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E. C. Kraus
HOME WINE MAKING NEWSLETTER
Issue Number 36
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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 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 enjoyable ones.
Our web site features recipes, articles and valuable
bits of
information that will make your home wine making
adventures a fun
and fascinating experience.
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
______________________________
IN THIS ISSUE:
* Wishing You A Very Merry Christmas
* It's Still Not Too Late!
* 21 Wine Making Quick Tips
* Winemaker's Glossary: Lees
* LETTER: Help! There's A Metallic Taste In My Wine.
* Just For Grins
* Top Ten Reasons For Fermentation Failure
* Additional Home Winemaking Information
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*WISHING YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!*
This is the last Home Wine Making Newsletter to come out
before
Christmas rolls around our way. With that in mind we
would like
to stop and take time to wish you the very best this
holiday
season. We sincerely hope that your Christmas holiday is
full of
joy and excitement, and that the New Year brings you the
brightest of days and provides you with all for which
you strive.
In keeping with the holiday spirit I have listed below
an eggnog
recipe that I have used for many years. I'd like to
share it with
you in hopes that it might bring a little warmth to your
holiday
season.
- Holiday Breakfast Eggnog -
10 ounces of Apricot Brandy
3 ounces of Triple Sec
1 Quart of Eggnog
Mix together and sprinkle with Nutmeg
* MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!*
From Everyone At E. C. Kraus
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*IT'S STILL NOT TOO LATE!*
It's not too late to do some last minute Christmas
shopping.
Orders we receive by December 16th will still arrive in
time for
Christmas.
- Some Popular Gift Items We Have Are...
Gilda Compression Hand Corker:
A perfect gift for someone who is currently putting in
their
corks in by hand. The Gilda corker compresses the cork
and then
plunges into the bottle for a professional seal. For
more
information go to:
Gilda Compression Hand Corker
SunCal Necessities Box:
If you know someone who would like to make wine but
doesn't know
were to start, this is ideal for them. The SunCal
Necessities Box
has everything someone needs to get started making their
own
wine. It comes with directions that assumes they know
nothing. It
guides the first-time winemaker by the hand and leads
them
through the entire process. For more information go to:
SunCal Necessities Box
"Making Wine" Video:
A lot of information packed into a professionally
done, ready for
TV video. A great way to jump-start someone's winemaking
hobby.
For more information or go to:
"Making Wine" Video
Mechanical Bottle Brush:
If washing bottles always seems to be a chore than this
is the
perfect gift. Just pump the handle and the bristles
whirl around
quickly within the bottle. Fits wine, beer and soda pop
bottles.
For more information go to:
Mechanical Bottle Brush
Wine Bottle Labels & Decorative Accessories:
We offer an assortment of wine bottle labels and bottle
neck
decorations that brings a professional look to any wine
bottle.
Great gift for that aspiring winemaker you know. For
more
information go to:
Wine bottle
Labels & Decorative Accessories
--All above items are in stock and ready to ship in time
for
Christmas!
--For more Christmas Gift ideas visit the following link
on our
web site:
Wine Making
Gifts
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*21 WINEMAKING QUICK TIPS*
Here is a collection of "Wine Making Quick Tips". They
are just
bits and pieces of information and ideas that have
proven to be
helpful to home winemakers in the past. Read through
them and see
if any of them are of benefit to you:
1. The number one reason a fermentation fails to
start is because
of the temperature of the juice. The ideal temperature
for a
healthy fermentation is between 70 and 75 degrees
Fahrenheit.
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2. Try using Glycerine in your air-locks instead
of water.
Glycerine does not evaporate like water, and it is
perfectly safe
if it accidentally gets into your wine. For more
information on
Glycerine go to:
Glycerine
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3. It is possible to temporarily cut back the
amount of water
called for in a wine recipe in order to accommodate a
fermentation vessel that is not quite large enough.
For example, if you have a wine kit or a recipe that
makes 6
gallons, but your primary fermenter will only hold 6
gallons to
the brim, you can cut back on the water called for by
1/2 gallon
to allow for the foaming until it is time to transfer it
to your
secondary fermenter. At that time the shorted water can
be added
to the batch after it has been boiled and then cool down
to room
temperature.
The maximum amount we recommend shorting the water in a
given
batch is 1 gallon to every 5 or 6 gallons. This is
assuming that
the shortage will be promptly made up when the wine is
transferred to a secondary container.
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4. Add one can of our
County Fair
Fruit Base to any
SunCal
Concentrate Recipe to make your own boutique wines.
For example
make a Raspberry Zinfandel or a Blackberry Merlot. For
more
information on blending these two products go to:
"Designing Your Own Wine"
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5. Don't have time to make wine when your fruits
are ready?
