of the dish. The wine lightens more and more, its taste becomes more and more pleasant. But it still has the smell of native fruits. During aging, some of the wine alcohol turns into ethereal compounds and gives the wine its specific taste and aroma, that is, the wine's bouquet is gradually formed.

Insidious wine sediment

Therefore, after the end of the vigorous fermentation, it is necessary to remove the wine from this pernicious sediment as soon as possible. There is no sense in delaying a week or two. This should be especially remembered when making light dry wines, because such wines spoil quite quickly, not like strong dessert ones. So, we come close to the process of pouring or removing wine from the lees. Well, let's figure out how to do it correctly.

Removing wine from the lees is not a complicated process. However, this sediment is quite insidious - you slightly stir the dishes and it can become cloudy and partially dissolve in wine. To avoid this, a couple of days before removing the wine from the sediment, we take the fermentation tank and put it on something crushing it above the floor about half a meter, well, for example, on a bench or on a stool.

How to properly strain plum wine from the sediment after fermentation winemaker tips

There are some peculiarities of straining a homemade drink made from different fruits. For example, most winemakers are interested in how to properly strain plum wine. A sign that signals that it needs to be filtered is the appearance of foam. It is most convenient to do this with gauze folded in several layers.

There are many expert points of view on how to strain wine after fermentation. Some people think that it is better to do this right through the small holes, while others are of the opinion that it is necessary to gradually reduce the size of the hole so that the color of the drink is cleaner and brighter. But still, how to strain the wine from the sediment is an individual matter. This process is influenced by many factors: for example, what is the main ingredient of the homemade drink or how long it will mature. In such cases, a real winemaker must “feel” his creation and independently decide how to carry out all the necessary procedures.

Now we know how best to strain wine at home to get a drink with irresistible taste and color. These tips will help both winemakers with little experience and experienced winemakers in their craft.

Removing wine from sediment

A thick layer of loose sediment that has settled on the bottom of the dishes consists mainly of dead yeast fungi and can quickly decompose or rot, and the wine will communicate an unpleasant taste and bitterness, as well as dregs, which are not always possible to get rid of later.
Therefore, young wine should not be kept on lees for more than 2 weeks.

This is especially important for slightly acidic light table wines, which spoil faster than stronger and sour wines. To remove this sediment from the wine, the wine is transfused

For this day, 2-3 before pouring, the dishes with wine are set higher, for example, on a table, stool, bench, etc. The pouring is started only when the wine has completely calmed down after this rearrangement.
For pouring wine, you need to purchase 1-1.5 meters of rubber tube with a thickness of a finger (rice). Then, after removing the fermentation tongue and cork from the dishes, one end of the tube is dipped into the wine so that it does not touch the sediment. The other end is dipped into a bucket, bowl, other utensil, or inserted into the throat of another bottle (rice). The wine is sucked through a tube and poured so that the drained wine is slightly less than the fermented wine.
In order for the wine to be better ventilated, it should be poured out of the tube in a thin, possibly longer trickle (for this, the dishes with wine should be placed higher) or even slightly sprinkled.
The sediment left in the vessel after pouring contains a fairly significant amount of wine. To use it and clear it of turbidity, the entire sediment is shaken and poured into a bag sewn from flannel or from a thick napkin canvas and fixed on the tragus or between the legs of an inverted stool (Fig).
In this case, the wine will be filtered and drained into the bowl underneath, rather clean and transparent. This strained wine is added to the wine poured through a tube. While the wine is being filtered from the sediment, you need to prepare new dishes for the poured wine. If there are no smaller dishes, then the poured wine is placed in a prszhmuyu, of course, thoroughly washing it off the foam on the walls and sediment residues, rinsing it several times and fumigating it with sulfur.
But it is better and safer, especially if a weak table wine is being prepared, in order to avoid spoilage, pour it into a smaller bowl. The fact is that, as we have already said, when setting the wort for fermentation, the dishes are not completely filled, but only 4 / 5-6 / 7 of the volume, in addition, part of the wine is spent on the sediment. Thus, after pouring it turns out to be less and it takes up about 3 / 5-5 / 7 of its volume in the same container.
Consequently, the area of \u200b\u200bfree contact of wine with air increases and the danger of wine disease by vinegar fermentation, flowering and other diseases increases. Therefore, it is better to place the poured wine in a smaller bowl, filling it to the top, to the very throat and even to the cork, in order to reduce the risk of contact with air. Strong wines are less likely to get sick, so they can be poured into the same dishes.
If a winemaker has several vessels with wine of the same sort, then, of course, he can combine the wine poured from several vessels, which should be drained into a separate small container and saved as a reserve for topping up the drying wine in other large vessels.
The bottle or barrel filled with wine is closed again with a cork with a fermenting tongue and transferred to a cooler place for secondary, quiet, fermentation.

