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Three Common Mistakes Made by Home Winemakers

31 October 2009 2,102 views No Comment

Have you been disappointed with the way your homemade wine has turned out? I know quite a number of people who have not been pleased with their results. Sometimes it’s off flavors. Or worst of all, wine turning into vinegar. Here are some common mistakes that home winemakers often commit which could result in something your not all that proud of:

Mistake #1 – Not Sanitizing Equipment

This is quite possibly the biggest and most often made mistake of home winemakers. Just because a batch of wine turned out fine previously, and you didn’t spend the extra few minutes sanitizing your equipment doesn’t mean you’ll be so lucky every time. It only takes a few minutes and can save a lot of frustration and feelings of wasted time to mix up a solution of potassium metabisulfite and water (3 Tablespoons per gallon of water) and use it on your equipment, primary fermentation pail and carboy.

Mistake #2 – Assuming Fermentation is Complete

Have you ever had bottles of wine that exploded or the corks suddenly started popping out? This is caused by pressure build up of carbon dioxide in the bottles, usually due to yeast that are consuming any remaining sugar. Some people think that by adding sulfite and potassium sorbate, they can stop the fermentation before it’s complete and end up with an off dry, semi-sweet or sweet wine. It is unlikely that by adding sulfite and sorbate that a fermentation will stop. Adding sorbate will simply prevent yeast from reproducing and restarting a fermentation.

Let your wine ferment completely. If you wanted to end up with something sweeter, add a sweetener after the fermentation has completed.

Mistake #3 – Drinking Wine Too Soon

Although 4 week winemaking kits appeal to those who want to have wine quickly in order to consume it, all wines can benefit from some further aging in the bottle. Avoid drinking it for at least a week after you’ve bottled it. If you can, wait several months. After bottling, wine can suffer from bottle shock where the flavors become muted and sometimes referred to as “disjointed.” It’s a temporary condition and you will find that your wine improves if you give it some time.

Keep these mistakes in mind while you make your wines, and by avoiding them you will increase your chances of having something you will be proud to serve others.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/three-common-mistakes-made-by-home-winemakers-1397913.html

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