Potassium Sorbate- Used to prevent renewed fermentation. It will not however, stop an active ferment. Use three quarters of one teaspoon per gallon when fermentation has ended, then add sugar to taste if needed.
Wine Making Ingredients Glossary
Wine making ingredients can be confusing. Why do you need that stuff?
The simple answer is that they make the wine making process easier and more fool proof. Back in the day they did not have all of the conveniences that science has provided and a lot of what they did produced unreliable results. The seemingly same process could give you a delicious wine... or it could give you vinegar.
I am not saying that I can not follow a recipe and get wine or vinegar from the same process... because I can... I am just good that way... but the wine making ingredients that we have available to us today sure do make the process easier and more fool proof.
The stuff in the list to follow are items that you might see in the recipes for your home made wine. I just think that it is better to know why you are adding something to your wine if you know what it is supposed to be doing.
Acid Blend
You will see a lot of reference to acids when it comes to wine making ingredients. You will sometimes be asked to test the acid levels and add acid or reduce acid depending on the test results. Acid helps to preserve your wine.
Acid blend is a combination of citric, malic and tartaric acid and is usually just labeled "acid blend". You can also add these acids individually if you choose. If you see the acids listed individually feel free to substitute acid blend. You can also use the juice from one lemon in place of 1 tsp of acid blend. The lemon will obviously also add a bit of its own flavor to your wine. But a lemon will work if you do not have any acid blend available.
Diammonium Phosphate
Diammonium Phosphate stimulates yeast growth, and is a useful addition to yeast starters and wines lacking in natural nutrients, such as white wines and meads.
Some winemakers add it to every fermentation. Use 1/2 to 3/4 gram per gallon.
Gelatin
This is a colorless, tasteless and odorless water-soluble protein. This is a fining agent that also reduces astringency by removing tannin.
This does not work very well in white wines without the addition of tannin. You would use two teaspoons dissolved in 1 cup of water. Stir until clear then stir into your wine.
Nutrients
The next item in your list of wine making ingredients is Nutrients.
Nutrients are... hmmm... I guess they are like vitamins for your yeast. The yeast eats your sugar and turns it into alcohol. Well, the nutrients rev up the yeast... makes it very happy...
Yeast Nutrient supplies nitrogen to the yeast which allows the yeast to reproduce more readily. This makes your fermentation process go a lot smoother.
Yeast Energizer
A cousin to the yeast nutrient on the wine making ingredients list would be Yeast Enertizer.
Like Yeast Nutrient, the Energizer supplies the wine yeast with much needed nitrogen... but it also contains over a dozen yeast extractive proteins, along with B1 Vitamin, and di-ammonium phosphate. These are other sources of nitrogen.
You would use the Energizer when you are making wines such as meads or wines using vegetables, herbs, flowers, etc...
Pectic Enzyme
Another addition to the wine making ingredients list are Pectic Enzymes...
they are used to eat the pectin that is present in some fruits. For those of you who are jam or jelly makers you will be familiar with pectin. You definitely do not want a thick wine...yuck!
You will normally add 1 tsp of the pectic enzyme to your wine mixture and then wait for 24 hours to give it a chance to eat all of the pectin.
If you are unsure if you need to use this... then use it. Better safe than sorry and it will only help things.
Potassium Metabisulfite
Potassium metabisulfite is one of the most important winemaking compounds. It is an antioxidant and bactericide that releases sulfur dioxide into wine must.
To sanitize equipment: Use 4 tsp. powder per half gallon of water. Requires 5 minute contact time, drip dry.
To purify the must: Prepare a solution of 1 oz. in 8 oz. of water. Use 1 tsp. of this solution per gal. of must. A tsp. of solution is the equivalent of 1 campden tablet or 50 ppm/gal. Wait 24 hours to add yeast.
Stabilizer
A stabilizer - or Potassium Sorbate - is the next item on the wine making ingreidents list... it is used to stop the yeast from growing once you have the alcohol content that you want. You will usually add this to your wine when you are ready to sweeten it before you bottle. The stabilizer makes sure that the wine does not start fermenting again after you add the sugar.
You will normally add 1/2 tsp per gallon. I have heard that it can develop an off taste if you use it in wine that you keep for a long time. I usually drink my wine pretty quick. Not that I am saying I am a lush or anything... I just make smaller batches and do not keep them longer than I have to...
Sulfite
This next item in the wine making ingredients list would be better known in recipes as Campden tablets. Now... be aware that some people are sensitive to sulfites... it upsets their stomachs. I have never had a problem but some people do.
The Campden tablets help to purify your wine before adding your yeast. You will then cover your primary fermenter and wait for 24 hours for it to finish its job. Then you will add your yeast. You can also add 1 crushed Campden tablet per gallon if you want to before you bottle.
You can also add 13 crushed Campden tablet to 1 pint of water and use it to rinse out your bottles which helps to keep them sanitized before you fill them.
Tannin
Next up on the wine ingredients list is... Tannins. Tannins are what make your tongue feel dry when you drink a red wine. I don't particularly care for too much of this. This could be why I prefer white wines. But it is a necessary ingredient for red wines. It does help to clear your wine.
You will usually add 1/4 tsp per gallon. But remember that some fruits will already have their own tannins. It is found in the skins of grapes and elderberries.... as well as some other berries. They used to use strong tea in the place of tannin. So if you don't have any tannin you could add 1/2 cup per gallon in a pinch.
Speedy Bentonite
The term Bentonite was first used for a clay found in about 1890 in upper cretaceous tuff near Fort Benton, Wyoming. This particular type of Bentonite is known for providing Bentonite with an unusually high electrostatic charge. That is why we call ours Speedy Bentonite. There are other major source of Bentonite, but they are primarily intend to be used as a bedding sealant for watering ponds.
