12/07/2018

Wine from Wild Grapes


Homemade Wine From Wild Grapes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7PJXEv5zOM

This was my first time making wine.  Here was the process i took.
homemade wine using wild grapes

Early in the year, these were the grapes that grew in my yard.
wild grapes, riverbank grapes, wine

They were classified as wild riverbank grapes.  Here they are after ripening.  Not that big.
wild red wine grapes, vine, united states, michigan

Animals and birds started eating the grapes and i figured that it's time to start picking them.
animals that eat grapes

This was their size.  Not huge.  It took a lot of picking to get 1.5 gallons.
how to make wine, wild grapes

Here was the amount of grapes i got.  About 3 gallons of grapes.
picking grapes, make wine, at home, diy, homemade, red wine, white wine

This was the stems and unripe grapes that i separated.
easy destem grapes, wine, wine making

I got 2 totes and some other stuff together for the tools.
tools, equipment, make wine, wine making

1 bucket for grapes, 1 bucket for the destemmed grapes, 1 bucket for the stems.
pick grapes to make wine, how much, grapes to wine

After all the stems were removed i added 0.5 liters of water and started crushing the grapes.
crush grapes to make wine

I bought this Yeast on amazon, heated up some water in the microwave, added the whole packet and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
how much yeast to add to grapes to make wine

Then i added the yeast, added about 3 pounds of sugar, and let it sit for 7 days.  This was primary fermentation.  I didn't have a hydrometer to measure any sugar/alcohol levels.
wine primary fermentation, how long, time

After 7 days i was ready to transfer to jugs.  Cleaned with soap and water first.
cheap container, ferment, beer, wine, carboy, jug

Scoop the grapes and liquid, strain through colander, and pour into the gallon jugs through a funnel.
how to make wine

It was a messy job, definitely something to do in the garage.
what needed to make wine, grapes, juice

I only ended up with a gallon and a half.  But i put the 1 way stoppers on top and will let these ferment for about a year.  Racking every 3 months to separate the wine from the sediment at the bottom.
secondary fermentation, how long, time, valve, stopper



1 comment:

Kristie in NH said...

Have you tried your wine yet? I am in the same boat you were. We just bought a new house and have LOTS of wild grapes. I've never made wine before, but i'm going to try it out.