Wine making in Saudi............help!

[jhowe]

Hello all,

I need some advice from you experienced wine makers. I work in Saudi Arabia and have been making wine for about two years here. Its not bad, but I now want to take my wine making to the next step.

Equipment and supplies, as you can imagine, are hard to acquire, but we manage. I have Red Star Wine Yeast, Potassium Sorbate, a clarifier, and Campdon tablets. Also have rubber stopper and airlock.

Here is the process I use to make red and white wine:

1. 16 cartons of 100% grape juice (1 liter each)
2. 2 cartons on the stove, add 2 jars of grape jelly, and 2 cups of sugar, dissolve.
3. 4 cups of water and 4 tea bags on stove, steep.
4. 14 cartons of juice in 5 gallon water container (5 Campdon tablets 24 hours prior)
5. Add 2 cartons from stove and steeped tea to 5 gallon container.
6. Activate yeast in small amount of water then add to 5 gallon container.
7. Stir juice for one minute, add rubber stopper and airlock.

I let the juice ferment for two weeks. I rack the juice into another 5 gallon container and add 2 teaspoons of Potassium Sorbate, let stand for an additional two weeks. The last two days I add 1 tablespoon of the clarifier. I then rack to bottles.

We drink the wine right after racking to the bottles, and its good, some will sit for a few more weeks.

What am I doing wrong or what can I do better???? Help!!!

jhowe

 

[Julie]

See about getting a hydrometer. It will be tough to do anything better without one. It is like driving blind.

 

[MN-winer]

Good for you for giving it a go. My brother in law spent 3 years in Saudi and made wine and beer, since you can't get anything else. I think he used to make trips to Bahrain or United Arab Emirates to get supplies. He was in Riyahd. Keep good notes and make small batches first to get a recipe you like and go from there. I'm sure you won't fine stores that sell equipment. I'm surprised you got yeast and other chemicals. My brother in law had all his mail checked before he could get anything in.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!!

 

[Dirtydog420]

Overall it seems your process is right on.. to make it better you can let it age longer in the carboys to make sure all your sugar is gone or at a sweetness you like. Get a hydrometer. This is one of the most basic things needed. Id also wait longer before stabilizing. This will let the yeast add more characteristics to the wine. Keep records of everything you do, try something different and see if you like the results better.

To really take it to the next level you will need some more equipment, and you need to give it time.. It general takes a year from date yeast is pitched for it to reach its prime. That's about 6 months in carboy and 6 months in bottle, more or less..

 

[jhowe]

Thank you

Thanks all for the advice and encouragement. The wine making is a labor of love, always trying to make it better with less. Will definitely try and acquire a hydrometer on the next vacation out of Saudi. You'll have to teach me how to use the thing

 

[robie]

Thanks all for the advice and encouragement. The wine making is a labor of love, always trying to make it better with less. Will definitely try and acquire a hydrometer on the next vacation out of Saudi. You'll have to teach me how to use the thing

Never buy just one!
Hydrometers are very breakable and cost less than $10. Do yourself a favor and get a couple.

 

[Dirtydog420]

Most of the ones Ive seen have instructions.. If not, let us know and we can points to a thread about it Im sure..

 

[Franziskaner]

Hello all,

I need some advice from you experienced wine makers. I work in Saudi Arabia and have been making wine for about two years here. Its not bad, but I now want to take my wine making to the next step.

Equipment and supplies, as you can imagine, are hard to acquire, but we manage. I have Red Star Wine Yeast, Potassium Sorbate, a clarifier, and Campdon tablets. Also have rubber stopper and airlock.

Here is the process I use to make red and white wine:

1. 16 cartons of 100% grape juice (1 liter each)
2. 2 cartons on the stove, add 2 jars of grape jelly, and 2 cups of sugar, dissolve.
3. 4 cups of water and 4 tea bags on stove, steep.
4. 14 cartons of juice in 5 gallon water container (5 Campdon tablets 24 hours prior)
5. Add 2 cartons from stove and steeped tea to 5 gallon container.
6. Activate yeast in small amount of water then add to 5 gallon container.
7. Stir juice for one minute, add rubber stopper and airlock.

I let the juice ferment for two weeks. I rack the juice into another 5 gallon container and add 2 teaspoons of Potassium Sorbate, let stand for an additional two weeks. The last two days I add 1 tablespoon of the clarifier. I then rack to bottles.

We drink the wine right after racking to the bottles, and its good, some will sit for a few more weeks.

What am I doing wrong or what can I do better???? Help!!!

jhowe

Hi Jhowe, this post is quite old so Im not sure If I'l get a response but anyhow, wanted to ask where do you get the grape jelly from? or could you tell me more or less how many grams do you use? since I can't find any in KSA and I'm making my own jelly.

 

[Scooter68]

I wonder if the OP is still walking around free? They take a VERY dim view of any sort of Alcoholic beverage use or production there. Even embassies have to be very discreet and if you live on the open economy, (Contractors) best not get caught with ANY consumable Alcoholic beverages.

Of course when they leave country..... Saudi's can become real hell-raisers, especially their military officers. We had an expression on how they behaved when the left KSA - "When the gear comes up, the headgear and tablecloths come off and...." (If I include the rest, our monitors will likely have to censor this/me. )