An air lock is a piece of wine making equipment that keeps air from entering your fermentation container while letting the carbon dioxide that yeast produces to escape. Some people also refer to this device as a fermentation lock. It will keep any harmful bacteria from infecting your wine and ruining your batch.
You can make your own air lock at home. It is similar to a water bong in nature and is really cheap to make if you have the right materials lying around the house or shop.
I am planning on making a tutorial at winemaking-equipment.com if you are interested
Monday, 30 April 2012
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Will removing the airlock interfere with fermentation?
No, it will not interfere with the process of fermentation at all.
If you take a sample of your wine, make sure that your wine thief is properly sterilized. That is what will mess up the fermentation process by introducing harmful bacteria into your brew.
If you take a sample of your wine, make sure that your wine thief is properly sterilized. That is what will mess up the fermentation process by introducing harmful bacteria into your brew.
Friday, 27 April 2012
What can I do with left over corks?
The simple answer is: Anything that you can think of.
It all depends on your own creativity. If you are not that much of a creative person and need to be inspired to do something crafty then here is a list of some neat things that you can do with your left over corks.
1. Make a cork board.
2. Place them in a large vase near your wine cabinet.
3. Make a cork gun. Like a potato gun but for corks.
4. Make a floor mat.
5. Make a floating pool chair.
6. Cat toys.
7. I'm out of ideas, but here is a link to some awesome ones with pictures.
http://www.drvino.com/2009/05/18/cork-dork-ten-cool-things-leftover-wine-corks/
It all depends on your own creativity. If you are not that much of a creative person and need to be inspired to do something crafty then here is a list of some neat things that you can do with your left over corks.
1. Make a cork board.
2. Place them in a large vase near your wine cabinet.
3. Make a cork gun. Like a potato gun but for corks.
4. Make a floor mat.
5. Make a floating pool chair.
6. Cat toys.
7. I'm out of ideas, but here is a link to some awesome ones with pictures.
http://www.drvino.com/2009/05/18/cork-dork-ten-cool-things-leftover-wine-corks/
Thursday, 26 April 2012
What are the laws in Canada about home made wine?
The Canadian legal system is a jumbled mass of legal jargon and red tape. Luckily enough, the laws are quite simple and clear about making and distributing your home made wine.
1. You can make all the wine at home that you want. You can not make liquor though.
2. You can share your wine all that you want as long as you do not charge any thing for it.
3. You are allowed to provide home made wine for family related events like weddings as long as you are related to the host of the party.
These are pretty simple and straight forward so if you need to know more about the subject of Canadian home made wine laws then you can just ask a question on here or dig through piles of government web pages and PDF documents like I did.
Also, these laws apply to home made beer as well. Happy Brewing.
1. You can make all the wine at home that you want. You can not make liquor though.
2. You can share your wine all that you want as long as you do not charge any thing for it.
3. You are allowed to provide home made wine for family related events like weddings as long as you are related to the host of the party.
These are pretty simple and straight forward so if you need to know more about the subject of Canadian home made wine laws then you can just ask a question on here or dig through piles of government web pages and PDF documents like I did.
Also, these laws apply to home made beer as well. Happy Brewing.
How Do I Test The Gravity Of My Wine?
Testing the gravity or specific gravity of your wine is done with a hydrometer. The hydrometer is a simple tool that tells you what the specific gravity of your wine is compared to water. You can easily make your own home made hydrometer if you don't want to go out and buy one from a store.
For the past few thousand years people have been making wine with out the aid of such tools so worrying about the gravity of your wine is not that important if you are just starting to make your own wine at home.
The best way to test the gravity of wine is to take a sample out and put your hydrometer in that. This way you are going to be able to see the measurement a lot easier that you would if you just put the meter into the main container.
For the past few thousand years people have been making wine with out the aid of such tools so worrying about the gravity of your wine is not that important if you are just starting to make your own wine at home.
The best way to test the gravity of wine is to take a sample out and put your hydrometer in that. This way you are going to be able to see the measurement a lot easier that you would if you just put the meter into the main container.
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
How long can I keep a bottle of wine that has been opened?
Open wine will not last very long. If you are planning on keeping it at room temperature then you are going to have a few days before your bottle of wine goes south. If you keep it refrigerated, then you might have a week before it goes bad.
This is because wine is like fresh fruit. It can get easily contaminated by airborne bacteria and what ever nasties that may be floating around.
The best way to keep your open bottle of wine is to transfer it into a clean, small container that has less air in it and then seal it tightly. You then need to put it in the fridge right away. You might even want to put it in the freezer so the temperature drops quicker. Just make sure that you don't forget your wine in the freezer because a wine Popsicle is probably terrible. Maybe, I think that I am going to try that tomorrow.
This is because wine is like fresh fruit. It can get easily contaminated by airborne bacteria and what ever nasties that may be floating around.
The best way to keep your open bottle of wine is to transfer it into a clean, small container that has less air in it and then seal it tightly. You then need to put it in the fridge right away. You might even want to put it in the freezer so the temperature drops quicker. Just make sure that you don't forget your wine in the freezer because a wine Popsicle is probably terrible. Maybe, I think that I am going to try that tomorrow.
What Temperature Should I Ferment My Wine At?
Room temperature should be ideal for your wine. It is best to make sure that the temperature of whatever room you put it in does not fluxuate and remains constant.
21-26°C (69-79°F) is the best temperature for fermenting your home made wine.
Just remember that if your wine is cool while you are fermenting it, the process is going to take a lot longer.
21-26°C (69-79°F) is the best temperature for fermenting your home made wine.
Just remember that if your wine is cool while you are fermenting it, the process is going to take a lot longer.
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