Homemade wine ferments a lot, what should I do? Advice from experienced winemakers

One of the first lectures at the wine school was devoted to wine diseases. At that moment it became a discovery for me, and I hoped that this information would never be useful to me, so I did not pay attention to it in my posts. But about a month ago I bought Gewürztraminer wine at a well-known chain store. I brought it home, poured it into a glass and realized that the product was worthless. The feast for which wine was purchased was served with tea, and I decided to return the wine to the store. If it had cost 300 rubles, I might have been lazy, but it cost 1300, and I felt sorry for the money.

I spent two hours in the store, proving my case and filling out documents for examination, this is generally a separate topic - communication with clients there is simply at a rudimentary level, but this is not important now. The wine was sent, and yesterday the result came and the money was returned to me. Therefore, today I want to tell you how to understand that the wine is wrong and what to do.

I won’t bore you with terminology, I’ll tell you in simple language to make it easier to remember what shouldn’t happen!

1. What happened to my wine - signs of secondary fermentation, vinegary taste, wine plays and foams. Still wine (that is, regular wine, not sparkling) cannot afford this. Shake the bottle - a few bubbles - ok, but if the wine foams and plays (that is, bubbles, in other words), it means that oxygen has entered the bottle, and, roughly speaking, it has turned sour. Also, residual gas may be the reason that the wine was poorly cleared of bacteria, so a secondary process started and the wine began to ferment. It's a manufacturing defect, but it's not your problem. This wine will taste sour, but at the same time tasteless, perhaps a little bitter, and the bubbles will tingle your tongue. An important point is that the wine must have acidity, but the acidity of spoiled, sour wine cannot be confused with anything.

2. Mold on the cork, which may appear due to poor storage. If mold appears on the outside, then in principle there is nothing to worry about; if you find mold on the inside side of the cork in contact with the wine, this is a reason to return the wine. The mold may not transfer into the wine, but it can give off an unpleasant musty smell.

3. Sediment– it is allowed in red wines; there should be no sediment in white wines. If you find gray, black or brown sediment, take the wine to the store. Sometimes small particles from the cork may float in the wine - this is not a big deal.

4. Each variety has certain tones in taste and aroma, even if the wine is not your style, you can feel the taste of a normal wine. If something goes out of bounds- a vegetable smell, the smell of rotten eggs or a rotten apple, in a word - something unpleasant, this is a reason to seriously think about it. For example, if during production there was contact between wine and copper, then the wine will have the smell of a wet floor rag and a red sediment. True, I've never seen anything like this.

5. Color– the wine should be clear, if you understand that the wine is cloudy, then something is wrong with it.

From personal experience I can say that it is secondary and acetic fermentation that occur most often. At wine school we were told that because of such a defect, we once had to recall the entire batch from sale. Therefore, if you bought wine and felt something unpleasant (not “not tasty”, but unpleasant) - this is a reason to think about it and contact the store where you bought the wine.

If you decide to go to the store and defend your rights, then be prepared that you will most likely not be welcome. In Europe, money is returned with an apology. For us, it’s unlikely. Maximum - they will offer to exchange the bottle. This option was offered to me, but the second bottle had the same defects - when shaken lightly, the wine noticeably played and foamed, so I insisted on an examination, although, of course, they assured me that everything was ok and “this is normal for a young wine.” Nonsense. The age of the wine has nothing to do with it, a young wine may not have a rich bouquet, but it will have the taste of the wine inherent in this variety and will be quiet.

It is important to clearly state your claims about the wine in your application. “It’s not tasty” - naturally, it won’t do. Use your feelings and simple terminology. In my application, I wrote - “signs of secondary fermentation, a vinegary taste, when the bottle is shaken, the wine plays and foams.” It is secondary fermentation that causes bubbles in large quantities. Next, the wine is sent for examination (the first time it is carried out by the store itself, that is, it is not independent). Most likely, no further action will be required.
Three weeks passed from the moment the application was submitted until the money was returned; I honestly admit that I did not expect an answer from them. Moreover, at first I didn’t even want to waste time and nerves returning the bottle, but then I felt offended. And I also feel sorry for the money, it doesn’t fall from the sky for me. In the end, I am very pleased with myself and the fact that I was able to defend my innocence. Therefore, if you bought a low-quality or damaged product, make the store treat you with respect.

I once returned spoiled meat to a store of another well-known (and very expensive) chain. At first they also tried to assure me that everything was ok, but in the end they cut it from another piece, and everything really became ok. So fight for your rights!!

p.s. This post does not pretend to be a scientific article!

When making wine, technological conditions must be strictly observed. Otherwise, the fruit wine may acquire an undesirable quality or some other defect. Such a drink may not be suitable for consumption at all.

Defects that appear in wine and greatly impair its quality are called wine diseases. Diseases of some wines are caused by acetic bacteria and wine mold, aerobic microorganisms. These microorganisms are not dangerous to human health, but if they appear and multiply in wine, they can make the drink unfit for consumption.