In classical winemaking, the pulp separated from the juice is considered waste, thrown away or used for the production of distillates - chacha, grappa, etc. But if you don't need strong alcohol, you can make a second wine from the cake at home. Pomace of grapes, apples, currants or any other fruit is suitable. Next, we will consider the complete technology (called "petio"), which is not much more complicated than the traditional method, but has several nuances.

Attention! In terms of color, aroma and taste, secondary wine from the pulp will be worse than a drink prepared with pure juice, since most of the coloring substances and other useful elements are separated from the rind and pulp along with the juice during the first pressing. In extreme cases, the resulting "watery" wine can always be distilled into moonshine.

Theory. After separation of the juice, some sugar (1-5%) and extractives remain in the pulp and skin of the raw material, which one does not want to lose. This problem was dealt with by the French winemaker from Burgundy Petiot, who in 1854 developed a method for making repeated wine from grape pulp, which is applicable to any fruit.

The essence of the method is the equivalent replacement of squeezed juice with 20% sugar syrup (in equal proportions or close to equal parts). Thanks to the infusion of syrup on the pulp, you can get a drink with a strength of 10-12%. It is interesting that in France this alcohol is called "petiot" in honor of the author, but it is not recognized as wine.

Also in the wine-growing regions of France, another low-alcohol drink is made from pomace - “picket”. Not strongly pressed cake of necessarily sweet, dark grape varieties is simply poured with cold water and put to fermentation. The strength of the picket is 1-3%. For most Russian regions, this method is not applicable, since grapes and apples are often sour, and the juice is squeezed out with a press or a juicer. Next, we'll look at the Petiot method.

A universal recipe for pomace wine

Selection of raw materials. For the preparation of the second wine, the pomace of dark grapes grown in the southern regions is best suited. Try to avoid the Isabella variety, which contains hydrocyanic acid in the skin and pulp. Wine made from apple pomace or grape pulp of light varieties can turn out to be almost colorless and practically odorless. The same applies to the cake of red currants, cherries, strawberries and raspberries.

When planning to make wine from cake, during the primary separation of the juice, do not squeeze the pulp dry, leaving at least some of the tannins and microelements. The pomace should be put on secondary fermentation during the first day (preferably immediately) after separation of the juice in order to prevent oxidation and vinegar souring of the pulp. In this case, it is very important not to crush the bones, otherwise the drink will turn out to be bitter.

For regular beet sugar, you can substitute fructose or dextrose (powdered glucose). When making a syrup, it is important to consider that fructose is 70% sweeter than sugar, and glucose is 30% less sweet. This means that about 590 grams of fructose or 1.45 kg of dextrose is required to replace 1 kg of sugar.

Ingredients:

• fresh cake - 6-7 liters;
• water - 5 liters;
• sugar - 1 kg.

According to the classic recipe, the volume of pomace should be equal to the volume of sugar syrup, but taking into account the Russian realities of not very extractive grapes and other fruits, I advise you to increase the amount of cake by 20-40%. If the pulp is strongly compressed, the proportions can be leveled.

To avoid contamination with mold and other pathogenic microorganisms, all containers and instruments used should be thoroughly washed, then sterilized with boiling water or steam.

Second wine preparation technology

1. Dissolve 80% sugar in water (in our case 800 grams).

2. Put the cake into a fermentation container, pour over the syrup, mix. It is desirable that 20-30% of the container volume remain free.

3. Install a water seal on the neck of the container (you can use a glove with a hole pierced by a needle in your finger).

Glove instead of a shutter The most common and reliable odor trap

4. Transfer the wort to a dark room with a stable temperature of 18-28 ° C. Every 12 hours, remove the water seal (short-term air will not hurt) and stir the wort with a clean hand or a wooden stick, drowning the floating pulp and rind in the juice.

In a maximum of a day, foam and hissing should appear on the surface, which means that fermentation is proceeding normally. If there is no fermentation, you need to add wine yeast or sourdough. During the preparation of the starter culture, keep the wort under a water seal.

Foam indicates successful fermentation

5. After 12-15 days, when the pulp becomes colorless, strain the wort through cheesecloth and squeeze well. Add the remaining sugar to the pure juice (according to the proportions in the recipe, 200 grams) and pour again into the washed fermentation container.

6. The total fermentation time of homemade cake wine (from the start of preparation) is 20-50 days. The end of the process is evidenced by the absence of bubbles from the water seal for 1-2 days (the glove deflated) and a layer of sediment at the bottom.

It's time to drain the young wine through a straw into another container. Taste the drink, sweeten it with sugar to taste and (or) fix it with vodka (alcohol) in the amount of 2-15% of the wine volume. The fixing aids storage, but the flavor is harsher.

