How to Make Vinegar at home is easy and more delicious than store-bought vinegar. This step-by-step guide covers how make apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, necessary supplies, potential issues and solutions.
Most pantries are stocked with a variety of vinegar types but did you know you can make your own vinegar?
This guide on How to Make Vinegar shares details of making both Red Wine Vinegar and Apple Cider Vinegar.
It’s more delicious than store-bought vinegar and is easy with some specifics you need to know to be successful.
Why Make Vinegar?
Vinegar is easy to find at most stores and inexpensive to buy. So why make it yourself? Because the taste is recognizably better than purchased vinegar.
Plus, YOU made it. Isn’t that the best part? Some say it’s a great way to use up wine which does not get consumed (that seems an oxymoron to me; ‘wine’ ‘not consumed’).
Vinegar making can be done continuously so a fresh supply is always available.
Vinegar Making Supplies: Everything You’ll Need to Make Your Own Vinegar
- 1 gallon wide-mouth glass jar preferably with a metal spigot (can be larger than 1 gallon). NOTE: must be glass or ceramic crock; plastic will interact chemically with the vinegar.
- Cheesecloth and rubber bands
- A vinegar ‘mother’ (see Where To Buy below)
- The liquid to convert into vinegar (sulfite-free organic red wine if making red wine vinegar or hard cider if making apple cider vinegar; you can also make white wine vinegar through the same process)
How to Make Red Wine Vinegar
Can Any Wine be Used?
Sulfite-free organic wine is required for making red wine vinegar. Sulfites can impede the conversion process so low or no sulfite wine should be used.
The wine I have used for my red wine vinegar.
How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar
Can it be made with regular Apple Cider?
Hard apple cider is used to make apple cider vinegar. The alcohol content is needed for the vinegar conversion.
Overhead view of the mature Apple Cider vinegar ‘mother’
The Vinegar ‘Mother’
This name has always evoked memories of Sigourney Weaver in the movie Alien when she confronts ‘THE MOTHER’, the oozy, dripping, teeth-gnashing alien giant. A vinegar mother isn’t much prettier.
What Is a ‘Vinegar Mother’?
The vinegar mother is a mass of bacteria which serves to convert the liquid into vinegar. Also called a Scoby, which is an acronym for “Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast”.
When you begin to make vinegar, the vinegar mother is an innocuous mucoidal blob which you put in the jar with the liquid.
PRO TIP: You’ll need a vinegar type-specific mother; they are different depending on whether you are making apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar.
Over time the mother grows to make an opaque thin layer on the top of the liquid. Each time you add more liquid (referred to as ‘feeding the mother’) it usually dislodges the vinegar mother and a new one will grow (see photo below).
When your vinegar batch is mature, you can even give part of your vinegar mother to a friend with some of the vinegar and they can start a batch of their own. I’ve heard tell of people (all of them in France) who have been working with the same vinegar mother for 20 years.
Layers of vinegar mothers in a jar of homemade apple cider vinegar
How to Make Vinegar at Home – Step-by-Step
Making vinegar at home is basically the same whether you want to know how to make apple cider vinegar or how to make red wine vinegar. They share similar steps using different liquids.
Step 1: Preparation Before Starting
- Decide where you’ll keep your vinegar. It should be a place where it can stay (the vinegar mother doesn’t respond well to being moved; it can become dislodged and discontinue making vinegar).
- It will need warmth (70-80 degrees is ideal), darkness and good air circulation.
A personal lesson about the container placement:
I started mine in December when it’s cold in Colorado. I put it up on the highest shelf in my laundry room which was good for warmth.
I wrapped a hand towel around the jar and fastened it with clips to keep it dark (a great TRICK when not having a dark area for the vinegar making).
It was too close to the ceiling however and was not getting enough air circulation.
It began to smell like acetone (which I’ve also read is part of the process but not having had that happen since I’d say it’s not good). I brought the jars down lower and they recovered fine. The cheesecloth, which you’ll put on the top of the jar opening, allows circulation and keeps things (fruit flies) out.
Step 2: Sterilize your jar with hot water (not boiling) and drain
Check that the spigot is functioning properly before beginning. Because the conversion process is ongoing, you’ll be ‘feeding the mother’ (adding additional liquid to convert to vinegar) regularly.
The converted vinegar will be at the bottom of the jar and the liquid in process of converting on the top. The spigot allows you to drain completed vinegar out the bottom for use and not disrupt the vinegar mother(s) by pouring out the top of the jar.
Step 3: Adding liquid
The vinegar mother container will have instructions about the initial liquid to add.
