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.
Jump to:
- Why Make Vinegar?
- Vinegar Making Supplies: Everything You’ll Need to Make Your Own Vinegar
- How to Make Red Wine Vinegar
- How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar
- The Vinegar ‘Mother’
- How to Make Vinegar at Home – Step-by-Step
- Recipe FAQs + Pro Tips
- Vinegar Making: Troubleshooting Potential Issues and Solutions
- Vinegar Making Supplies: WHERE TO BUY
- Starting Additional Vinegar Batches from your Vinegar Mother
- Recipes Ideas for Homemade Vinegar
- Recipe
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Recipe
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.
Greg says
I started my red wine vinegar a couple weeks ago. I followed the directions on the package, and I just came across this page today. Unfortunately, the container it is in does not have a spigot, I was wondering if it would be ok to move from my current container to a new one, or would that really disrupt the process?
Toni Dash says
My experience is that these batches are pretty robust. My guess would be that if you move the batch the active Mother will most likely dislodge, though if you leave the batch undisturbed in the new container a new one will grow and everything will be fine. With mine each time they are jostled the active Mother layer floats to the bottom and within a few days a new one forms.
steve manganello says
I just started my first batch of red wine vinegar. I added 16 oz of raw vinegar 8 ozs of water
and 16 ozs of red wine I put it in a gallon jar and placed it in the boiler room of my home.
can very high tempetures ruin the making of the vinegar?
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Hi Steve. First when you say you added raw vinegar, is that with a mother? I think you need the mother to perform the fermentation. To your question how hot is the room? My understanding is that you want it warm and consistent but if it is too hot I believe you can negatively impact the process. I make mine in my laundry room which is small but has heat and air conditioning. I did not keep my eye on a batch this summer and it completely dehydrated, evaporating the vinegar and killing the mother! Was a sad day and taught me a lesson!
JO Foster says
Hi – I have been making and using my red wine vinegar for a couple of years now. I have too much so have decided to bottle it up for friends for Christmas presents. Do I need to sterilise the vinegar by heating it up? Do I need to sterilise the bottles which have little rubber seals on? Do I strain it ? More importantly how long will the vinegar last in its new bottle? I don’t want to decant it too early – very grateful for your thoughts
By the way – it is lovely as I had the ‘mother’ from a very small village in France and it has been going for centuries as far as I can tell !,
Thanks
Jo
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Hi Jo. My apologies over the delay in responding. I think pasteurizing vinegar is a topic of debate. Some will maintain it is healthier if you DON’T heat it which will kill some bacteria and nutrients. Of course the purpose of heating it IS to kill some bacteria. I personally don’t heat my vinegar. I think if you are concerned I’d keep it in the refridgerator but I’d encourage further research to find what you are comfortable with (emailing the vinegar supply shop in Boston I cited in my post for instance).
I DO think sterilizing bottles is good it allows starting with a clean canvas if you will. I personally don’t strain my vinegar but that’s personal choice. I don’t include any of the mother in vinegar I pass along unless I’m sharing some for someone as a starter; then I include part of the mother and some of the vinegar. I think vinegar lasts indefinitely. I think it might lose some taste over time but to my knowledge it does not ‘go bad’.
I hope this helps. There are so many opinions about handling vinegar, much of it I’ve found is really personal choice. I love the source of your mother. Lucky you!
Rachel Anderson says
Hi,
I am just making sure I understand this: the apple cider vinegar has to be made with hard (fermented) cider, not fresh apple cider/juice? I press a lot of apple juice each year, but I’ve never fermented it. Can the cider vinegar be made from unfermented apple juice? Otherwise, I’d have to buy commercially produced hard apple cider, which costs more than vinegar, and turn it into vinegar…. what source do you use for your hard cider?
Thanks so much!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Hi Rachel. Yes you are correct; making Apple Cider vinegar in this method must be done with hard cider NOT pressed apple cider. It has to do with the conversion of the bacteria in the mother into a SCOBY which converts to vinegar! J. K. Scrumpy’s is the brand I’ve used which is organic. I believe it comes in a 22 ounce bottle and I paid around $8 for it. Depending on the time of year you begin, the vinegar begins to convert after about 3 months (faster the warmer the surrounding temperature is). Then feeding the mother is not necessary that often depending on how much you want to make and how fast the mother is converting to vinegar (you don’t want to ‘overwhelm’ it by feeding too much too often).
I can tell you why I make it even with the expense you mention; it does not taste like any apple cider vinegar I’ve ever had, even remotely. It is almost an apple cider balsamic tasting vinegar. It’s heaven! I like making my own but I use it for more special purposes. Were I doing bulk canning for instance I’d buy a larger less expensive source.
I have only made vinegar this way but I’m sure you could research online to see if you can make it with your cider OR phone the resource I list above in Boston. They are fantastic and whenever I have a question they are happy to help. I trust them as an end-all-be-all authority on this!
Good luck and let me know if you find a method to make it with unfermented cider.
Ed says
Thanks for the clarification! They already make funnels that do what you want. Just google “wine decanting funnel” and you'll get a good start on finding what you want. Search amazon.com for “Wine Decanting Funnel With Filter Screen” and you'll find one for under $9.
Boulder Locavore says
Actually Ed that is exactly the funnel type I used in the photos. I think in my case the size of my funnel and container provide the end of the nozzle does not extend quite far enough to allow the liquid to run down the inside of the container fully. It works fine though. Despite the mothers dislodging it's not had a negative affect on the vinegar.
Thanks for looping back and the tip!