7. Fill the aging containers with wine from the mash (it is advisable to pour over the neck to minimize contact with oxygen). Close hermetically (if sugar was added at the previous stage, keep under a water seal for the first 7-10 days in case of re-fermentation), then transfer the drink to maturation in a dark room with a temperature of 5-16 ° C - cellar, basement or refrigerator. Leave for at least 3 months (preferably 6-8).

8. First, once every 10 days, then less often, when a layer of sediment of 3-4 cm appears, filter the drink by pouring it through a tube into another container, without touching the sediment.

9. If sediment does not appear in large quantities, the finished wine from the pomace can be bottled and then sealed.

Wine from grape pulp. Due to the right variety, sufficient maceration, the color is normal, but the taste and smell are "watery"

Strength - 9-12%. Shelf life in a refrigerator and basement up to 2 years.

The classic red winemaking methods are based on floating or submerged fermentation in wooden vats. Instead of vats, open and closed reinforced concrete and metal tanks have recently been used for fermentation by the red method. The advantage of an open tank is free access to the mixing cap. In open containers, cases of unkindness are less common, the fermentation temperature is slightly lower than in closed ones. Table wines fermented with a floating head have a slightly lower alcoholic strength, but are more harmonious and often of higher quality. The disadvantage of this system is the need to stir the cap in order to avoid the development of acetic acid bacteria in it and to better extract the phenolic substances.

The technological scheme for the preparation of red table wine materials with fermentation on the pulp includes the following operations:

1) intake of grapes;

2) transportation to crushing-combing;

3) separation of ridges and crushing of berries;

4) transportation of pulp for fermentation;

5) fermentation on the pulp in tanks or vats with a floating or submerged cap;

6) mixing the cap;

7) transportation of fermented pulp;

8) separation of wine materials of the first fraction;

9) pressing the pulp;

10) self-clarification of the wine material;

11) removal of wine material from yeast sediments.

The resulting pulp is sulphitized and fed into fermentation tanks - vats, reinforced concrete or metal tanks with an appropriate protective coating on the inner surface. Fermentation tanks are filled with pulp to about 80%. Fermentation is carried out in open or closed containers with a floating or submerged cap. In the process of fermentation with a floating cap, the pulp is thoroughly mixed 3 times a day with a stirrer or mesgon pump. Fermentation is carried out at a temperature of no more than 30 ° C, which is optimal for making red table wines. A higher fermentation temperature intensifies the color of the resulting wines, but their quality is worse. At temperatures above 36 ° С the yeast becomes inactive, at 39-40 ° С it dies off and fermentation stops. At the same time, pathogenic microorganisms, in particular lactic acid and mannitic bacteria, develop intensively. Therefore, when fermenting using the red method in large tanks, it is imperative to cool the fermenting wort.

The fermentation process is strictly controlled, the temperature, sugar and alcohol content by specific gravity, the state of yeast cells in the fermenting wort and microflora in the cap, the accumulation of dyes and tannins in the wine material are determined 3 times a day.

After the wine material acquires its characteristic color, astringency and fullness during fermentation, it is separated from the pulp. The process of separating the wine from the pulp plays an important role in the addition of the taste of red wine. The enrichment of wine with extractive, tannin, coloring and mineral substances depends on the duration of contact with the pulp. However, these substances are extracted at different rates.

After the end of fermentation, red wines, as a rule, are not left on the pulp for a long time, as this can dramatically deteriorate the quality of the product: the wine becomes too tart. In addition, aging with pulp has a detrimental effect on the shade of red wine. For ordinary table red wines, prepared according to the classical technology, the optimal contact time with the pulp is on average 7-8 days. Usually by this time the fermentation ends (specific gravity is less than 1), the fermentation tanks are unloaded by pumping the fermented pulp with a mesgon pump into a drainer or a press. Before starting pumping, it is necessary to thoroughly mix the contents of the fermentation tank using a stirrer or mezgon pump. A small amount of seeds and skins remains at the bottom, they are unloaded manually through the bottom hatch.

The yield of gravity wine material ranges from 60 to 70%, press wine - from 30 to 40%. The wine material flowing from the HDPE press is much coarser and has a less pure taste than gravity.

For ordinary wines, the pressed wine material goes along with gravity into the wine blend. In the production of fine vintage wines, gravity and press fractions are kept separately, sometimes pressed wine materials are added to blends in a certain volume.

The wine material separated from the pulp is placed in reinforced concrete tanks or other containers for clarification. If there is a sugar residue in the wine material, measures must be taken to completely ferment it.

When producing red wines, it is advisable to create favorable conditions for malolactic fermentation to reduce acidity. It reduces the acidity of red wines, makes them soft, significantly improves their organoleptic properties and makes them stable against microbial haze.

