A Few Of The Top Ten Revisited,...
OR
Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness,
And Other Things Your Mother Taught You
by Joanne Reiter
In my first column for the Cellarmaster's Newsletter I submitted my 'top ten' list of things to do in the off season. Some of those things are worth further explanation, for the benefit of the novice, because they are activities that need to be done now in order to be prepared for the upcoming harvest season.
1.) Cleaning equipment and bottles are time-consuming and tedious tasks, but need to be done well in advance. I always keep an ample supply of Chlorinated TSP on hand. It's available at the Home Wine Shop. Used according to directions, it's an effective and thorough cleanser for all my winemaking equipment. Having my equipment cleaned and packed in clean containers makes it only necessary for me to sterilize my equipment with sodium metabisulfite solution when needed. In order to avoid accidental contamination, winemaking requires rigorous cleanliness and sanitation. Also, make sure that your work/hobby area is clean and well lit. In winemaking cleanliness is next to Godliness.
2.) Do you remember the first of your three R's? Reading is how you get better. In addition to reviewing your own notes, you should also have a good basic library on hand to reference. The Home Wine Shop has an excellent selection of books and bulletins for the novice. Here are a few good selections you may want to have on hand.
- The Art of Making Wine, by S.F. Anderson with R. Hull
- Grapes Into Wine, by P.M. Wagner
- Winemaking Basics, by C.S. Ough, DSc, MS.
- Guidelines To Practical Winemaking, by J.H. Fessler
- Handmade Table Wines, by Desmund Lundy
- Making Table Wine At Home, Cooperative Extension UC Davis Pub. 21434
- Still Wines From Grapes, American Wine Society Manual #3, by E. S. Phillips
Read and familiarize yourself with all steps to winemaking. Especially review chapters on what can go wrong. Catching a problem early, and being able to correct it will ensure that your wine will still work out successfully. By all means, make notes if it helps.
3.) Now is not the time for procrastinators! Don't put off till tomorrow, what you can do today. If something needs to be repaired, do it now. I am currently in the process of restoring a used wine press and am getting an education in hardware and products I would never have imagined. But there will be more on this in a later column. Winemaking equipment tends to be made from stainless steel, food grade plastic or enameled/epoxyed metal. If you need to order a missing or broken part, do so now, so that you will know if it fits or needs to be exchanged. If you are re-enameling or re-epoxying a piece of equipment, do so now. Epoxys and enamels have 'curing' times that can last for up to two months. You won't have this time to spare at crushing and pressing time. Purchase the equipment you know you will need, now. One mail order firm I spoke to has all of their grape crushers spoken for (sold) by January! Don't be caught under-equipped.
Winemaking requires a certain amount of work, cleanliness and knowledge. But organization and preparation is 90% of any endeavor. The well-prepared hobbyist will have minimized the chances of any problem that might occur and will maximize success.