The best environment for the development of both mold and acetic bacteria is a temperature exceeding 15 °C and a strength of less than 15%. It should be noted that bacteria develop with abundant access to fresh air. When bottling wine, the container should be filled as best as possible, because it is in incompletely filled containers that wine mold develops in the form of a grayish folded film and destroys the acids of the wine into water and carbon dioxide.

The appearance of diseases can be prevented, and those that have already appeared can be evaporated using the recipes that we give below.

The most common diseases are wine blight, vinegar and lactic acid souring.

Wine bloom (mycodema) appears on the surface of the wine in the form of a film that must be removed immediately, otherwise the wine will become watery.

Acetic souring is the defeat of wine by acetic bacteria. As a result, the wine takes on the smell of vinegar, and when there is a large accumulation of bacteria, it turns into vinegar. Wine containing such bacteria cannot be corrected, so it is better to immediately process it into vinegar.

In the initial stages, the drink can be corrected through pasteurization. The bottles are placed in a saucepan on wooden stands and filled with water. The bottles are kept at a temperature of 60–65 °C for 20 minutes.

Lactic acid souring (anaerobic disease) spreads mainly in the southern regions. Dry and sweet wines are susceptible to this disease. As a result, the wine loses its transparency and shine. The aroma disappears and an unpleasant smell of sauerkraut develops.

Proper storage and pasteurization allows you to prevent disease and get rid of many unwanted hassles.

How to avoid wine diseases

In order to prevent unwanted wine diseases, the following conditions should be strictly followed:

1. Keep dishes, containers and various equipment used in the process of preparing wine clean.

2. When making wine, maintain cleanliness throughout all stages.

3. When making wort, take such a quantity of liquid or any other wort that the acidity strictly corresponds to the norm.

4. Do not liquefy the wort too much.

5. Sugar and water must be of high quality and pure.

6. Fermentation processes at all stages are carried out in accordance with the requirements.

7. Consume wine after the required aging period.

Determining the quality of wine. How do we know whether the wine we have in front of us is of high quality or damaged, and whether there is water in the drink?

First way

Place 1/2 or 2/3 full of wine into the bottle. Close and shake. If the foam quickly subsides, this is confirmation that we have a good, high-quality wine. If the foam stays on the surface for a long time, we have spoiled wine.

Second way

Shake the bottle slightly and pour the wine into a glass. In a quality drink, foam collects in the center of the glass. In spoiled wine, foam settles at the edges. The quality of wine can be determined by its smell by sniffing the sleeve that closes the barrel.

Third way

We cannot determine by appearance whether a wine contains water, in other words, whether it is diluted with water. But this is easy to determine by doing the following. Place a small amount of juniper berries (10–15 pcs.) in a glass of wine and observe - if the berries remain on the surface, this means that we are dealing with high-quality wine.

The berries at the bottom will warn that the wine is diluted with water and it is undesirable to drink such a drink.

Preserving quality wine from spoilage

To protect wine from possible infection with any diseases, use the following method: you need to take 150–200 g of ash (aspen, beech or linden, it all depends on which trees are most common on your territory). Cover the barrel sleeve with a thick linen towel and pour sifted ash into it.

Turn 3–4 holes against the bushing. Place sod on the ashes, which after a few days is replaced with fresh one. You can safely use this method, since neither the taste nor the smell of the wine will be spoiled.

How to fix spoiled wine

If the wine still goes bad, don’t despair. The recipes below will help you cope with wine diseases and restore the original quality and taste.

Recipe No. 1
Make a sleeve from willow twigs, that is, tie the required amount so that the barrel is tightly closed. Place a handful of old nuts with the husks in the oven and roast until they turn brown. Place a small amount of willow chips on the hot nuts as soon as they are removed from the oven. Place the nuts with chips in a barrel and cover with a sleeve made from willow twigs. Insist for three days. The wine will improve quality.

Recipe No. 2
Pull out the nettles by the roots and rinse thoroughly under running water. Clean the roots with a knife, removing dirt and small roots. Sew a bag from a double layer of gauze and place the grass (which should be slightly dried after washing). Tie the bag and put it in the wine. Leave for several days. If the taste does not improve, repeat this operation 2-3 times. The herb will return freshness to the drink and eliminate diseases.

Recipe No. 3
From the barrel containing the spoiled wine, pour 1/4 of it into an enamel bowl and place on low heat. After boiling for 30–40 minutes, pour into a container with spoiled wine. Stir lightly and seal tightly. This process will improve spoiled wine.

Recipe No. 4
The wine is strained several times to filter out as much yeast as possible. The drink is placed in a clean container and pure yeast is poured into it.

Melt 200 g of yellow wax over low heat, mix with 400 g of pure vodka. Place a clean towel into the resulting mixture and soak thoroughly. Light and let burn in the barrel sleeve, seal the barrel tightly. Leave for several days, after which you can use it.

