One cruiser recently asked how we make wine. So, I thought that I would record what we do step by step. We make our own because it is a lot cheaper, I am gluten free and can't drink most beers, we enjoy drinking the fruits of our own labor, and it is just super cool that we can. I mean really, who does this anymore?
Mark has been doing this for some time now. He taught me the tricks of the trade. For our trip it seemed like the logical answer when we read others provision lists and saw the amounts of wine that was brought on board. How could we do this so that we wouldn't have to bottle this. I came across a site that I could order the plastic pouches. They fit up to nine 750ml bottles of wine. That is pretty awesome. There would be no bottles to break and barely any garbage to throw away. http://www.midwestsupplies.com/wine-on-tap-replacement-bags-bag-of-3.html . I also took a 3 gallon honey bucket, we cut a hole in the side near the bottom, put the bag of wine in and the spout out the hole. Perfect fit
We will be in the Bahamas in May and June so my choice of wine is Chardonnay. I think that that white wine in the summer tastes more clean and clear. Refreshing. Not as heavy and mind fogging as red wine.
The first step is to purchase all of the equipment that is needed. You will see in the pictures what we have for that. We purchased the Grand Cru Chardonnay kit which was $95. This will make 36 bottles and takes 5-6 weeks. Perfect timing for when we leave. I will purchase a few boxed red wines to bring along for night time dinners and visits.
We sanitize everything that we use and then rinse everything very well. Follow the directions precisely.
Add water then add the bentonite.
What is Bentonite?Bentonite is a gray, clay granule that is used in wines as a clarifier. It is unique in that it possess a negative electrostatic charge. (Just a fancy word for static electricity) This attracting charge along with hydrogen bonding, causes suspended particles in the wine to cling to it as it settles to the bottom of the container.
Then you pour in the huge bag of juice. Stir vigorously.
Now of course all of this is very scientific so we are instructing a class here to the younger generation (actually she thought it looked like her Dad was peeing). That is not the kind of wine we make here folks!! IJS.
At this point you check to see if the temperature of the liquid is between 72 and 80 degrees Then you measure the specific gravity of the liquid with your hygrometer. It is a glass tube that floats and has a paper ruler type setting in it to measure the sugar content.
There is the oak that you need to add. In red wine there are actual wood chips that you throw in. In the white wine there is an infuser bag that you steep in a cup of hot water, like tea, and pour it all in. Next is the yeast which is GMO and gluten free and make sure that you don't stir.
The bottle will start to bubble in a couple of days to let you know that the yeast is working. It is doing the primary fermentation. After 6-8 days you will pour this mixture into a glass carboy minus the sediment that is
left over by the bentonite clay.This will sit for another 5 weeks going through the second fermentation process. During this time you test the gravity of the sugar levels which shows you the alcohol content. 
As you do all of this make sure that you chart your progress on the specific wine that you are making. That way you can look back at what you have done and improve in your wine making abilities or notate which wines you liked best.
I have to admit, some were so good that we didn't even bottle them, we drank them straight out of the carboy. We were looking like true Montanans! Yee haw!
Remember that a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine! It just isn't normal.
Cheers, Shawnae
