How to make a perfect Frontenac (or Foch or DeChaunac) wine!

Basic Red Winemaking Instructions
For Higher Adidity Grapes
For Higher Adidity Grapes
- Crush & De-Stem Grapes - 2 bushel (80 lb is a good starting point, it will make 5 - 6 gal and give you some extra for topping off)
- (Optional) Measure the acidity of the must - It is a good idea to give you a starting point. Many people enjoy the FINAL acidity of wine at about .6 to .8 Inexpensive acid testing kits can be purchased from any winemaking store.
- (Option 1) Dilute higher acidity grapes 5 to 10% - For a 5 gallon batch of wine add a half gallon of sugar water. (2 pounds, 6 ounces of sugar per gallon for a 12% - sg 1.090 wine) (good article on use of hydrometer...)
http://www.piwine.com/media/home-wine-making-basics/water_amelioration.pdf - (Option 2) Add a minimal amount of acid reducing chemical such as Potassium Bicarbonate directly to the must - according to their instructions. (About 3 tsp of Potassium Bicarbonate will reduce acid in a 5 gallon batch about .1% - this is a very conservative starting point - they recomend not trying to reduce more than .3 to .4% with this method) You can use both options here if you wish - dilution and chemical reduction.
- Adjust Sugar if desired - Here is a good time to use your hydrometer and check the specific gravity - 1.090 is 12% - adjust it to whatever you wish.
- Crush & add Cambden Tablets (Optional - some people are allergic to sulphite, but they really protect the wine) - I usually use about 1 to 1.5 tablets/gallon. 6 to 10 tablets would be a good amount - I usually use a small bottle with a few ounces of water and crush and disolve them and then add to the must.
http://www.piwine.com/media/home-wine-making-basics/Intro-to-Antioxidants-and-Preservatives.pdf - Next Day add dry yeast or yeast starter - If you do not use cambden tablets, add the yeast at the time of crushing. Waiting until the next day allows the sulphites to reduce the wild yeast to a minimum and your cultured wine yeast should take over now.
- Push down the cap once or twice a day. After a day or so the berries will start to ferment and float to the top - pushing this "Cap" down into the must by hand or with a tool will ensure that the grapes are covered by fermenting wine.
- Let ferment 1 to 2 weeks and press - Good time to check the specific gravity with your hydrometer again. Make sure you leave a 6 inch head space on the top of the carboys or they may ferment over and make a mess (EVEN WORSE - LOSE SOME WINE!)
- (Optional) Add Malo Lactic culture when using higher acidity grapes such as Frontenac (This may also be added later)
http://www.piwine.com/introduction-malo-lactic-cultures.html - After 6 months, test acidity if desired and rack the wine.
- (Option) Sweeten very slightly to round out or balance out any remaining acidity - Use stabilizer (Potassium Sorbate - 1/2 tsp.gallon) and cambden tablets (1 tablet/gallon) if adding sugar. Sometimes I sweeten to specific gravity of about 1.005 or so - a very small amount.
- BOTTLE & ENJOY!
This is how I plan to make my Frontenac this Fall - Bill Schnute
Other Very Good On Line Resources:
+++ http://www.piwine.com/winemaking-101.html (Very Best Site to start with for winemaking info)