Cloudy wine

There are various reasons why wine becomes cloudy. One of the reasons is the low alcohol content in the drink, i.e. the strength is less than 15%. Cloudiness may occur as a result of late transfusion, especially after vigorous fermentation; the thick mass that settles to the bottom, rotting, will also spoil the drink. The wine will become rancid and bitter.

Cloudiness of wine is usually a consequence of incomplete fermentation. Such fermentation, often violent, occurs at low temperatures, so the wine does not have time to ferment. This is where the turbidity comes from. To avoid this, you must strictly adhere to the prescribed temperature regime.

The wine is clarified with gelatin or fish glue. If it has not fermented, then it should be allowed to ferment, and only then clarified.

Cloudy wine may appear in barrels that were heavily fumigated with sulfur during processing. Fermentation in these cases proceeds slowly and is accompanied by strong turbidity, which is weaker the higher the alcohol content in the wine, and vice versa.

To fix it, you need to add sugar, which will speed up the fermentation process. For one bucket of wort take 1–2 kg of sugar.

Recipe No. 1
Place 100 g of sage and 100 g of hops in a bag. Tie tightly and place in a barrel of cloudy wine. After three days, remove the bag. If the dregs have not settled, repeat the procedure.

Recipe No. 2
Using pruning shears, cut a small amount of beech or walnut twigs. Place in a prepared container and fill with water. Place on low heat and cook for 1–1.5 hours. During this time, unnecessary substances will be digested. Drain the water, tie the branches and dry them. Place dry bunches in a barrel and leave for a while. When the mud settles, remove the branches.

Recipe No. 3
Tie raspberry leaves onto a string and place in a barrel. After the cloudiness has settled in the wine, remove the leaves.

If the wine is not cleared at one time, then string fresh leaves and place them in the barrel again.

Wine blossom

Wine bloom usually forms in a bottle and barrel that is not completely filled with wine and there is a fairly large air space. Due to the appearance of mold in wine, chemical processes occur, as a result of which the wine breaks down into water and carbon dioxide. To prevent the drink from being completely destroyed, the film that has formed on the surface is removed. If you examine this film under a microscope, it will look like a huge accumulation of filmy yeast. And before you start removing the film, you need to thoroughly destroy this yeast.

To do this, take a cigarette lighter and place a sulfur pot, which is lit and lowered into a container. The hole must be closed. If one wick burns out, then take a second, third. They must be burned until they burn. As soon as the wick has gone out (therefore, there is no oxygen), the container is tightly closed with a sleeve. Filmy yeast will die because it cannot live and reproduce in the absence of oxygen.

The next step is to remove the film from the surface of the wine. A rubber hose is placed in the barrel below the formed film, and the wine is poured into another container. The film with a small amount of liquid will be the last to pour out, so it is recommended to drain it separately. If a small amount of film does get into the container, remove it with a clean cloth soaked in a solution of hot water and soda. Wash the barrels thoroughly after molding.

Preventing wine from mold

Our recipes will help you keep wine fresh and improve the taste of moldy wine. Choose the recipe that, from your point of view, is more accessible. To check whether a given composition or process will harm the wine, you should try using a small amount of wine. Only after making sure that the recipe has been chosen correctly can you use it on large quantities of the drink.

Recipe No. 1
To protect fresh wine from mold, finely crush a small amount of borax and add it to the wine.

Recipe No. 2
This recipe also prevents the wine from molding. Heat a little salt in a frying pan and add it to the drink. Close the barrel thoroughly. Infuse for 7–8 days, after which strain the wine and place in the cellar.

Recipe No. 3
To improve the taste of moldy wine, pour 5 liters from a barrel. Place high-quality fragrant wine in an enamel bowl and put on fire. Boil, boil for 5-7 minutes, and then pour boiling water into a barrel of spoiled wine. Seal tightly and leave for 15–17 days. After which the drink can be consumed.

Recipe No. 4
Chop a small amount of pine bark containing resin and add wine. Cut shavings from birch bark. Lower them two days after the pine bark. Mix everything and leave for 7~8 days. This method will help clarify and refresh the wine.

Recipe No. 5
Take one apple per bucket of wine, remove the seed capsule, peel and cut into pieces. String the slices onto a thread, and tie a weight to the very end of the thread so that a few apple pieces are at the bottom. Do not use iron under any circumstances - if it is in wine, it will oxidize and spoil the taste of the drink.

Recipe No. 6
Place a handful of salt in a frying pan and fry thoroughly. Place in the barrel and close tightly with a sleeve. Salt will not do any harm to the drink; Only after a little time has passed, strain the wine and pour it into the barrel again.

Recipe No. 7
Bay leaves are used to improve the taste. Pour a small amount of wine into an enamel pan and boil. Add a little bay leaf, then simmer over low heat for 7 to 10 minutes. Pour the resulting liquid into the moldy wine.