That's okay. Just put your wine making fruits in the
freezer.
Fruits that have been frozen tend to break down more
readily when
fermented anyway. This will allow more of the fruits
character to
be release into your wine.
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6. Using a Fermentation Bag is a great way to
keep pulp under
control during a primary fermentation. Just pour your
crush fruit
into the bag and suspend in the must during the primary
fermentation. When its time to rack, simply pull the bag
out;
allow to drain; and then discard pulp. For more
information on
our Fermentation Bags go to:
Fermentation Bags
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7. If you have ever picked elderberries before
you know that it
can be a very time consuming task. Not only are the
number of
berries required to make a batch of wine quite high, the
amount
of stems that are involve are just as bad. Here's a
little trick
that might help to save you a little time.
When collecting the elderberries simply cut them off in
clusters,
stems and all. Put them all in a plastic trash bag or
similar and
freeze for at least 2 days. Once the elderberry clusters
have
been frozen, inflate the trash bag with air, tie off its
opening.
Then violently shake or beat the bag against the ground.
This
will break most of the elderberries lose from the stems.
Once this has been done sufficiently, clip a bottom
corner of the
bag and the elderberries will come rolling out. Now, you
won't
get 100% of the berries out, so there will be some
wasted berries
in the process. But, it is well worth the time you will
save.
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8. When Campden Tablets are called for in a wine
recipe, you can
use Sodium Bisulfite instead. Sodium Bisulfite has the
same
active ingredients as Campden Tablets, but comes in a
much easier
to manage granulated form.
You can also use our Campden Tablet Measure which is a
little
spoon that measures out one Campden Tablets worth of
Sodium
Bisulfite at a time. For more information on these
products go
to:
Campden Tablets
Campden Tablet Measurer
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9. By storing your packets of fresh
wine yeast in the
refrigerator, you can double its shelf-life. Yeast
stored in this
way will always be good for at least two years. If yeast
is just
stored at room temperature it is usually only good for
about a
year.
It is important to note here that you never want to
freeze yeast.
Freezing yeast damages their cell walls making budding
or
multiplying very difficult.
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10. If you've ever made wine from fresh
elderberries, then you
know that it can leave a sticky, gooey mess in your
fermenter
that is next to impossible to get out. This tacky mess
seems to
defy even the strongest cleaners available.
Well, we have ran across a product that seems to be able
to cut
through this mess and take it right off. It's called "Goo
Gone
(tm)". You can find it in any full line grocery store,
in the
household cleaning section. We have no affiliation with
this
product or its manufacturer, we just think it's great
stuff.
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11. You want your fermentation temperature to be
at least 70
degrees--72 would be better--but not more than 78.
Temperatures
that are cooler than this may cause the fermentation to
come to a
halt before it has finished the job; temperatures warmer
than
this can produce alcohol with unwanted off-flavors.
One easy way to warm up your vessels during the cooler
months is
to use an old lamp with 100 watt light bulb. If you
place the
bulb 12 inches off to the side of a 5 gallon batch, it
will warm
the liquid's temperature by about 8 to 10 degrees. Wrap
the
vessel with a towel to protect the wine from the
excessive light
the bulb causes. If 8 or 10 degrees is too much of an
increase,
just back off the bulb another 2 or 4 inches away from
your
fermentation vessel.
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12. Sometimes it's hard to tell just how clear
your wine is when
it's still in bulk. Trying to determine if it is clear
enough for
bottling can be a difficult task. Heavier, darker wines
often
need to have a sample drawn off and put into a glass
before you
can really determine anything. The same goes for any
wine that is
in a vessel which is not made of a clear material.
One simple idea that has worked well for me in the past,
is to
turn off all the lights in the room that the wine is in,
and
shine a strong flashlight through the side-wall of the
vessel.
What you are looking for is to see how clearly the beam
of light
illuminates through the wine. Some diffusing will occur
with
darker wines because of its color pigmentation. But, you
do not
want to see a murky or milky appearance to the light.
_____
13. When taking a
hydrometer reading, give the hydrometer a quick
spin in the liquid to be tested. This is to dislodge any
bubbles
that may be clinging to the side of the hydrometer,
which can
slightly throw off your reading.
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14. If you've never made wine before and don't
know where to
begin, we recommend starting with the SunCal Necessities
Box
listed on page 2 of the catalog. It has all the
equipment and
ingredients you need to get started. But more
importantly, it
comes with very complete directions that apply to
specifically
what's in front of you - no guesswork.
For more information about the SunCal Necessities Box,
go to:
SunCal Necessities Box
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15. To increase the body of a finished wine
without making it
sweeter, add 2 to 4 ounces of Glycerine to each 5 gallon
batch.
