Making white wine at home is a fun and fulfilling experience - you can unleash your creativity while crafting a drink to your taste. While it might look daunting at first, it’s really not much harder than fermenting bread. It just requires a bit more time and some specific equipment. Although white wine is generally simpler to produce than read, it’s quite delicate, and even minor flaws can ruin it. This guide will take you through the essential steps of making white wine at home.
Why Brew White Wine at Home?
If you find store white wines expensive and not quite hit the spot for you, consider making your own. Crafting white wine at home is not only budget-friendly, but also a fun way to experiment with different flavors and techniques. With the right gear and a bit of patience, you can create a high-quality white wine that rivals bottled wines bought at the store, and even better. Plus, when you make your own, you get to decide everything, from how sweet it is to the fermentation temperature.
What You Need to Brew White Wine?
Before diving into the actual winemaking process, it’s important to have all the right tools and ingredients on hand. You can easily find these items, and they should be included in your winemaking setup. Here’s a list of essentials:
Ingredients:
- White grapes - Try using varietals like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Riesling, depending on the flavor profile you desire. About 40-50 pounds of grapes typically yield 3 to 5 gallons of wine.
- Winemaking yeast - Use specific yeast strains for white wine ensures proper fermentation and flavor.
- Sugar - If the grapes lack natural sweetness, sugar may be needed to balance the wine.
- Potassium metabisulfite - It is necessary to sanitize your equipment and protect wine from harmful bacteria.
Equipment:
- Fermenting bucket - A food-grade bucket with an airtight seal for primary fermentation.
- Glass carboy - For secondary fermentation and aging.
- Airlocks and stoppers - To manage gas release while preventing oxygen exposure.
- Hydrometer - Measures the sugar content to determine alcohol potential.
- Temperature controller - An INKBIRD temperature controller like ITC-308 can maintain stable fermentation conditions.
- Siphon and tubing - To transfer the wine between vessels without disturbing sediment.
- Bottles and corks - For storage once your homemade white wine is ready.
How to Brew White Wine at Home?
Step 1: Prepare the grapes
The flavor and quality of wine depend on the grapes, so start with the best ones you can get your hands on. You’ll need around 40 to 50 pounds of grapes, which will yield about 3 to 5 gallons of wine in the end. If you don’t have access to fresh grapes, many homebrew shops sell pre-pressed grape juice, which is a convenient substitute. Just make sure to avoid grape concentrate.
Step 2: Crush and press
If you’re using fresh grapes, the first step is to crush and press them. You can either purchase or rent a press, or go for the traditional method of stomping them with your feet. Unlike red wine, there’s no need to remove the stems for white wine, as they help the juice flow out more easily. Just make sure to sterilize everything thoroughly beforehand, including your feet.
After juicing, dissolve potassium metabisulfite or Campden tablets in the grape juice to kill any wild yeast and bacteria. Wait 24 to 72 hours before proceeding to the next step.
Step 3: Adjust the juice composition
Once the juice is ready, use a hydrometer to measure the sugar content. Typically, white wines sit around 22-26 Brix in sugar levels. Add sugar if needed to reach your desired sweetness.
For fermentation, aim for a pH between 3.0 and 3.25. If your pH is higher than 3.25, consider lowering it with a bit of tartaric acid. On the flip side, if it drops below 3.0, you might need to raise the pH using calcium carbonate or potassium bicarbonate.
Step 4: Primary fermentation
Pour the must into a sanitized fermentation bucket, then sprinkle wine yeast over it and give it a gentle stir. Attache an airlock to the vessel to allow the CO2 to escape while keeping contaminants out.
The must will ferment for about 1 to 2 weeks during the primary phase, and you’ll see CO2 bubbles forming, which means the yeast is doing its job of converting sugars into alcohol. Remember to remove the cork and stir the wine gently once a day or as needed to help with the fermentation process.
During this process, temperature control is critical. If it gets too high or too low, your white wine risks developing off flavors or stopping fermentation. Use an INKBIRD temperature controller with a heating or cooling device to maintain the fermentation temperature between 45°F and 60°F (7°C and 15°C).
Step 5: Secondary fermentation
Continue to monitor the fermentation. When you notice the bubbling slowing down, it’s time to transfer the wine into a glass carboy for secondary fermentation. Use a siphon to carefully separate the wine from the sediment that settles at the bottom. Top off the carboy to minimize oxygen exposure, which can ruin the wine’s flavor. Cap it off with an airlock so gases can escape without letting oxygen in.
Now all you have to do is wait for the wine to become crystal clear, which can take several months to up to a year. During this phase, the flavors mellow, and the wine develops its distinct character. Store the carboy in a cool, dark place.
Step 6: Bottle your white wine
When you wine tastes like something you’d enjoy, use a hydrometer to confirm that all the sugars have been fully converted to alcohol, signaling it’s bottling time. Use a pihon to fill your bottles and cork them up. Don’t forget to label them and stash them away horizontally in a cool, dark place. Your homemade white wine will taste even better after a few months of aging!
Why Temperature Control is Crucial?
One of the defining aspects of making white wine at home is accurately managing temperature during fermentation and aging. Yeast needs a stable temperature range to effectively turn sugar into alcohol. If it gets too warm, the fermentation can speed up and create off-flavors, while too cold can stop the process completely.
An INKBIRD temperature controller is an affordable and user-friendly tool for winemakers to precisely regulate fermentation and aging conditions. Its intuitive functionality can be paired with heating pads or thermostats for winemaking in any season or climate.
