Procedure

Steps in winemaking

Getting started
Preparing the must
Making the yeast starter
Primary fermentation
Racking to secondary
Secondary fermentation
Topping up
Racking
Bottling
Corking
Labeling and capsuling
Bottle aging
Drinking

Getting started

First thing you need is a recipe. You find recipes on the web or in winemaking books or you can compose your own recipe by combining several recipes. You can find a couple of recipes I've tested myself in the Recipes chapter. For other places on the web to find recipes, see the Links chapter.
If you want to compose a recipe yourself, measure the acidity with an acid test kit. Adjust the acidity to the amount you like, typically 5 to 8 g/l for wine. See the Acids chapter for more info on this subject.
Check if the recipe requires a juice fermentation (for white wines) or a pulp fermentation (for red or blush wines). Both require their own approach to the first stages of winemaking.
Specific procedures for pulp and juice fermentations for red and white wines respectively will be indicated with the bold headings red and white.

white
A juice fermentation must be used for making white wines. In this case juice is extracted from the fruit by pressing (with a wine press) and then fermented in a carboy or fermentation bottle (secondary fermentor).

red
A pulp fermentation is used to maximize color and flavour extraction, necessary in making red wines. It basically means making a pulp of fruit by crushing and fermenting on the pulp without extracting juice first. This can't be done in a carboy (secondary fermentor), but in a primary fermentor like a bucket. This fermentor must be sealable against the air and vinegar flies to some extent e.g. by placing a lid on top with an airlock or you can use a plastic bag attached to the top with a rubber band. Be inventive.

For beginners, it's best to start with some juice or concentrate bought in a shop. This is easy to start with and requires little equipment. This way you can start with a juice fermentation without having to press the fruit with a wine press, and avoiding a pulp fermentation.
Keep records of all ingredients and all events. See the More info chapter.

Preparing the must

Sanitize your must to kill wild yeast and bacteria. This can be done by means of:

Adding sulphite or crushed campden tablets (1g/10kg), the most common way
Pouring boiling water over fruit, to kill most wild yeast and bacteria on the fruit skins
Boiling, this helps extracting juice, but can result in change of flavour and could cause a pectin haze, if not using pectic enzyme

The sulphite is the most commonly used and probably the best way.
Crush the fruit, try to be inventive. A home made pulp cutter on a drilling machine can be very handy.
Juice fermentation requires the extraction of juices now. This can be done by boiling or by means of pressing.
Clean fermenting vessel and other material and rinse it with a sulphite solution to sterilize it.
Fill the fermentor with the must and add water, and other ingredients that the recipe calls for except the sugar and yeast.
Take a hydrometer reading first. Calculate the amount of sugar needed for the desired alcohol content. For more info on this subject, see the Sugar and alcohol chapter.
Dissolve the sugar and take a reading of the starting SG (Specific Gravity). If you have't got a hydrometer, add the sugar according to the recipe. Take out some must with a measuring jar, dissolve the sugar and gently pour off the liquid. This way all the sugar gets dissolved properly. You can boil the water before adding to the must and dissolve the sugar in the hot water first.
Crush and dissolve one campden tablet and add it to the must if you haven't already done so and let it stand for 24 hours for the sulphite to do its thing. For more info on sulphite use see the More info chapter.
Leave some room (at least 1/5) on top, otherwise the foam will leave you with a big mess when the fermentation starts and the fermentor overflows.

red
Cover the primary fermentor with a lid that doesn't close perfectly or use a plastic bag with a rubber band. Air must be able to get in to promote yeast growth during the first few days. Further, the carbon dioxide gas produced by the fermenting process must be able to escape. Vinegar flies must be kept out. A lid with a hole would be best, a piece of cotton or a paper towel could be applied.
Try making a little more wine than your secondary fermenting vessel can take for topping up purposes when racking later on.

white
Plug the bottle with some wadding or a paper towel to allow oxygen into the bottle and to keep fruit flies out. This is necessary to promote yeast growth during the first few days. Fill the carboy to 4/5 part. Put the rest of the wine in another bottle, so that you can completely fill the carboy later on in the process.