Ed says
Bummer. There is a funnel that has a much longer spout (I have one) but I've only seen it sold with a decanter. There are other funnels that are longer than the one I mentioned, but are more expensive.
Here's a thought. Go to the hardware store and buy a short piece of clear plastic tubing to extend the length of your funnel. This would work even if you had a conventional straight funnel. No need to invest in another specialized piece of equipment.
Ed says
Very interesting! One question, you state that “I use a funnel to direct the liquid to run down the inside of the jar”. Do you mean that you want the liquid to run down the “sides” of the jar? I'm asking because the pictures appear to have the liquid landing right in the middle of the jar.
Boulder Locavore says
I do mean try to have it run down the inside of the jar walls rather than directly onto the the mother if possible (when feeding the mother after it is established).
Candidly Ed what you are pointing out is a fabulous business opportunity; developing a funnel with a 120 degree angle spout! Essentially the mother prefers not to be disturbed. If you pour liquid directly in the middle or without mitigating the stream with something like a smaller funnel, I've found the primary mother dislodges and floats down. There really is not a negative impact as another mother will naturally grow.
Several layers of mothers can interfer with the siphon when trying to draw off the vinegar once it's done but that's all. It's more of a preference of mine. Also the liquid when I was putting in through the decanting funnel in the photo was also going down the side of the bottle but it was not as visible.
Gregory Eleser says
Why not just attach a piece of plastic tubing to the funnel that goes below the top mother and then add the wine. It would go in under the mother, problem solved!
Greg
Toni Dash says
Great idea Greg! The Mother does not like to be bothered at all and does spread to the circumference of the container. Even this clever idea may cause it to dislodge but if so a new one will grow; no harm done.
. says
YES! I have been mulling over this project for years, thinking “surely it's not that hard to make vinegar,” but never got around to doing the research. The best thing about urban and rural 'homesteading' projects is that there is always another one to try.
Curious if you've come across anything that indicates making your (our) own balsamic vinegar would work in the cold north.
Thanks for the simply written explanation of the process. I am absolutely going to try this. I'm from Montana, but moved to Quebec City about 1.5 years ago, so there is plenty of wine to be had. And, they are quite proud of their local wines and apple ciders, justly so. My primary challenge will probably explaining that I'm looking for a “vinegar mother” to local homebrewing shops, but in French! 🙂
too.
Bethann
Boulder Locavore says
Hi Bethann! You really must do this. It's very easy. Also when I started my first batch it was winter in Colorado. The cold slows the process but doesn't halt it; unless you plan to move into an ice house of course.
I have not looked into Balsamic vinegar which I love. It would not be something in the mainstream vinegar making community or I feel sure to have run into it. I did alot of research before and during the early stages of starting this. You've piqued my curiousity however and I'll have to go looking.
I really don't think you'll have an issue with searching out a mother at the brewing shops in Canada. Most of the tales of triumphant and fascinating success with this I heard about were from France. Including cutting up the mother and eating it on salad. They're hip, the French and I'm sure you'll find that resident in Canadian French too. But just in case: la mère de vinaigre (thank you Google translator).
Thanks much for your link! I will definitely check it out! Toni
Anonymous says
Just starting to make my vinegar, in a large glass bottle with a spigot ( about a gallon, open with a cheese cloth on top.
I am putting 3 bottles of homemade red wine with 16 oz of Bragg Apple Vinegar with the MOTHER in it. Question how long should I let it stand before thinking I will have vinegar?
Do I need to anything else but wait?
Thanks in advance for your suggestions and advise.
Jim
Boulder Locavore says
Hi Jim. I'm afraid you are traveling outside my area of experience. In my research each type of vinegar takes a different type of Mother so typically Cider vinegar and Red Wine vinegar would be made separately. I originally purchased my mothers and have divided them for friends who have successfully made a specific type of vinegar from them.
I don't know about making vinegar from homemade wine but would think it would be fine. Your container set up sounds perfect. Normally you would start with a much smaller amount of liquid which begins to turn to vinegar in about 3 months depending on temperature conditions (can be longer), and you'd 'feed 'more then. Starting with such a large amount of wine might delay the vinegar conversion some. Tasting and smelling it will let you know what is going on.
I might suggest calling the vinegar guys in Boston that I cited in the article for counsel on your particular case! Sounds like a great experiment!
Boulder Locavore says
Hi j4estl! I did not see a way to email you which might be the easiest to discuss this. Please feel free to email me through my blog (top right margin) or at boulderlocavore@comcast.net.
Did you add hard cider to your Braggs cider vinegar with mother?
I don't strain my vinegar. I keep it in the glass jar with spigot, continuing to feed the mother and draining off converted vinegar as I want to use it.
Do email! Would love to know more! Toni (Boulder Locavore)
j4estl says
I have some vinegar questions for you: I had trouble finding a mother when i got started in January, so I just dumped in the last of my Braggs Apple Cider Vin with mother. 6 months later the acetone smell has since dissipated and it smells like real deal vinegar, tastes like it to. I'm assuming it's all good, but would appreciate any affirmations to this as I did not use a mother that looks like the ones in the pictures.
I'm also curious about the residue in the vinegar. Do you strain yours?
MikeY says
I am getting back into vinegar making as the homemade wine I made is getting old. The local stores did not have any mother in stock; so I used Bragg’s organic apple cider vinegar with Mother. I came to the conclusion that the Mother is dead. I ordered online and am now trying that.
Toni Dash says
I have only made mine with purchased Mother’s which I’ve found locally and online. Good luck! You’ll have a great batch to welcome the greens of spring.