|
|||
|
Back to the Forum Archives My reports on winemaking will require more than one essay. This is just the first one. A few months back I posted an essay called, "Let's Make Wine." That essay resulted from a recipe and procedure I learned from a very good friend. I never used the recipe myself but I did sample the wine he made. It was an excellent Zinfandel. Years ago, I had tried making wine myself but my success was very limited, In several attempts, I made one batch of excellent wild grape wine and one very good batch of plum wine. That was from about a dozen attempts. That ratio was too heartbreaking and I gave up. Since then, I have realized I was following bad advice. I was using a book written by a blowhard who knew almost nothing about winemaking. He only knew he hated Frenchmen. I wish I still had that book because I would like to expose him, but I forgot his name. Now I am again into winemaking, but with a much more scientific approach. I fully expect to be successful. My renewed interest came about because I had an unexpected harvest of Baco Noir grapes. These grapes came from vines my wife and I had planted years ago when I thought I would like to make wine someday. The vines are a French hybrid that took so long to develop I had forgot about my goals. Now, suddenly I was looking at a very nice harvests of Baco Noir grapes. These grapes are a hybrid developed by the outstanding horticulturist, Maurice Baco. They have several advantages over regular French hybrids. Besides the common outstanding flavor and sugar content, these have the advantage that they thrive in the very difficult growing conditions of central Michigan. This is definitely not the Mediterranean. For Michigan production, the most important feature is the early maturity of the grapes. They reach their peak of flavor and sugar content two weeks before the indigenous Concord grapes. So here I was with all of these delicious grapes. I just could not let them go to waste. There was only one thing to do. I decided to learn to make wine using the established procedures of real professionals and dedicated amateurs. I began with the recipe from my friend because he had been generally successful. However, since he had used a different grape (Zinfandel) than mine I thought I better learn more about the process. I also knew I would want some real equipment and I resolve booth requirements by finding some specialists on the internet. The outfit I found is Midwest Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies.
They are located in Minnesota, which is definitely in the Midwest
as their name implies. For those interested here are the particulars: These folks have an outstanding website with all of the paraphernalia useful or necessary for brewing and winemaking. They also offer a useful catalog. Since I was unsure of some of the terminology of this new venture, I found the catalog very helpful. Searching a website for an item when you don't know the correct name can be difficult at best. I found this site by typing the word winemaking into the "Ask Jeeves" search engine. I also discover there are many companies dedicated to this business. You need not accept the one I chose, but I will say I am pleased with them so far. As to suppliers, most medium sized to large cities will have several local places which specialize in fermenting and brewing supplies. There is at least one in Flint, Michigan and two that I know of in the Detroit area. Wherever you are, I'm sure your nearest city will be equally endowed. The point is, you will have a choice. About learning the process, I pointed out I had been following some bad advice. It turns out, in winemaking, it is very easy to get bad advice. While I was researching my subject I found a plethora of winemaking recipes. I downloaded several and discovered a fact I already knew. Advice is usually worth a bit less than what you paid for it. In this case, what I discovered was an ocean of generalizations and contradictions. That was when I decided I had better have a reliable reference manual. The book I chose is "The Art of Making Wine" by Stanley F. Anderson with Raymond Hull. It has a $14.00 cover price, but I bought it from Midwest for $10.95. I have found this to be an outstanding reference book and guide to winemaking. The book includes winemaking recipes alright, but it also has discussions of equipment, procedures, and ingredients. It was a well spent 11 bucks. Another thing I got from Midwest was a homemade video on DVD about brewing and winemaking. The price was right too. It came free with my first order. It features a dedicated amateur brewer and winemaker going through the procedures while talking the viewer through it. Even my wife enjoyed it. Concerning my orders to Midwest, I did spend a bit of money. This is in line with a theory of work I have developed over the years. That is, never try to get by on the cheap. If you expect to stick to it, good tools and equipment will always pay for themselves in time saved. In addition, they turn what could be a dreadful chore into a pleasant activity. So, in just a few days and five orders, I procured almost everything I needed or wanted for winemaking. There was one item I did not realize I would need. This was a heater. It took a near disaster with my Baco Noir grapes to point up my problem. The fact is, fermentation demands a controlled temperature of between 65 and 75 deg. F. If it gets too hot the yeast will be killed and fermentation will stop before the sugar is converted to alcohol. If it gets too cold, the yeast will just stop fermenting and may not start again. Either way, the process is stuck. In my case, I had my jug of fermenting wine sitting on a cold concrete floor. Sure enough, the fermentation stopped and I though I had lost the whole show. After watching the DVD from Midwest I knew why it had stopped. I acted quickly to add new yeast and get the jug off of the floor. I was lucky. Fermentation commenced again and the wine was saved. So far so good, but I needed a better solution. I decided I needed some kind of warm environment. I selected a cabinet in my hobby room and emptied it of contents. Then I insulated three side with fiberglass insulation. Finally I did what any red blooded American sneak would do. I pilfered the seed tray heating mat and its thermostat from my wife's greenhouse supplies. I put the mat on the floor of the cabinet. I put my jug of fermenting wine into this environment with a controlled temperature of 70 deg. F. and everything has worked well after that. About the heating mat, not to worry. I did replace what I borrowed. They may have one but I could not find a heating mat at Midwest. No problem. I typed propagation mat into good old "Ask Jeeves." Sure enough, he found several outfits. I chose Discount Hydroponics of Riverside CA. http://www.discount-hydro.com/ I ordered a new heating mat and thermostat from them. I'm sure these will be delivered before my wife needs them. Did I really need everything I bought for this winemaking
adventure? Of course not, but using this stuff will definitely
help me meet my criteria for this venture. In fact, I have three
criteria. First, the wine I make must be as good or better than
I can buy. Second, making wine must be fun and satisfying. Third,
it must cost a great deal less than commercial products, not
counting my labor. My labor must be thought of as an act of love.
In follow up essays, I will get into the specifics of the equipment
I have. I will deal with the costs and the whys of having all
this stuff.
|