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So, you have decided you would like to have a bash at making your own wine. You also want to do it properly, and turn out some really great tasting quality wine. The first thing you must do, is some research, to learn the basics of the art, as there are a few fundamental tasks you should perform if you want to stand a good chance of ending up with a fine tasting product.

When wine making it is extremely important to ensure that any equipment you use is sanitized, I don't just mean clean, I mean free of any bacteria whatsoever. To do this you need to obtain some special solutions which are freely available. It is a good idea to become obsessed with cleanliness in your wine making operations, so as not to slow the fermentation process down.

If you are a beginner, make sure you get hold of a good recipe and then follow it religiously. As ever, the internet is a great place to look for recipes, as there are quite a few good sites that are dedicated to the art of wine making.

One piece of equipment you will need is called a hydrometer, and fortunately these are not expensive. You use a hydrometer to measure the progress of the fermentation process. You can also use it to help you find out the alcohol content by taking a reading at the start of fermentation, and then taking another one at the end.

It is absolutely critical that you use a thermometer and maintain the correct temperature in the room where you are fermenting the wine. If the temperature is too high it will ferment too quickly and you will probably end up with the wine not tasting very good, and you will also run the risk of bacteria growth. If, on the other hand the temperature is too low, the wine will take too long to ferment or even not ferment at all. The correct temperature is in the range of seventy to seventy five.

Last but not least, during the wine making process you must ensure your wine is not exposed to too much air, as this will cause oxidization which discolors the wine and gives it an odd flavor.