Bentonite is a gray, clay granule that is used in wines as a clarifier. It is unique in that it possess a negative electrostatic charge. (Just a fancy word for static electricity) This attracting charge along with hydrogen bonding, causes suspended particles in the wine to cling to it as it settles to the bottom of the container.
This is a clay-based clarifier that absorbs colloidal substances. This will normally be added prior to fermentation, but sometimes it is added during secondary fermentation.
Sparkolloid
Sparkolloid is a fining agent developed by Scott Laboratories for clarification. It is a blend of polysaccharides in a diatomaceous earth carrier and has a strong positive charge. For some, it is the product of choice for clarifying white and blush wines. Sparkolloid is one of the more benign fining materials, and when used in reasonable quantities, it seldom strips wine flavors or aromas. It neutralizes the repelling charge of particulate matter allowing aggregation and formation of compact lees. It does not remove desirable color constituents. It is not a cold stabilizing, heat stabilizing or odor removing agent. 1 tsp. per gallon clarifies naturally by removing protein haze.
To prepare for adding, it is recommended to use distilled water distilled water. Bring 2 cups to boiling and stir in 1 tsp. per gallon of Sparkolloid. Stir frequently, maintain the mixture at about 180*F. Sparkolloid contains some filter aids that will not dissolve. These particles will be adequately distributed by constant stirring as it is being heated. Agitating the mixture constantly is important. When all the globulues of clarifier have gone into suspension and the mixture is smooth and creamy (about 15 minutes), Slowly stir the Hot Sparkolloid into the wine to be clarified. Sparkolloid produces very fine lees, and the lees settle out of the wine slowly. Consequently, this material should not be used less than 30 days before bottling time, or small amounts may precipitate later in the bottles. Many winemakers allow for an eight-week settling time just to be on the safe side.
Titrets
Before we jump into our discussion of how to measure acidity in wine, it's paramount to first understand why acid levels are important to the winemaker.
Acidity provides the crisp, slightly tart taste of wine on your palate. Too little acid, and your wine tastes flabby and non-committal. Too much acid, and your taste buds scream for relief. When acids are properly countered by the other ingredients in wine (such as alcohol, sugars, trace minerals, etc.), the wine is said to be "in balance", which is the desired end result of all winemakers.
Now that you know how acids impact a wine's taste, which acids are found in wine? Acids are present in wine in many forms, but the largest percentage of acidity (at least in wine made from grapes) comes from three primary types of acid: Tartaric acid ,Malic acid and Citric acid.
You may have seen or heard of a product called acid blend*, which is nothing more than a powdered mixture of the three acids listed above. If after conducting an acidity test of your wine, you discover that your wine lacks the correct amount of acid, the simplest solution would be to add an appropriate amount of acid blend to your must prior to fermentation. But we can't do that unless we know our desired acid levels.
Recommended Acidity Levels
Since each style of wine (red vs. white; sweet vs. dry) is made to taste different, it makes sense that each wine style would have its own range of recommended acid levels.
The chart below provides guidelines for acidity based on the type of wine you are making. Individual tastes vary, of course, so the information shown are recommendations only:
Wine Style | Recommended Acidity Range |
Dry White Wine | 0.65 % - 0.75 % |
Sweet White Wine | 0.70 % - 0.85 % |
Dry Red Wine | 0.60 % - 0.70 % |
Sweet Red Wine | 0.65 % - 0.80 % |
Sherry Grape Wines | 0.50 % - 0.60 % |
Non-grape White Wines | 0.55 % - 0.65 % |
Non-grape Red Wines | 0.50 % - 0.60 % |
Acid Test Kit
(ATK100) Same method used by professional wineries to determine the acidity level of a must before fermentation and again at bottling time. Measured amounts of reagent is added to a measured sample of juice or wine that has been prepared with indicator solution. When the sample changes color, the acidity is determined by measuring the amount of reagent used to obtain the color change. Includes: a test tube, measuring syringe, reagent, indicator solution and complete instructions.
HANNA DIGITAL pH METER
(PH410) This hand-held, pocket pH meter is perfect for taking quick, accurate readings of both wine and beer. It will read all pH levels from 0.0 to 14.0.
Quick & Accurate: In just a few short seconds you can take readings that are accurate down to the tenth of a pH.
Portable: It`s completely portable. Runs on two 1.5 volt batteries (included) that will last for approximately 3,000 hours of operation time.
ATC: This pH meter is also equipped with Automatic Temperature Compensation (ATC) that allows you to take accurate readings at all temperatures between 32 and 122 degrees F.
Easy Calibration: This unit comes with a calibration kit for easy, two-point calibration -- good for one calibration. You can purchase additional calibration kits.
Yeast
What can I say about yeast? It is the reason for wine being wine... and so I guess it would be the single most important addition to the wine making ingredients list... It is actually a living thing... that eats sugar... and hopefully reproduces and creates a colony that will continue to eat your sugar creating alcohol. The sediment at the bottom of your wine when you rack it is actually dead yeast mixed with bits of fruit and other stuff that my have been in your wine. Kind of gross if you think about it too much... Yeast works best between 60 and 80 degrees. If it is too hot the yeast will die... if it is cold the yeast will ssslllooowwww down.
The little packets of yeast that you add will typically be multiplied up to 100 to 200 times during the few days of primary fermentation. It is very important that the yeast has access to air during this process so you will notice in the recipes that you do not put your air lock on at this stage...
You really do want to make sure that you are using wine yeast. I know that some people do use or have used bread yeast or beer yeast but it really is not made for wine and you will quite often end up with off tasting wine.
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(pictures and descriptions coming soon!)