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E. C. Kraus
HOME WINE MAKING NEWSLETTER
Issue Number 38
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*ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER*
The E. C. Kraus Home Wine Making Newsletter is a FREE
publication
that covers issues and topics of general interest to the
home
winemaker. You are being sent this publications because
of
previous contact you have had with E. C. Kraus. You may
pass this
newsletter on to friends and others, as long as it is
used in its
entirety.
______________________________
*GET MORE OUT OF YOUR WINE MAKING!*
Looking for ways to improve your winemaking efforts? We
have the
solutions. At E. C. Kraus we are dedicated to making
your wine
making experiences successful and fulfilling ones.
Our web site features recipes, articles and valuable
bits of
information that will make your home wine making
adventures a
fascinating and fun.
You can also place your orders on-line. It's safe,
secure and
simple. Each item is listed, in detail with pictures and
in-depth
information, so you can learn while you shop.
So, take a look! See what it's all about! Visit our web
site and
experience all that E. C. Kraus has to offer. Our web
address is:
http://www.eckraus.com
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Taking Control Of Your Wines
* A Faster Track To Making Wine
* An Easy Way To Sanitize Your Wine Bottles
* Know Someone Else Interested In Making Wine?
* Winemaker's Glossary: Must
* LETTER: A Stirring Question About Fermentation
* Just For Grins
* Top Ten Reasons For Fermentation Failure
* Wine Making Quick Tip
* Additional Home Wine Making Information
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*TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR WINES*
Most of the articles you'll read in the E. C. Kraus
Newsletters
are designed specifically to empower you to become a
more
successful and progressing winemaker--consistently
making one
enjoyable batch after another. What follows is an
overview of
article that have been written in the past, but contain
information that is key to becoming an accomplished home
winemaker.
The following articles provide information that will
allow you to
take command of your creations, instead of being at
their mercy.
Over the past few months these article have shown you
how to:
- control your wine's alcoholic content by taking
hydrometer
readings and making proper adjustments based on those
readings.
- control the final sweetness of your wine by
stabilizing it and
adding various sweeteners to taste.
- support a vigorous, timely fermentation by providing
the proper
environment in which the yeast can thrive.
- preserve your wine's character and color while it is
aging, by
using proper bottling and storage techniques.
- make adjustments to the wine, before bottling, that
will
enhance your wine's character and bring it more in line
with your
personal tastes.
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What follows is a short-list of some of the articles
that cover
these topics listed above. These are select articles
that contain
information that is key to becoming a consistent and
successful
home winemaker--information that will allow you to take
control
of your wines.
Take a look. If there are any that you have not already
read, I
would urge you to take some time and go over them. And,
if you've
already read them, well then this may be an opportune
time for
some review.
"Fermentation 101"
"Top 10 Reasons For Fermentation Failure"
"Getting To Know Your Hydrometer"
"Five Fundamentals To Keeping Your Wine Making On Track"
"Controlling Oxidation In Your Wines"
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Beyond these articles, there are others that may be of
specific
interest to you. For example, if you like your wines
sweet or
semi-sweet I would also suggest taking a look at the
article:
"Making Sweet Wines"
If you have never made wine before then I would suggest
reading
the following article. It will give you some great
insight on how
to approach this fascinating hobby:
"How To Get Started In Home Winemaking"
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*A FASTER TRACK TO MAKING WINE*
Not sure how to get started making wine? Reading
articles like
the ones on our web site or reading newsletters like
this one can
be very helpful, but sometimes reading is just not
enough. You
need to see it all in action. Sometimes *seeing* can
make
everything *click* together.
We offer a VHS video simply called, "Making Wine". This
video is
designed to let you *see* what is going on. An effective
way to
give you a jump-start and put your wine making
aspirations into
high-gear.
This is no silly home camcorder wannabe video. It is a
professional production ready for television. You are
guided
through all the topics with your host Martin Jordan.
The video assumes you know absolutely nothing. It starts
at the
very beginning by giving you the most elementary basics
and then
gradually progresses on to more challenging wine making
topics.
Covers making wine from both concentrate juices and
fresh grape.
Once you have the techniques down that are in this
video, there's
no end to the types of wines you be able to make.
And, you can watch it again and again... however many
times you
like. It makes a great, off-the-shelf, refresher coarse.
Just pop
in the tape and your in business.
