Easy Strawberry Wine Recipe - Perfect for Beginners (2024)

FAQs

How to make wine at home for beginners? ›

Thoroughly mash fruit, add four crushed Campden tablets, cover with cheesecloth and allow container to stand four hours at room temperature. Add 10 cups sugar syrup, lemon juice, tea and yeast and allow seven days to ferment at a temperature between 60-70º F, stirring thoroughly twice daily.

About 30 pounds of strawberries are required for every 5-gallon batch of wine. Berries do not have to be capped prior to fermentation. Strawberries are very fruity and acidic, so water and sugar are added to the berry pulp prior to fermentation to reduce the acidity to about 0.8% and increase the sweetness.

In many ways, grapes are the easiest fruit from which to make wine, but we also have a lot of expectations for wine made from grapes, a lot of ideas of how it should taste. Plus, wine made from grapes is widely available, so unless you've planted vines specifically to make wine, it's worth exploring other options.

Step 6: Aging your wine (optional)

It is the hardest part of the process, waiting for the final product. The general recommendation is to age at least one month before trying, but you can age for an entire 12 months.

The most common yeast associated with winemaking is Saccharomyces cerevisiae which has been favored due to its predictable and vigorous fermentation capabilities, tolerance of relatively high levels of alcohol and sulfur dioxide as well as its ability to thrive in normal wine pH between 2.8 and 4.

Most commonly, granulated sugar is used when wines need added sugar since it doesn't need to be broken down first like complex sugars. Virtually any type of sugar can be used by winemakers who want to experiment with different textures and sweetness levels. This includes brown sugar, molasses, honey, syrups, and more!

There's no yeast or “mother” required, since strawberries have enough natural chemicals to turn the liquid into booze.

It has many detectable flavors that come out cleanly, and all are quite pleasant. You don't need to mask the rough edges with sugars or conditioners, and it tastes fruity even when puckering dry. Strawberry wine makes an impression that's anything but flat or one-dimensional.

Adding Wine Yeast to Your Juice

Typical usage rate for yeast is 1 gm / gallon of juice, but being a little short or a little long is not a problem, as yeast reproduces to reach a number at which fermentation takes place. Being slightly long on usage amount simply gets the fermentation count up that much faster.

Known for their distinct sweetness and tropical notes, bananas can be used to make an entire batch of wine or can simply be added to another batch. Costing approximately $1.00 per pound, you'll need 3 lbs of bananas for one batch of wine. Banana wine is one of the cheaper options when it comes to homemade wine.

Why do you put raisins in homemade wine? ›

For home winemakers, raisins (dried grapes) can add body and flavor to a thin or unbalanced wine. They can contribute complexity and a bit of alcohol to an otherwise simple or bland wine. Raisins can improve balance and contribute a more wine-like character to some fruit wines.

The most general guidelines the Wine Wiz can give you for aging wines from fruits, vegetables and herbs are these: Always cellar any wine at least six months before opening the first bottle and try to consume within three or four years.

Fruit wines should be consumed within a year of bottling them. While they have tannins to improve the shelf life, they need to be consumed within two years. Otherwise, the wines begin to taste vinegary and become oxidized.

Best Practices for Storing Wine

Temperature Control: The optimal temperature for storing wine is around 55°F (13°C). Consistency is key; fluctuations in temperature can hasten aging or cause damage. Cooler temperatures slow aging, allowing wines to develop complexity and character over time.

The first, and most important, step is the fermentation process, which happens when the yeast eats sugar, either in the fermentables or that you've added, and converts it into alcohol. Fermentation takes roughly two to three weeks to complete fully, but the initial ferment will finish within seven to ten days.

The most general guidelines the Wine Wiz can give you for aging wines from fruits, vegetables and herbs are these: Always cellar any wine at least six months before opening the first bottle and try to consume within three or four years.

Wine making doesn't require expensive equipment, chemicals, or cleaning agents. With yeast, sugar, and a simple and inexpensive airlock, you can start small batch vinting wine of your own. With these and a little bit of time, you'll soon be able to enjoy a cheap alternative to store bought vino.

Mix 1 gallon (3.8 L) of preservative-free grape juice, 1 cup (225 g) of granulated white sugar, and a Campden tablet in a fermenter and leave it for 24 hours. Combine warm water, 1 tbsp (14 g) of sugar, and a 0.176 oz (5-g) packet of wine yeast and add the mixture to the fermenter. Let the juice ferment for 5–7 days.