Basic Instructions for Home Winemaking
Primary Fermentation

You can see photos of this process in Day 1 of my Chianti Making on line!

If your kit came with glucose solids, mix these in first with a kettle of hot water, just like Jello. Once they're dissolved, mix in a kettle of cold water. Watch it wiggle?

Pour your ingredients or concentrate into your primary fermenter. It's clean, right? If you're adding concentrate, add in whatever water they require to rehydrate it - probably 2 bags of warm water. This concoction is called must.

Stir in the starter - usually called "Package 1". It mixes in better if you take a cupful of the must and pre-mix the starter in that. Note that some kits add this in before the concentrate, like in this photo. That's OK too.

Does your kit have any sort of flavoring required now? Elderberries? Oak? Add those in.

Now you need to add more water. Add in cold water so you end up with what your kit requires. Many hold 5 gallons. Stir up your mixture. Make sure you stir it with something clean!

Check the temperature, because you want a good temperature for the yeast to grow in. Around 75F is usually good. Write that down. Also, check the specific gravity so you have that on record as well.

If everything is set, add in the yeast. Sprinkle it on top - don't mix it in. You now have all ingredients set for part 1.

Seal up the container! Put on an airlock of some sort. The mixture will begin to ferment in around 2 days, shown by a bubbling or foaming. Watch for that - if it is too cold, your yeast may not start. You can drop the temperature a bit, to 60-70, when the yeast has begun foaming.

Let this stage continue for about a week. If you've got Elderberries in there, stir it once a day to mix them around. If not, leave the mixture to its own devices.

Winemaking Instructions
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