The successful course of malolactic fermentation is facilitated by some delay of wine on yeast sediments.

When fermentation ends, the young wine material self-clarifies. Self-clarification takes place very slowly when stored in large containers. In order to accelerate the self-clarification and separate the wine material from the bulk of the sediments, it is necessary to pour the first overflow into another tank 8-10 days after the complete completion of fermentation. This pouring is always done with aeration to release the carbon dioxide dissolved in the wine.

1-1.5 months after the first pouring, as the wine is fully clarified, the second pouring is made. If the clarification process in the tanks is poor, it is recommended to cool and filter the wine. To protect the color from browning and the tendency to oxidase cess during transfusions, it is necessary to inject SO2 in doses of 50 mg / l.

Fermentation on the pulp, a method of producing wine, based on combining the biochemical process of enzymatic decomposition of the carbohydrates of the wort with the extraction of components from the solid parts of the grape berry. In contrast to the fermentation of grape must, fermentation on the pulp consists in fermenting the must of red and, in some cases, white grape varieties together with the pulp in order to enrich the wine material with valuable substances contained in the skin, seeds and ridges. To intensify the extraction process, the fermentation temperature is maintained higher than during wort fermentation, and the pulp is mixed with the fermenting wort. Fermentation on pulp is used to obtain red table wines, certain types of strong (Madeira, port) and Kakhetian wines. There are different methods and technological schemes for carrying out fermentation on the pulp, incl. preparation of red wines, and their hardware solution. Classic schemes of fermentation on pulp in open or closed vats and tanks with a floating or submerged "cap" are used mainly for the preparation of red table wines.

Fermentation on the pulp with a floating "hat".

The grapes are crushed with a comb. The pulp is sulphitized at the rate of 100-150 mg SO 2 per 1 kg and is fed into oak vats, metal or reinforced concrete tanks, filling them to 80-85% of their capacity. 3-4% of the dilution of pure yeast culture in the stage of vigorous fermentation is introduced into the containers. Under the influence of carbon dioxide fermentation, the pulp (skin, scraps of ridges, seeds) rises up and forms a floating "cap" on the surface of the fermenting wort. On the surface of the "cap" favorable conditions are created for the development of acetic acid and other bacteria, which leads to the accumulation of acetic acid in wine and a decrease in its quality. To prevent the development of these bacteria, as well as for better extraction of coloring and phenolic substances, the "cap" is thoroughly mixed 3-4 times a day, each time for an hour. Stirring is carried out with a universal portable mash mixer UPM-3M or by pumping the wort from the bottom tank to the "cap". Sometimes compressed air or inert gas is used to mix the “caps”, which is supplied to the fermentation tanks through stationary pipelines, and then through flexible hoses with special outlets.

Scheme of fermentation on pulp with floating and submerged "cap" in vats by tubes into tanks under the "cap". Mixing the "cap" with compressed air leads to significant oxidation of anthocyanins and their precipitation. It is more rational to use an inert gas (carbon dioxide, nitrogen, etc.). Fermentation is carried out at a temperature of 28 ° -32 ° C, which is optimal for the quality of red table wines. the higher the fermentation temperature, the more intense the color of the resulting wines, but their quality is worse.At a temperature of 39 ° -40 ° C, yeast dies off, fermentation stops and becomes unkind.When fermenting in large tanks, the fermenting medium is cooled by pumping the fermenting wort through a tubular heat exchanger in which cold water or brine is passed in countercurrent.After 5-8 days, as soon as the wine material acquires characteristic color (500-600mg / dm 3 anthocyanins), astringency and fullness (1.5-2.0 g / dm 3 phenolic substances) during fermentation , it is separated from the pulp. From the fermentation tanks, the pulp, together with the wine material, is pumped by the mezgon pump into the drain and the press. Before pumping, the contents of the fermentation reserve uara is thoroughly mixed using a stirrer or mezgon pump. According to another method, the pulp is unloaded in the following sequence: first, the wine material is lowered through the lower tap, and then manually fed through the lower hatch into the press. An inclined grate is installed in the tank, through which the pulp is fed to the hatch. Scraper conveyors for unloading the "cap" in the upper part of the tank have also been proposed. The displacement of the mash upwards is carried out with the help of wine material pumped into the tank. The advantage of fermentation on the mash with a floating "head" is free access to the "head" for mixing. Table wines obtained by fermentation with a floating "cap", have a slightly lower alcoholic quality, but are more harmonious and of higher quality. In open tanks, cases of unkindness are less common, the fermentation temperature is slightly lower than in closed ones, but wine cannot be stored in them after fermentation. The need for repeated mixing of the "head" is a disadvantage of this system. The closed tank with a floating "head" can also be used for storing wine. Mixing the "cap" in such a tank is difficult and is usually done by pumping the fermenting wort onto the "cap" with a mezgon pump. The heat loss in a closed container is less and the fermentation temperature rises higher. Fermentation in such tanks is faster, but often due to a lack of oxygen necessary for the multiplication of yeast, fermentation in them is suspended. Fermentation with a submerged "cap". In the tank, about one quarter of the height from the top, a ledge is made with the help of which the grate is fastened. After the beginning of fermentation, the pulp is kept under the grate, and the wort, passing through the "cap", covers it with a layer of 25-30 cm Thus, the pulp is immersed in the fermenting wort. As a result, the risk of the development of vinegar bacteria in the "cap" is reduced. However, the pulp under the grate is strongly compressed and the color of the wine may be insufficient. Therefore, the "cap" is stirred 1-2 times a day by pumping the wort from the bottom of the tank to the top. For even distribution of pulp along the height of the vat, floor vats are proposed. Several layers of pulp are created using a series of horizontal gratings. At the same time, the wines are insufficiently colored and often unkind. The handling of such devices is very complicated, so they have not become widespread. Closed tank with automatic extraction and tank with automatic regulation of the fermentation system Dussel-Isman - improved devices for fermentation with a submerged "hat". When fermenting with a submerged "hat", the content of anthocyanins in the wine is less than when fermentation with a floating "head." and disassembling the grate for immersing the "cap". A common disadvantage of devices for fermentation with a floating and submerged "cap" is the difficult unloading of the pulp after fermentation. For fermentation on the pulp, the BRK-3M installation is also used (see. Apparatus for heat treatment of pulp). The proposed installations for fermentation on the pulp in the flow: the installation of Kremasi in Argentina; Ladousse, Bello and Vico in France; Defrancheski, Janatza, Padovan - in Italy; extractors-vinifiers VEKD-5 and VEK-2.5 - in Russia, the action of which is based on the removal of floating pulp in the upper part of the tanks using a rake, augers, scrapers.

