wine 101: step 3

Just off the corner of our back porch we have a PeeGee Hydrangea bush. From spring through fall it has kept its beautiful flowers, and even now it is not losing them. They have just transitioned from white to pink to brown.

Wine is really just a series of transitions. Step three is the real transition between juice and potential wine.

STEP 3: Cool the must.
Once your fruit and water have boiled for approximately fifteen minutes and you have turned off the heat, put the pot someplace out of the way of bugs and people to cool. I just move mine to a different burner or set it on the table where some air can blow by. The must needs to cool to about body temperature - cool enough not to kill the yeast when you add it, but warm enough to let the yeast start well. If you can put your (clean) finger into the must and you're not feeling burned, it's probably okay. Cooling it even more is fine, your yeast will just be a little slower in starting.