Vinegar Making

Vinegar Making
C.D. Pritchard - Revised 7/28/96

Making vinegar from wines is much easier than making beer or wine and the resulting vinegars have a certian crispness that's lacking in ordinary commercial vinegars. It's also a good use for wines and beers that don't turn out quite right. I embarked on vinegar making after I made 5 gallons of cherry tomato wine (for 5 gallons: about 20# crushed cherry tomatoes and 9# sugar). The wine tasted OK but the smell of the stuff was was not appealing- one just doesn't expect a tomato like aroma in a wine. I decided to try turning some of it to vinegar. Not having a culture of the bacteria needed, I tried leaving a open sample of the wine outdoors with the hope that some acetobacter bacteria would find a home. Nothing but molds grew. Another sample was tried, this time with some garden dirt added. More stuff vile looking and smelling grew in it but still no vinegar could be detected. Browsing the Alternative Beverage (1-800-BREW) catalog one day, I saw a listing for vinegar cultures and ordered one. So far, I've made around 2 gallons of vinegar.

My future plans include a heated chamber or a heat pad for the vinegar making container and experimenting with mechanical, automatic aeration of the vinegar.

HINTS

I always pasturize vinegar after racking it from the vinegar making jug. This kills the acetobacter which will eventual turn the acetic acid to CO2 and water if the vinegar is exposed to oxygen (e.g. as the vinegar is used. Continued action of the acetobacter will also form vinegar "eels" which are small trub particles which have the appearance of tiny eels when the vinegar is disturbed. I soak the bottles of vinegar for 30 minutes soak in the 155 degF water bath.
Do not store vinegar in plastic bottles. All the usual plastics used for bottles are not good oxygen barriers.
I use a 1 gallon glass jug for a vinegar making container. To increase the surface area, its tilted at an angle of just over 45 degrees. I started with a piece of cloth over the mouth of the jug but have progressed to a silicone foam plug that Williams Brewing sells. The jugs stays in a spare bathroom which I also use for cleaning and stroring brewing stuff and for the occassional ale ferment. So far, there has been no evidence of cross-infections.
I calculate the alcohol content of the wine using the difference in orginal and final specific gravities (i.e. before and after fermentation). This is not entirely accurate, but I think it's close enough for vinegar making. I dilute the wine to 6% alcohol with boiled and cooled water and shake the solution to aerate it.
Aeration is necessary for acetobacter to turn alcohol to acetic acid. I use an old an old aquarium air pump, 1/8" OD, an in-line needle valve, vinyl tubing and a plastic air stone for aeration in the vinegar making container. I plug the air pump in when the mood and leave it on for a minute or so. One day, I'll make a timer to automate the aeration. I also want to make a heating jacket for the vinegar making jug and an automatic controller to give the acetobacter bacteria a more ideal enviroment.
My vinegars have not formed the thick gelatinous mother-of-vinegar indicated in the following text- only a light coating at the surface. It doesn't seem to be a problem tho'. I suspect the use of forced aeration may be responsibe for the lack of a mother-of-vinegar.
The following text notes that sulfites added to some commercial wines will inhibit the work of the acetobacter. I've read that heavy aeration of the wine will reduce the amount of sulfite.
I've never bothered to test the acidity of completed vinegar. I've read that the typical titration type acid test kit used for winemaking can be used. The problem is that alot of the 0.1 normal NaOH solution will be needed. A work-around is a 0.5 normal solution that's said to be available via better wine making suppliers. pH papers are said to be useless for determining percent acidity.
I use a taste test to determine when to rack off the completed vinegar. I know this is a seat-of-the-pants approach, but it seems to have worked so far. At around 70-75 degF, the process seems to take 2-3 months- a bit longer than what's stated in the text below.
Since I've not measured the acidity of the completed vinegar, I don't use it for canning or other food preservation. Such use are ussally based on vinegar with 5% acidity. Since I don't know exactly what my vinegar is, I'd rather not risk using it for making pickles and such. For the same reason, I shy away from making the herbed vinegars that are popular of late.