For the preparation of grape wine, you should use only ripe grapes that have gained the full strength of juice and sugars. The method of making wine described below is universal.

The first holy rule of winemakers. The grapes are never washed under running water. Thus, yeast colonies that live directly on the berry are preserved. In industrial production, on the contrary, natural yeast is most often deliberately killed with the help of acids, so that then cultural wine yeast is added exactly at the rate, thereby achieving a stable result. But at home, no one can afford it. Therefore, natural yeast must be preserved on the surface of the berries.

The second operation is done at the request of the master. It's about the ridges, about the separation of grapes from the brushes. The ancient winemakers never separated the berries, but put heavy brushes under the press right from the field. But, in order not to doubt the final result, we recommend separating the berries from the brushes.

There are no rigid canons in the third operation. It is necessary to crush the grapes so that all the berries are flattened and let the juice out. Presses or special crushers can be used, but on their own farm, home winemakers can crush grapes with their hands or in large vats with their feet. In the absence of vats, you can crush grapes in any enamel saucepan. We recommend stocking up on two or three enamel pans with a capacity of at least 20 liters each. It is convenient to crush grapes in them, and most importantly - they serve as a kind of fermentation vats.

From the moment we began to crush the grapes, a mysterious fermentation process immediately begins in the must, which is the juice and pulp of berries. Yeast, combining with the sugars of grape juice, begins an active life, converting the latter into alcohol, while releasing carbon dioxide. The real wort will begin to ferment when you pour it into a specially prepared container. For a day it should be alone with itself, and then it is necessary to add boiled and cooled water exactly as much in volume as the wort takes. A certain amount of sugar must be dissolved in the water.
Note: some winemakers do not add water and sugar to the wort at all, ensuring that young dry wine ferments without sugar and water. Only after preparing dry wine is sugar added to it in certain proportions to get a strong wine. You can supply the wine using two technologies to see which way suits you best.

This is what a beginner winemaker can focus on when preparing wine with the addition of water and sugar. In a 20-liter saucepan, there should be at least ten liters of juice and pulp, and the other half is topped up with water in which 3–4–5 kilograms of sugar are dissolved. Why such a spread, and not a rigid norm? It all depends on your taste, finally, on your capabilities. It must be remembered that the less sugar, the more "dry" the wine will be, and therefore less will be stored at home, where it is difficult to withstand the temperature regime. The maximum amount of sugar per 20 liters of finished wine should not exceed six kilograms: you get a sweet dessert wine that can stand at home for several years, gradually gaining strength and acquiring a characteristic bouquet of expensive vintage wine.

Many winemakers advise against pouring the wort for fermentation in small vessels, considering one of the laws of winemaking that the wort does not like small volumes. It is also believed that fermentation takes place better in enamel pans than in glass containers of the same volume. But in the choice of vessels, of course, everything depends on your capabilities. Some winemakers achieve amazing results by making wine in three-liter cans (below we will tell you more about making wine in small vessels).