For the red wine vinegar, I added 16 ounces of organic sulfite free (that’s the hook; you want to use low or no sulfite wine as sulfites can impede the conversion process) red wine combined with 8 ounces of water and pour it into the jar (too high an alcohol content can also impede the process so it needs to be diluted). Then add the red wine vinegar mother.
For apple cider vinegar add a bottle (22 ounces) of organic hard cider and the apple cider vinegar mother.
Step 4: Covering the Vinegar Jar with Cheesecloth
The final step, for either vinegar type, put the cheesecloth (I recommend 2-3 layers) securing it with rubber bands.
It needs to be enough to disallow fruit flies from entering the vinegar container but not so much it blocks air circulation (see more below in Troubleshooting).
Step 5: Feeding the Vinegar Mother
Until the vinegar begins to convert you want to hold off on regular feedings so as to not overwhelm the mother; which can cause the vinegar production to slow down.
Also, I added my liquid with a funnel with a bend in the lower tube trying to direct the liquid to run down the side of the jar so as to not disrupt the mother.
When ‘feeding the mother’ I use a funnel to direct the liquid to run down the inside of the jar if possible so as to not dislodge the vinegar mother (if that happens however, a new one will grow)
I’ll include my notes that show my intervals of adding liquid, though I added more liquid to mine about once a month.
Continue to feed it the same amount you started with each time until you are getting vinegar (or at a minimum ensure the wine is always diluted with half the amount of water).
I was very regimented at first but do it when I think of it now that I have a good size batch to draw from.
My notes of when I added more liquid to the red wine vinegar (on the left) and apple cider vinegar (on the right). Liquid is added aproximately once a month under normal temperature conditions.
Recipe FAQs + Pro Tips
When Will It be Vinegar?
The full conversion process takes about 3 months depending on the conditions where you keep your vinegar.
The warmer it is the faster it converts. You don’t want it overly hot (like in a boiling garage in the middle of the summer) for you can kill the mother.
How Do You Know the Vinegar is Done?
By tasting it. You will also smell the vinegar. It’s not very strong but notable.
The vinegar may be left in the container and the amount needed drawn via the spigot per use. Some people prefer to drain a full batch, pasteurize it by heating it and bottling it.
You can infuse it with herbs as well (in a container separate from the main batch).
Recipes like Homemade Cranberry Vinegar which uses apple cider vinegar (this recipe also comes with free printable gift tags when giving it as gifts) are another fun way to use your homemade vinegar.
Vinegar Making: Troubleshooting Potential Issues and Solutions
Fruit Flies
Depending on time of year and where you live, fruit flies may come to visit. They love vinegar.
SOLUTION: Three layers of cheesecloth, tightly secured to the jar opening will keep them out. I had a mass visitation this past fall and resorted to putting out small bowls with a bit of vinegar and a drop of dish soap in them which did the trick.
Proper Air Circulation
While the process is beginning really pay attention to the conditions where you are keeping the vinegar and the smell. If you get an acetone smell, check to ensure you are getting enough air circulation.
SOLUTION: Gently move the vinegar container to an area with better air circulation. Moving may dislodge the vinegar mother but another one will grow.
Evaporation
I’m not sure this is really an issue but something to watch and prompt feeding the vinegar mother. I noted when decloaking my red wine vinegar for photos a ‘recession line’ where I noted evaporation.
I had not added liquid for awhile as it was winter though it was dry and the heat had been running raising the room temperature.
SOLUTION: Keep a watch on the liquid line and add more liquid if needed.
The container/brand of my red wine vinegar mother and evidence of evaporation inside the vinegar jar (note the area above the liquid where prior liquid has receded)
Vinegar Making Supplies: WHERE TO BUY
The Vinegar Mother (or ‘starter’)
On Amazon.com you can find both red wine vinegar mothers and apple cider vinegar mothers as well as others I have not made yet myself; malt vinegar mother, white wine vinegar mother and rice wine vinegar mother.
Beer brewing and wine making shops usually sell them too. Since originally writing this post I’ve seen them in natural food stores too.
Glass Jars
My first vinegar making jar was a gift stemming from reading an article in Savuer. It is from an infusion jar maker and was about $50.
There are many glass jars that work well for this purpose online too. I like this 1-gallon glass jar from Amazon.com because it is smaller yet still has plenty of room for making vinegar batches (often the jars are multiple gallon sizes which is far more volume than is needed).
Metal Spigots
I prefer metal spigots such as this metal spigot , which can be retrofitted onto a glass jar that might be originally fitted with a plastic spigot.
