July 2015 – Winemaker's Academy

[ Podcast not currently available. Podcast content has been lost. We are attempting to recover them. If you have any of this content saved please contact the site administrator using the Contact Us form on this site. ]

This is the first in a three-part interview series with Winemaker’s Academy member Chris, a first time winemaker. Together she and I walk through the first steps of the kit winemaking process. We discuss what needs to be done, what to watch out for, and answer Chris’s questions on what’s in store for her.

Winexpert French Cabernet Sauvignon wine kit. If you’re a beginner and have been wondering what’s involved in making a kit wine for the first time this episode is for you. Much of what we cover is also available in the Ultimate Guide to Kit Winemaking. Continue reading “First Time Winemaker – Part I”

Pitching yeast into a wine must can be very stressful for these micro-organisms upon which we rely for the production of alcohol. Exposing yeast to changes in temperature, sugar levels, as well as sulfite and nutrient levels causes them stress. If the stress is too much to bear they may go into shock or die off. Creating a yeast starter is the best way to reduce shock and ensure a healthy population is introduced to your wine.

A small yeast starter for a 1 gallon batch of wine. — A small yeast starter.

Our job as a winemaker is to make this transition as easy on the yeast as possible so that fermentation gets underway with a healthy and active yeast population. This article assumes you are pitching your own wine yeast and not relying upon wild yeast to make your wine. Continue reading “The Importance of Yeast Starters”