Recipe No. 8
Knead the dough and make a thin (5-6 cm in diameter) and long (30-40 cm) roller out of it. Place in the oven and bake until half cooked. Then take out the clove buds and put them in the dough. Place in the oven again and bake until done. Place the resulting gurney in a barrel. Its presence in the container will eliminate the unpleasant odor of the wine and destroy the taste of mold.

Acetic souring of wine

If the wine is sufficiently sour, then this deficiency can no longer be corrected. Therefore, such wine is best used to produce vinegar.

Mucus formation in wine

Mucus formation occurs in wine for various reasons. First of all, this is due to the low content of nutrients due to the strong dilution of juice with water, souring, and also in the case of bottling unfinished wine.

The process of mucus formation can be prevented by fulfilling all the conditions necessary for the rapid and correct progress of fermentation. The wine is shaken to break up the mucus. The mucus is removed by pouring the wine into another container.

Wine that tastes yeasty

Wine acquires a yeasty taste if it remains unpoured after vigorous fermentation in a warm place. The yeast in the mixture begins to rot, and this imparts an unpleasant putrid taste to the wine.

The deficiency can be eliminated by pouring the wine into a clean container fumigated with sulfur.

How to fix stale wine

There are several ways to do this.

First way
Stir the wine in the barrel with a stick, then add 400 g of alcohol or good vodka, stir again and close tightly. Let it brew for 10–12 days, after which the wine will regain its lost quality.

Second way
Place the egg white into the prepared container and mix the mixture thoroughly. Then pour the egg mixture into the barrel and mix thoroughly. In three days the wine will be ready. Strain through a double layer of gauze.

How to fix sour wine

Lightly beat 4 egg whites and dip into 2 cups of peas boiled in jelly, add 1 bottle of milk and 1.2 liters of water. Dissolve salt in a small amount and then mix with the total mass. Pour the resulting mass into the barrel and let it settle.

Blackening of wine

The wort will turn black if it comes into contact with iron, even if only for a short time. Therefore, during the preparation of wine at all stages of production, the use of iron objects is strictly prohibited. All white and acid-poor wines most often undergo blackening: apple, pear, etc. In addition to the dark color, wines acquire an unpleasant taste when iron comes into contact with the liquid.

The taste is improved slightly by constantly pouring and shaking the mixture. If a wine contains a small amount of acid, add a more acidic one. Such a drink will become lighter, and sediment will form at the bottom, which is removed by pouring.

Recipe No. 1
In summer, collect rose flowers and dry them in the sun. Place dry petals in a prepared bag, tie tightly and place in wine. After two weeks, remove the bag.

Recipe No. 2
To improve the color of wine, take 1 glass of milk and 1 glass of wheat grains. Grind the wheat so that the outer skin comes off, or better yet, place the grains in a coffee grinder. Pour milk into the resulting mass and stir thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the barrel and close tightly. Infuse for 14–16 days. Blackened wine will regain its lost color.

Recipe No. 3
Sew a bag and place 200 g of elderflower flowers there. Tie the bag tightly and place it in a container containing two buckets of spoiled, blackened wine.

This amount of elderberry flowers is enough to make the wine suitable for drinking in 6–7 days.

Removing unpleasant odors from wine

An odor undesirable for wine may arise if the cooking process is disrupted. Place a large bunch of parsley into the bag and tie it tightly. Dip into wine, close tightly and leave for 10-12 days, after which throw away the bag. If the smell still remains, do it again.

In contact with

The prepared fruit and berry must is poured into appropriate containers for fermentation, the quality of which often affects the quality of the wine. In home winemaking, wooden barrels and glass bottles of different sizes are used (see figure).

New and used bottles must be washed thoroughly with a solution of soda ash, followed by a thorough rinsing with clean water so that they do not have any foreign odor. Glassware is convenient for carrying and observation. However, glass allows light to pass through and does not protect the wine from fluctuations in outside temperature. To eliminate to some extent these shortcomings, it is recommended to place the bottles in wicker baskets and also cover them from light.

The essence of fermentation is that, under the influence of yeast enzymes, the sugar of the wort is converted into alcohol, carbon dioxide, a small amount of glycerin, organic acids and a number of aromatic substances. To allow air to escape, the opening of the vessel must be closed not just with a stopper, but with a special fermentation tongue-and-groove (see figure).

You can make the simplest fermentation valve yourself. To do this, select a cork or rubber stopper according to the size of the neck of the vessel. A hole with a diameter of 5-6 mm is drilled in the center along the cork, and a glass tube of the appropriate diameter is inserted into it. It must be sealed hermetically; for this purpose, along the upper plane of the cork, the hole around the tube is filled with sealing wax, wax, or sealed with plasticine. The lower end of the tube should not protrude from the stopper.