There are two types of wort fermentation.

First: fermentation takes place under the so-called hydraulic lock. The hydraulic lock is made very simple. The vessel with the wort is tightly closed with a stopper (preferably screwed), into which a glass or metal tube is inserted with a rubber hose at the end. The other end of the hose is lowered into a container of water. Then all the carbon dioxide that is released during fermentation can only come out through a tube through the water, and the air can get to the wine from the outside - for nothing.

The second option: the wort is left in an open container, constantly stirring the "cap" - the crushed berries that float up. The wine ferments “under the hat”, as the masters say, it is the “hat” that protects the wine from excess contact with the air. It becomes possible to mix the pulp twice a day, which allows you to extract from it everything useful and necessary for wine. In addition, when mixing the pulp, an even temperature regime is constantly maintained, and frosts can occur in vessels with a hydraulic lock.

As for the temperature regime, it must be remembered that young wine does not tolerate sudden temperature jumps, especially a rise in temperature. It is necessary to maintain the same temperature during the fermentation of wine (a temperature of 10 - 15 degrees can be considered normal, but it's okay if your house is slightly above 20 degrees). The higher the temperature, the faster the wort will ferment. At a temperature of 10 - 15 degrees, the wort ferments from a week to two weeks. At a temperature of 20 degrees - 3 - 4 days, if the wort ferments "under the head".

According to the observations of many winemakers, the wine walking under the "hydro-lock" wanders for about a month. But keeping track of wine on a hydraulic lock is much more difficult. If the wort under the hydraulic lock does not let bubbles with carbon dioxide, it means that the hydraulic lock is leaking air and the fermentation process is under threat. Check the strength of the hydraulic lock. If necessary, cover the joints of the lid with the jar with thick dough, gypsum, alabaster, cement, plasticine. If the release of bubbles from the rubber hose recovers, then you have achieved a complete seal of the wort.

The wort, "walking" under the hydraulic lock for about a month, completely ferments when the release of bubbles stops. The wort, completely fermented “under the hat,” is a frothy, intoxicating drink: all the pulp from the berries creates a dense head, and the ridges of bunches and seeds settle to the bottom.

You shouldn't miss out on the wine you spent: without delaying even for a day, you need to proceed to the first pouring of wine, freeing it from pulp, seeds, ridges. This is done simply, but one must remember: squeeze the pulp as thoroughly as possible, because this operation is associated with the loss of wine.

Here is an approximate guideline: out of 10 - 12 kilograms put into work, marc should be no more than two kilograms or a little more. Where there are large volumes, presses and mesh baskets are used. We can do better with you - to collect the pulp from the cap with our hands. Before doing this, wash your hands thoroughly. Wine does not like foreign smells at all, it easily absorbs them.

The first overflow is filtering through a colander or sieve all that remains after squeezing the pulp and removing the seeds. It is at this moment that the winemaker must finally conclude: what he wants in the end - dry or dessert wine. If it is dry, then it is not a sin to add sugar to the strained wort or young wine, no more than a kilogram per 20 liters - to maintain the fermentation reaction of the remaining yeast, which it must still have. Or you may not add it if you want to get a special dry wine, where there is not a single gram of excess sugar.

If there is an intention to have dessert wine, then it is reasonable to add more sugar, being guided by the fact that the maximum general rate should not exceed 6 kilograms for the same 20 liters of finished wine. But no matter what you do with sugar, in any case you need to know: you need to dissolve it only in wine.

At the first pouring into young wine, add from 5 to 10 grams per liter of ammonium chloride solution, which promotes more active fermentation of yeast. This chemical is widely used in photography, and it is not a problem to get it. But this recommendation is optional, since the ancient winemakers did without it.

Oxygen, or rather ordinary air, is like a werewolf for VIN. At the first stage, when the wort is fermented, he is a friend, because without him yeast will not develop and die, the reaction of their conversion of free sugars into alcohol will not go.
But now we have made the first pouring of wine, and oxygen turns from a friend into a dangerous enemy. Now, until we open the bottle, the air will lie in wait for the wine all the way, strive to oxidize it as quickly as possible, turn it into ordinary vinegar. And therefore, already at the first overflow, it is necessary to observe the law: a minimum of contact with air. How it's done?
It is recommended to pour wine into 20-liter glass containers, which are widely used in the food industry and medicine. At worst, you can use 10-liter ones, but the processes in them are more accelerated, and there is a risk of not achieving the desired result. But no matter what container you use, the wine needs to be poured to the very neck, so there is less contact with air.