Brick and mortar shopping: I purchased a jar at World Market for $19 (Pier 1 usually has them too) and it has served me well (note: this is the same jar now available via the link to Amazon.com which ships free via Amazon Prime; often these jars are considered ‘seasonal’ in physical stores and might not be available all year round).
To check them in my photos the more expensive jar has the red wine vinegar in it and the World Market jar has the apple cider vinegar. Both come with glass lids which I don’t use for vinegar making.
Starting Additional Vinegar Batches from your Vinegar Mother
The guys at Northampton Beer and Wine told me that once the vinegar mother has dropped from the top of the batch they are not as potent but also do no harm (if they get in the way of your spigot draining vinegar just take them out but leave the top active mother).
If you were to want to start another batch you can cut part of your active vinegar mother (the uppermost one in the jar) along with some of the vinegar liquid and start it in another jar or give it to a friend.
The vinegar mother you use part of will regenerate or another will form in your batch. They also shared in many cultures the inactive mothers are cut up in salads or other dishes for their believed medicinal properties.
Recipes Ideas for Homemade Vinegar
15 Salad Dressing Recipes to Get You Excited About Salad Again
Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK , TWITTER , INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST !
How to Make Vinegar: Red Wine Vinegar & Apple Cider Vinegar
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Vinegar Mother for the type of vinegar being made (e.g. apple cider vinegar mother, red wine vinegar mother, etc)
For Apple Cider Vinegar
- 22 ounces Organic Hard Cider
For Red Wine Vinegar
- 16 ounces SULFITE-FREE Red Wine
- 8 ounces Water
- Cheesecloth
- Rubber Bands
Instructions
Before Beginning
- Determine where the vinegar will be made. It should be a place where it can stay (the vinegar mother does not love moving). It will need warmth (70-80 degrees is ideal), darkness and good air circulation.
- Sterilize your jar with hot water (not boiling) and drain. Check that the spigot is functioning properly before beginning.
Making the Vinegar
- Adding liquid. The vinegar mother container will have instructions about the initial liquid to add.
- For the red wine vinegar Combine 16 ounces of organic sulfite free (required) red winewith 8 ounces of water in the jar. Then add the red wine vinegar mother.
- For apple cider vinegar Add a bottle of organic hard cider and the apple cider vinegar mother.
- The final step (for either vinegar type): Put 2-3 layers cheesecloth over the opening of the vinegar container securing it with rubber bands.
Feeding the Vinegar Mother
- Until the vinegar begins to convert hold off on regular 'feedings' (addition of more liquids) so as to not overwhelm the vinegar mother. Under normal temperature conditions adding the same amount of liquid as the initial ingredients monthly is about the right interval.
- NOTE: adding additional liquid once the vinegar mother has formed with a long neck funnel to allow the liquid to drain into the jar along the glass (vs pouring it onto the vinegar mother) helps not disrupt the mother.
- The full vinegar conversion tastes approximately 3 months and can be affected by temperature. Tasting the vinegar will confirm when it's finished.
- Liquids can continue to be poured into the vinegar container to continue vinegar making or the completed vinegar may be drained from the container and stored.
Nutrition
Published originally February 11, 2011.
Theresa says
I had no idea you could make your own vinegar. I like to try my hand at making things we use regularly, so now I am excited to try making homemade vinegar!
Guadalupe says
I’ve been making my own fruit-based vinegar from scratch since I was taught how to do it by my great-grandma’s cook, some 60 years ago. This is the first time I’ve found such a thoroughly detailed tutorial to make wine vinegar, and I’m compelled to make a batch.
I live in El Salvador, the tiniest country in Central America, and there is no way for me to get the “mother” here. Is there a way to grow your own wine vinegar mother, as there is for fruit-based vinegar?
Toni Dash says
Hi Guadalupe! Maybe I need to come to El Salvador and have you teach me your fruit vinegar method and bring you a red wine vinegar mother! Thank you for your question. I have only made red wine vinegar with a mother so you gave me some food for thought. I did some research and found some information about making red wine vinegar using a LIVE vinegar such as Bragg’s if you are familiar with that. It seems the live bacteria in that type of non-pasturized vinegar will transform into a mother. Here is something you might want to read. Also if you could locate someone near you who is already making red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar) if they would give you some of their mother and vinegar that is all you need to begin a batch of your own. And as you know, once it’s going you can keep it going!
Sarah Bailey says
This is such an interesting post I have to admit I’ve never thought of making my own vinegar myself but homemade is always the best so I think I may have to give your recipe a go thank you.
Lotus Food Gallery says
This is an awesome idea! I love learning how to make things that I buy and use often, Thanks for sharing
Danielle Smith says
I think this is a great idea. Who wants plain vinegar every time you make something? Step out of your comfort zone, and make some “fancy” vinegar to spice up a dish!
