It’s day 2 of fermentation (day 4 of the whole operation), but who’s counting?  One of the main pointers I ever got about making wine at home is “BE PATIENT” which is very tough for me.  I am definitely an instant gratification kind of guy.  So, I waited patiently as my frozen cabernet sauvignon must thawed and eventually reached the 60′s in temperature and I was finally able to throw some yeast into the mix.

Within 12 hours I could see a difference and by the time I got home from work yesterday, there was a full “cap” on the must along with some obvious bubbles and a snap, crackle and pop… we are definitely in business.  To summarize, here is what’s been done so far:

1. SO2 after the must thawed and was able to move it around

2. At around 60F I added some pectic enzyme which will help remove/prevent any haziness as well as increase juice extract from the grapes

3. At around 65F I added one package of Lalvin RC 212 wine yeast, which is good for 5-6 gallons of wine

4. Right after that I added some Yeast Energizer according to the manufacturer’s instructions, which was 1 tsp per gallon of must in this case

5. Then I added 1 ounce of oak cubes

6. Each day I will punch down the cap, which is the grapes, seeds, stems, etc.. that get pushed to the top as a result of the fermentation activity, at least once (maybe twice for more extract, color and tannin).  I will also measure the temperature and Specificy Gravity (SG), which is basically sugar density.  Remember, we are trying to ferment until the wine is “dry”, or there is no sugar left.  This will occur when the SG is about .995-.998.  Right now I am at 1.100

Video:  Day 4