Some people tighten the balloon with four-fold ordinary food grade polyethylene, which is tightly tightened with twine. After that, pierce in 2 - 3 places with a needle; and there is a complete guarantee that the cylinder will not spread the accumulated carbon dioxide, and the wine contacts with air are excluded.

An attentive reader should certainly have a question: they started the process in a vessel with a volume of 20 liters, squeezed out a total of at least 2 liters of pomace, how then to top up the glass bottle? The question is reasonable. Starting the process, we must remember that all the time we will need to have some amount of wine to top up under the neck. Where can I get it? Start with a slightly larger volume, say, not 20, but 25 - 30 liters. These surpluses can be stored in a three-liter bottle; the wine here matures faster, but a small addition to a large volume will not ultimately affect the quality of your wine.

Depending on the density of the wine material, residual sugar and yeast, temperature depends on the aging time of the wine after the first pouring. Usually after 2 - 3 weeks, sometimes after a month, or even more, the wine gradually brightens. The violent fermentation that began after the first overflow gradually ends, suspended particles settle to the bottom, the wine begins to lighten. This moment is very important in the life of wine, it should not be missed, because long storage of wine with sediment can ruin it - give an unpleasant smell.

At this point, the winemaker needs to have spare utensils. After all, now the wine needs to be poured into the same 20-liter bottle. If it is not there, you can pour it into an enamel bowl, thoroughly rinse the bottle and refill with the settled wine.
It is necessary to pour only with a small diameter hose made of chemically resistant rubber (best of all, medical). Only such an overflow will allow taking all the wine from the lees without loss.

Again, it may not be enough for a full bottle with a liter of wine. It is necessary to top it up from the stock that was prepared at the first stage, when the wort was fermenting. It is not superfluous to try a young wine: excessively dry, in which signs of vinegar appear, must be sweetened to maintain quality.

Having poured the wine a second time, you need to be patient until the process of clarification and maturation of the wine is completely finished. Now slowly, from 1 to 3 months, the wine will gradually change its appearance, becoming more and more transparent, showing color and shine, which depend on the quality and variety of grapes. If the grapes were black, the wine will turn red or deep burgundy. Light varieties give light colors. At the same time, the wine should not be disturbed once again or kept in the light, not to mention opening the vessel.

When the wine is ripe, it is necessary to make a third pouring with a thin hose. And now the wine can be considered ready: it is not a sin for them to treat friends, or rather, to be patient for a year. When the grapes of the new harvest appear, you can open the bottle and pour the wine into bottles, seal them tightly and put them in a cool place. A new season of winemaking begins, and what master does not meet him with wine of the old vintage? Winemakers all over the world honor this sacred rule.

Secrets of making homemade drinks: expert recommendations

Making homemade alcoholic beverages has already become a tradition of the Russian people. All kinds of tinctures and liqueurs, wines and liqueurs of our own production are always distinguished by their taste, high quality and naturalness. But the ability to make a good drink and not spoil it in the process is a whole art.

If you are a beginner and have not yet encountered this industry of homemade preparations, then you should know that all such drinks can be divided into two groups:

• Those that are prepared with alcohol (tincture, liqueur, liqueur, cognac);
• These imply the fermentation of the product and the natural release of alcohol (wine, ale, cider, beer).

In the first case, the preparation procedure does not require much effort and sterile conditions, since alcohol does all the work, it only takes time. And the second option implies a painstaking and careful attitude to the process, since a seemingly insignificant trifle or mistake can ruin the result.

What is pulp and how to use it in making drinks

When deciding to start making homemade wine or making cider or ale, you need to decide for yourself what you want to get in the end result: a strong light drink or soft aromatic nectar. The difference lies in the active fermentation process.

If you use pure squeezed juice with the addition of yeast for cooking, you will get a drink with a strength of more than 20%. By adding the pulp to the wort, you get a wine that will have a richer berry flavor, but a lower alcohol content (10-15%).

What is pulp

Pulp is a grated berry that is used along with the peel and seeds. If for infusions and liqueurs, the fruit is washed well and squeezed out clean filtered juice, then for fermentation, all the material is used, which is later removed from the drink. Steeping on the pulp gives the wine, cider or ale a richer color and deeper berry aroma.

As you know, the fermentation process is based on the presence of sugar and yeast bacteria in the wort. Many winemakers prefer to use pure juice, stimulating active fermentation by adding dry wine yeast. Others prefer a natural cooking process.

Yeast is a living microorganism that, getting under certain conditions, begins to actively multiply and process the product. The presence of sugar and the right temperature in the room: 18-22 degrees Celsius, is an ideal atmosphere for fermentation. This can be easily verified by leaving the opened juice at room temperature for a few days.

