A Prohibition Era Wine Recipe

The basics of wine making are easy and inexpensive. Wine is nothing more than fruit juice that has been mixed with yeast which converts the sugar in the juice to alcohol. The alcohol then preserves the juice by killing off harmful bacteria that cause juice to become sour and cause sickness or death. Wine making was one of the few ways humans had in ancient times of preserving food so that it could be stored and used throughout the year rather than having to consume it all at harvest.

Grapes are ideal for wine making since yeasts grow naturally on the skins of the grapes and the sugar content of most varieties of grape is high enough to both ferment into alcohol while, at the same time, having enough sugar remaining to sweeten the wine.

With the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment on January 16, 1919 which allowed the Federal Government to ban the production and manufacture of alcoholic beverages and the passage of the Volstead Act on October 28, 1919 enforcing the ban on the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages, the nation entered into a decade long (from 1920 when Prohibition went into effect – 1933 when the Twenty-First Amendment was passed which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and ended Prohibition) experiment in which the government tried to stamp out consumption of alcohol while, at the same time, enterprising Americans set new records for the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Because the chemistry involved in making alcohol is so simple, many people simply brewed their own drinks and life continued as it always had. Here is a Prohibition Era recipe, using the same common household items that our great-grandparents used to avoid detection by the Feds, for the production of grape wine that can easily be made at home (this is now legal in most parts of the U.S. so long as you are of age, it is for your own consumption and you don't try to sell it). While the taste and quality will not compete with the inexpensive wines that can be found in the local supermarket, it is drinkable and allows you the satisfaction that comes with serving your own “basement bottled” wine with dinner.

Here is what is needed:

1 one-gallon glass jug

2 - 12 ounce cans of frozen grape juice concentrate or 2 - 64 ounce bottles of grape juice

1½ cups of sugar

¼ teaspoon of wine yeast (you can use dry baker's yeast, but it is better to go to a wine making supply store and purchase regular wine yeast)

¾ cup of warm (not hot) water

1 large, heavy duty balloon

6 inch piece of twine

1 funnel

Clean and sterilize glass jug by washing with warm, soapy water and rinsing thoroughly. Then run it through the dishwasher where the heat will sterilize it.

It is very important to make sure that the jug and all utensils used in the making of the wine have been sterilized by running through the dishwasher. This will kill any bacteria which will spoil the wine if it comes in contact with the wine.

If using frozen juice concentrate, thaw and mix in clean container that has recently been washed in dishwasher. You can use either tap water to mix the juice or distilled water (if you use distilled water you will avoid picking up any taste that the tap water might contain). Add sugar and stir until thoroughly dissolved.

If you use regular, rather than concentrate, grape juice, pour juice into clean container and mix sugar until thoroughly dissolved.

Pour grape juice into gallon jug using funnel to avoid spilling. Fill to just below the neck of the jug.

Mix and dissolve yeast in ¾ cup of warm (not hot) water, then pour into jug.

Affix balloon securely over the mouth of the jug and secure with the twine.

Place jug in cool (constant 70 degrees is ideal but temperature can vary some) dark place (basements are ideal) and let sit for 3 to 4 weeks. As the yeast acts on sugar converting it to alcohol, carbon dioxide will be released as a by product. This gas will be released into the balloon and the balloon will enlarge (which is why you want to use a large, thick balloon – you don't want it to break). As the fermentation comes to an end, carbon dioxide production will cease and the balloon will tend to deflate.

After about 3 – 4 weeks you will see the balloon deflating and the juice becoming clear. There will be sediment on the bottom of the jug. At this point, get a two or three foot length of ½ to ¾ inch clear plastic tubing, remove the balloon and siphon juice into a second sterilized jug being careful not to disturb or transfer the sentiment. The sentiment can be poured down the drain while the jug with the wine should be securely capped with a screw-on cap or cork stopper. Store in a cool place for 6 to 12 months while it ages and then serve.

If you find you enjoy this, then visit wine making sites on the Internet to learn more about making wine from both grapes and other juices as well as investing a few dollars in slightly more sophisticated gas locks to replace the balloon and start increasing your production of your home brewed wine.