Toni Dash says
I think it’s sort of like the difference in the flavor between hand picked strawberries in season and commercially grown strawberries out of season. They are both strawberries but the difference in flavor is huge!
Audrey says
This is a wonderful idea. Your directions are always detailed and gives people hope that they too can duplicate what you posted.
Toni Dash says
Thank you Audrey. I can’t imagine anything more frustrating than trying to follow instructions and having a totally different outcome (like those Pinterest Fail shows; pretty funny but not if you were hoping for a comparable result). This really is easy if you pay attention to simple indicators along the way as outlined. And it’s delicious!
Colleen says
I use vinegar in so many of my recipes. I’ve never thought about making it myself, though. I’ll have to give this a try. I always love to make my own sauces, dressing, and things like that.
TL says
Hi – I’ve made vinegar and bottled it, but for some reason my vinegar is fizzing like a soda. Can you tell me what has happened, what I’ve done wrong, and is there anything I can do to recover it? Thanks
Toni Dash says
I have not had this happen before and it sounds like a chemical reaction with bacteria or release of carbon dioxide. Did you add anything else to the vinegar? I observed something similar when my uncle combine fresh garlic and vinegar. If not I would suggest contacting a local beer or winemaking store that carries vinegar making supplies to detail your situation to them for advice, or call the shop I linked to in the blog post. They are very helpful. Please let me know what you learn!
Scott says
We’ve made our own vinegar before. But it wasn’t on purpose – we just happened to let the wine sit out way too long!
Toni Dash says
Ha ha! I think we are all guilty of that. This is better, trust me!
Reesa Lewandowski says
I had no idea you could do this! I love it! I am so saving this!
Lena Burkut says
That is so interesting! I’ve never considered vinegar making, but now it doesn’t sound as complex.
valmg @ Mom Knows It All says
I have a friend that uses vinegar in what seems like everything and I think this would be right up her alley. Wealmost neve ruse vinegar so I didn’t even realize you could do it at home.
Dawn Lopez says
I love learning how to make things like this! I always find it interesting to see what I started off with and the end result.
Amy says
This is such a helpful recipe. I have never thought to make my own, but the idea is super intriguing now!!
Becky Willis says
I found your post very interesting. I have never heard of making your own vinegar. I will admit when I was reading along and you mentioned not putting it in the garage in the hot summer you could kill the mother for a moment I had to reread. I was like kill your mother? Like it would blow up. lol. So I reread more carefully and figured it out. Very neat process.
Myrah Duque says
Wow, I’m impressed. I never knew it was such a tedious process of making your own vinegar. I congratulate you for making it! I can just imagine how delicious it is.
Our Family World says
Interesting! I have to find out where I can get mother vinegar in my area. This looks like a nice project/hobby to do, and I can earn bragging rights when I tell my family and friends that I used the vinegar I made in the dish they are eating. 🙂
Toni Dash says
They are very affordable to order from Amazon (links in the Supplies section). I often find it’s easier and faster (and less expensive) to have it shipped. If you want to look locally try a beer or winemaking shop or maybe a natural foods store.
AnnMarie John says
I’ve never made vinegar before and I didn’t know how to. I am definitely curious about it and would love to give it a try. It sounds like it’s worth making since it’s better than what you can buy in the stores.
Lisa Favre says
I didn’t realize we could make vinegar at home! This is something I am SO doing! I’ll have to show my hubby too… he’ll be able to help me out with it.
Annemarie LeBlanc says
Wow. That’s amazing! I have not tried making vinegar at home. It does look somewhat easy, somewhat complicated though. If I am able to find the supplies I need, I might try this. I would want to make my own apple cider vinegar!
Marcie W. says
Great information! I never even knew making my own vinegar was a possibility! This would be fantastic, as I use quite a bit for cleaning.
Kim Croisant says
I didn’t even think it was possible to make your own vinegar. But your instructions proved to me you can. SWEET!! I would use an apple if I were to make it. Wine…I got that…and an apple – so what I’m I waiting for!!
Melissa Chapman says
I feel like a real slacker, you cook amazing food almost everyday and in your spare time make vinegar. I will share this but I do not think I would venture into this you are amazing.
Toni Dash says
Ha ha! Well if you saw the state of my house Melissa you’d know I’m far from Super Woman!
Jeanette says
I had no idea that you could make vinegar at home. I am definitely going to try it because I bet it taste better than any store-bought stuff ever.
robin rue says
No way! I had no idea I could make my own vinegar. I use A LOT of vinegar in my house for cooking and cleaning, so I HAVE to try this.