Berries and fruits harvested directly from a bush or tree contain on their surface the very microorganisms that provide an active fermentation process. That is why it is not recommended to wash the fruit before use. Thus, the pulp provides a natural process for making homemade alcohol.

How to separate the juice from the pulp video instruction

How to use the pulp correctly

For a wine to have a rich berry flavor and color, the use of juice alone is not enough. The grated fruits, along with the pulp, seeds and peel, are added to a container with wort and insisted for 5-7 days. During this period, it is important to gently stir the pulp several times every day without touching the sediment.

Already on the second day of active fermentation, the remnants of the fruit rise in the form of a cap. The resulting pulp dries quickly, prevents the release of carbon dioxide and can sour, giving the drink a sour vinegar taste. To avoid this, it is necessary to mix the contents frequently.

What is wine soot and how to use it

Within a week, the remnants of the berries will completely give the liquid everything you need. Next, it is important to properly remove the pulp and filter the contents. In this process, do not forget about the sediment. At the bottom of the container, a layer of settled grape seeds and particles of berries - wine soot - gradually forms. In order not to touch it during draining, do not move, raise or tilt the container.

The fermented wort is poured with a ladle and filtered through several layers of gauze. The wine soot remaining at the bottom is often used to make other fruity alcoholic beverages, such as persimmon wine. This procedure will give it a brighter color and richer taste.

The pulp remaining after filtration is thrown into a compost pit or added to animal feed, and the drink itself continues to ferment actively.

Active fermentation process: what is a water seal for

Fermentation can take from two weeks to several months (it all depends on the recipe and the desired result). During this period, sugar processing and the release of carbon dioxide and alcohol continue. Right now, it is important to exclude the ingress of oxygen into the container with wort. Bacteria in the air can cause malolactic fermentation, which can make the drink taste sour or bitter.

To avoid this, it is necessary to use a clean container (glass or wood) and a special shutter that prevents oxygen from entering the wort. The most practical option is a water seal, which is a special curved tube filled with water that allows moderately emitted carbon dioxide to pass through and blocks air access. Such a device is attached to the lid of the container and you can easily make it yourself from available tools.

Classic odor trap

Its mechanism of action is very simple:

• A small hole is made in the nylon cover from the container used, into which a flexible tube (plastic or rubber) is inserted;
• For tightness, the junction is sealed with plasticine or glue;
• A small container filled with water is placed next to it, and the other end of the tube is lowered into it.

Thus, the emitted carbon dioxide is released through the pipe through the container with water, and air does not enter the wort.

How to make a water seal at home video instruction

Medical glove

The easiest way is with a medical glove. It is put on the neck of the container, instead of a lid, and tightly fixed with thread or braid. But one of the fingers of the glove is pierced with a needle with a needle. The accumulated gas is released, stretching the rubber, and oxygen is not supplied due to the reverse compression of the material.

Cotton plug

Cotton wool or other porous material is used that allows carbon dioxide to pass through, which is used to close the opening of the container with the future drink. In this case, there is no complete guarantee of tightness and it is difficult to determine the end of the fermentation process.

Removing wine from the lees: the final stage of preparation

When the homemade drink is almost ready, the most crucial stage begins - removal from the sediment. The name speaks for itself: the wine is not drained, but carefully removed so as not to muddy it.

Even after removing the wine soot from the wort and filtering it from the pulp, a precipitate is still formed in the drink. In order for the wine or cider to remain transparent and free of foreign tastes and impurities, it is important to carry out the correct removal procedure at home.

The sediment is formed from dead yeast fungi, and its presence in the drink is undesirable, as it can cause decay and spoilage. The procedure is carried out as follows:

• A few days before removal, the bottle with wort is placed on an elevated place (table, shelf or stool);
• When the drink has completely settled after moving, you can open the cork;
• It is necessary to use a thin rubber hose with a diameter of 1.5-2 cm and a length of 150 cm, one end of it is lowered into a container without affecting the sediment, the other hangs freely down into a prepared bowl or enamel bucket;
• Gradually sucking air from the free end of the hose, the finished wine begins to flow out (it is recommended to immediately ventilate it by increasing the length of the flowing stream and slightly sprinkling);
• The rest of the wort with the sediment is filtered through a thick cloth and, if desired, mixed with the finished wine.

The drink is poured into containers and sealed tightly. The cooking process does not end there, but such a young wine can already be tasted. A drink, infused for a longer time, becomes noble and mature, preserving and increasing its best taste.

Sludge removal and spill procedure: video instruction

Outcome

Making homemade wine or cider takes a lot of effort and skill. Not a single drink purchased from a store shelf can compare with one prepared with your own hands, and the result will exceed all expectations. Enjoy homemade infusions and wines and boost immunity, using small doses will not only lift your mood, but also resist pathogenic bacteria and do not worry about the presence of chemicals and flavors in them.