Information on Wine Making Fruit Base

Vintner's Harvest Fruit Wine Bases are wonderful!They are solid packed fruit in their natural juices. Making wine with them is much like processing fresh fruit(very delicious!). Packed in 96 oz tins. Supplied with three gallon (full body) and five gallon (medium body) recipes. Vintners Harvest offers the home winemaker premium quality fruit with the year-round variety every winemaker needs. There is no finer product on the market for creating your own fruit wines. With easy to follow instructions, you will soon discover the joys of making high quality fruit wines in the comfort of your home. If you currently make beer, you will find much of the equipment is interchangeable and making wine is just as simple as beer if not more so. Here is a list of equipment and Supplies: · Primary fermenter, a minimum of 2 gallons larger than batch size · Secondary fermenter, 3 or 5 gallon carboy, depending on batch size · Fermentation locks and stopper if needed · Nylon straining bag of size sufficient to hold fruit · Very fine mesh cloth for fermenter cover · Siphon/racking equipment · Hydrometer and testing jar · Bottles, corks and corking device · Other useful items include cleaning brushes, funnels, plastic spoon or paddle and thermometer

TYPE OF SUGAR TO USE:

What type of sugar that can be used is a matter of taste. Many wine makers use white cane table sugar. Some prefer the taste of corn sugar and say that the difference can be found in the finished product. Corn Sugar produces a cleaner flavor profile during fermentation and is not as sweet compared to cane sugar pound for pound. If you prefer to use corn sugar be aware that you may need to adjust your usage upward to achieve the desired level of sweetness. Wine conditioner, which is a sugar solution containing a yeast inhibitor can also be added after fermentation is complete to adjust sweetness.

THE WINEMAKING PROCESS:

The following process is to be used in conjunction with the recipes that appear on each can of Vintner's Harvest products. The recipes may vary slightly with each product.(even each flavor)

A. Sanitize all equipment and utensils with bisulphite solution. (See note at end of directions for making a bisulphite solution). B. Put straining bag in fermenter, add fruit and tie off bag. Except Apple and Elderberry that have no fruit pieces. C. Add all ingredients as directed on can label, excluding those with an "*” which will be added later. Add solution of sodium bisulphite (not powder form) and stir well to make sure sugar is dissolved. D. Cover with a damp cloth or fine mesh fabric and let sit over night to allow So2 to be released. E. Sprinkle yeast on top of must. Temperature should be between 70-80° F. F. Next day, gently stir top half of "must" mindful not to stir sediment at bottom. Repeat daily until specific gravity lowers to 1.040 (4 or 5 days). G. When gravity reads 1.040, remove bag of fruit. Press and strain juice from pulp and discard pulp. Rack "must" into secondary vessel, top up with water to minimize air space. Attach fermentation lock. H. Rack wine again (3 to 4 weeks) when gravity reads 1.010 to 1.000. Add 1 tsp. bisulphite solution per gallon of must.* I. After wine is clear (2 or 3 months) stabilize with potassium sorbate to prevent renewed fermentation, sweeten to taste if too dry. Enhance flavor and aroma with natural fruit flavor at this time if desired. Bottle. J. Wine can be consumed at this point but will benefit with aging of 6 months to one year.

* Dissolve 5 teaspoons of sodium bisulphite in 1 cup (8 ounces) of water to make "bisulphite solution."

ON MAKING AND USING SULFITE (SULPHITE) SOLUTION

We make a distinction between using powdered sodium (or potassium) bisulphite and a sulfite solution. Please be aware of this difference as it will affect your winemaking process. Dissolve 5 teaspoons of sodium or potassium bisulphite powder into 1 cup (8 ounces) of water to make the bisulphite solution. Of this liquid, you add one liquid teaspoon per gallon of must (unfermented juice) when directed. Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of liquid solution per gallon of water to sanitize equipment.