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Checking the Specific Gravity and Racking

After the primary fermentation has slowed down (after about 7 days) it’s time to check the specific gravity. What this tells us is how the density of the wine compares to that of water.

Grape juice is more dense than water. Thus before we fermented the grape juice the specific gravity was over 1.0. As the yeast converted the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide during fermentation, the density of the wine has been decreasing. A specific gravity less than 0.990 tells us that the primary fermentation has slowed down enough that we need to rack. Continue reading “Checking the Specific Gravity and Racking”

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The Heart of a Winemaker

It takes a special kind of person to want to make wine. Loving wine itself is not enough. You must love the science behind the art. Do you have the heart of a winemaker?

A winemaker is someone who is:

1. Passionate about wine.

If you don’t love every aspect of wine and what goes into it then this is the wrong direction for you. Without passion winemaking is just too technical and too slow to keep your interest. Continue reading “The Heart of a Winemaker”

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Which Wine Kit Should I Start With?

When you first get started with making your own wine it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the number of decisions you have to make. I recommend you start simply with a wine kit.

Starting with a kit reduces the amount of equipment you need to purchase or rent at the outset. The process is also limited to that of making wine and does not include tasks such as finding grapes, pressing them, or any else besides the actual chemistry of making wines.

Choosing which wine kit to make is also an important decision which is influenced by several factors. Here are just a few things to think about. Continue reading “Which Wine Kit Should I Start With?”