Port and Sherry Kit Instructions

Equipment Required:

PRIMARY FERMENTER: A food-grade plastic container, 30 - 46 litres (7 - 10 Imp. gal.), with a cover. It should have a mark indicating 11.5 litres (2.5 Imp. gal.).

CARBOY: An 11.5 litre (2.5 Imp. gal.) bottle-shaped container made of glass or food-grade plastic.

AIRLOCK AND RUBBER BUNG: A valve that seals the carboy at the neck. It prevents oxygen and spoilage organisms from entering while allowing fermentation gases to escape. The airlock must be half-filled with water and attached to the carboy whenever there is wine in it.

SYPHON HOSE AND SYPHON ROD: 1.8 m (6 ft.) of food-grade tubing attached to a rigid acrylic rod. Used for transferring wine from one container to another while leaving the sediment behind.

HYDROMETER AND TEST JAR: A hydrometer measures specific gravity (S.G.) and is very useful for monitoring the progress of fermentation. You should take a hydrometer reading at each step and record the S.G. in the space provided.

FLOATING THERMOMETER

SPOON: Food grade plastic, approximately 70 cm (28 in.) long.

WINE THIEF: Used for removing samples from the carboy in order to test specific gravity (S.G.) and carry out other winemaking procedures. Lower wine thief into carboy and allow it to fill. Place finger over open top and remove.

WINE BOTTLES AND CLOSURES: You will need thirty 375 ml bottles, thirty corks and a corker (available at Wine Cave). Plastic T-stoppers are also available, eliminating the need for corks and a corker.

MEASURING CUP: A 500 ml (2 cup) measuring cup is useful for mixing and measuring.

Terms

RACKING: Transferring product from one container to another using a syphon hose and syphon rod.

CLEANING: Removing visible residue from equipment.

SANITIZING: Disinfecting equipment to prevent spoilage.

Before You Begin

Please record the wine style you are making, the number (date code) from the bottom of the box, and the date code from the seam of the yeast package. If you have any questions about your wine kit we will need this information.

Wine style: ______________ Date code: _______________
Date code from the yeast package: _______________

Clean and Sanitize Your Equipment!

All the equipment that will come in contact with your wine must be cleaned and sanitized before use. Wine is susceptible to microbial spoilage, so it is assumed that every piece of equipment coming in contact with the wine has been thoroughly sanitized before each procedure. Either sodium metabisulphite or potassium metabisulphite is a good choice for sanitation. To make a sulphite solution, dissolve 50 g (8 tsp.) of sulphite in 4.6 litres (1 Imp. gal.) of cold water. Completely coat all surfaces of your equipment with the sanitizing solution and rinse thoroughly with clean water. The sanitizing solution can be stored for a month in an airtight container.

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Produces 11.5 Litres (2.5 Imp. Gallons)
DAY 1:
Date________________ S.G. ___________ (1.110–1.120)

PRIMARY FERMENTATION

NOTE: Before proceeding, ensure that the primary fermenter has a mark indicating 11.5 litres (2.5 Imp. gal.). The easiest way to do this is to fill the 11.5 litre carboy with water and then pour or syphon the water into the primary. Using permanent ink, mark the level on the outside of the fermenter. Discard water.

Sanitize and rinse the primary fermenter and lid, hydrometer and test jar, wine thief and spoon.

Carefully remove cap from bag and pour contents into sanitized primary fermenter.
Half-fill bag with hot tap water and pour into fermenter. This ensures that all product is rinsed out of the bag.
Add lukewarm water until you reach the 11.5 litre (2.5 Imp. gal.) mark on the primary fermenter. Stir vigorously.
Using the wine thief, fill the test jar. Record specific gravity (S.G.).
Ensure temperature of juice is between 18 and 25°C (65–80°F) before adding yeast.
Sprinkle yeast over the surface of the juice. Add both packages. Do not stir.
Put the lid on the fermenter and store in a warm area (20–23°C/70–75°F). Raise the fermenter approximately 1 m (3 ft.) onto a strong counter or table to avoid disturbing the sediment when racking on Day 6.
Within 3 days the wine will show signs of fermentation (bubbling or foaming).

DAY 6:
Date______________ S.G. ___________ (1.040 or lower)

SECONDARY FERMENTATION

The vigorous fermentation will be complete. Sanitize and rinse the carboy, syphon rod, syphon hose, bung, airlock, wine thief, hydrometer and test jar.

Use the syphon hose and syphon rod to gently rack the wine from the elevated primary fermenter to the carboy. Be careful not to disturb the sediment on the bottom of the primary fermenter.
Place the carboy in an elevated fermentation area.
Fill the airlock half-way with water. Attach the bung and airlock.
After Day 6 your wine will continue to ferment. However, there may be little, if any, bubbling in the airlock.

DAY 20:
Date______________ S.G. ___________ (0.996 or lower)

SPECIFIC GRAVITY READING

Sanitize and rinse the wine thief, hydrometer and test jar.

Remove airlock and bung.
Using the wine thief, fill your test jar. Record specific gravity (S.G.).
If S.G. is above 0.996, reattach airlock and bung and let fermentation continue until S.G. is 0.996 or lower.
If S.G. is 0.996 or lower, proceed to STABILIZING AND CLEARING below.
STABILIZING AND CLEARING

Sanitize and rinse the syphon rod, syphon hose, primary fermenter, measuring cup and spoon.

Carefully rack your wine from the carboy to the primary fermenter.
Add sulphite package (yellow bag) to the primary fermenter and stir until dissolved.
Add sorbate package (blue bag) to the primary fermenter and stir until dissolved.

NOTE for port: Add your port finishing blend now.
NOTE for sherry: Add your sherry flavour booster now. For a sweet sherry, add your sweet reserve. If you prefer a dry sherry, discard your sweet reserve.
Slowly stir bentonite (white bag) into 250 ml (1 cup) of hot tap water. Stir until well dispersed.
Add bentonite solution to wine. Stir vigorously for 2 minutes.
Wait 15 minutes and again stir vigorously for 2 minutes. Stirring helps drive off CO2 gas that may be trapped in the wine as a result of fermentation. It also ensures the thorough dispersal of the bentonite.
Repeat step 6 twice.
Put the gelatin package in hot water for 2 minutes to soften contents. Pour gelatin into the wine and stir vigorously for 1 minute. If you are making port go to step 10 now.
For sherry only: Pour kieselsol into the wine and stir vigorously for 1 minute.
Rack your wine from the primary fermenter to a clean, sanitized and rinsed carboy.
To ensure that your wine is the best quality possible, top up carboy using port or sherry.
Place carboy in a cool area (15–19°C/60–68°F). Raise the carboy approximately 1 m (3 ft.) to avoid disturbing the sediment when racking on Day 28.
Fill the airlock half-way with water. Attach the bung and airlock.
The wine will clear over the following week, leaving sediment on the bottom of the carboy.

DAY 28:
Date______________ S.G. ___________ (0.996 or lower)

FINISHING

Your wine should be clear and ready to bottle. If it is not as clear as you would like, contact your local home winemaking shop for assistance, or call 1-800-663-0954.

Remove airlock and bung.
Syphon wine into clean, sanitized wine bottles, being careful not to disturb any sediment on the bottom of the carboy.
Cork the bottles using a corker.
After corking, bottles should be stored upright for 1 day. Bottles should then be stored on their sides to keep the corks moist. Although your wine is drinkable now, it will benefit from aging.