Thread: Homemade Country Wine Production

I have been fermenting Citrus wines for a while now. The acidity of the Wine Must makes Wine Yeast choices very limited. Lalvin EC-1118 & Red Star Coates de Blanc are my 2 most reliable but still take 2-4 days for fermentation to begin. A lot of Wine Makers do not bother with using the Yeast Starter method although the Yeast manufacturers recommend it. I use a digital temperature probe to monitor starter water temperature. Using distilled water I put 3/4 cup in a 2 cup measuring cup microwave safe. After heating the water to over 110 degrees I monitor the water temp closely till it falls to 110 degrees. At this point I add 1/2Tsp Scott Laboratories Go-Ferm GO-FERM™ | Scott Laboratories stirring it well. Stirring cools the water. Once the water reaches 104 degrees I add 1Tsp sugar and my Yeast. I just sprinkle the Yeast on top allowing it to wet out and sink on its own. Once the yeast is foaming well, about 20 minutes I ladle 1 scoop of Wine Must into the Yeast Starter every 5 minutes for 3 scoops of the ladle to acclimate the Yeast to the environment I am adding them to.



To provide the Must with the proper nutrients for successful Yeast start I add a couple of things to the Wine Must itself. Here I added 2 Tsp Yeast Nutrient (basically a yeast fertilizer) and a special additive Fermoplus Integrateur Fermoplus(R) integrateur for brewing at the best online price - COMPLEX for brewing | AEB US to finish out my supplement program. Bon Temp's Honey just provides some kind of added benefit because not even 12 hours after pitching the Yeast they are already at work.



In a Wine Must the cloudiness seen here is the Yeast already hard at work. It is just remarkable.

I’m drunk!

Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

I’m drunk!

Here is a picture after 20 hours into Fermentation. Zoom in to the Air Lock on top and you can see the little cap on the inside is pushed up well by the CO2 generated by the Yeast. Alcohol is on the way.

Since it takes 2-3 years for a Mead like this to get smooth in the bottle you have to keep something in the pipeline. Bon Temps turning me on to making Mead really helped me keep the pipeline flowing with Homebrew to bottle.

Originally Posted by Rojo

Here is a picture after 20 hours into Fermentation. Zoom in to the Air Lock on top and you can see the little cap on the inside is pushed up well by the CO2 generated by the Yeast. Alcohol is on the way.

I see the backup bottle to imbibe in while fermentation is taking place…

Interesting you noticed the Vodka, that's the liquid in the Air Lock. Got that from one of Bon Temps' friends. I used to use distilled water but after 6-8 months some of the air locks would get a growth in the liquid. Nothing grows in the Vodka but you have to top it off 3 times as much.

One jigger fer the wine and two or three jiggers full for you I say!

Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

I’m drunk!

That’s what I was thinking since you like mushrooms