Hello and welcome to the monthly series from
your Home Wine and Beer Maker--Graham
WINE MAKING IN MARCH
March is the start of the growing season
and soon there will be plenty of blossom and fruit to pick, to make those
refreshing summer wines.
For this month, however, I have found two interesting wines, the first
being appropriate for the Chinese New Year which began on February 14th.
Lychee Wine
This is a medium dry white.
Ingredients
2 x 310g/11oz tins of Lychees
1k granulated sugar
1tsp yeast nutrient
1tsp Pectolase
1tsp citric acid
1tsp Bentonite
1pkt Youngs All Purpose White Yeast
1 Campden tablet
Method
Activate the packet of yeast in ⅔ cup of lukewarm water and leave,
covered, for 10mins.
Into a previously sterilised 15lt bucket, pour the contents of the
tins of Lychees and mash the fruit with a potato masher.
Boil the sugar with 460ml/1pt of water. Once the sugar has dissolved,
allow to cool and then add to the bucket.
Add all the other ingredients with the exception of the yeast and the
Campden tablet. Stir well and add 2.8lt of cool water. Stir once more and
then add the yeast. Stir again.
Ferment in the bucket, covered with a clean tea towel for 5days.
The liquid is now ready to transfer to a clean Demi-john. Fit an
airlock and bung and allow the fermentation to continue until 1 bubble
every 30 seconds, through the airlock. (Approximately 3 weeks)
Rack of the liquid into another clean Demi-john, leaving behind any
sludge and yeast. At this point, taste the wine. This wine is fairly dry
so please don’t try to over sweeten the wine. If the wine is to your
taste, add the crushed Campden tablet. Swirl.
Move the wine to somewhere cool (I prefer a concrete garage floor or a
stone paving slab, but definitely not on a wooden shelf) after 2-3 weeks
the wine will be clear.
Bottle up (usual reminders, quality bottles, good corks, decent
labels and finish with a shrink sleeve) to the bottleneck.
I would suggest this wine is drunk fairly young, as it won’t last much
over a year.
My second wine recipe for this month is one that I have not yet tried
myself
CHRISTMAS CAKE WINE
Ingredients
550g Christmas cake including icing
450g well washed wheat
900g mixed fruit
2 lemons-grated peel and juice
1pkt Youngs All purpose Red yeast
5lt boiling water
1.2kg granulated sugar
Method
This wine should be started in March so that the Christmas cake has had
time to mature!
Put all the ingredients (except the yeast) into a 15lt clean bucket, add
the boiling water and stir well. Cover and leave to cool.
Add the yeast and stir twice daily for the next 10 days.
Strain into a cleaned Demi-john and fit bung and bubbler (airlock).
Keep somewhere warm for 2 weeks, then rack off into a cleaned Demi-john
and refit airlock. Leave to clear
When clear, bottle up and leave for Christmas.
This will make a very strong wine which is more dry than sweet.
I hop you enjoy my latest recipe and will be drinking it
next Christmas
I
hope you enjoy the recipes and if you have any of your favourite wine recipes
you would like to share with me, please email them.
All the best to everyone
***************
Cheers
Graham
I hope you enjoy my page. Please, if you want any advice or help don’t
hesitate to drop me an
e-mail.
