Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Eating and Drinking => Homebrew => Topic started by: Ema on July 18, 2015, 08:37
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This year my redcurrant hedge has taken off and I've got at least 8kg of them in the fridge. I'm looking to make a redcurrant wine, I like my wines reasonably sweet. I've never made a fruit brew before.
I've read most of the recipes Google throws up including the one here http://www.allotment.uk.com/index.php/food-drink/homebrew/wine/item/28-currant-wine
Just wondered if anyone has made redcurrant wine before and has any tips.
Thanks in advance
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I only add about 2 litres of water to berries as I use a fruit press ,so top up when required after a few days in a demijohn.
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Made some a couple of years ago, likely a bit customised. I will have used 4 or 5lbs of fruit to 1 gallon - redcurrants never seem particularily strong. Also I tend to add half the fruit at the start and half near the end.
So:
5lbs redcurrant, split 3lbs and 2lbs
1 litre of white grape juice or 1 litlre of pear juice.
Sugar to get an SG of 1.090 or 1.100 - to give 12%
Wine yeast,
Nutrient.
Simply juice and water to make just under a gallon (say 4 litres)
Add sugar and dissolve, check SG.
Add 3lbs of redcurrants,
Add nutrient,
Add yeast as a starter.
Ferment in a bucket covered, stir daily, check gravity.
When at 1.020 add remaining redcurrants.
Ferment for a few more days in the bucket then sieve and transfer to a DJ, add airlock.
As you want sweet check the gravity and stop it at 1.000, that will leave some sugar in the liquid.
0.995 is dry, so make sure to check the gravity often and be prepared to drop in a couple of campden tablets then potassium sorbate.
You may want to stop it at 1.005
You can of course just put all the redcurrants in at the start and not split them.
It is easier that way.
I think that the redcurrant have enought tanin in them (pips) that you need not worry about that.
For sweet you will need a hydrometer to check the gravity as you want to stop the ferment before all the sugar is used.
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thanks both
I pretty much followed the recipe from here as the fruits were starting to turn in the fridge.
I did use 1/2 brown sugar in 1 batch to see if this made any difference.
I did have a blow out on 1 demijohn, my fault from straining and nor syphoning.
They are still bubbling away weeks later, I will re rack them in to more demijohns when I get chance.
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I just thought I would follow up on this one
I've let the wine sit in the demijons and done nothing with them. I kept meaning to rack them but never got round to it theres a good amount of gunk in the bottom. I have just sampled the goods and both are definitely wine rather vinegar! :) They dont taste particularly nice. I'm going to rack them and see if this improves the situation.
Any tips for improving fruit wines?
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you could add red grape juice concentrate (wilko,tesco online) when you rack.
I normally rack after 4 weeks and then leave as long as pos.
Rack into dark demijohn or wrap in several layers of newspaper to keep dark.