A rubber tube of the appropriate diameter is placed on the upper end, into the free end of which a glass pipette is inserted for eye drops. The tip of the pipette is lowered into a 20-100 ml bottle with boiled water. To prevent water from spoiling, add a few drops of sulfurous (but not sulfuric) acid or vodka to it. With this arrangement of the seal bucket (fermentation sheet), gas from the vessel can freely exit through the layer of water, and outside air will not be able to get inside the vessel. In addition, the intensity of the fermentation process of the wort is judged by the gas bubbles coming out of the tube through the water.

A fermentation pile is especially necessary when the wort undergoes spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts without the introduction of cultivated races, as well as when preparing light table wines. In cases where fermentation is caused by introducing a pure culture of wine yeast into the wort and when producing dessert and liqueur wines, instead of a fermentation tongue, the opening of the vessel can be closed with a tight stopper made of absorbent cotton wool.

Sometimes, despite the fact that the wort is prepared correctly and yeast is added to it, fermentation still does not begin.

This comes from a lack of heat and food for the yeast to live. Yeasts do not thrive and reproduce poorly if the temperature of the wort itself is too low. On the other hand, if the room is excessively warm, then not only yeast, but also harmful fungi and other organisms develop more easily. Winemaking practice has shown that the fewer different pests in the wort, the higher (but not more than 25°C) the temperature of the wort can be raised in the room. In cases where adding yeast is not necessary or when little is added, it is more beneficial that the temperature does not exceed 20 ° C, at least during the first 6-7 days. At temperatures below 16°C, the work of yeast fungi slows down.

The most favorable temperature for alcoholic fermentation is 18-20°C. At the same time, the temperature in the room where fermentation occurs must be even, the same day and night, without sharp and frequent fluctuations, which each time delay fermentation and slow down the work of yeast. If fruit wine is prepared in the fall, in cold weather, then the container with fermenting wort should be kept in a heated room, but not near the stove, not in a draft or in a sunny place.

It is best to shield the container with wort on all sides with wooden shields. If the wine is prepared in cold weather or from very chilled fruits, “or cold spring water is added to the water to dilute the juice, then the wort may turn out very cold and fermentation will not begin in it. In this case, you need to warm the wort. To do this, take part of it and heat it up , but not to a boil, pour hot into the container with the wort and now mix everything well so that the liquid is evenly warmed. The optimal temperature of the wort is 16-20 ° C. Maintaining the temperature regime both in the room and in the wort is the main condition for the occurrence and continuation of fermentation.

The second condition is the presence of food for yeast fungi. It is present in wort, highly diluted with water. But in order for the fermentation process to proceed correctly and be completed, when preparing the wort, you should not forget to add ammonia, which is food for the yeast.

Fermentation of the wort usually begins after 6-12 hours. The liquid foams a lot, becomes cloudy, and carbon dioxide is released through the fermentation pile every day more and faster.

The first fermentation, during which the wort foams, is called violent. It lasts from 10 to 100 days, depending on the strength of the wine being prepared. The longer vigorous fermentation continues, the more alcohol there will be in the wine, since during it the conversion of sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide occurs.

In this case, two periods are distinguished in rapid fermentation:
1) actual violent fermentation
2) main fermentation.

During vigorous fermentation itself, which usually lasts 3-7 days, the wort foams heavily, carbon dioxide bubbles pass through the fermentation pile in a continuous stream and it is almost impossible to count them (in 1 minute, up to approximately 150-200 bubbles). The wort is very agitated, swells, and foam fills all the free space remaining in the container above the wort, and if the container is filled to the top with wort, it clogs the fermentation pipe, knocks out the cork and can even rupture the container. This first fermentation is also sometimes called top fermentation, since the yeast at this time works mainly in the upper layers of the wort.

Then the wort calms down, the release of gas bubbles decreases, and the foam begins to settle to the bottom of the vessel; this means that the vigorous fermentation has ended, and the main fermentation has begun, also called lower, which continues until the yeast fungi convert all the sugar into alcohol or produce so much alcohol that they can no longer exist in it.

During the main fermentation, the wort no longer foams much; gas bubbles are released less and less every day. By this time, a fairly large sediment, consisting mainly of yeast, has fallen to the bottom of the dish. The color of young wine is much clearer than the color of the must. At this stage, it is considered that the vigorous (and most important) fermentation has ended and the first pouring of wine can begin.

During vigorous fermentation, caring for the fermenting wort is as follows.

The yeast sediment is stirred up to better decompose all the sugar. The fact is that although fermenting wine is cloudy due to yeast floating in it, raised from the bottom of the container by the gas released, not all yeast is in such a floating state. Most of them rest on the bottom, forming a multi-layer “pie”. The upper layers, being in the vicinity of both sugar and nutrients, can reproduce and work without hindrance.

For the lower layers this is incomparably more difficult. And the less sugar remains in the wort, the lighter it is, the more completely the yeast settles, the denser the layers and the more difficult their work is. In order to increase the efficiency of yeast, it is necessary to shake the yeast sediment with a clean stick or blow a stream of air through it from some kind of bellows.

