A 2 gallon (7. 6 L) crock or glass jar (you can often find these at vintage or secondhand stores, however, be advised that many used crocks may have been used for sauerkraut or pickles and could contaminate your wine. A 1 gallon (3. 8 L) carboy (a glass container with a small neck) An airlock A thin plastic tube to be used for siphoning Clean wine bottles with corks or screw caps Campden tablets (optional)
Some winemakers choose not to wash the fruit before crushing. Since fruit has natural yeasts on its skin, it’s possible to make wine using only the yeast from the fruit’s skin and the air. However, washing the fruit and controlling the yeast you add allows you to ensure that the flavor of the wine will be to your liking; allowing wild yeast to grow can produce foul flavors. If you’re up for an experiment, you could make two batches of wine, one with controlled yeast and one with wild, to find out which you like best.
As an alternative to using a tablet, you can pour 2 cups of boiling water over the fruit. Using tap water can affect the taste of your wine, since it contains additives. Be sure to use filtered or spring water. [3] X Research source
You can add sugar or brown sugar instead of honey if you’d like. You can always add more honey later if your wine doesn’t come out as sweet as you like.
If you’re making wild yeast wine, you can skip this step.
Putting the crock in a cool place won’t facilitate the growth of the yeast. Storing it in a place that’s too warm will kill the yeast. Find a good in-between place in your kitchen.
If you don’t have an airlock, you can use a small balloon placed over the opening with about 5 pin sized holes in it. Secure it with tape. This will let the gas escape but not let in oxygen.
Use dark bottles to preserve the color of red wines.
Use very clean equipment to prevent bacteria from spoiling your wine. Keep your first ferment covered but allow for ventilation. Keep the secondary fermentation air-free. Keep all bottles full, to minimize oxygen in the bottle. Keep red wines in dark bottles so they don’t lose their appearance. Make wines too dry instead of too sweet: you can add sugar later. Taste the wine at intervals to make sure the process is going well.
Sell your wine, since this is illegal. Let vinegar flies come in contact with your wine. Use metal vessels. Use tools or containers made out of resinous wood, as they can spoil the wine’s flavor. Try to speed up fermentation by turning up the temperature. Filter without a reason or too soon. Store your wine in unsterilized jars or bottles. Bottle your wine before it has finished fermenting.
