In part one we went over how easy it is to make hooch/ homemade wine also sometimes referred to as Prison Wine. In part two we dug a little deeper and went over how to control ABV, how to degas, amongst other notable things. Now we are on to the third and last portion of this series. What else is there to go over? Equipment: for those who want to take things a little more seriously or want to make larger batches of WINE there is equipment that will help you do just that. Lets go over what, where, when and how to use such equipment. I highly recommend you read part one and part two for a better understanding of what is being discussed here in this post. Links to each part located at the bottom of this page.
Carboy
A Carboy is a large jug made of glass. Some say that using a plastic jug for wine making shouldn't be done as the activity that takes place during fermentation might scrape some plastic particles off. Which means such particles might be left behind in your final product. A Carboy also goes by the name demijohn.
Image Source: wikipedia.org
Airlock
In part one we went over the importance of a loose cap on your wine jug/ juice jug as to let the C02 escape. The logic is the same when using an airlock but with an airlock you want to make sure the cover is on as tight as possible. The airlock itself will dispense of the unwanted gases. To use an airlock fill your airlock up with water to the fill-line. Then place it into the air-tight gasket in the cap you are using on your Carboy. There are a handful of different designs but they all basically work the same way.
Image Source: Stock Images
Siphon Hose
There are siphon hoses you can purchase that have a hand held pump on them to help get the transfer of product underway and they are certainly recommended but not needed. Any siphon hose will do. Just keep in mind when you are transferring your product with a siphon hose that the jug you are transferring into needs to be lower than the jug you are transferring out of. Otherwise the siphon won't work.
Image Source: Stock Images
Siphon Hose Filter
When transferring your product form one jug to another using a filter on the end of your siphon hose will help reduce the sediment that transfers over into your new jug. You can see how the filter attaches to the siphon hose in the second and forth image in the above screenshot. Below is a screenshot of some filters.
Image Source: Stock Images
Final Thoughts:
That's it folks; Wine making really is that easy. Aside from everything mentioned it can't be understated the importance of sanitation. You don't want unwanted bacteria getting in as it will turn your WINE making experience into a vinegar making experience (certain very common bacteria feed on ethanol (alcohol) and turn that ethanol into vinegar. If you want to dig a little deeper there is chemicals that some like to use to help clear the final product but I stay away from such things. Time is on your side with wine making. The longer you let it sit the more clear and tasty it will get. I made a batch using the process noted in Part One and it took a total of two months to reach the final product.
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Part One: The Recipe
Raw URL
Title: Lets Make Some Hooch (Homemade Wine)
Part Two: Digging Deeper
Raw URL
Title: Wine Making Part Two
Disclaimer:
Check with your local laws before creating or consuming any alcoholic beverages. This post is for entertainment purposes only and does not endorse alcohol consumption. Also important to note is if you plan on storing your wine for future indulgences you might need to burp the wine. Meaning you will need to open the cover for a second every day or two just in-case there is still some gas being released. As time goes on and the gas releases less burping will be needed. If not your jug might erupt and you'll have a sticky mess to clean up. If you are using an airlock burping will not be needed. As always and with any and all things: Do your own research before attempting.
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