SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED
1.) Empty 5 gallon water container. Also known as a "Carboy". The kind used for water dispensers. You can find these at most grocery stores.
2.) 2 feet of thin hose that will fit through the hole in the cap of your 5 gallon water jug. This will serve as you "airlock". We had some on hand, but you could probably pick some up at your local hardware store.
3.) 8 lbs of sugar. (this equals about 16 cups)
4.) Distiller's yeast. A Facebook friend recommended using Distiller's Yeast "Dady". It can produce up to 1,000 gallons, which means it should last you quite a long time. The fermentation is said to start slowing at around 22% alcohol content. This is quite high compared to your store bought wine which is around 9-13%. While you can use bread/baking yeast, it will more than likely produce a very low alcohol content. We went through Ohio Brewing Company on Amazon and received our package pretty quickly.
5.) Yeast Nutrient. This is optional, but recommended. It will "kick-start" your fermentation process. It is also known as "Ammonium Phosphate". It helps "feed" your yeast and promotes fermentation. We went through the same company to cut down shipping costs. It can be found here: Yeast Nutrient
6.) Juice and fruit. (enough to fill the water jug around 3/4 full) Here's where you can get a little creative. In our first batch we used Apple juice and Sweet Tango apples. This time we went with Concord grape juice and 2 bags of grapes. (We ended up not using the apples and 3rd bag of grapes as pictured.)
Preparations
1.) Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. This is a very important step unless you want to make a fresh batch of vinegar. We kept it simple and used a couple drops of plain household bleach in the plastic jug and rinsed it out really good. We also filled our sink with water and added some bleach so we could clean the jug lid and run some through our hose. Rinse well and you are ready to go. Antibacterial soap should suffice as well if you do not have any bleach.
2.) Homemade Airlock. An airlock is used to allow air to escape during fermentation. Otherwise, you can find yourself with a big mess on your hands. We decided to make our own after viewing some homemade airlocks on Youtube. We took our oxygen hose (other hose will work too) and ran it through the hole in the top of the water jug cap. (you can use your finger to punch out the plastic piece in the lid.) You want to make sure to keep the hose just below the lid where it will not come in contact with your liquids. We then used a hot glue gun to seal the extra area between the hole in the hose to prevent air from entering the jug.
3.) Airlock receptacle - "smaller plastic bottle". You will want to attach a sanitized empty juice bottle to the side of your 5 gallon jug and make a hole in the lid just big enough to fit the other end of your hose in. The hose going into the smaller plastic bottle needs to be near the bottom. Our hose fit in this hole perfect, so we did not need to use a glue gun for that end. We used electrical tape to attach plastic juice bottle, but any strong tape should work.
WE'RE READY, NOW LET'S MAKE WINE!
1.) "If" using fruit, make sure to wash it with antibacterial soap, then rinse well with water. You will then need to crush your fruit. In our first batch, we used apples, so we removed the cores, cut them into smaller pieces, then blended them to a pulp. In this batch, we decided to just stick with a couple bags of non-seeded grapes. We just made sure there were no stems and then mashed them up in a bowl.
2.) Fill your 5 gallon jug about 3/4 full of the juice. Make sure to leave some extra space for the fruit you will be adding.
3.) Add 1 teaspoon of your Distiller's Yeast "Dady".
4.) Next add 3 to 3 1/2 teaspoons of your Yeast Nutrient. We only add once throughout the whole process.
5.) Then you will add 8 pounds of granulated sugar. This worked out to be approximately 16 cups.
6.) If using fruit, you may now add to your mixture. Be sure to allow enough space to avoid overflows once the mixture starts to ferment.
7.) Place your 5 gallon lid (homemade airlock) back on. Add a little over 3/4 water to your smaller plastic juice bottle, submerging the other end of the airlock hose. You will need to make sure to let your 5 gallon mixture ferment in temperatures between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. It should be okay give or take a couple degrees higher. It also needs to be in a darker area out of any direct sunlight. Have someone help you move it if needed as it may be quite heavy.
8.) In the first few days to week, you should see bubbles coming from the hose that is submerged in the water that is in the smaller plastic bottle. This means it is actively fermenting. Wait 3-5 weeks until it is no longer bubbling. Once it has stopped, it may be best to wait a few more days to account for any bubbles you may have missed during the day.
9.) Siphon with hose, then bottle. (we just used our empty juice jugs) Sip, and enjoy!