Glycerine is a natural byproduct of fermentation that
increases
the viscosity or mouth-feel of a wine. Heavier red wines
such as
Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir are known for their
body which
helps their flavor to linger on the taste buds a bit
longer while
also helping to reduce the wines rough edges.
For more information about the Glycerine we offer, go
to:
Glycerine
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16. The number one reason that a wine fails to
clear up after
fermentation is that it is still fermenting. A very
slight
fermentation can keep a lot of sediment stirred up.
Check the
juice with a
hydrometer to see if residual sugars are the
problem.
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17. When doing your first one or two rackings,
don't leave any
wine behind; get it all, even if it comes along with
some of the
sediment. With the earlier rackings all you need to be
concerned
about is getting rid of "most" of the sediment, not
necessarily
"all" of it. And particularly, not at the expense of
loosing your
precious wine.
It is when you get down to the final racking that it
becomes
important to leave all of the sediment behind - even at
the
expense of loosing a little wine. The last racking is
the one
that really counts.
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18. Use our "Senior" air-lock during the more
active period of a
secondary fermentation to keep up with the higher
volumes of
gases that are being released. As the fermentation slows
down,
switch to our "Triple Bubbler" air-lock, to help detect
slighter
amounts of fermentation. To view the air-locks we offer
go to:
Air Locks
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19. Instead of using cane sugar to sweeten your
wines, try
sweetening with honey. Honey will enhance the complexity
of the
wine's finish (after taste) and sweeten it at the same
time.
Remember to always add a wine stabilizer such as
Potassium
Sorbate when sweetening your wine with any type of
sugar. For
more information about the Potassium Sorbate we offer,
go to:
Potassium Sorbate
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20. When making elderberry wine, plan on it
tasting horrible when
it is first done. But, also plan on it tasting
incredible once it
has had time to age. Elderberry wine is very high in
tannic acid
which makes it taste very harsh in the beginning. But,
it is this
same tannic acid that also allows this wine to take
extreme
advantage of the aging process. The net result is a wine
of
stellar quality.
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21. Not sure what size cork, screw cap or plastic
stopper you
need for your odd-size jugs and bottles? Get our
"Assortment of
Closures". It contains one sample of each of the various
sizes
and types of bottle closures that we carry. Each is
clearly
labeled for easy identification when you order. For more
information about our "Assortment of Closures" go to:
Assortment of Closures
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*WINEMAKER'S GLOSSARY*
LEES:
A term used by winemakers to describe the layer of
sediment that
occurs on the bottom of a vessel during fermentation. It
is
usually made up of yeast cells, precipitated salts and
some fruit
articles.
-- To see other winemaking glossary words, go to the
following
link on our web site:
"Winemaker's Glossary"
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*LETTER: Help! There's A Metallic Taste In My Wine.*
Dear E. C. Kraus,
I need some help. I have been using wine making kits and
following the directions to the letter. But when I'm
ready to
bottle and I take out the air lock and smell and taste
the wine,
I'm getting a metallic smell and taste. I was at a
winery
recently and they told me it was chemistry. And that's
all. Can
you help or can you point me in the right direction to
find the
info?
I've been making wine for awhile and this problem
started on my
last couple batches. I've used your products and others
and I'm
getting the same results. HELP!!
Thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
Ed A.
_____
Dear Ed A.,
A metallic character in a wine is symptomatic of a
process called
autolysis. Autolysis is something that can be best
described as
the yeast cannibalizing upon itself. As gruesome as this
sounds
it is the reality of what's going on.
When the yeast cells that are still alive and active run
out of
sugar to ferment they will begin to consume the dead
yeast cells
that lay on the bottom of the fermenter. This is one of
the
reasons that rackings should occur in a timely manner;
so that
when the yeast does run out of sugar it will have no
dead cells
available to consume.
The metallic to bitter-nut flavor is the result of a new
set of
enzymes that are released by the yeast as it attempts to
break
down the dead cells for easier consumption. In other
words, the
dead yeast cells trigger the production of these
unwanted,
fowl-tasting enzymes.
The reason you may be having this problem now and not
before is
because your fermentations may be going faster than
before. The
directions that come with your kits can only guess as to
when you
should be racking your wine, but when a fermentation
goes faster
than the directions anticipate, you can have a situation
where
autolysis can occur--no sugars left, just dead yeast
cells.
My suggestion to you would be to watch when the sugars
have
become completely consumed from the must and plan on
doing your
next racking at that particular time. This can easily be
determined by taking
hydrometer readings.
