How Can I Increase The Alcohol Content?

I received an email the other day asking what kind of sugar was needed to increase the alcohol content of a typical wine to 13 or 14% and I thought this would make a great blog post!

So if you’re interested in learning how you can increase the alcohol content of your wine read on!

What you’ll want to use is corn sugar, which you can buy from your local wine making supply shop.

Incidentally – if you’re into making your own beer you can use it also to carbonate your beer in the bottle (so it has multiple uses).

To increase your alcohol level you typically would do this as part of the primary fermentation and it is called “chaptalization” and is a common practice when making port or other fortified wines to increase the alcohol content.

Basically you let your primary fermentation happen and once the S.G. reduces to the point when you would rack to your secondary you add the sugar to your wine must (in the primary) so that you can reenergize the yeast to produce more alcohol (typically adds another 3 or 4 %).

So in essence you are doing your primary fermentation twice before you transfer your wine must to your secondary.

I followed this procedure when I made a chocolate raspberry port kit from Winexpert and I can tell you it definitely works.

To help you all further I tracked down some online instructions from Winexpert for one of their port kits  and this should point you in the right direction if you wanted to give it a try.

Wineexpert Downloadable Wine Kit Instructions:

• #1 – Selection Speciale
• #2 – Selection Speciale

Try it and let me know how it goes!

- Scott “The Wine Making Guy”

P.S.  To find out how you can easily calculate the alcohol of your wine read “Easiest Way To Calculate The Alcohol Content Of Your Wine”

P.S.S. He was also curious if the extra alcohol affected the taste and if so how. Would love to hear your comments on this!

P.S.S.S. Be sure to read the follow up post “Follow Up Warning To Increasing The Alcohol Level In Your Wine“

How To Make Wine: The Essential Ingredients Explained

I’ve received numerous requests from people asking to explain what the main ingredients/chemicals used in wine making are and why they’re used.

Here’s a quick video I shot today that will give you some good insight into why we use things like:

• Bentonite
• Potassium Metabisulphite
• Potassium Sorbate
• Isinglass
• Yeast Nutrient
• Pectic Enzyme
• Acid Blend
• Campden Tablets
• Sanitol

So if you’ve always wanted to know what each was used for check out the video below!

- Scott “The Wine Making Guy”