How Do You Know The Alcohol Content Of The Wine
This is an arena of winemaking where I lean more toward the heritage winemakersI do not take alcohol readings on my wines. I never set a goal for how much alcohol I want my wine to haveI just like to let the wine develop into what it wants to develop into. I honestly have no idea how boozy my wines are other than to be able to take a sip and say, Yup, thats a strong one!
Many people who make wine at home take specific gravity readings using a hydrometer throughout the winemaking process to determine the fermentation levels and alcohol content. Ive done it in the past with batches, and its definitely interesting information to have, especially when you are starting out! However, my goal with learning how to make strawberry wine was to keep the process fun, simple, and light, and doing specific gravity calculations is not my brains idea of carefree.
For some data-minded folks, it can be an incredibly helpful data set to use throughout the process. If using data to track your wines fermentation and alcohol growth sounds fun to you, grab yourself a hydrometer and go on with your bad self!
Build A Wine Cellar To Provide Stable Wine Cave Like Conditions
A well-functioning wine cellar should mimic the conditions of natural wine caves cool, moist, dark, vibration-free and stable.
To consistently deliver wine cave like conditions within your home, your wine cellar build will need to be very well insulated, air and moisture sealed, and built with moisture-stable materials.
The insulation and moisture barrier will need to extend completely around the cellar build floor, walls, ceiling and door. The general layers from outside the cellar to inside are:
- Air/Vapor barrier
- Insulation
- Air/Vapor barrier
- Moisture-stable wall finish
The performance of a wine cellar depends greatly on an air and moisture tight build and sufficient thermal insulation of the floor, ceiling, walls and door. Wine cellar cooling units depend on air-tight and well insulated spaces and will generally not provide adequate cooling without these conditions. And, operating a refrigeration unit without air barriers and insulation would be very wasteful and expensive and create excessive temperature variation.
A Primary Fermentation Container:
This should be a big bucket, a large jar, a crock, or specifically designed fermenterwhich is what we use and will be showing in this post.
The size is important. I recommend it be at least 40% bigger in volume than what youd like your final amount of wine to be. Why? Because your primary fermentation will have fresh fruit in it, which well later filter out. Also: during the initial fermentation, the yeast can get quite overzealous, and youll need room for all the bubblesplus, extra room gives the yeast extra oxygen to work with! The strawberry wine recipe below is for a one gallon batch, so your primary fermentation container needs to be at least 1.4 gallons in size.
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Ideal Wine Cellar Conditions And Requirements
Whether you have a Passive or Active Wine Cellar, we recommend an average temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit for all wine storage. Cooler temperatures wont damage your wine but will slow its development. Keep in mind, a temperature of 65 degrees or more will have a negative effect on wine the longer its stored.
The ideal humidity in your wine cellar should be 60-70%, but anything over 50% is acceptable. High humidity, 80% or more, may cause mold to form on the corks and bottles.
The ideal long term wine storage should avoid heat, direct light and vibration. Ideally, your space can accommodate these conditions year round. If not, consider investing in a wine cooling unit and humidification system.
How To Create A Beautiful Diy Wine Rack With Ease The Perfect Homemade Gift For Friends Family Or You
Of all of the Home & Garden projects weve created and featured on the blog over the years, there is little doubt that our DIY wine racks have been one of the more popular.
Especially each year as the holiday season rolls around, and folks look to make that perfect homemade gift for someone special. Or perhaps, maybe even for their own home!
Our very first rack built back in 2013. Constructed from pallet wood and an old live edge slab of wood for a top, it holds 60 bottles of wine.
We built our very first wine rack way back in 2013. Using pallet wood and a slab of live edge wood, it went together in a single day. And it quickly became one of our favorite pieces of furniture in the house.
At the time, we didnt realize just how popular it would become with friends and family too. So popular, in fact, we began building them as gifts. It really is a fun project to create, and one in which you can let your creativity go free.
Building DIY Wine Racks
Over the years, using the same simple building process, we have crafted DIY wine racks of all sizes. And out of all kinds of wood as well, including cherry, oak, pine, walnut, barn wood and more.
Although they look elegant and complex, they are actually quite easy to build and assemble. Best of all, its easy to personalize the size and elements to any rack. With the simple ladder style construction, you can easily adjust the size, all while creating wine glass holders, shelves and more.
