Part 2 - Wine Making: First Fermentation

During the process of making wine, you will need to ferment the wine several times. With each step there is a need to examine the wine and to take the appropriate action. No matter what type of recipe you are using, the goal will be to find the best fermentation period. Once you have gotten the fruit?s flavor extracted from it, you
can begin the first step of fermentation. During this step, you?ll add in additional ingredients to the fruit in order to create the flavor that you want and then ferment the mixture for three to ten days. The temperature for this fermentation step is important. Get it as close to 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit as possible.

During this step, you?ll need to add sulfites to the mixture in order to keep bacteria from growing in the wine. It will also help with oxidation. To do this, dissolve Campden tablets or use a powdered potassium metabisulfite.

Next, you?ll need to add in pectin enzymes which have several jobs. The most important is for it to remove the pectin that?s found in fruits so that it does not spoil the wine. In addition to that, it also helps to begin the process of breaking down the wine by destroying cell walls. This should be added to the base after eight hours of resting from the time of the sulfite being added.

The next consideration is for the acid that?s in the wine. It is important for the acid to be adjusted in such a way as will allow for the acid to be balanced depending on what the fruit needs. For example, some fruits are too acidy while others don?t have enough. Your recipe will help you with this.

In addition to these, the recipe that you have will tell you the right amount of water, nutrients, and finally yeast that you need. You?ll then need to place the mixture into the fermenting vessel to get started. During the first 3 days, there is a need for oxygen to be allowed in. Follow your recipes instructions for exacts.