E. C. Kraus
HOME WINE MAKING NEWSLETTER

Issue Number 22

______________________________


*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 may pass this newsletter on to friends and others,
as long as it is used in its entirety.

______________________________


IN THIS ISSUE:

* Corking Your Wines
    - Choosing The Right Bottle
    - Choosing The Right Cork For You
    - Choosing The Right Corker For You
    - Cork Preparation
    - After The Corking
* Winemaker's Glossary
* LETTER: How Much Yeast Do I Use?
* WINE RECIPE IDEAS: Honey Pear Wine
* Top 10 Reasons For Fermentation Failure
* Winemaking Quick Tip
* Additional Home Wine Making Information

______________________________


*WANT TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE WINE?*

E. C. Kraus is here to put you on the right track. We have been
helping individuals become successful home winemakers for over 35
years.

Our web site features recipes, articles and other invaluable bits
of information that will make your adventures in home winemaking
a fun and fascinating experience.

A good place to get started is to see the following article
listed on our web site:

"How To Get Started Making Wine"

______________________________



*CORKING YOUR WINES*

Okay, it's time to cork your wine. And after all the effort
you've poured into your creation over the past month or two, the
last thing you want to do now is mess it up. If your time is
money, now's not the time to be cutting corners. When it comes to
corking your wine, you want to do it the right way.

Here's some info that will help you stage a plan of attack for
corking up your precious wines. Using the right bottle, the right
corks and the right corker are all ingredients to the recipe for
successfully corking your wines.


- Choosing The Right Bottle

When we talk about corking wines we have to start with the
bottle. Not all bottles were meant to be corked. So, when
selecting your wine bottles you want to make sure they have a
"cork-finish" with the standard 3/4 inch opening. In other words,
they need to be wine bottles that are designed to take a cork.

Corking screw-cap wine bottles just doesn't get it. Quite often
the size of opening these bottles have do not work well with the
size of corks that are available. Secondly, the shoulder of these
bottles will often start to early. There is simply not enough
neck for the cork. The result is a compressed cork that flares
out on the bottom while in the bottle. When this happens the cork
is often drawn down on into the bottle by this flaring action.


- Choosing The Right Cork For You

To get a good cork seal on a bottle, you will want to use a
"Straight" cork as opposed to a "Tapered" cork. A Straight Cork
is cylinder shaped and provides the maximum amount of sealing
surface possible. The sealing surface of the Straight Cork is the
whole length of the cork, whereas the Tapered Cork seals only at
one point along its side--where the cork meets the glass.

One simple way to seal a wine bottle with a straight type cork is
to use our "Mushroom Corks". These are Straight Corks that have a
plastic top on them for gripping. They can be pushed in by hand
and fit fairly tight when using a standard cork-finished wine
bottle. Mushroom corks will work fine for wines that are going to
be consumed within 12 to 18 months.

- You can find the Mushroom Corks we offer at the following link
on our web site:
Mushroom Corks

If you plan on storing your wines for longer than a year, then we
would recommend going to a more conventional Straight Cork. These
straight corks would be like you see used on commercially
produced bottles of wine. These Straight Corks are first
compressed and then driven into the wine bottle all with the aid
of a corker. They offer an extremely tight seal because you are
putting a lot of cork into a little area.

We offer three different grades of these straight corks: Superior
Grade, Extra-First Grade and Synthetic. The main difference
between these corks is their density. The more dense they are the
tighter their seal will be.

Superior Grade:
These are our most common straight corks. They are recommended
for wines that are to be consumed within 2 maybe 3 years. If you
think you might keep some of the wine around a little longer you
might consider using the Extra First Grade.

Extra First Grade:
These corks are more select and are more dense then the Superior
Grade. They are recommended over the Superior Grade for wines
that may be stored for more than 2 years. They are of the same
quality that most wineries use, and will provide a dependable
seal for many years.

Synthetic:
These corks are produced from man-made materials. They are beige
to brown in color with light swirly designs that look similar to
a natural cork. When these corks are used, you are essentially
providing the best seal a cork can possibly give. We recommend
these corks when you know you are going to keep a wine for many
years.

- For more information about all the Straight Corks we offer, go
to the following link on our web site:
Straight Corks

Straight corks are available in more then one diameter. A size #9
is normally recommend when inserting them into a standard cork-
finished wine bottle. This is the size that commercial wineries
use. All of the corkers we offer will put in this size just fine.
But beware, there are some corkers on the market that are prone
to pinching or mangling the cork before getting it in the bottle.
If you have one of these corkers the we recommend using a size #8
Straight Cork instead.


- Choosing The Right Corker For You

We have three different types of corkers available. All of them
work primarily the same way. They have a compressing iris that
evenly compresses the cork from all sides, down to about the
diameter of a dime. Then they drive the cork into the bottle.

All of them will insert a full size #9 Straight Cork into a
standard cork-finish wine bottle with ease. They main difference
between them is speed.

Gilda Hand Corker:
This is a hand-held corker. It has a butterfly handle action for
compressing the cork and a long levered handle for driving the
cork. It is a two step process--compress then drive.

