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.Standard size,plastic milk crates hold about 20 bottles.Softening CorksHard corks can be softened by soaking in cold water for a few hours.Excessive cork water is undesirablebecause the water stains the top of the corks and makes a mess.After soaking, the excess water should bepoured off.Then the container of corks should be covered with a clean cloth, and the corks should beallowed to drain overnight.Old corks can be softened quickly in a microwave oven.Rinse the corks in cold water, and then seal thewet corks in a plastic freezer bag.Heat the bag of corks in a microwave oven for a short time.A bagcontaining 50 corks might require a one minute exposure at a 50 percent power setting.However, the time148 depends on the microwave oven, and some experimentation may be needed.Corks burn easily, so alwaysuse the minimum power and time necessary.The intense microwave energy may also be effective insterilizing the corks.Please note this technique should not be used with paraffin coated corks.Bottle FillingAlways avoid oxidation by not splashing or bubbling the wine when bottles are filled.Small pressure headsreduce bubbling, so the wine container should be just two or three feet higher than the bottles.Bottlesshould be filled from the bottom slowly until no more than 1/4 inch gap remains between the wine and thebottom of the cork.The small pressure head increases time needed to fill the bottles.However, filling timecan be reduced significantly by using a large, (1/2 inch diameter) wand type bottle filler.Making LabelsInexpensive labels can be made easily with a home computer.A variety of art work can be included, andprofessional quality labels can be produced easily if a scanner and color printer are available.Most lightweight papers wrinkle badly when the glue is applied, but many medium weight bond papers are suitable forlabels.Four, six or eight labels should be made from standard 8.5 X 11 inch sheets of paper, and very littlepaper will be wasted if the layout is done carefully.Label PasterSmall wineries use a label pasting machine when small lots are labeled by hand.These handy machinesquickly apply just the right amount of glue to the back surface of any label.Unfortunately, these littlemachines sell for several hundred dollars, and most home winemakers do not produce enough wine tojustify the cost.Gluing Labels by HandWhite Elmers glue is often a satisfactory adhesive for applying labels printed on heavy weight paper.Use awide, short bristled brush to apply glue to the back of the labels.Pasting is easier when a piece of stiffcardboard smaller than the label is used.The label is placed face down on the cardboard, and then the glueis applied with the brush.A glue stick is a very convenient adhesive when only a few bottles are beinglabeled.SUMMARYSome winemaking procedures are done only once each year, so several crush seasons are needed fornovice winemakers to develop certain skills.Beginning winemakers can learn basic winemaking techniquesand get many useful ideas by visiting other home winemakers or small commercial wineries, and visitingother winemakers is always an enjoyable way to gain practical information quickly.149 Chapter 23LABORATORYWINE TESTINGAbout 30 tons of grapes are required to make 5000 gallons of wine.High quality fruit might cost $1500per ton, so the grapes needed to fill a 5000-gallon tank can cost $45,000.Losing a tank of wine can bevery expensive, so commercial winemakers depend on laboratory wine measurements to minimize thenumber of gross wine failures.Laboratory measurements also help winemakers produce wines moreconsistent in style and quality from year to year.Consequently, laboratory measurements are indispensablein commercial wineries, and they play an important role in most home winemaking programs.Large wineries maintain extensive in-house laboratory facilities containing much expensive equipment.Onthe other hand, many small wineries cannot afford extensive measurement facilities because the equipment istoo expensive.Most small wineries rely on basic wine tests that can be done with a minimum amount ofapparatus, and they depend on the winemakers nose to provide much of the needed information.Noses can detect and identify extremely small quantities of many different materials, so noses are wonderfulmeasurement tools for quickly determining the condition of wine.Noses are always available (unless thewinemaker has a cold), and an educated nose is the most valuable measurement tool any winemakerpossesses.The equipment and methods for doing six basic wine measurements are discussed below.BRIXSugar in juice or wine is measured using the Brix scale.This scale was developed specifically forwinemaking, and one degree Brix is equal to one gram of sugar per 100 grams of juice.Winemakersusually measure Brix with an optical refractometer or a hydrometer.Sugar content is one of several criteria used to judge fruit maturity, and most grapes are picked when thesugar content is between 20 and 25 Brix.Winemakers start measuring grape sugars several weeks beforeharvest time, and they continue sugar testing until the fruit is picked.Taking hydrometer readings during fermentation is important.Most winemakers measure Brix at least onceeach day to monitor the speed and consistence of their fermentations.Moderate drops in sugar each dayshows normal fermentation.If an unusual change in sugar level is observed, the winemaker can makecorrections promptly.Novice winemakers often believe fermentation is complete when their hydrometers measure zero.150 However, alcohol has a density less than water, so hydrometers read less than zero Brix when a completelydry wine is measured.Dry white table wines usually measure -1.8 to -2.4 Brix, and dry red table winesmeasure -1.4 to -2.2 Brix because of the accumulated alcohol.Brix Measurement MaterialsSugar can be accurately measured using inexpensive ($20), short range, Brix hydrometers.Manywinemakers use a set of three instruments.One instrument reads from 16 to 24 degrees Brix.The secondinstrument reads from 8 to 16 degrees, and the third hydrometer reads + 5 to - 5 Brix.All threehydrometers are calibrated in 0.1 Brix steps.Some home winemakers rely on a single hydrometer with azero to 30-degree Brix scale.These long range instruments are inexpensive and readily available.Unfortunately, these long range hydrometers are difficult to read accurately.The following materials are needed to measure the sugar content of juice.Brix hydrometersA hydrometer cylinderBrix Measurement ProcedureHydrometers are made from very thin glass.They are fragile, and these instruments must be handledcarefully.The following procedure can be used to measure Brix in juice.1.Strain un-clarified juice to remove the solids.2.Fill the hydrometer cylinder within a few inches of the top with juice.3.Gently lower the hydrometer in the liquid and give it a slight twist motion.The twist will releaseany bubbles sticking to the glass.4.When the hydrometer is floating freely, wait a few seconds and then read the hydrometer scale.Read the scale in line with the bottom of the meniscus curve.5.Record the reading.6.Discard the sample and rinse the cylinder and hydrometer with clean water
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