it just fine, or even better.
3¾ quarts water
2¼ lbs. sugar or 2½ lbs. mild honey
3-4 lbs. fresh or frozen raspberries
½ tsp. acid blend
1 / 8 tsp. tannin
1 tsp. yeast nutrient
1 Campden tablet, crushed (optional)
½ tsp. pectic enzyme
1 packet Montrachet or champagne wine yeast
Wash your hands. Put the water mixed with the sugar or honey on the stove to boil. Pick over the berries carefully, discarding any that are not up to par. Rinse lightly. Put the berries into a nylon straining bag and tie the top tightly.
Wash your hands again, rinsing especially well, and put the bag of fruit into the bottom of your primary fermenter and crush the berries within the bag. You can use a sanitized potato masher if you prefer, but hands are the best (besides, they are easy to clean).
Now pour the hot sugar water over the crushed berries. This sets the color. If you prefer, you can chill and reserve half the water beforehand; if you’ve done so, you can pour it now to bring the temperature down quickly in the primary fermenter. Add the acid, tannin, and yeast nutrient. Cover and fit with an air lock. Wait till the temperature comes down to add the Campden tablet if you use it. Twelve hours after the Campden tablet, add the pectic enzyme. If you don’t use the tablet, then merely wait until the must cools down to add the pectic enzyme.
After you add the pectic enzyme, check the PA and write it down. Remember, you can always sweeten later. Put the lid onthe primary fermenter and install a rubber bung fitted with an air lock. Make sure the lid is on firmly.
Another twelve hours later, add your yeast simply by sprinkling it on the top of the must (unfermented fruit and sugar water). Don’t stir it in. You want the fermentation to start right away. If you scatter the yeast, it will take too long for it to get going.
Once the fermentation gets going, sanitize a large plastic spoon or spatula and carefully stir the contents of the primary fermenter once a day, being careful to maintain the cleanliness of the fermenter lid when you remove and replace it. Be sure the air lock still contains the proper amount of liquid.
After the first excitement of the yeast is over (it takes about one week for all the froth and bubbling to die down to a quiet but obvious activity), remove the bag (don’t squeeze). After the sediment has settled down again, check the PA. If it is still above 3 to 4 percent, let the wine ferment for another week, stirring daily, and then rack it into your glass fermenter. Bung and fit with an air lock.
Rack it at least once during secondary fermentation. You don’t want any off flavors. Be sure to keep it in a dark jug, or put something over it to keep the light from stealing the color.
In four to six months, check the PA again. Taste the wine. I like it dry, but you might want to sweeten it. Not too much! Add some stabilizer and 2 to 4 ounces of sugar dissolved in water. Bottle, label, let it rest a year, then open and enjoy it. Serve lightly chilled.
OK, so now you get the basic idea. There are a lot of different kinds of fruit out there. Mostly what is going to change is how you process the fruit, the acid content, and the sugar. There are also some small differences in handling the fruit here and there.
----
NOTE: If you have black raspberries, thimbleberries, salmonberries, or any other raspberry-like wild berry use this recipe. The color will be darker or lighter, depending on the berries. You can also use a mixture of these berries.
----
RICH APPLE WINE
You might use this wine as a base wine with other flavorings in the future. It’s endlessly useful and inexpensive. This is really just a fancier version of the simple apple wine from the first section.
water to make up the gallon, as needed
2 lbs. sugar or 2¼ lbs. mild honey
8 lbs. crushed or chopped apples or 24 oz. frozen apple concentrate
1 tsp. acid blend (only ½ tsp. if you have tart apples)
¼ tsp tannin
1 tsp. yeast nutrient
½ tsp. pectic
3¾ quarts water
2¼ lbs. sugar or 2½ lbs. mild honey
3-4 lbs. fresh or frozen raspberries
½ tsp. acid blend
1 / 8 tsp. tannin
1 tsp. yeast nutrient
1 Campden tablet, crushed (optional)
½ tsp. pectic enzyme
1 packet Montrachet or champagne wine yeast
Wash your hands. Put the water mixed with the sugar or honey on the stove to boil. Pick over the berries carefully, discarding any that are not up to par. Rinse lightly. Put the berries into a nylon straining bag and tie the top tightly.
Wash your hands again, rinsing especially well, and put the bag of fruit into the bottom of your primary fermenter and crush the berries within the bag. You can use a sanitized potato masher if you prefer, but hands are the best (besides, they are easy to clean).
Now pour the hot sugar water over the crushed berries. This sets the color. If you prefer, you can chill and reserve half the water beforehand; if you’ve done so, you can pour it now to bring the temperature down quickly in the primary fermenter. Add the acid, tannin, and yeast nutrient. Cover and fit with an air lock. Wait till the temperature comes down to add the Campden tablet if you use it. Twelve hours after the Campden tablet, add the pectic enzyme. If you don’t use the tablet, then merely wait until the must cools down to add the pectic enzyme.
After you add the pectic enzyme, check the PA and write it down. Remember, you can always sweeten later. Put the lid onthe primary fermenter and install a rubber bung fitted with an air lock. Make sure the lid is on firmly.
Another twelve hours later, add your yeast simply by sprinkling it on the top of the must (unfermented fruit and sugar water). Don’t stir it in. You want the fermentation to start right away. If you scatter the yeast, it will take too long for it to get going.
Once the fermentation gets going, sanitize a large plastic spoon or spatula and carefully stir the contents of the primary fermenter once a day, being careful to maintain the cleanliness of the fermenter lid when you remove and replace it. Be sure the air lock still contains the proper amount of liquid.
After the first excitement of the yeast is over (it takes about one week for all the froth and bubbling to die down to a quiet but obvious activity), remove the bag (don’t squeeze). After the sediment has settled down again, check the PA. If it is still above 3 to 4 percent, let the wine ferment for another week, stirring daily, and then rack it into your glass fermenter. Bung and fit with an air lock.
Rack it at least once during secondary fermentation. You don’t want any off flavors. Be sure to keep it in a dark jug, or put something over it to keep the light from stealing the color.
In four to six months, check the PA again. Taste the wine. I like it dry, but you might want to sweeten it. Not too much! Add some stabilizer and 2 to 4 ounces of sugar dissolved in water. Bottle, label, let it rest a year, then open and enjoy it. Serve lightly chilled.
OK, so now you get the basic idea. There are a lot of different kinds of fruit out there. Mostly what is going to change is how you process the fruit, the acid content, and the sugar. There are also some small differences in handling the fruit here and there.
----
NOTE: If you have black raspberries, thimbleberries, salmonberries, or any other raspberry-like wild berry use this recipe. The color will be darker or lighter, depending on the berries. You can also use a mixture of these berries.
----
RICH APPLE WINE
You might use this wine as a base wine with other flavorings in the future. It’s endlessly useful and inexpensive. This is really just a fancier version of the simple apple wine from the first section.
water to make up the gallon, as needed
2 lbs. sugar or 2¼ lbs. mild honey
8 lbs. crushed or chopped apples or 24 oz. frozen apple concentrate
1 tsp. acid blend (only ½ tsp. if you have tart apples)
¼ tsp tannin
1 tsp. yeast nutrient
½ tsp. pectic
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