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Well, it's 11/8/05, and although it hasn't been quite 28 days yet, the wine has stopped bubbling. The liquid in the center has cleared up and is a nice bright red color, and the rubber glove has started deflating.  Above: Here's a photo of the jug and the shrinking glove. The smaller jug beside it contains scuppernong-only wine, which is a week behind this batch.  Above: A closer photo, with a lamp behind the jug so the true color shows up better. The color in the fruit has faded, and has colored the wine. The wine in the center is translucent bright red, and on the bottom, you can see a layer of sediment.  Above: We use regular Mason canning jars to put our wine in, but real wine bottles are available too. After washing the jars on the hottest dishwasher setting, we get a coffee filter and poke it into the jar a bit, and then secure the filter with the Mason jar ring. We do the same for all the jars. The filter dips down into the jar, making a little "pocket" to help catch any fruit or debris that happens to get siphoned out.  Above: Popping the glove. Excuse Robert's hands. They're not "dirty" -- it's paint that won't wash off from his job. ;-)  Above: The glove deflates.  Above: Making the siphon using a dowel rod, (new, clean) aquarium airline tubing and rubber bands.  Above: You want the tubing to be about 1-1/2" shorter than the end of the dowel rod. This keeps the tubing from picking up the sediment in the fermentation jug.  Above: Removing the glove.  Above: The glove has been removed and discarded.  Above: Starting the siphon.  Above: Filling a jar, using the coffee filter "pocket" to capture any stray fruit particles or debris.  Above: Filling a jar.  Above: Filling a jar.  Above: Almost full!  Above: Alcohol content tester. The wine tested at 20% alcohol. :-)  Above: Removing the coffee filter from the jar and gently squeezing any remaining wine through it.  Above: Wiping the jar with a damp cloth in order to remove any drips.  Above: Putting the lid on the jar. Important: Tighten the lid as you normally would, then LOOSEN IT BACK UP a quarter-turn. The wine will build up pressure and could potentially burst the jar, although we've never had one to explode. After about a week, you can tighten the jar, but check it once a month or so to relieve any pressure.  Above: Finished jar. What an unusual color! :-D The 5-gallon jug has produced 16-1/2 quart jars of wine. :-)  Above: Eeewww ... leftover muscadines! :-P ;-)
Update 11/14/05 -- We retested the wine after letting it sit for a few days, and the alcohol content went up to 22%. Taste-wise, it could use a bit of sugar, but we'll give it another week or so and taste it again before adding any. Best to be conservative, because you can always add more, but you can't remove any! ;-) |
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