Day One

At approximately 1pm CST today, Zschoche Cellars began the fermentation process of our first ever batch of wine. I started work around noon, when I organized, cleaned and sanitized all of my supplies. Unfortunately, during the cleaning process, my hydrometer dropped on the ground and shattered. I will need it in a week in order to check the specific gravity of the wine just before I begin secondary fermentation. Luckily, there are several online dealers where I can order one for a rush delivery. It also wasn't the most expensive pieces of equipment, it is just a nuisance that easily could have been avoided.

I added approximately 3.4 gallons of spring water to the 2.6 gallons of Cabernet Sauvignon grape juice, bringing the total quantity to around 6 gallons. If things work out properly, that will equate to near 30 bottles of finished product. The fermentation of the yeast will begin sometime tomorrow evening or early Friday morning. Because I am fermenting the juice in a food grade plastic 6.5 gallon container, the only way that I will be able to see that the yeast is doing its job is by looking at the CO2 escape through the airlock.

The wine likely will not be ready for secondary fermentation for another week or so, which puts the bottling process sometime in the month of June. After that, it will need to age at least another three months before considering drinking it, though it likely will be one or two years from now before it is in it's prime. I guess that this venture will show me patients.

Now, just because I have added the yeast to the juice does not mean that there will be nothing for me to write about for several months. I should see the signs of fermentation sometime in the next 12-36 hours. Also, I will discuss in more detail my future plans dealing with this hobby. This is just the beginning. Big things are yet to come.