Batch #1 – Black Cherry Pinot Noir (Part 1)

On January 13th, 2007 my handy sidekick-wife, KT, and I decided to tackle the first step of the home wine-making process. My initial plan was to wait until the day my daughter is born and spend a few hours that night mixing up the must. I decided it would be a better idea to start it beforehand – in the same month instead. Yes…sappy – a wine dedicated to my first child…

Anyways—

The first step was to inventory the equipment I have and identify what is used and when. A lot of the equipment looked very foreign to me and I was not sure exactly how they should be used. I had done a little research on the process, but never really delved into the specifics of how each tool was used.

Using the directions that came with the kit, I identified the tools for the first step.

• Water – easy enough – from the sink if not too contaminated – i.e. Sulfur smelling
  


• K-Meta Powder – Also known as Potassium Metabisulfate – bacteria killer extraordinaire!
  


• Bentonite – a gray grainy substance that is really a form of Clay (yes, like soil)
  


• 23-Liter plastic fermenting bucket – huge bucket with a lid and level-markers for total volume
  


• Grape Concentrate – a gooey rich red liquid in a clear plastic bag with a plastic cap
  


• Thermometer – floats in the must and tells you things…
  


• Wine Thief – neat little tube that you stick in the must and it takes a sample using a one-way valve
  


• Hydrometer – drops into the wine-thief to measure the specific gravity
  


• Yeast – a small pack – not sure if it is “wine-yeast,” “bread-yeast,” or some other form

STEP 1:

The first step was to clean everything with a cleaning solution. I had read that this part is a pain because it is laborious and lacks any immediate reward – all it does is keep your wine from going bad….you know…moot things like that.

I mixed the k-meta with some water and rubbed everything down. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to rinse with water or not – so I did thinking it couldn’t hurt. Reading through some forums afterwards, it looks like that is not required; air drying will do the job too.

A lot of people make the solution in a spray bottle (i.e. Windex) and spray everything and let it sit – I LOVE THE IDEA! After making a huge mess in my kitchen trying to wash a 23-liter bucket, I think it’d be easier with the spray bottle. I just need to do some research on what the proportion would be for a bottle that size. I believe I used a 1 tablespoon to 1 gallon proportion – but I’ll double check.

STEP 2:

Now that the equipment has been cleaned, it was time to start making them dirty again! First thing is to pour 2 gallons of water (16 cups per gallon if using a standard kitchen measuring cup!) into the bucket and mix the bentonite thoroughly. The water will look dirty at this point – not very appetizing. You then add the entire bag of grape concentrate. Careful when pouring this in – it can splash and stain, especially if it’s a dark wine like Pinot Noir! To get the rest out of the bag, just put some hot water from the sink into the bag and shake it around a little, then pour. It should get the residual concentrate. Then fill to the 6 gallon mark with water and stir profusely.

STEP 3:

Now you have a heavy plastic bucket of purplish-red must. Congrats! The next step would be to add the yeast and close the lid, but I would recommend moving it to where you would like to store it before you add the yeast. The directions say that you shouldn’t shake it up once the yeast has been added – not really sure why at this point. Regardless, set the bucket where you want, sprinkle the yeast on the surface and close the lid. In the lid I received, there is a rubber gasket hole called a “Bung” that you must place the airlock. Jam the pointy end down through the hole, take the top off and fill it half-way with water, and replace the airlock-lid. In the coming 48 hours, you should see bubbles in the airlock indicating that the fermentation process is occurring – if it doesn’t start happening, I guess something might be wrong….I believe the bubbles are caused by Carbon Dioxide escaping while the yeast eat sugars – leaving behind alcohol as its byproduct

STEP 4:

Let it sit for 2 weeks – according to my directions. From what I have read, it looks like there is a lot of discrepancy on how long the primary fermentation process takes. I’ve seen anywhere from 4 days to 3 months – so I’ll just follow my directions.

