How to Make Wine in an Instant Pot

Yep, you read that right: a new day has dawned for wine enthusiasts and it's all thanks to food blogger, David Murphy, who figured out how to brew wine at home using everyone's new favorite kitchen gadget, the Instant Pot. We followed David's guide along with a little home-fermentation research of our own to whip up a batch of ruby-red liquid that, after aging a mere 15 days, already held complex notes of tart cranberry and cherry. Intrigued? Keep reading to learn how surprisingly easy it is to brew your very own vino without ever leaving the kitchen.

You’ll need just a few ingredients to make a batch of Instant Pot wine, so choosing the best of each is important. This recipe begins with 100% concord grape juice with no sugar added, which you can find at nearly any grocery store. You’ll also need granulated sugar and some active dry wine yeast which can be purchased online or at a home-brewing supply store. Pro tip: check the expiration date to ensure freshness.

Shopping List:

64 oz. bottle of Concord grape juice with no added sugar, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1.5 tsp (1/2 packet) dry active red wine yeast

Pour the bottle of grape juice into the Instant Pot bowl, reserving the bottle for later use. Add the sugar and stir well until completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Pro tip: make sure your Instant Pot bowl is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before adding ingredients.

Sprinkle the yeast into the pot and stir until dissolved. The yeast might foam a little.

Place the bowl inside the Instant Pot carriage and close the lid. Press the 'Yogurt’ button and then adjust the temperature function to 'Less’ heat. Your Instant Pot may have a 'Less’ button or you may need to press the yogurt button again until 'Less’ appears on the digital readout. The 'Adjust’ button also gives you the ability to lower the heat. Using the regular 'Yogurt’ function could kill the yeast, so it’s important to lower the temperature at this stage.

Turn the vent knob to 'open or 'venting,' and set the cook time to 24 hours. Close the vent after 8 hours of cooking and alternate opening and closing the vent every 8 hours until the timer sounds.

After 24 hours of cooking, open the lid to check the progress. The wine mixture should be fizzy and carbonated like soda.

Replace the lid and press 'Yogurt’ again, making sure the 'Less’ option is still selected. Set the timer for 24 hours, and alternate opening and closing the vent every 8 hours.

After the second 24 hours of cooking is complete, transfer the wine to the empty juice bottle using a funnel.

Loosely secure the lid on the bottle using painter’s tape (packing tape will also work). Leaving the cap slightly loose will allow carbon dioxide to escape as the wine ferments.

Place the bottle in a dark place (like a kitchen cabinet or unused closet) at room temperature so the wine can develop and ferment. After 7 days, the carbon dioxide bubbles should dissipate. The wine is drinkable at this time, but the fermentation won’t be complete until 10-15 days. Aging it for 4 weeks or more is recommended and will result in a fully developed, better tasting wine with scant bubbles.

Dregs, which are dead yeast cells, will collect in the bottom of the plastic bottle over time. This sediment is normal and sometimes found in bottles of commercially-produced wine. They aren't a bad thing (some winemakers even leave them in the wine on purpose for flavor development) but can make for an unpleasant drinking experience. After aging the Instant Pot wine for 4 weeks, pour the wine into a clean glass container with a lid, leaving the sediment behind. More sediment may form in the new bottle, but there will be considerably less.