- For more information on the Gilda Hand Corker go to the
following link on our web site:
Gilda Hand Corker

Bench and Floor Model Corkers:
The Gilda Hand Corker is the ideal unit for someone that is
corking 20 or 30 bottles at a time, but if you are planning on
corking 150 or 200 bottles or more throughout the year, then you
might want to consider getting a Bench Model or Floor Model
Corker.

These corkers compress and drive the cork just like the Gilda
Hand Corker, but they do it in one single action. You load the
cork and pull the handle. As you start to pull down on the handle
the corks is being compressed. Then at the end of the handle's
throw, the cork is driven into the wine bottle. This single,
swift action makes the corking process move along a bit faster.

If you plan on using Synthetic Straight Corks, then you will want
to use either the Bench Model or Floor Model corker. These corks
are extremely dense and require the additional leverage that
these corkers provide.

- For more information on the Bench Model Corker go to the
following link on our web site:
Bench Model Corker

- For more information on the Floor Model Corker go to the
following link on our web site:
Floor Model Corker

- Cork Preparation

What you will notice when you first get your corks is that they
are fairly hard or rigid, much more so than the corks that you
pull out of a wine bottle. For these corks to go nicely into the
wine bottle and mold themselves to the inner wall of the bottle's
neck, they will need to be softened.

There are many different recommendations for softening corks from
one source to the next. Some sources will recommend soaking the
corks over night in a cold sulfite-water bath. Others will
recommend pouring boiling water over them.

Both of these methods have merit in the sense that they will
sanitize the corks. But they may or may not soften the cork up
sufficiently to be inserted into the wine bottle.

For softening and sanitizing the corks, we recommend steaming
them. Bring a pan of water to a boil. Then take the pan off the
heat; drop in the corks, and put the lid on the pan. Allow them
to steam for anywhere from 3 to 15 minutes, depending on the
cork.

It is important that you do not steam them anymore than necessary
to make them a slightly pliable. It is not necessary for the
corks to be spongy. In fact having them too soft will make them
harder to put in as well. You just need them to give a little
when you squeeze them between your fingers.

Also, heating the corks longer than necessary or steaming them
while the water is boiling, will cause them to deteriorate while
in the bottle. This can lead to leaky bottles during storage and
an unpleasant, crumbly mess when the time comes to decant your
wine.


- After The Corking

After you have corked your wine bottles you will need to leave
them standing up-right for at least 1 day--2 would be better.
This is to give the corks time to re-expand into the neck of the
bottle and create a complete seal.

After the re-expanding period you will need to store the bottles
on their sides, so that the wine is touching the cork. This is to
keep the cork moist and expanded. If the bottles are stored up-
right, the corks will eventually dry out and the wine bottles'
seal will be compromised. This could lead to problems with
oxidation and possibly spoilage of the wine with time.


- Related Articles:

"An Overview Of Wine Bottling"

"Wine Bottle Storage And Temperature"


______________________________



*WINEMAKER'S GLOSSARY*

AIR LOCK
This is a device that is used during a closed or secondary
fermentation. Its purpose is to act as a water trap, allowing a
way for gases from a fermentation to escape from a closed vessel
while at the same time keeping contaminants from getting in.

Its use is very straight forward. It is attached to a small
opening of a fermentation vessel, usually with the aid of an
appropriately sized rubber stopper. The Air Lock is then fitted
into a whole in the rubber stopper. Once in place, the air lock
is filled roughly half-way with water to create an environmental
seal within the vessel.

- For more information about the air lock and its operation see
the following article listed on our web site:

"Air Lock Basics"

- For more information about the air locks we offer, go to the
following link on our web site:
Air Locks

- To see other winemaking glossary words, go to the following
link on our web site:
"Winemaker's Glossary"


______________________________



*LETTER: How Much Yeast Do I Use?

Dear E. C. Kraus,

Hi, Just a quick question. I received my 1gal jugs, and yeast
etc. Last night I completed a recipe for 1 gal of Dandelion Wine.
My Question is: The packet of yeast I received was enough for 5
gals of wine. In my logic I decided to just use on 1/5 of the
yeast.

I poured all the yeast out on a dish and divided it into 5 equal
portions. Then I used just 1/5 of the yeast for my 1 gal of wine.
Was this correct or should I have used the whole packet??

Thanks,
Bill

_____


Dear Bill,

We recommend using the whole package. There are two reasons for
this:

Firstly, what you are adding is not an amount of yeast so much as
you are adding a starting culture of yeast. The yeast in the
packet represents the minimum amount of culture recommend to
start an active fermentation, regardless of batch size.

When adding a packet of yeast to 5 or 6 gallons of wine, the
yeast will typically multiply to around 100 to 150 times what you
put in. In the case of a one gallon batch of wine, the yeast will
multiply, but not as many times as it does when pitched into a
larger batch. The yeast will reproduce itself into great enough
numbers to complete the job that has been placed before it.