NOW – some things I noticed:

I initially used the plastic bucket with the spigot as described above. This ended up being a problem for me because when I picked up the bucket, the plastic bent slightly and some of the liquid squeezed through the Spigot hole. When I attached the Spigot, there is a plastic washer that gets screwed on from the inside. My guess is that it was not screwed on tight enough and some liquid was able to slip through. But, once the liquids have been added, I wasn’t about to reach my full arm into 6 gallons of must…

To fix the problem, I drained the entire contents into the glass carboy that was initially going to be used in the second phase. I was told it makes no difference. Going forward, I like using the glass better anyways – you can see what’s going on through the glass, there is only one exit point in the top (which is corked), and it looks much cooler than a big plastic bucket….

Every couple days I go down to the basement where I am storing the wine and look to see if everything is alright. I’m checking the airlock (which is now placed in the stopper) and the liquid to see if there is any mold floating on top. I do not stir and I have not been letting air into the wine. Some of the forums indicate that during the first phase, it is okay, maybe even beneficial to have air getting into the must to help with the fermentation.

I’m not, but so far – so good.

Now I’m in the waiting game for a few more days (January 27th) before I start phase 2 – yikes!

Why Wine & Me?

For a long time I never had an interest in tackling the intricacies of wine. The hundreds of impossible pronunciations (Geverztraminer? or Beaujolais?), the appropriate food pairings, knowing the best 'year' to drink, and the ridiculous price seemed out of the question. I figured it was a hobby for the rich who didn't know what to do with their money.

I've changed...a little. The names are still difficult to pronounce, I still don't know the right pairings unless I have a chart in front of me, and the year of the wine makes little difference. I DO, however, know that cheap bottles ($7 - $13 range) taste just as good...to me...as the $25+ bottles. I know some of the more general differences between grape types and I have slowly been learning some of the colorful descriptor words like "Robust," "Semi-Dry," "Bitter," etc. I don't know which is which -- so knowing them isn't really doing me any good yet. In the coming life-time I plan on sitting down with several types of wine in front of me and making an effort to differentiate the adjectives.

So you may be wondering why did I go from not caring to having any interest at all? My first positive experience with wine came from a memorable wine-bar located in Galway, Ireland. I was studying literature at the University of Galway for a semester. The bar was a quaint piano bar that didn't serve food - only wine from a comprehensive list pulling from thousands of bottles on display and hidden in the back. I was with two friends from the Rhone Valley in France, my Irish roomate, his friend, and a couple other americans. We all split a few cheap bottles selected by the French 'experts.'

We had an amazing time. The music filled the room with a lively spirit fueling everyone's conversations. I never would not have thought that wine could be paired up so well with talking. I think that was the real turn-on for me. The ability to sit around a rustic old wooden table with eight other people discussing everything from politics in our respective countries to how school was going -- all the while, at the next table over, an elderly couple was celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary by opening a bottle they stored there when they got married. The whole bar toasted with them by screaming out "Slanche!" It still gives me goosebumps remembering the expression of pure joy on their face.

We had arrived at the bar at about seven that night and sat and drank and socialized until about three in the morning. The buzz we got on the wine was only intensified by the magic of conversation. It was a taste of culture that was comfortable and appealing. It has left a lingering taste for more.

So here I am now, extremely interested in trying to replicate that experience. I figure a great place to start would be with the wine.

I received my wine kit this past Christmas season (2007) from KT and have already begun my first project. I will be making a Black Cherry Pinot Noir by Orchard Breezin'. Once I get some pictures, I will post the process and progress. My hopes is that I can keep a history of my learning experience and, if all goes well, get a few other people interested in taking the same journey.

It's relatively cheap. The whole start-up process should be somewhere in the $100 to $150 range. That looks like a high price, but that includes the first grape concentrate. In the end, your first batch will make somewhere between 30 and 35 bottles calculating out to be $4 to $5 per bottle in the end. As you go on, it'll be cheaper if you save bottles. You'll end up making wine at $2 to $3 per bottle and most likely have a drink equivalent to what's on a store shelf, if not better.

The set I received was ordered from "The Winemaker's Toy Store" at www.finevinewines.com. Everything was sent in one piece and with a good set of instructions. I'm sure there are stores in your local area if you didn't want to get something offline. I am very satisfied with the materials received from them, but the shipping & handling was a bit pricy. It is to be expected when sending a 6-gallon glass jar though...so I expected it.

You'll also have gifts for any party, holiday, birthday, or special occasion. It means so much more if you make it.

So -- here we go - round 1. I'll keep you posted...