Once the hydrometer indicates there are no more sugars,
go ahead
and rack the wine even if it is ahead of schedule
included with
your directions. The same hold true after the wine has
cleared
completely; don't allow wine to sit on the sediment for
long
periods of time. Get the wine off the sediment.
Autolysis is not something that can occur overnight. It
takes
time for this process to occur. So, do not feel that a
wine has
been ruined just because it was left on sediment for a
day or
two. Just make sure that the wine is not neglected when
it comes
to getting the wine off the sediment.
I hope this helps you out.
Best Wishes,
Customer Service at E. C. Kraus
-- Related Article
"Racking Your Wines"
"Getting To Know Your Hydrometer"
______________________________
*JUST FOR GRINS*
I drink too much. The last time I gave a urine sample it
had an
olive in it.
--Rodney Dangerfield
______________________________
*TOP 10 REASONS FOR FERMENTATION FAILURE*
Reason #7
Fermentation Has Already Completed:
In a twisted way, you may not be getting a fermentation
because
the fermentation has already completed. Many ask, "how
could this
be?" It's almost like experiencing an unbelievable magic
trick.
"How did my wine do that?" But, after checking the wine
with a
hydrometer, the truth becomes clear. The juice
fermented, and you
didn't even know it.
Relax, its really not your fault. And, there's really no
problem,
anyway. Most wine making directions you run across will
lead you
to believe that all fermentations will take anywhere
from 4 to 6
weeks. But in reality, if the conditions are right, a
fermentation can complete in as little as seven days.
yes, that's
right "seven days." We have personally experienced
fermentations
that have completed in as little as five days, but this
is far
more rare.
The only real way to know where you stand with your
fermentation's progress is to take a hydrometer reading.
The
hydrometer has the final say as to what has actually
happened. If
you take a hydrometer reading and you discover that the
Specific
Gravity is 0.998 or less, well then, yes, the wine is
done
fermenting. If this is the case, there is really nothing
else for
you to do other than continue on with rest of the
directions
ahead of schedule.
Many first-time winemakers will get the notion that they
should
add more sugar if there fermentation completes quickly.
If you
have added the correct amount of sugar at the beginning
of
fermentation, this would not be the right thing to do.
Just because a fermentation only lasted a week or so,
does not
mean the wine has any less alcohol than a fermentation
that took
2 months. Time does not control the amount of alcohol
made, the
amount of sugar available to the yeast does. Adding more
sugar at
this point will only complicate the situation.
For example, if your starting hydrometer reading
indicates that
you have enough sugar in the must to produce 12 percent
alcohol,
you will have 12 percent alcohol once all those sugars
are
fermented, regardless of the amount of time it takes.
And, you
will know when all those sugars have been fermented by
the fact
that the hydrometer reads 0.998 or less on the Specific
Gravity
Scale.
Many ask, "why does this happen?" The fact of the matter
is,
there are many reasons why a fermentation might go fast
or slow.
There are an endless number of variables that can come
into play
when dealing with Mother Nature. But having said this, a
large
percentage of the time it is temperature related.
All things being the same, musts that are 75 degrees F.
or higher
will ferment much, much faster than a must that is 70
degrees F
or less. The amount of yeast that is pitched into the
must can
make a difference. Two packs of yeast will ferment the
same
juice, not twice as fast, but faster that one pack of
yeast will.
If the yeast is pre-started ahead of time, this can
influence the
rate of fermentation as well. Not only does pre-starting
the
yeast allow the yeast cells to hit the juice with their
feet
running, so to speak, but it also allows the yeast to
multiply in
number, ahead of time, which could contribute to having
an
explosive fermentation.
Having a fast fermentation is neither a good thing or
bad thing.
But the reasons that caused it to ferment fast may be
bad. For
example, if you had a fast fermentation that was caused
by warmer
temperatures, this could be bad. Having too warm of
fermenting
temperature will also facilitate the growth of unwanted
micro-organisms, which may give the wine an off-flavor.
But, if
you had a fast fermentation because you pre-started your
yeast,
then no harm is done.
Having said this, there is really no advantages to
having a fast
fermentation in of itself. Of course you get to bottle
your wine
sooner with a faster fermentation, but I know of no
studies that
have indicate "fast" is better or worse than "slow."
Related Articles:
-- To read about the other "Top 10 Reasons For
Fermentation
Failure," go to the following link on our web site:
"Top Ten Reasons For Fermentation Failure"
-- To read more about how to use a hydrometer, see the
following
article listed on our web site:
"Getting To Know Your Hydrometer"
-- To read more about pre-starting your yeast, see the
following
article listed on our web site:
"Using Yeast Starters For Improved Fermentation"
______________________________
*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.
______________________________
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