The following is a pretty good vinegar making primer I found on the net. I'd have a link to it, but, I lost the URL.

Making Vinegar

Copyright 1993 Elaine C. White

In the late 1800s chemists learned to make acetic acid. Manufacturers added water to reduce its strength to 5%, colored it and sold it as vinegar. mitation vinegar is still manufactured and by law the label must state that it is diluted acetic acid. Diluted acetic acid is inexpensive and lacks the vitamins, minerals and esters found in fermented vinegar; its flavor and aroma are also inferior.

It takes good alcohol (wine or beer) to make fermented vinegar. The Hit-or-miss method of making vinegar by allowing sugar and water to ferment is not wise. The fermentation of sugar to alcohol by wild yeast is followed by a conversion of the alcohol to acetic acid by wild bacteria. Chances of failure or undesirable tastes and aromas are high. Control the process by using great care in cleanliness and introducing chosen yeast and bacteria to obtain quality vinegar every time.

General Directions

Winemaking suppliers list acetobacter as "mother" or vinegar culture. These cultures convert alcohol to acetic acid (vinegar). Most suppliers sell red and white wine vinegar cultures. Some sell cider, malt and mead cultures as well. Any culture may be combined with any type alcohol to produce vinegar.

Vinegar should contain at least 5% acid as required for preserving or pickling. Specialty vinegar contains acid as high as 7%. Beer containing 5.5% alcohol will yield about 5% acid. Wine containing 11 to 12% alcohol must be diluted to 5.5 to 7% alcohol before using it to make vinegar.

Acid test kits, sold by winemaking suppliers, are used to determine the acidity of vinegar. Acid tests are easy to perform and instructions come with the kit.

Sanitize
Sanitize utensils and containers that will touch the vinegar by soaking them for 20 minutes in a solution of 2 tablespoons chlorine laundry bleach to 1 gallon water. Rinse everything well with hop tap water. Hot tap water is relatively sterile after being held at high temperatures for several hours in the hot water heating tank.

Vinegar Method I

3 measures beer, ale or vinegar stock (5.5 to 7% alcohol) 1 measure vinegar culture with active bacteria
Directions
Vinegar leaches molecules from iron and aluminum. Use sanitized glass, enamel, stainless steel or stoneware containers less than two-thirds full. Cover the container with a cloth or stopper it with cotton to keep insects out, while allowing air to freely reach the stock. Store the mixture in a dark place.
Temperatures:
Temperatures between 80 and 85 degrees are ideal. Low or fluctuating temperatures slow the process. At 75 to 85 degrees F, it will take 6 to 8 weeks for conversion. At 85 to 90 degrees F, it can take 4 to 6 weeks for conversion. Temperatures over 95 degrees F slow conversion; above 140 degrees F, the bacteria die.
An acetic film called "mother" will form. This smooth, leathery, grayish film becomes quite thick and heavy. It should not be disturbed. It often becomes heavy enough to fall and is succeeded by another formation. If the mother falls, remove and discard it. An acid test will indicate when all of the alcohol is converted to vinegar. Part of the vinegar may be withdrawn and pasteurized. The remaining unpasteurized vinegar may be used as a culture to start another batch. Living bacteria are in the liquid. A piece of the mother is not necessary to start a new batch.
Add beer or diluted wine to the culture every 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the temperature maintained and when most of the alcohol is converted to vinegar (as determined by an acid test). Adding more alcohol to the culture keeps it alive, prevents spoilage and increases the quality of vinegar. If unpasteurized vinegar is exposed to oxygen without alcohol present, bacteria can convert the vinegar to carbon dioxide and water.

