The mixture made in part 1 of juice, water, sugar, tea, lemon juice, and pectic enzyme has been allowed to sit for 24 hours it is ready to receive the yeast. The mixture needed to sit for 24 hours to give the pectic enzyme a chance to devourer the naturally occurring pectin in the juice and fruits. Removing the pectin isn’t necessary. If the pectin remains there is a chance that there will be a large number of suspended particles that will make the wine cloudy. Most people prefer clear wine, but in my opinion it all drinks the same. I can’t tell a difference in taste either.
The next step in wine making is the addition of yeast to the mixture. Any yeast will work, but if it is available you should use a commercially produced wine yeast. Wine yeasts in general have been bred to resist higher alcohol levels, have castings that clump together and settle out faster, and have minimal flavor. Some people insist on sprinkling the dry yeast on top of the must. Others mix the dry yeast with a bit of warm water prior to pouring into the must.
This initial addition of yeast is called primary fermentation. The container that it is occurring in is referred to as the primary fermenter. To give the yeast the best shot at producing a large colony, the initial 72 hours of fermenting should be performed with the top open. This allows oxgen to reach the surface of the must and the yeast colony to quickly multiply. After the yeast is strongly bubbling and growing strong, the top is put on the primary fermenter, an air lock fitted and primary fermentation allowed to progress in an anaerobic state. This helps minimize the production of off flavors developing that would make the batch unpalatable.
More to come at the 72 hour point when I fit the air lock in Part 3.
