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1
Add 2 cups of good red wine and 1 cup of filtered water to the crock, then add the mother.
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2
Cover the crock with a double layer of cheesecloth and fasten with a rubber band.
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3
Set the crock in a warm (70u00b0 to 90u00b0), dark spot and let stand for 1 1/2 weeks.
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4
Add red wine to the crock in three 2 1/2-cup batches over the next 1 1/2 weeks; the crock should then be two-thirds full.
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5
Once a thin veil has formed on the surface, add the wine through the tube of the bulb baster tucked under the edge of the veil.
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6
Let the crock stand for a total of 10 weeks. Check periodically: If your vinegar ever begins to smell like furniture polish, discard it, wash the crock and start over.
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7
Bottle the vinegar when it smells sharp and crisp: Strain it into sterile bottles through a plastic funnel lines with a paper coffee filter. (If you plan to start the process over, leave 2 cups vinegar in the crock and just add wine and water.)
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8
The vinegar will mellow in the bottle and improve with age, but if you plan to keep it more than 4 months, pasteurize it: Heat the vinegar to 155u00b0 in a stainless steel saucepan and hold it there for 30 minutes. Store the vinegar in sterilized, well-sealed bottles in a cool, dry place. Use homemade vingear for dressings and sauces and as a seasoning; never use it for pickling.