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Handmade Artistic Vintage Wine Rack
With this hand-built wine rack, you can add something artistic and creative to your wall. There is not much to the design as it is a simple piece of wood with a rebar, but this simplicity works for the piece. The way the rebar is shaped works well to support various wine bottles, and when it is hung on the wall, it offers a decorative quality even without the wine bottles on it. Its simplicity also allows it to be hung in various rooms such as a kitchen, dining room, and living room.
Diy Christmas Present Countertop Wine Rack
Wine racks make great gifts, which is probably why so many plans are intended to show you how to make racks to give to people. In this video, you will find out how to make a countertop wine rack that any wine lover will love to receive but as ever, you can also just keep it yourself if you prefer!
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Rustic Tabletop Wine Storage Rack
Store your wine with flair and style with this gorgeous tabletop wine rack. The wooden construct has a stunning look that gives it a rustic look fitting with a farmhouse-styled room. Wine bottles lay perfectly on top so that they are easily accessible, especially considering that this rack sits on the countertop or table. This can even hold several hanging wine glasses to give this a more stylish look. The piece is rounded out well thanks to the tray at the bottom that can hold the wine corks, more so for those of you who enjoy saving them.
What Is The Proper Way To Hold A Wine Glass
Hold the stem between your thumb and first two fingers.
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Unrushed And Nothing Important Left To Do
Its best to have an unhurried environment when cracking open a savoured bottle that youve been waiting to enjoy. A good wine is not something you should be sipping on when you know you have to get something completed right after because your mind will be consumed with other things. Enjoyment of each sip of matured wine is best done while unburdened. It can also help to unwind after a long day.
Its also sensible to avoid getting behind a wheel after drinking. Wine contains a substantial percentage of alcohol far more than the average beer which sometimes catches unsuspecting wine lovers unaware.
Assemble The Cube Frame With Pocket Holes
First, clean up the end grain of the tops and sides with a hand plane so that the surfaces are flat. Then, using masking tape, dry fit the wine rack frame together. Mark an ‘X” on the inside face of each of the side boards. Next, you want to mark where your pocket holes will go. Place the two side boards on a flat surface, with the marking facing down. Then, layout 4 or 5 lines, about evenly spaced across the width of the board. Transfer these lines to both the top and bottoms of each side board with a pencil.
Next, using your Kreg jig, set it for 3/4″ stock, which is the thickness of a 1×10. Align the side board so that the marked face is facing you, then drill your pocket holes. Flip the board lengthwise and drill pocket holes on the opposite end of the board and repeat this process for your other side piece.
Once all the pocket holes have been drilled, assemble the frame by screwing a screw into each pocket hole. Make sure that the boards are square and not crooked and push down on the boards so that the screw will bite in. I’ve found that using a large clamp to push the last two boards into square was very helpful. You can add a small amount of glue to each joint to strengthen the pocket holes, but after I assembled it, it was rock solid.
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Diy Dresser Wine Rack With Ken Wingard
In this short video from Hallmarks official YouTube channel, youll learn how to make a Parisian-style dresser wine rack with Ken Wingard. As with many of the plans weve seen, the final result is deceptive it looks like the kind of piece that would require advanced carpentry skills whereas in truth, anyone with even just a little woodworking experience will probably be able to pull it off. So if you want a wine rack like this, what are you waiting for?
Handmade Modular Wine Rack Storage
Create a unique little wine cellar with this modular wine rack design. You can place the bottle holder vertically or horizontally, and if you buy multiple ones, you can set them up together to form one cohesive piece. The single storage option holds three bottles well enough, and it works well if you place it on the ground or if you elevate it on a countertop or table. It has a clean and modern appearance that allows it to blend well in a contemporary room. Also, there are six different color styles you can choose from so that you get the best fit possible for your style.
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How Do You Display Wine
5 Ways to Display Wine In Your Home
What Happens If You Bottle Your Wine Before Its Done Fermenting
You might make little wine bombs! If the wine is still fermenting when you bottle, itll keep producing carbon dioxide, which will eventually build up to a point in the bottle where it needs to escape. When it gets there, the bottle might pop its cork, pop off its flip-topor in the worst case scenario, break the glass of the bottle. You can prevent this by making sure the wine is still and finished fermenting before bottling or by sterilizing the wine with Campden tablets before bottling. I personally like to live on the edge, so I never sterilize my wine , and occasionally, I open up a nice carbonated bottle!
