Lockdown Day 17 - Wine Making - next stage

Today it was time for the next stage in the wine making, started on day 10

http://www.cashandcarrots.com/2020/04/lockdown-day-10-wine-making.html

The above article links back to previous blog posts on the method and equipment needed.

 This is the "must", the fermenting mixture of parsnips, raisins, yeast, lemon juice and sugar.

There has been a definite alcoholic smell in the kitchen when I have taken the lid off to stir the mixture during the past few days!

Once drained, the remaining contents go onto the compost heap.

Here I have two demijohns (turned out I only needed one but better to be over prepared.

Also needed is a funnel with three layers of muslin cloth to filter out bits of parsnip and raisins.

Also ready were the airlocks for the top of the demijohns. All equipment was sterilised with boiling water before use.

With the help of one of my daughters - holding the funnel steady - I then gradually drained the contents of the bucket through the muslin in the funnel into the demijohn. Mashing the must a bit does also extract some more liquid.

The liquid looks very cloudy at this stage but over the course of a few weeks gradually clears.

Once full, I fitted the airlock with a little bit of water in (to show whether fermentation is going on - once the water is level in the airlock fermentation has ceased, although I always leave it a little while after to be on the safe side as I once found a wine cork pop back out of a bottle!)

Now the demijohn is near the downstairs radiator for a bit - I will put it into one of the bedrooms out of the way eventually but I don't put the demijohn in a bedroom for a couple of weeks until the fermentation has slowed otherwise I get kept awake by bubbles popping as they pass through the water into the air!