How to cork plum wine bottles
Assuming you already have your plum wine and are ready to bottle it, you will need the following supplies:
-Corks
-A corker
-Wine bottles
-A big funnel
-Muslin or a coffee filter
-A bowl or pitcher
-A bottle brush
-Sanitizer
The first step is to sanitize all of your equipment. This is important because you don’t want to contaminate your wine with bacteria. You can use a commercial sanitizer or make your own by mixing one tablespoon of bleach with five gallons of water. Soak all of your equipment in the sanitizer for at least five minutes.
While your equipment is soaking, prepare your wine filter. If you are using muslin, cut a square that is big enough to drape over the rim of your bowl or pitcher. Secure the muslin with a rubber band. If you are using a coffee filter, simply place it in the funnel.
After your equipment has soaked, rinse it off with clean water. Then, set up your corker and your bottles.
Now it’s time to start bottling! Place the funnel in the neck of the first bottle and slowly pour the wine in, being careful not to splash. Fill the bottle to within an inch of the top. Then, take the cork and place it in the corker. Push down on the corker until the cork is inserted into the bottle. Repeat this process until all of your bottles are full.
Once all of your bottles are corked, store them in a cool, dark place. Let the bottles rest for at least two weeks so that the wine can settle. After two weeks, you can start enjoying your homemade plum wine!.Citation
How to make wine without adding sulfites
Sulfites are found in wines as a by-product of the fermentation process. Commercial wine producers add them to wine as a preservative, but sulfites can also be produced naturally during fermentation. Some people are sensitive to sulfites and may experience headaches, hives, or difficulty breathing after drinking wine that contains them. If you’re sensitive to sulfites or you simply want to make wine without adding them, there are a few things you can do.
The easiest way to make wine without adding sulfites is to purchase grapes that have been grown without the use of sulfur-based fertilizers or pesticides. You can also ask your wine supplier if the grapes they sell are sulfite-free. If you’re making wine at home, you can test the grapes yourself for sulfites by soaking a sample in water overnight. If the water turns yellow or brown, the grapes contain sulfites and you should look for another supplier.
Once you have sulfite-free grapes, the next step is to avoid adding sulfur during the winemaking process. This includes not using sulfite-containing cleaners or sanitizers on your equipment, and not adding sulfite-containing yeast nutrients to your must. If you’re not sure whether a product contains sulfites, you can check the label or contact the manufacturer.
During fermentation, sulfites are produced naturally as a by-product of yeast metabolism. However, these levels are typically too low to be of concern for those with sensitivities. If you’re worried about sulfites in your wine, you can let the wine age for a longer period of time. As wine ages, the levels of sulfites naturally decrease.
Wine that has been made without the addition of sulfites will not keep as long as wine that has been treated with them. This is because sulfites are effective preservatives. If you plan to drink your wine within a few months, sulfites are not necessary. However, if you plan to age your wine or you’re not sure when you’ll drink it, sulfiting your wine will help to prevent it from spoilage.
To sum up, making wine without adding sulfites is possible, but it requires a bit of extra care and attention. Be sure to purchase grapes that have not been treated with sulfur-based pesticides or fertilizers, and avoid adding sulfites during the winemaking process. Letting your wine age for a longer period of time will also help to reduce the levels of sulfites.
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