Vinegar Method II

2 measures dry wine (11 to 12% alcohol) 1 measure water (boiled 15 minutes and allowed to cool) 1 measure vinegar culture with active bacteria Follow the directions in Method I. Purchased wine can be used, but some commercial wines contain sulfites or preservatives that could kill the vinegar bacteria.

Vinegar Method III (For winemakers only)

Wine containing less than 10% alcohol is subject to spoilage. This formula to make 7% alcohol is an ideal vinegar stock. Follow good winemaking procedures. When the fermentation is complete (specific gravity 1.000 or below) this low-alcohol wine can be converted to vinegar as directed in Method I.
1 1/2 pounds weight honey (specific gravity 1.050)
yeast nutrient or energizer (as package directs)
4 teaspoons acid blend (or 7.5 ppt tartaric acid with an acid test kit)
1/4 teaspoon tannin
wine yeast
add water to equal 1 gallon

Homemade wine
Dry wine containing 11 to 12% alcohol can be diluted after fermentation (specific gravity 1.000 or below). It's important that the wine contain no excess sugar. Excess sugar increases the chance of spoilage and the formation of a slime-like substance in the vinegar. The wine does not have to be clear before it is combined with the vinegar culture. Vinegar clears as it ages. At the last racking, do not add campden tablets or potassium sorbate. Dilute the mead as directed in Method II and follow the directions in Method I.

Preserving vinegar

To preserve vinegar, add 3 campden tablets per gallon of vinegar or Heat the vinegar to 155 degrees F and hold the temperature for 30 minutes. After pasteurizing vinegar add one tablespoon 80-proof vodka to each gallon and age it. If desired to enhance the bouquet, up to one cup oak or beech chips may also be added. Pasteurized or sulphited vinegar can no longer produce more vinegar. Pasteurizing kills vinegar baceria and prevents the formation of "mother" which could lead to spoilage. Pasteurized vinegar keeps indefinitely when tightly capped and stored in a dark place at room temperature. Temperatures above 160 degrees F cause a loss of acidity, flavor and aroma.

Aging vinegar

Vinegar has a strong, sharp bite when first made. It becomes mellow when aged. The esters formed during aging, like those in wine, develop after a period of six months or more when stored at a cool, steady temperature (50 to 60 degrees F is ideal). This undisturbed rest also allows suspended solids to fall, making the vinegar clear and bright. Siphon the clear, aged vinegar off the deposit of solids into sanitized bottles. Introduce as little oxygen as possible. Winemaking suppliers sell attractive vinegar bottles. Use corks or plastic caps to avoid vinegar contact with metal. If corks are used, the necks of the vinegar bottles should be dipped several times into melted wax to form an air-tight seal. The quality of vinegar improves for up to two years and then gradually declines. Fermented vinegar can be sold without the special permits or licenses required for alcoholic beverages. It costs the same as a good bottle of wine.

Winemaking suppliers (United States)
The following companies carry a complete line of winemaking supplies, including vinegar cultures.

Beer & Winemaking Supplies, Inc.
154 King Street
Northampton MA 01060
Telephone: 413-586-0150
(The only source I've seen for mead vinegar cultures)

Alternative Beverage
114-O Freeland Lane
Charlotte NC 28217
Telephone 704-527-9643

The Cellar
P O Bx 33525
Seattle WA 98133
Telephone: 206-365-7660

Great Fermentations
87 Larkspur St
San Rafael CA 94901
Telephone: 415-459-2520

This article is taken from "Super Formulas, Arts and Crafts: How to make more than 360 useful products that contain honey and beeswax" Copyright 1993 Elaine C. White. All rights reserved. ISBN 0-963-7539-7-5. This book is available from the publisher: Valley Hills Press, 1864 Ridgeland Drive, Starkville MS 39759 USA. In the US telephone 1-800-323-7102; other countries call 601-323-7100. $14.95 includes price of the book and shipping. Visa/Master cards accepted. Free brochure available from Valley Hills Press. Just ask.

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c.d. pritchard, r1, 7/96

miserable failure