Apres Dessert 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. Bring all kit components up to room temperature.
  2. Pour 250 ml (1 cup) of hot tap water into the bottom of the primary fermenter and stir in Bentonite and mix well.
    It is normal for Bentonite to not fully dissolve in water.
  3. If there are two bags, use the larger one now. Pour contents of the juice base bag into the primary fermenter. Rinse bag with water and add to primary fermenter. Fill to the 11L (3 gallon) mark.
    The Flavour Pack (smaller bag) is not added at this step.
  4. If your kit contains Oak Chips or Oak Powder, stir in now. If your kit contains oak cubes, they will be added at a later stage.
  5. Stir well. Use a hydrometer to measure and record the Day 1 Specific Gravity (S.G.) in the chart provided in these instructions.
  6. Sprinkle Dry Yeast on top of juice base (if your kit contains two packages of yeast, add both now).
  7. Place a loose fitting lid, or primary lid with airlock filled with sulphite solution, on the primary fermenter. The included sulphite sorbate packet is not used for this purpose.
  8. Keep the fermentation area warm (20 °C to 25 °C) for the entire winemaking process.

    For Dessert Wine, go to Step 1B in 5-7 days. For all others, wait 14 days and proceed to Step 2.

STEP 1B DAY 5-7 - CHAPTALIZATION (DESSERT WINE ONLY)

  1. Take a sample of the wine. Use your hydrometer and test jar and check the S.G. If it is below 1.020, go to next point. 
    If it has not reached this reading, leave the wine, checking the gravity each day until it reaches this level before proceeding.
  2. Pour the Chaptalization package directly into the primary fermenter, stirring very well to ensure sugar dissolves.
    Make sure to stir up the yeast from the bottom of the fermenter and take another S.G. reading.
    It will read between 0.008 and 0.015 points higher than the previous reading.
  3. Cover the primary fermenter loosely and allow approximately 5-7 days for the wine to reach stabilizing S.G. <1.010 before proceeding to Step 2.

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. Otherwise, record the number.
  2. Using sanitized equipment, carefully syphon (rack) wine into a clean/sanitized carboy, leaving sediment behind.
  3. Add contents of Sulphite/Sorbate package directly into the carboy of wine.
  4. Agitate wine using a sterilized stirring spoon. Vigorously 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 Kieselsol package.
  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. Pour into a clean/sanitized container, 1L (4 cups) of wine from the carboy and set aside. Stir the contents of the Flavour Pack into the carboy.
  2. Stir in package Chitosan(s).
  3. If your kit contains Oak Cubes, stir them in now.
  4. Top up carboy with reserved wine from step 1 and replace airlock.
  5. 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. Allow to clear undisturbed for an additional 20 days.

STEP 4 DAY 40 - POLISHING RACK/AGEING

  1. Wine should be perfectly clear. If not, leave wine another 7-14 days to finish clearing.
  2. Carefully rack wine off of sediment (and oak cubes if present) into a clean and sanitized carboy fitted with a solid bung.
  3. Allow wine to sit undisturbed a minimum of 2 days to allow settling.
    Optional Steps:
    a) If ageing your wine longer than 3 months, add 0.75g (1/8 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.

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 cork to expand. Invert or store on side to keep cork moist. Store wine at 11 °C to 18 °C.
    If choosing to carboy age wine, top-up with a similar style wine and fit with a solid stopper. Bottle ageing is the preferred method. 

Shop for more Dessert Wine Kits and homemade wine kits

We have popular wine making kits from brands such as Solomon Grundy and Beaverdale