Short-term access of air significantly revives the work of yeast and promotes reproduction. Therefore, it is useful to ventilate hard-fermenting wines in the second half of the main fermentation, when 7-8% (by weight) of alcohol has already formed, by blowing air into it using a fur. You can pour the fermenting wine along with the yeast into a clean tub or other container and leave for 3-4 hours.

Sugar is added when the wine of greatest strength is being prepared, i.e., containing up to 16 wt. percent alcohol. In this case, the sugar is not put into the wort all at once, but only 1/6-1/5 of it (so that the sugar content of the wort is no higher than 10-15%), while the rest is added in equal parts to the already fermenting wort every 5-7 days.

Although with this method, vigorous fermentation continues for a very long time (up to 100 days), the yeast fungi develop more strongly and will be able to process all the sugar and prepare the largest amount of alcohol from it. If we immediately add all the necessary sugar to the wort, i.e., to form 16 wt. percent alcohol - 32 wt. percent of sugar, then it will be very difficult for fungi to process it completely and the wine will turn out to be only 11-12 wt. percent, and some of the sugar will remain unfermented. Each time you add sugar (granulated sugar), you should mix the wort well.

Monitoring the temperature in the room and the fermenting wort is very important for the correct progress of fermentation. For favorable rapid fermentation, the room temperature should be 18-20°C. And this must be carefully observed if you want to make good wine. It is important that the temperature of the wort does not rise above 25°C, which can easily happen during rapid fermentation. The fact is that when sugar is converted into alcohol, yeast releases some of the heat. Thanks to this, the wort itself heats up and the stronger, the more energetic the vigorous fermentation occurs. However, at temperatures above 25°C, yeast fungi begin to suffer and their vital activity slows down, so the winemaker should take care that the fermenting wort does not heat up too much.

Excessively hot wort should be cooled by adding small pieces of ice or by wrapping the vessel in a wet linen and exposing it to a draft until cool. The same cooling can be done by ventilating the wort in a draft or in cold weather. However, you should not over-cool the wort, as this can also have a detrimental effect on fermentation.

The progress of fermentation is checked at the end of the main fermentation or if fermentation has stopped for some reason. In these cases, you should taste the young wine to find out how much sweetness is left in it and whether the cessation of fermentation will be premature. If fermentation has stopped, and the sweetness of the wine is still significant, it needs to be aerated.

Preservation of excessive sweetness occurs in cases where the temperature conditions in the room were not maintained, the wort was improperly sweetened, or from insufficient fermentation ability of the yeast or from improper use.

If, after the end of fermentation, the sweetness is either absent or little is felt, and only the pleasant acidity of the wine appears, then the winemaker can be satisfied, because the most important thing has been achieved - a significant part of the sugar has been fermented, which ensures the strength and strength of the young wine.

When the main fermentation has reached its maximum, the yeast has stopped assimilating and fermenting sugar, and a layer of yeast sediment has settled at the bottom of the vessel and the young wine has become almost transparent, they begin to pour the wine for the first time.

Winemaking is a very delicate branch of producing low-strength drinks, but even here there are no clear rules and technologies.

Many exclusives appeared due to deviations from the rules, so it is impossible to say exactly how long homemade wine should be fermented to get the perfect drink. But at the same time, there are some features that should be adhered to when making the drink, and it is these that we will talk about.

Features of fermentation of homemade wine

The beginning of wine production is always the selection of quality raw materials. It is carefully processed - sorted, crushed (crushed or ground), and then placed in a dark place for fermentation.

The fermentation process itself occurs due to the presence of yeast fungi in the wort, which can be natural, i.e. formed from natural products, or specially populated with the help of special wine yeasts, which can now be freely found on sale.

It is difficult to say for sure how long wine fermentation takes place. This will depend on many factors - temperature conditions, the amount of sugar in the wort, and, of course, the quality of the yeast. Typically fermentation lasts from 30 to 90 days.

Stages of fermentation (fermentation)

Conventionally, the process itself can be divided into several stages:

• primary;
• stormy;
• quiet.

The first stage is characterized by the adaptation of yeast fungi to the environment in which they find themselves. Right now they are starting to multiply very actively.

The second stage is characterized by the end of fungal proliferation. They spread throughout the wine material, beginning to provoke the process of alcohol release. In time, this period can last from ten to one hundred days.

It should be noted that the duration will depend on the planned strength of the drink, since the longer fermentation occurs, the more alcohol there is in the finished wine. In the first days, the wine material will hiss and foam strongly (this must be taken into account when choosing a container), as intense release of carbon dioxide occurs.

The number of bubbles will begin to decrease after some time, and then they will completely settle to the bottom of the container. Because of this, the process moves to the lower layers of the wine material. The length of fermentation will depend on how long the fungi have converted the sugar to alcohol.

The wine usually becomes lighter in color at the end.

