Making Wine from Fruit and Berries
This is the basic procedure I follow for making wine from fresh or frozen fruit and berries. I do not use sulfites in my wine. I'm not against them it is just that it makes the wine taste bad to me. If prepared this way you can drink it the day you bottle if you use sulfites you have to let the wine age for 90 days before you can drink it...
Fresh Fruit and Berry preperation
- Wash most fresh fruit and berries
- Remove skin and pits from fruits like peaches
- Put into zip top freezer bags and freeze
Starting the Wine
- Make a Yeast Starter
- Thaw the frozen fruit or berries
- Place into a pillowcase in a stainless steel pot
- Pour 2 gallons of boiling water into the pillowcase
- Cover and allow the fruit to come to room temperature
- Add the juice from the fruit or berries to your primary fermentation bucket. I use one with a faucet so racking is easy to do
- Squeeze most berries and fruits to get all the juice out. Do Not squeeze elderberries or peaches. I use a wine press on muscadines, blueberries etc.
- Add 6 cans of white grape juice concentrate
- Add pectic enzyme if called for
- Add water to the 5 gallon mark
- Add sugar to 1.090 - 1.095 SG
- Add Acid Blend to 0.600%
- Add Yeast Nutrient or Energizer as called for in the recipe
- Add Wine or Grape Tannin as called for
- Add Yeast Starter
- Put lid on fermentation bucket and cover airlock hole with a cloth
- Place in a warm place 72F - 75F for one week