Your Winemaking Educational Source
Specific gravity is one of the most important measurements a winemaker makes. It tells us how much sugar we have, how far along fermentation might be, when it ends, and how much alcohol was produced.
In this episode of the Winemaker’s Academy Podcast the main topic and the quick tip both focus on specific gravity. What it means and how to get an accurate result when measuring it. Continue reading “The Specifics of Specific Gravity – WMA004”
A strawberry mead recipe by Matt Williams.
This was my first fruit wine that I ever made. I used frozen strawberries from the grocery store and a local Colorado honey.
It took about 3 weeks to fully ferment and I recommend giving it a full six months or more to clear. I opted not to degas the mead as the tiny amount of carbonation added a nice touch to the finished product. The final alcohol content was 14.25% prior to back sweetening (optional). Continue reading “Matt’s Strawberry Melomel”
Yeast is the star of the show when it comes to producing wine. Without these micro-organisms wine making itself would not be possible.
In this episode of The Winemaker’s Academy Podcast we explore what the yeast go through during the fermentation process. This is what is known as the yeast life cycle.
This cycle is broken down into four major phases, each of which describe what the yeast population is doing. Continue reading “The Yeast Life Cycle – WMA003”
Nearly every fruit wine recipe calls for pectic enzymes to be added but what do they really do? How do the work? Are there any safety concerns when working with this additive? Let’s find out.
Pectic enzyme, also known as pectinase, is a protein that is used to break down pectin, a jelly like glue that holds plant cells together. In wines pectin can cause troublesome “pectin haze” that is not easily cleared without the use of pectic enzymes. Continue reading “Using Pectic Enzymes to Make Wine”