Rules for supporting the fermentation process

• Regular agitation of the sediment. Otherwise, it is very difficult for fungi to reproduce. You can shake it with a wooden stick (necessarily clean) or simply by shaking the vessel.
• Ventilation of wine materials. This can “spur” slow fermentation. Just open the container with the wort for three to four hours or pour it into another container. But such an action should occur only when fermentation has entered the lower phase.
• Adding sugar. This way you can increase the strength of the wine, and, accordingly, the fermentation period. Sugar is added to the wort in small portions and stirred with a wooden stick.
• Maintaining optimal temperature. A lower or, conversely, too high temperature will contribute to the spoilage of the wort. In the first case, it will stop fermenting, and in the second, it will ferment very quickly, losing its quality and strength.

The last stage (quiet fermentation) is characterized by a small amount of active fungi and the absence of sugar, since almost all of it is processed into alcohol. It is during this phase that the taste of wine is formed. It can last from 50 to 350 days.

When the drink is really ready, it should be poured into a clean container and placed in a dark place. The storage temperature should be about 10-15 degrees.

As you can see, it is difficult to answer exactly the question of how long homemade wine ferments, since the process depends on many external factors, which may vary among winemakers located in different regions.

The wine has stopped fermenting: what to do

Sometimes it happens that even if all the rules are followed, the wine material does not ferment or fermentation stops altogether very early. What to do in this case and are there methods that will help save the wort?

Short period of fermentation of wine materials

This is actually true. If you have just placed the wort for fermentation, then you should not expect instant bubbles. It should take at least three to four days before the glove inflates.

Of course, all this will depend on the conditions in which the wine material stands. For example, fermentation will be affected by room temperature, the amount of sugar in the wort, and the type of yeast used.

Thus, before adjusting the wort in any way, wait a few days, perhaps the wine is simply not fermenting yet.

Poor sealing

Another problem that many novice winemakers do not initially take into account is the lack of sealing in the container where fermentation occurs. Because of this, there will be no bubbles in the water seal and the glove will not stand up.

However, the fermentation process itself will occur, but it will not be visible, since carbon dioxide will find other ways to escape. This is also dangerous because a large amount of oxygen, which can get into the container with the wort, can spoil the wine material, turning it into sour vinegar. It will be impossible to fix this.

You can open the wine only once or twice a day maximum, for about fifteen minutes, or better yet even less, just to add sugar or remove excess foam. And after all the manipulations, be sure to check the tightness between the water seal (glove) and the fermentation tank. And if your wine material does not ferment, then also check the tightness.

Fermentation temperature

Fermentation largely depends on the ambient temperature in which the wort stands. Wine yeast works at temperatures of 10-30 degrees above zero. If there is more than thirty on the thermometer, then the yeast dies, and if it is less than ten, then it goes into a dormant state.

In any case, the wort stops fermenting. The temperature recommended by experts is 15-25 degrees. It is advisable to avoid changes, as the wort reacts very poorly to this. If the place where you placed the container is too hot during the day and cold at night, then move it to more stable temperature conditions.

If the wine material has stood for even a short time at a temperature of more than thirty degrees, then be sure to add wine starter or special yeast to it, but not alcohol.

Sugar content: more or less than normal

The fermentation time of homemade wine and the normal course of fermentation are greatly influenced by the sugar content of the wine material. The most optimal percentage is 10-20%. A larger or smaller amount affects fermentation in a negative way.

If there is not enough sugar, then fermentation may stop due to lack of work for the yeast, and if there is too much sugar, then the yeast will simply stop working, since the sugar becomes a preservative. You can check the optimal amount with a hydrometer or simply by taste.

It should be noted that fermentation can also be affected by the density of the wort. This can happen if it is based on fruit and berry raw materials that are poorly filtered. Thick wort may not ferment. This issue can be solved by adding juice or water (about 15% of the total volume).

Unsuitable yeast

If you are using wild strains of yeast, then you need to know in advance that this is the most unstable type of yeast that can stop working even for no apparent reason.

If this happens, then you need to add one of the following products to the wine material:

• homemade sourdough;
• grape berries, unwashed and crushed (5-6 pieces are enough for 10 liters);
• grape fruits can be replaced with raisins (20-30 g per 5 liters);
• special wine yeast.

The appearance of mold

If mold has formed in a standing wine material, it will be very difficult to save it. At the initial stages, you can still remove the layer of mold and pour the wort into a clean container.

However, you need to monitor the cleanliness of the containers from the very beginning and use only sterilized containers for fermentation.

End of fermentation process

This is the harmonious end of the yeast's work, when all the sugar is converted into alcohol. In terms of time, it takes about 14-35 days for homemade wine. If you want to get a stronger wine, then you need to add strong alcohol to it, since usually such a drink is not very strong.

Temperature conditions during fermentation

Now we should consider how many days it takes for wine to ferment at a certain ambient temperature.

