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 |