On The House Wine Kit Instructions

IMPORTANT: Ensure that your primary fermenter is large enough for the juice bladder, with space for foaming during fermentation.

STEP 1 DAY 1 - PRIMARY FERMENTATION

1. Clean and sanitize equipment to be used.
   
   
2. Pour 1 L of hot tap water into the bottom of the primary fermenter and stir in packet #2 Bentonite. Mix well.
   
   
3. Pour contents of the juice base bag into the primary fermenter. If there are two bags, use the larger one now. The reserve (small bag) is not added at this step.
   
   
4. Top primary fermenter up to 23 L mark with good quality drinking water.
   
   
5. If your kit contains Oak Chips or Granular Oak, stir in now. If your kit contains oak cubes, they will be added at a later stage.
   
   
6. Stir well. Use a hydrometer to measure and record the Day 1 Specific Gravity (S.G.) in the chart provided in these instructions.
   
   
7. Sprinkle Dry Yeast on top of juice base (if your kit contains two packages of yeast, add both now).
   
   
8. Place a loose fitting lid, or primary lid with airlock filled halfway with sulphite solution, on the primary fermenter.
   
   
9. Keep the fermentation area warm (20 °C to 25 °C) for the entire winemaking process.

STEP 2 DAY 14 - STABILIZING/DEGASSING

1. Check chart for required S.G. reading. Measure the S.G. If wine is not in range, check again in 48 hours. If in range, record the number.
   
   
2. Using sanitized equipment, carefully syphon (rack) wine into a clean/sanitized carboy, leaving sediment behind.
   
   
3. Add contents of packages #3 Potassium Metabisulphite and #4 Potassium Sorbate directly into the carboy of wine.
   
   
4. Agitate wine using a sterilized stirring spoon. Stir wine, changing direction intermittently, for 10 minutes. Alternately, wine can be degassed using a drill with degassing attachment for 2-4 minutes at medium speed, reversing direction every 30 seconds.
   
   
5. Stir in package #5 Kieselsol. If your kit contains two, add one package now. The other will be added at a later stage.
   
   
6. Fit an airlock filled halfway with sulphite solution into the neck of the carboy and leave for 24 hours.

STEP 3 DAY 15 - CLEARING

1. Stir the contents of the Reserve into the carboy, if included.
   
   
2. Stir in package #6 Chitosan(s).
   
   
3. If your kit contains a second #5 Kieselsol, stir in one hour after Chitosan addition.
   
   
4. If your kit contains Oak Cubes, stir them in now.
   
   
5. Replace airlock and leave wine to sit in a warm (20 °C to 25 °C), undisturbed area away from direct heat and light.
   
   
6. After 5 days, give the carboy a twist (without lifting) to allow any sediment stuck to the walls of the carboy to drop.
   
   
7. Continue clearing process according to the chart above.

STEP 4 DAY 26-54 - POLISHING RACK/AGING

1. The wine should be perfectly clear. If not, leave the wine another 7-14 days to finish clearing.
   
   
2. Carefully rack the wine off of sediment (and oak cubes if present) into a clean and sanitized carboy fitted with a solid bung.
   
   Optional Steps:
   
   a) If ageing your wine longer than 3 months, add 1.5g (1/4 tsp) of potassium metabisulphite to the wine at this time to help preserve flavour and colour.
   
   b) If filtering wine, do so at this stage. NEVER FILTER CLOUDY WINE.
   
   
3. Leave wine to sit undisturbed for a minimum of 2 days to allow settling.

STEP 5 BOTTLING (CLEAR WINE ONLY)

1. Carefully syphon your wine into clean and sanitized bottles.
   
   
2. Cork bottles and leave upright for 3-5 days, allowing the cork to expand.
   
   Invert or store on the side to keep the cork moist.
   
   Store wine at 11 °C to 18 °C.

Shop for On the House Wine Kits and homemade wine kits

Beaverdale Wine Kits is a fantastic alternative to the On the House range offering the same amount of juice and procedure.

If you are looking to make a wine with more depth and flavour we suggest trying Vineco Original Series Wine Kits