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These instructions will work for a number of different fruit wines. The table below gives the quantities of fruit and other ingredients needed to make specific types of fruit wine.
Instructions
- Wash fruit, remove stones and bruised parts.
- Weigh/measure fruit.
- Chop, smash, or crush fruit and strain into primary fermentor.
- Keep all pulp in straining bag (if required), tie and put into fermentor.
- Stir in all other ingredients except for yeast.
- Acid ph should be about 3.0-3.4. Add more acid to lower ph if needed.
- Cover primary with a clean cloth to allow Campden tablet to evaporate.
- 24 hours after Campden tablet addition, rehydrate yeast in warm water for 5 minutes, and put into fermentor.
- Put cover on fermentor.
- Stir daily and agitate pulp bag.
- After 5 days, remove pulp bag (straining lightly) and siphon wine off sediment and into glass secondary.
- Top off to neck of fermentor with water.
- Attach airlock.
- After fermentation (about 3 weeks and a specific gravity of 1.000) siphon off sediment and into clean glass secondary and top off with water to minimize head space. Attach airlock.
- Siphon again in about 2 months and top off to make one gallon.
- At this time, if you desire a sweeter wine, you add potassium sorbate and sweeten to taste. After sweetening, if you do, attach airlock and wait 7 days to bottle.
- Soak corks in Campden tablet water for 1 hour and bottle. (Some people say to soak corks for 24 hours, the corks may get too waterlogged for proper insertion.)
Fruit Wine Ingredient Table
FRUIT | AMOUNT | SUGAR | WATER | YEAST NUTRIENT | ACID | TANNIN | PECTIC ENZYME | CAMPDEN TABLETS | SPECIAL | AGING |
Apple | 15 pounds or 1gallon juice | 1 pound | 4 pints | 1 teaspoon nutrient | 1 1/2 teaspoons | 1/4 teaspoon | yes | 1 | 1 teaspoon ascorbic acid (vitamin C) after 4 weeks | 1 year |
Apple (spiced) | 8 pounds or 2 quarts. juice 1; 1/2 cup raisins; 3/4 ounce cloves; 1/2 ounce mashed ginger root | 2 1/2 pounds | 4 pints | 1/2 teaspoon nutrient | 1 teaspoon | 1/4 teaspoon | yes | 1 | 1 teaspoon ascorbic acid (vitamin C) after 4 weeks | 1 year |
Apricot | 2 1/2 pounds apricots (or peaches) | 2 pounds | 7 pints | 1/2 teaspoon nutrient | 1 1/2 teaspoons | 1/4 teaspoon | yes | 1 | 6 months | |
Banana | 3 pounds fresh banana or 8 ounces dried (boiled 30 min.-throw pulp away); 1 1/2 cup raisins | 2 1/4 pounds | 7 pints | 1 teaspoon nutrient | 3 teaspoons | 1/4 teaspoon | none | none | 6 months | |
Blackberry | 4 pounds Blackberries | 2 1/4pounds | 7 pints | 1 teaspoon nutrient | 1/2 teaspoons | none | yes | 1 | 6 months | |
Blueberry | 2 pounds blueberry; 1 pound raisins | 2 pounds | 7 pints | 1/2 tsp. | 1 1/2 teaspoons | none | yes | 1 | add 1/2 teaspoon stabilizer | 6 months |
Cherry | 6 pounds cherries | 2 3/4 pounds | 7 pints | 1 teaspoon | 2 teaspoons | 1/4 teaspoon | yes | 1 | 6 months | |
Cranberry | 3 pounds cranberries; 1 pound raisins | 1 3/4 pounds | 2 quarts | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon | none | yes | 1 | 6 months | |
Elderberry (fresh) | 3 pounds elderberries | 2 1/4 pounds | 7 pints | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon | none | none | 1 | 1/4 ounce oak chips per gallon for that "aged-in-oak" flavor | 6 months |
Elderberry (dried) | 5 ounces dried elderberries; 1pounds raisins | 2 1/4 pounds | 1 gallon | 1 teaspoon nutrient | 1 1/2 teaspoon | none | yes | 1 | 1/4 ounce oak chips per gallon for that "aged-in-oak" flavor | 6 months |
Gooseberry | 2 1/2 pounds gooseberries | 2 1/4 pounds | 7 pints | 1 teaspoon nutrient | none | none | if needed | 1 | 6 months | |
Wild Grapes | 6 pounds wild grapes | 2 pounds | 6 pints | 1 teaspoon nutrient | none | none | yes | 1 | 6 months | |
Peaches | 2 1/2 pounds | 2 pounds | 7 pints | 1 teaspoon | 1 1/2 teaspoon | 1/4 teaspoon | yes | 1 | 6 months | |
Plums | 3 pounds | 2 1/2 pounds | 7 pints. | 1/2 teaspoon | 1 1/2 teaspoon | 1/4 teaspoon | yes | 1 | 6 months - 1 year | |
Pineapple | 3 pints pineapple juice unsweetened | 2 pounds | 5 pints | none | 1/2 teaspoon | 1/4 teaspoon | yes | 1 | preferable as a semi-sweet wine | 6 months - 1year |
Raspberry | 2 1/2 - 3 pounds | 2 pounds | 7 pints | 1 teaspoon | 1/2 teaspoon | 1/4 teaspoon | yes | 1 | 6 months - 1 year | |
Watermelon | 2 quarts watermelon juice | 1 1/2 pounds | 2 quarts | 1 teaspoon | 2 1/2 teaspoon | 1/8 teaspoon | none | 1 | this wine is yellow in color, not red | 6 months |