Making the yeast starter

A yeast starter can be made (24 hours before fermentation start), but rehydrating the yeast is usually sufficient (about 15 minutes before fermentation start) if you are not making large batches of wine (less than 10 liters). A yeast starter gives the fermentation a more vigorous start.
For a simple yeast starter you'll need:

Must (5 to 10 % of the amount to be fermented)
Sugar (when the must contains little sugar)
Small amount of yeast nutrient
Small amount of citric acid (or some lemon juice)
Wine yeast

Slightly heat the juice until lukewarm (about 30 degrees Celsius), nutrient and the citric acid. Put this mixture in a sterile bottle. Add the yeast and stir well. Cover with some wadding. Let it stand for about 24 hours untill foam has formed. When foam has formed, it is ready to be added to the must.
Another way to prepare the yeast is rehydration. Rehydration means dissolving the yeast in half a glass of tepid water and letting it stand for about 15 minutes. You can toss in a teaspoon of sugar to give it something to do. This of course must be done the day you're going to start the fermentation.
When you're lazy, just sprinkle the yeast on the must.
A yeast starter usually works best and it's necessary for larger quantities. For smaller quantities, rehydration usually is sufficient. The faster the must will start to ferment, the better. A yeast starter is the fastest way, rehydration comes next, and just adding the yeast dry takes the longest untill fermentation start. The longer the period before fermentation gets going, the more chance oxygen, bacteria and mold get to spoil your wine.

white
Go to the Secondary fermentation paragraph and skip the ones in between.

Primary fermentation

red
24 hours after the campden tablet has been dissolved in the must, the yeast starter can be added to the must.
The actual start of fermentation will take place within about 2 days after adding the starter. This will be perceptable due to foam formation and bubbles will start rising towards the surface.
Pulp fermentation generally takes a few days to a week.
Foam will form in the primary fermentation vessel, but as it should be significantly larger than the amount of must to be fermented, the foam shouldn't be a problem.
The rising bubbles will cause a cap of fruit pulp to form on top, which must be pressed down at least once a day to keep it submerged to avoid mold growth. This can be done using a clean spoon. Pressing also maximizes color and flavour extraction.

Transfer to secondary

red
When the color and tannin extraction has been sufficient (a few days to a week after fermentation start) the must needs to be transferred to the secondary fermentor (a carboy or jug). The sediment and cap have to be separated from the wine. This can be done in a process called straining.
You may want to take a hydrometer reading here, if you have one. It should read about SG=1030.
Straining can be done like this:

Clean the secondary fermentor and all equipment and rinse all with a sulphite solution. Wash your hands carefully.
Clean and sterilize another bucket and put a nylon straining bag into it.
Pour the must through the straining bag. You can use a measuring cup to do this. Avoid excess splashing.
Take the bag out of the must and gently press the liquid out.
Dispose of the solids.
Pour the wine into the secondary fermentation vessel through a large funnel.
Put some cheesecloth over the funnel to catch small solid particles. If the cheesecloth becomes filled with particles and the flow through it is slowed down too much, pull the cloth a bit aside, such that a clean part covers the funnel.

After straining, place an airlock on top of the bottle.
Do not fill the carboy completely yet, because of overflow danger. If you've made some excess wine that doesn't fit the carboy, put it into a smaller bottle, also under airlock. You can use it for topping up while racking later on in the process.

Secondary fermentation

red
After primary fermentation (and having racked the wine to the secondary fermentor when you've pulp fermented) the next fermentation step starts, the secondary fermentation (obvious isn't it?). Fermentation will continue here, but not as vigorously as primary fermentation. Fill your carboy almost to the top, when no foam is being formed any more.
Place a bung and airlock on top of the carboy.

white
When fermenting clear juice, you've skipped a few paragraphs. The process continues here.
You'll only fill the carboy for 4/5 part. Fill another bottle with juice so you'll be able to fill up the head space later on.
Add the yeast starter and get both bottles fermenting. Put a piece of wadding in the neck of the bottles to keep fruit flies out.
Foam will form on top of the must due to rising bubbles. That's why you only filled the carboy partially. The amount of foam depends on the ingredients used and fermentation conditions. Although you've only filled the bottle partially, the danger of overflowing still exists. That's why it's a good idea to place your carboy somewhere where spillage can't hurt like in a bucket or bath tub.
When the yeast has started doing its work, put a fermentation lock in place of the wadding.