To find out more about the video "Making Wine" go to:
"Making Wine" Video
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*AN EASY WAY TO SANITIZE YOUR WINE BOTTLES*
Preparing your wine bottles for bottling can become a
large task
if not handled properly. All the bottles, even new ones,
need to
be sterilized, drained and safely kept until you can
actually get
the wine into the bottle. Every five gallons of wine
requires 25,
fifth-size, wine bottles, and if your doing 15 or 20
gallons,
then the number of bottles you are dealing with can
start to
become a little overwhelming.
We offer a couple of items that take a lot of the hassle
out of
bottle preparation, leaving you with more time to enjoy
the more
fun side of making wine. We feel these item are to often
overlooked, especially when you consider how much time
they can
save you.
The first item is called a Sulphatizer. It is a neat
little item
that sprays sulfite solution up into your wine bottle.
You just
push the bottle upside-down over the Sulphatizer's
nozzle and a
blast of sulfur solution splatters up inside the wine
bottle.
This action causes the sulfur gases in the solution to
release
within the bottle, sanitizing the entire inside.
And here's where it gets good. Once you have splattered
the
sulfite solution into the wine bottle, keep the bottle
upside-down and the gases will linger inside while the
bottle is
draining and drying.
This is where the next item comes in - it's called a
Bottle Tree.
The Bottle Tree is a column that stands about 4 feet
tall and has
90 short pegs that stick out in all directions that are
pointed
slightly upwards. You just simply hang the bottles
upside-down
over the pegs while they are waiting to be filled.
This sulfite solution drains from the bottles into a
convenient
collection tray located at the bottom of the bottle
tree, so no
mess can run out onto the floor.
This collection tray also doubles as a wide, sturdy base
which
help to make the Bottle Tree a convenient way to store
your wine
bottles between uses or after washings. It efficiently
holds up
to 90 bottles in a very small area.
--For more information about the Sulphatizer, go to the
following
link listed on our web site:
Sulphatizer/Bottle Rinser
--For more information about the Bottle Tree, go to the
following
link listed on our web site:
Bottle Tree
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*KNOW SOMEONE ELSE INTERESTED IN MAKING WINE?*
Then share this free newsletter with them. Send them a
copy by
using the "Forward" button on your email
software--you'll still
have your copy. Or, you can tell them to sign up at the
following
link listed on our web site:
Wine Making Newsletter Sign-Up
Page
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*WINEMAKER'S GLOSSARY*
MUST:
Any juice that has been prepared for fermentation or is
currently
fermenting. Taken from the Latin word "mustus" meaning
new. Once
the fermentation has completed the juice is then
referred to as
wine.
-- To see other winemaking glossary words, go to the
following
link on our web site:
Winemaker's Glossary
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*LETTER: A Stirring Question About Fermentation*
Dear E. C. Kraus,
I have plum wine fermenting. It's the County Fair
concentrate.
Some recipes say stir the mixture everyday during the
first four
to seven days of fermentation prior to racking. Others
don't
mention it. What would you suggest... leave it alone or
stir it?
Does this vary with the type of wine one is fermenting?
I have
two fermenters with Mead in them on their third day...
stir or
not stir... directions doesn't say to. Really don't know
how
important this is one way or the other.
Thanks,
Dr. Jack
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Dear Dr. Jack,
This is a good question because as you say there are
inconsistencies from one direction to the next on this
issue.
But, it's really very simple.
The original reason for stirring a wine during the
primary
fermentation is to make sure a dried cap of pulp does
not form on
the surface. During a fermentation the pulp likes to
rise and
collect on the surface. Eventually, it dries forming a
solid cap.
This dried cap can cut off the much need air to the
yeast when it
is in its multiplying stage.
This is a continuous problem when fermenting with fresh
grapes
because there is so much pulp involved per each gallon
of juice.
Large wineries have to constantly mix the cap back into
the
liquid. They call this "punching", because traditionally
a flat
piece on a long handle was used to punch the dried cap
down into
the juice several times a day.
But, with most other wines this issue is not as serious.
For
example, the amount of fruit called for in berry wines
is much
less because their flavor is so strong. So not as much
pulp is
involved. And in the case of Meads and most
concentrates, there's
no pulp at all.
So to answer your question. Stir the wine if you see any
wide
spread crustiness or a full dried cap forming. Just
gently stir
it down into the mixture every so often. Otherwise,
don't give it
another thought.
I hope this helps you out.
