Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Dried Apricot Wine




6 lb. dried apricots, 
2 oranges, 
3 ½ lb. sugar, 
9 pts water, 
1 oz. Yeast, 
1 tablespoonful of freshly made tea.

Put the apricots in the fermenting vessel with the cut-up oranges and their peel. Fold the orange peel and squeeze to get as much oil out of it as you can.


Boil two pounds sugar in seven pints water for two minutes and pour over the fruits while still boiling. Allow to cool and add the yeast.


Cover as directed and ferment for ten days, crushing by hand each day and covering again at once.


After ten days, strain and wring out as dry as you can and put the strained liquor in the gallon jar. Boil the remaining sugar in the last two pints of water for two minutes and when cool add to the rest, and then add the tea.


Cover as directed or fit fermentation lock and leave until all fermentation has ceased.

 

Saturday, February 05, 2011

Clementine Wine






photo by: Free Wine


1 gallon water
24 Clementines
10 Valencia oranges
1 lb extra fine granulated sugar
1 teaspoon citric acid
1 teaspoon pectic enzyme
¼ teaspoon tannin
1 teaspoon yeast nutrient
1 package Champagne wine yeast

Mix sugar and water in large pot. Bring to boil. 

Peel all Clementines and Valencias and save the zest from 10 of the Clementines. 

Section the fruit and remove any pith. Place zest and sections in a nylon mesh straining bag. Close bag with a tie and mash fruit in a primary fermentation container. 

Pour boiling sugar water over fruit and stir. Let liquid cool until room temperature. Add citric acid, pectic enzyme, tannin, and yeast nutrient to container. Cover and let sit for 12 hours. 

Remove cover, add activated Champagne wine yeast, and cover again. Stir daily for 10 days. 

Remove bag from container and pour liquid into secondary fermentation container. Seal with airtight lock lid and ferment. 

Skim froth, as necessary. When froth ceases to form, rack and place into bottles. Rack again every two months for one year. 

Age an additional year before enjoying. 

Monday, January 03, 2011

Cinnamon Wine












Photo by: S. Diddy



* 12 six-inch cinnamon sticks
* 3 lbs granulated sugar
* 7-1/2 pts water
* 1 tsp yeast nutrient
* 1/8 tsp tannin
* 3 tsp acid blend
* 1 crushed Campden tablet
* Champagne wine yeast


Put cinnamon sticks and one quart water in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a simmer and hold for 10 minutes with the lid on, turn off heat, and let steep for two hours. Strain the water into a secondary and discard the cinnamon sticks. Add sugar to remaining water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add all remaining ingredients to secondary except Campden and yeast and then pour in the sugar-water. Cover with a napkin held in place with a rubberband and allow to cool. Add Crushed Campden, stir, and allow to sit 24 hours covered. Add activated yeast and recover. Ferment 5-7 days, or until specific gravity falls below 1.030. Fit with airlock and continue fermentation 30 days. Rack into sanitized secondary, top up, and refit airlock. Ferment another 3 months, rack again and ferment additional 3 months. Stabilize, sweeten to taste, and let sit under airlock additional 10 days. Rack into bottles and store in dark place. [Adapted from Terry Garey's The Joy of Home Winemaking]

Source: Jack Keller




Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Corn Wine





* 2 lbs cracked corn
* 1 lb chopped golden raisins
* 3 lbs granulated sugar
* 4 tsp acid blend
* 1 tsp yeast nutrient
* 1/2 tsp tannin
* water to one gallon
* 1 crushed Campden tablet
* Champagne or Sherry wine yeast


Rinse the corn well, checking for any pebbles or other foreign matter. 


Put chopped raisins and corn in a bowl and cover with enough water to cover the corn. Soak overnight. The next day, pour corn and raisins in a fine nylon straining bag, tie the bag closed, and put in primary. 


Pour the soaking water into primary. Put remaining water on to boil with sugar in it. Stir well as water heats up until sugar is dissolved and water comes to a boil. Pour water into primary. 


Add the acid blend, yeast nutrient and tannin. Cover primary with a sheet of plastic held in place with a large rubber band or loop of elastic. When cooled to room temperature, add crushed Campden tablet, recover, and set aside for 24 hours. 


Meanwhile, boil a cup of orange juice, transfer to a sterilized pint jar and set in refrigerator 30 minutes to cool. When cool, add yeast to orange juice and cover with plastic wrap. After 24 hours, add orange juice to primary. 


Stir daily for two weeks. Remove bag of corn/raisins and allow to drip drain (do not squeeze). Discard corn/raisins, recover primary and allow liquor to settle overnight. 


Rack into secondary and fit with airlock. Rack every two months for six months. After sixth-month racking, check for dryness. If not completely dry (specific gravity of 0.990), allow another two months and rack again. When dry, bottle the wine. May drink immediately. [Adapted from Terry Garey's The Joy of Home Winemaking]


Source:  Jack Keller
Picture by:  Normanack