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Shabby Chic Wooden Wine Rack
Add more to your shabby chic décor with this wooden wine rack. There is something so simple, yet so powerful about this piece that makes it attention-grabbing. It supports four wine bottles, and there is a clean look to it that helps this fit well with a minimalistic, rustic room. There are various wood colors to choose from as well as several text colors for whatever writing you wish to have on top. Of course, you can also get it without text to simply show off the plain wooden wine rack.
Price Points: Christmas Mixed Wine Cases
Its been snowing for much of the day today winter is coming, and so is Christmas. At the beginning of each December we start stockpiling food and drink to be consumed during Christmas week. This year, we plan on ordering a couple of Christmas mixed wine cases . We enjoy red, white, rosé and sparkling wines any kind of wine really!
Our local supermarket has quite a good range of wines on offer, but we like to try new things at this time of year. These days, ordering wine online is just so easy to do. There are lots of places where you can buy mixed wine cases, i.e. 12 bottles of red, white and sometimes rosé or sparkling often from various countries and continents. The good thing about this option is that generally, you get bottles of wine that you probably wouldnt have chosen yourself an opportunity for surprising and delectable discoveries!
Whenever we come across a bottle of wine that we really love, we record it on the free Delectable app. just take a photo of the label and it usually recognises the wine. It gives you other peoples reviews and ratings and works on beers and spirits as well.
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How To Make A Wine Rack Storage Cube
This easy wood wine rack build can be made for under $25 and holds about 24 bottles of wine. Build several cubes and stack them together to build your own personal wine storage unit, or build the smaller counter top version of this project that holds 12 bottles. Perfect for your kitchen, closet, den or basement.
Tools & Supplies
hand plane
Lumber & materials list
Pine 1x10x12
I was inspired to make the wine cube after coming across them on Amazon. if you would rather buy than build, then check it out below.
Step one: cut the sides and top of the cube & decide on dimensions
There are two versions of this project, with everything being the same except for the ending size of the wine rack.
A.) Larger 24-bottle wine rack, measures 21 square and 9 1/4 deep.
B.) Smaller 12-bottle wine rack, measures 16 square and 9 1/4 deep. Since the typical kitchen cabinet is 18 off of the counter, this smaller version is perfect for this space.
The outer cube will be attached using butt joints, so the sides need to be cut slightly smaller so that the overall exterior dimensions are 21. A 1×10 is approximately 3/4 thick, so the length of the sides should be 21 inches minus 1.5. Using a miter saw & cut the following:
Cut list:
Sides: 14.5
Step two: assemble the cube with pocket holes
Step three: measure the wine rack X shelf & measure notches
Step Four: cut the X shelf notches
Step Five: final fit & finish
Optional Step : Back Sweetening
When your secondary fermentation is over, its time to taste that wine! In general, fruit wines need time to age before they are really delicious, so dont be too concerned about the flavor profile yet. What you are concerned about right now is sweetness. If you taste the wine and are happy with the sweetness, you can move onto Step #5!
If you taste the wine and its too dry, no worries, we can now rack the wine and back sweeten it. There are multiple ways to do this:
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Reclaimed Wood And Copper Holder
If you love the wood and metal look then this project is perfect for you.
To do this DIY project, you wont need a lot of tools, just a board cut to size, some screws to anchor in the hooks and some paint.
The chalkboard top design is created on the board, all you need to do is tape off a square and then use chalkboard paint over the area.
Hang this inside on a kitchen wall, or outside by your fire pit and patio space.
Take a look here: www.ipsydiy.com
The Basics Of Pairing Wine With Food To Make You A Better Cook
Many people are confused and intimidated when it comes to wine. Unfortunately, wine experts have taken a lot of the fun out of enjoying wine and have created this atmosphere. The reality is that wine isnt just for the upper crust to enjoy, anybody can and should be able to get wine they like and enjoy without the pretension surrounding it.
One of the best ways to get the most out of your wine is to pair it with the right foods. This isnt as complicated as it may seem. And always remember that the best way to pair wine with food is to simply drink the wine that you enjoy the most whether it follows pairing rules or not.
In this post, well go over some of the basics to remember when it comes to pairing wine with food. However, we repeat, you should feel free to break any of these rules.
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