Best Wishes,
Customer Service at E. C. Kraus
--For more information about the long-handled stirring
spoons and
paddles we offer, go to the following link on our web
site:
Paddles and
Spoons
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*JUST FOR GRINS*
"Booze may not be the answer, but it helps you to forget
the
question."
--Lt. Henry Montgomery, USAF, 1961
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*TOP 10 REASONS FOR FERMENTATION FAILURE*
Reason #9
Using Distilled Water:
Using bottled water when making your wine is fine, and
in some
cases preferred, depending upon what's coming out of
your tap.
But, not all bottled waters are the same. Some bottled
waters
have been distilled and that's a bad thing for
winemakers. When
choosing bottled water for wine making be sure that it
is labeled
as spring water, mineral water or some kind of drinking
water and
not labeled as distilled water.
Using distilled water can cause big problems for the
unsuspecting
winemaker. There are two reasons for this: the first
being,
distilled water has had all of the excess or "free"
oxygen
removed from it. The second reason is that distilled
water has no
minerals either. Both of these conditions are direct
results of
the distilling process and both conditions have
inhibiting
effects on a fermentation.
During the primary fermentation the yeast need an ample
supply of
oxygen in the must to allow them to freely reproduce
themselves.
The yeast have the monumental task of multiplying
themselves to
around 100 to 150 times during the primary fermentation.
If the
yeast are not given enough oxygen to multiply
successfully, then
the result will be a sluggish fermentation that can drag
out for
several additional weeks.
Having no minerals in the water affects the fermentation
in a
negative way as well. Minerals are a significant portion
of the
nutritional meal the is required by the yeast to perform
at their
best. Different minerals affect the yeast in different
ways, but
in general, minerals increase the yeast's ability to
metabolize
or consume sugar. Without a supply of minerals you have
yeast
that consume sugar at a slower pace.
-- To read about the other "Top 10 Reasons For
Fermentation
Failure," go to the following link on our web site:
"Top 10 Reasons For Fermentation Failure"
Related Articles:
--To learn more about nutrients and how they effect a
fermentation, see the following article listed on our
web site:
"A Few Words About Nutrients"
--To learn more about how a fermentation works see the
following
article listed on our web site:
"Fermentation 101"
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*WINE MAKING QUICK TIP*
-- When sweetening a particular batch of wine before
bottling,
remember it is possible to make some of the bottles
sweeter than
others.
This is achieved by bottling the wine in stages. Bottle
some of
the wine as is, then sweeten what's left in your
container and
bottle the rest.
This can also be taken a step further by having three
varying
sweetness from a single 5 or 6 gallon batch of
wine--dry,
semi-dry and sweet.
As A Side Note: Whenever you add any kind of sugar to a
wine at
bottling time it is important that you add Wine
Stabilizer
(Potassium Sorbate) at the same time to help prevent any
chance
re-fermentation in the wine bottle.
To find out more about the Potassium Sorbate we offer go
to:
Potassium Sorbate
-- For more information about sweetening wines see the
following
article listed on our web site:
"Making Sweet Wines"
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*ADDITIONAL HOME WINE MAKING INFORMATION*
- If you are new to home wine making and would like more
general
information about making wine at home, see the following
article
listed on our web site:
"How
To Get Started Making Wine"
- For a listing of our home wine making recipes, go to
our
"Home
Wine Making Recipe Page"
- Also, for a general overview of the home wine making
process
see the article
"The
Seven Easy Steps To Making Wine"
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*VISIT US ON-LINE*
Visit our web site at www.eckraus.com to view the complete line
of products we have to offer. All products are listed
with
detailed information so you can learn as you shop.
Purchase
products on-line with our completely secure shopping
cart. Never
has shopping on the web been more safe.
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*NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES*
If you would like to look through previous issues of
this
newsletter go to our:
"Home Wine
Making Articles Page"
______________________________
NOTE: If URLs do not appear as hot links in your e-mail
program,
please cut and paste the full URL into the location or
address
field of your browser.
______________________________
* The E. C. Kraus Home Wine Making Newsletter is
produced by:
E. C. Kraus
Home Wine & Beer Making Supplies
733 S. Northern Blvd.
Post Office Box 7850
Independence, MO 64054
Phone: 1-800-383-1906
Fax: 1-816-254-7051
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* Copyright(c) 2005, Kraus Sales, L.L.C. All rights
reserved.
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