Monthly Archives: November 2012

Wine Making Techniques (Red vs White)

If you were to look at the free-run juice from red and white grapes you wouldn’t see much difference.  In both cases the free-run juice would be similar in color and consistency.  Red wine is …Read More

Pressing Wine Grapes

Pressing grapes is not the same as crushing grapes.  Pressing grapes extracts the juice from the grape.  Pressing grapes has an influence on the color of the wine you make.  Therefore, when making red or …Read More

Crushing Wine Grapes

Crushing your grapes before you press them purposefully bursts the skin of each individual grape.  That way the juice is released from the pulp and your resulting wine can reach its full potential.  Once your …Read More

How To Sanitize Wine Making Equipment

Have you ever produced wine that you refused to drink?  The good news is that your not alone.  The bad news is that it is most likely your fault.  The most common problem in poor …Read More

How to Rack Your Wine

There is often confusion around “what is” and “what isn’t” racking.  Racking “is” the process by which you move wine must from one carboy to another in order to leave the sediment behind.  The sole …Read More

How to Bottle Your Wine

Now that your wine has fermented and is clear of sediment (racked) it’s time for the final step; bottling!  Your first task is to find the type of bottle that will best suit your wine.  …Read More

Cleaning and Sanitizing Carboys

Carboys, also called demijohns, are the primary tool for the first stage of fermentation.  Sometimes a secondary carboy can be employed for conditioning but usually the wine is transferred directly into clean bottles for final …Read More

Cleaning and Sanitizing Wine Bottles

From start to finish every piece of equipment used in the wine making process needs to be cleaned and sanitized.  Regardless of the type of bottle you use there is no exception for skipping this …Read More

Cleaning and Sanitizing Barrels

If your barrel is clean does that means it’s sanitary?  Unfortunately, no.  Clean only means free of visible grit, grease and grime.  Sanitary speaks to a microscopic level of clean.  Sanitary means free from bacteria. …Read More