So, when you add a whole packet of yeast to 1 gallon of wine, you
are not adding to much yeast. You are simply adding the minimum
amount required to start an active fermentation. To add less then
a package will result in a slow starting fermentation that will
take extra time to finish the job.

Secondly, there would be the issue of what to do with the rest of
the yeast anyway. Unlike yeast you buy at the store, these
packets of yeast are packaged under "sterile"--not "food-grade"--
conditions, and are sealed with nitrogen to maintain this sterile
level while in the package.

Once they are opened they are no longer sterile. The seal has
been compromised. So, storing an opened package of yeast for any
length of time is really not a viable idea, particularly when you
weigh it against the costs of the packet.

I hope this helps you out.

Best Wishes,
Customer Service at E. C. Kraus


______________________________



*WINE RECIPE IDEAS: Honey Pear Wine

Here is a duo that works together in complete harmony--honey and
pears. This recipe will make a light, crisp wine with a glowing
straw color. It tastes remarkably well when left dry or when
sweetened.

If you do prefer you wines sweet, try sweetening this wine at
bottling time with either frozen pear concentrate from the store
or with more honey. Remember, when sweetening any wine at
bottling time you must also add a wine stabilizer such as
"Potassium Sorbate" or a re-fermentation may occur in the
bottles.

If unprocessed honey is being used, it would be best to first cut
the honey with water then heat it on the stove to about 180
degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 5 minutes. This is to allow
the pollen, wax and bits of bee to float to the top so that you
can skim them off before using the honey.

Honey Pear Wine
(5 gallons)

18 lbs Fresh Pears, peeled & crushed
4 lbs. Light Honey
7 lbs. Cane Sugar
1 Tablespoon Yeast Energizer
1/2 Teaspoon Pectic Enzyme
3-1/2 Tablespoon Acid Blend
1/2 Teaspoon Wine Tannin
5 Campden Tablets
Water To Equal 5 Gallons
Wine Yeast (Lalvin EC-1118 recommended)

- For the basic procedures see our "7 Easy Steps To Making Wine"
on our web site at the following link:
"The 7 Easy Steps To Making Wine"

- For more recipe ideas using honey, see the following article on
our web site:

"Making Wine With Honey"


______________________________



*TOP 10 REASONS FOR FERMENTATION FAILURE*

Reason #3
Improper Yeast Starting Method:

Many packets of yeast instruct the user to re-hydrate the yeast
in warm water for a few minutes before using it. Re-hydration is
just a fancy word for moistening the yeast.

When following these directions perfectly there are no problems,
but quite often we run into situations where the winemaker's
water temperature that was used for re-hydration was just a
little too warm or the yeast was left in the water for too long.

The recommended temperature on the packets of yeast we have seen
is 95 to 105 degrees F. for about 15 minutes. Believe me when I
say these directions give little room for error. For every
minute the yeast stays a 105 degrees a small portion of the yeast
cells are being destroyed. If the water is just a little hotter,
say 115 degrees, then the yeast cells are being destroyed at an
alarming rate.

So what this means to the home winemaker is that if they re-
hydrate their yeast at too warm of a temperature, or if they keep
the yeast in the warm water for a longer period of time then
recommended, the cell count may become too low to support a
proper fermentation.

When preparing the water for re-hydration we recommend always
verifying the water's temperature with a thermometer before
adding the yeast, as well as tracking the amount of time the
yeast is to be in the water.

Secondly, we also recommend that you shoot for a temperature no
higher than 90 degrees And keeping the yeast in this water for no
longer than 10 minutes. The 90 degree temperature for 10 minutes
is plenty to complete the re-hydration process and will result in
the destruction of less yeast cells.

To be more frank, if the re-hydration process was skipped
entirely it would not be of great detriment to the wine. The
yeast would simply take a little longer to start fermenting.
Basically this means instead of seeing the first signs of
activity in 2 to 4 hour, without re-hydration it might take 4 to
8 hours.

- 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"


______________________________


*WINEMAKING QUICK TIP*

One of the major reasons why a wine fails to clear up after
fermentation is because it is still fermenting. Even a very
slight fermentation can keep a lot of sediment stirred up.

Check your wine with a hydrometer to see if there are still any
residual sugars in the juice. Readings on the hydrometer's
Specific Gravity scale should be at .998 or less. If this is not
the case, then residual sugars could be the reason your wine
still remains cloudy. It is actually still fermenting very
slowly.

______________________________

 

*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"


______________________________


*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.

______________________________


*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

______________________________

* Copyright(c) 2004, Kraus Sales, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
______________________________


*TO SUBSCRIBE*

This is a FREE newsletter. If you are not currently receiving
this newsletter and would like to have your own FREE subscription
go to our:

"Wine Making Newsletter Sign-Up Page"

______________________________


*TO UNSUBSCRIBE*

You have received this newsletter because of previous contacts
you have personally made with E. C. Kraus. If you do not wish to
continue receiving this free newsletter from E. C. Kraus, please
"Reply" to this message with "REMOVE" typed in the subject
header.