When fermentation slows down (you can tell by the bubbling rate of the airlock or by hydrometer readings) it's time to add the rest of the total amount of sugar required if you want to get a higher alcohol content. The SG should be about 1010 now. It's best to add the sugar in several steps. Take a hydrometer reading before and after each sugar addition to be able to calculate the alcohol content when the wine is finished. Siphon off some wine, dissolve the sugar in it and siphon back. Notice that dissolved sugar needs some bottle space. Don't just throw dry sugar into the wine, unless you want to get a volcano foam eruption. Even worse, most sugar will sink to the bottom, not dissolving completely.

Topping up

When the fermentation process really slows down (usually after a month or so) and all sugar has been added, you need to fill the bottle all the way to the top to minimize the surface area. This should be done because the wine doesn't provide itself a CO₂ blanket any more (only during vigorous fermentation), and could oxidize (and get spoiled).
Use the excess wine you've made to top up, use a similar wine, or water.

Racking

When the wine has stopped fermenting (it has stopped bubbling) it has to be racked.
The wine has to be siphoned to another bottle leaving the sediment behind. The process has to be done several times so that you end up with a clear batch of wine. You'd better practice with some water first, if you've never racked before to avoid spilling the wine.
Racking is done like this:

Find a carboy or big bottle to take all the wine.
Clean the bottle and all equipment and sterilize all with a sulphite solution. Rinse with water.
Dissolve a crushed campden tablet in half a glass of water and pour it into the empty bottle.
Now put the full bottle a little higher (not over 1 m) than the bottle about to be filled. Place it on a kitchen chair or table for instance and the other one on the ground.
Place the siphoning hose into the must and suck untill the wine starts to flow. Pay attention not to suck up the lees.
Then pinch the hose and lower it into the other bottle. Release the tube and the wine will start flowing. Avoid vigorous splashing (to avoid oxidation).
Stop the flow just before sucking up sediment.
To avoid losing the wine mixed with lees, you can pour the remainder into a small bottle and let it stand overnight in a cool place like a refrigerator. The next day you can pour the wine off the lees and add it back to the rest of the wine.
Rinse out the sediment. Use a bottle brush, if necessary.
If the bottle in which the wine is now is bigger than the original one, siphon the wine back again.
You will lose some volume here, so you'll have to refill the bottle to the top. You can use some excess wine you made by fermenting in a small bottle beside the carboy. If you didn't you can top it off with a similar wine or use water. Make sure that you've refilled the fermentation bottle within a day to avoid too much oxidation.

You'll have to repeat this sequence every time a reasonably thick layer of sediment has accumulated untill the wine is clear. About three rackings should do. If the wine doesn't clear out of itself, there are fining agents like bentonite to help you out. If you don't mind the haze, don't worry.