• The wine will ferment for twenty days at a temperature of 10-14 degrees.
• It will ferment for ten days if the external temperature is 15-18 degrees.
• Seven days of fermentation at a temperature of 20 degrees.

It should be noted that for white wines the optimal temperature regime can be considered 14-18 degrees, and for rosé and red wines – 18-22 degrees.

In order not to miss the fermentation time of homemade wine or not to pour out the prepared wort, you need to adhere to the following rules:

• all raw materials must be well sorted, without rotten specimens;
• It is advisable to sterilize containers before use and dry them well;
• fruits should be chosen that are ripe and sweet (with the rare exception of fruits that are not sugary in nature);
• It is not recommended to store finished wine and fermenting wort near products with strong odors, as well as sour ones; avoid contact with animals and birds, as it can deteriorate both in taste and smell.

Now you know the period of fermentation of homemade wine under different environmental temperature conditions, as well as how the fermentation process is affected by the conditions of laying the wine material. Follow all the recommendations indicated in the article, and your wine will always be the most delicious!

Sometimes it happens that a wine does not live up to subjective expectations: it just doesn’t like it, doesn’t suit your taste. Well, in this case you gain invaluable experience and begin to understand wines even better. However, you need to be able to recognize those cases when the wine is really spoiled - you should part with such bottles without regret.

1. Oxidized wine

What is this? Have you ever observed how apple slices darken when left in the air? The same process happens to wine when it is in contact with oxygen for too long. Old, aged wines, as well as bottles that have been opened and left for a long time, are susceptible to oxidation.

How to recognize? Oxidized wines lose their taste and aromatic qualities. Red wine turns brownish-orange (brown) and tastes drier and more bitter. White wines are more sensitive to oxidation because they do not contain tannins, which perform an antioxidant function.

What to do? If the wine is already oxidized, there is no way to fix it. However, you can preserve open wine by using special corks. If you understand that the newly opened wine has been in contact with oxygen, this indicates a poor-quality cork or improper storage.

2. Cork disease

What is this? The chemical 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, or TCA, enters wine through a contaminated cork or barrel and thereby spoils the corked wine.

How to recognize? Cork disease cannot be confused with anything else - in this case, the wine acquires a musty smell, reminiscent of dirty basements, wet cardboard or wet dogs. It is no longer possible to recognize any other shades of aromas. According to statistics, about 2% of wines sealed with traditional cork are rejected due to the insidious trichloroanisole.

How to get rid of it? Andrew Waterhouse, a professor of wine chemistry at UC Davis, argues that if you pour such wine into a bowl with plastic wrap, the latter will attract trichloanisole molecules and thereby rid the wine of it. However, life is too short to waste time on such experiments. Send this bottle back to the store!

3. Sulfur compounds

What is this? The presence of sulfur is a controversial issue for wine. For example, producers add sulfur dioxide to prevent re-fermentation and stabilize wine. If the technological process is disrupted, this can lead to the appearance of an unpleasant hydrogen sulfide odor.

How to recognize? A wine defect associated with the presence of the substance mercaptan (carbon disulfide) is easily recognized by a recognizable disgusting odor (rotten eggs, burnt rubber, skunk secretions, etc.). However, sometimes sulfur dioxide gases are so weakly expressed that only an experienced taster can notice them.

How to get rid of it? It is believed that decanting helps to cope with this defect. Although if the smell is clearly pronounced, you shouldn’t waste time on it; you shouldn’t drink this wine.

4. Secondary fermentation

What is this? Tiny gas bubbles in still wine, most often young red. This occurs if the wine is bottled with a small amount of residual sugar, causing re-fermentation to occur. This is typical in countries with low intervention in the wine making process, where little sulfur dioxide is used.

How to recognize? There are no problems with this defect - the bubbles are visible to the naked eye, the wine is poured with a slight hiss. Not every secondary fermentation is considered a defect - for example, in the production of some Grüner Veltliners, Vinho Verde and, of course, frizzante wines, winemakers strive for this effect.

How to get rid of it? No, but you should make sure that there really should be no bubbles in the wine. If this feature doesn't spoil the taste, you might even like it!

5. "Boiled wine"

What is this? Wine is destroyed by exposure to too high temperatures if stored improperly.

How to recognize? The wine acquires a sugary smell of jam, jam with hints of nuts and burnt sugar. Wine damaged by heat often becomes oxidized because the cork does not protect the wine from contact with oxygen under the influence of temperatures.

How to get rid of it? Focus on storing your wines and keeping them from overheating.

6. Bacterial damage

What is this? Not only yeast is involved in the process of turning grape juice into wine. If something goes wrong in the technology, colonies of other bacteria and microbes can become too active and change the wine beyond recognition.

How to recognize? Any warning signs that shouldn't be there - medicinal aromas, vinegar smell, cloudy color, presence of films, etc. Attention! Crystalline sediment in aged wines that have undergone minimal filtration is not considered a defect.

How to get rid of it? As soon as possible!