Bottling

When the wine is clear, and the fermentation process has fully ceased, the wine can be bottled. Take the hydrometer if you have one to check for residual sugars and to be able to calculate the alcohol content. The Sugar and alcohol chapter explains how to do this
The wine can also be matured in the fermentation bottle (bulk aged), but if you haven't got that many of those the choice is easy. Beware that if you bottle too soon, your corks might start popping out due to re-fermentation in the bottle, and leave you with a terrible mess. So it's best to wait a few months after fermentation stop to make sure that fermentation has fully ceased and the wine is stable.
Just before the actual bottling, the wine can be sweetened to taste. Check the Sugar and alcohol chapter on how to do this.
Use green or brown glass bottles for red wines, and white or colored bottles for white wines. The easiest bottle to work with is the Bordeaux type (easy to pile up).
Here is the bottling procedure:
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24 hours before bottling add one crushed campden tablet to the wine. Add potassium sorbate and sugar, if you want to obtain a sweet wine.
Prepare corking, as this follows the bottling procedure immediately.
Bottling requires some wine bottles which should have been cleaned when you got them. Just before bottling rinse them with a sulphite solution and drain them. This can be done by filling one bottle for 3/4. Shake well and use a funnel to transfer the solution to the next bottle.
Filling the bottles can be done with your siphoning tube. This is done like racking, only now you don't have to worry about the lees. Bottles need to be filled to about 1 cm below the cork. Don't try to fill the bottles exactly to to this level in one operation, but stop the flow a little earlier and top up a funnel afterwards to avoid spilling the wine.
When you exchange bottles, you'll have to stop the flow. This can be done by pinching the hose. Another way to stop the flow is by lifting the bottle to the same level as the fermenting bottle. But don't lift it too high, or the wine will flow back and out of the hose and you'll have to suck again. A little tap attached to your siphoning hose together with another piece of hose to reach the bottom of the wine bottles facilitates bottling.

Move right on to the next step.

Corking

Now that you've just finished filling your bottles it's necessary to cork them (if you've chosen to use wine bottles). Corking bottles really can't be done without a corking machine (believe me, I've tried). This could use some practice. When you're not making large quantities a hand held corking tool will do. Large quantities require a floor corker.
Here's how:

12 to 24 hours before bottling soak your corks in a sulphite solution to sterilize them and to make them more flexible. Make sure that the corks are fully submerged, so put some weight on top.
Insert a cork in the device. and put it on top of the bottle.
Push very hard untill the cork is in place.
Take the corker off.
If the cork hasn't been driven deep enough into the neck of the bottle, adjust the corker. If you've got a hand corker, put only the upper part of the device on the cork, and hammer it down with a wooden or rubber hammer. Do not try pushing while using only the upper part of the corker because the cork will overshoot and end up in the wine.
Freshly corked bottles are best left standing up straight for a few days in order to prevent wine spillage due to popping corks (they still could pop, put a bottle standing won't leak empty). Corks could pop due to the force of the wine and compressed air. This risk goes away after a couple of days.
Eventually the bottles must be layed on their sides, otherwise the corks will dry out, leak, and the wine will oxidize.

Labeling and capsuling

All bottles should be labeled. It is necessary to identify the type of wine, but a nice label also looks better.
A couple of things that could appear on it are: type of fruit, sweet/dry, year, month, date of fermentation start and bottling date, type of wine, your name, %vol alcohol.
You can buy labels ready made or you can have some custom designed for you. But homemade wine looks good with homemade labels. Labels can be made with pen and paper or on the computer. Almost every paint program or wordprocessor can produce nice labels.
For more info on making wine labels with a computer, see the Label making chapter.
Labels are best glued on with water soluble glue like Pritt or UHU stick. This is necessary for getting them off easily in order to reuse the bottle.
You can use capsules to cover the top of the bottle neck and the cork. It is mainly for decorative purposes.
Most capsules must be heated to attach them to the bottle neck. This can be done by means of a candle or a heat gun for removing old paintwork. Pouring boiling water over them also works. Of course this must be done before labeling.

Bottle aging

Aging means letting your wine lie down for a period of time before consumption so that its quality improves. This can be done before (bulk aging) or after bottling (bottle aging).
Almost every wine improves with time. A few months will cause significant change, a year or more will be better.
This process doesn't continue into infinity. There is something like a peak in quality, but most wine is being drunk too early. The time that home made wine will ages usually depends on how long you can bare to wait. A typical aging time for your first bottle is something between 1 second and one week after bottling. So the more wine you make, the better chance it gets to age.
To age wines you need a place where it is dark and where temperature is cool and relatively constant.

Drinking

That's what it's all about! Consuming your wine. You can drink it with some company so that you get opinions from outsiders about your wine.
It may taste different from commercial wine, you should be aware that you've really made something a bit special.
Use wine glasses, if you have some available. White wine should be drunk rather cool, red wine at room temperature.
Enjoy!