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Archive for September, 2006

Concord Grape Universal Recipe

Posted by ben On September - 25 - 2006ADD COMMENTS

Friend of the family stopped in last week after picking a bunch of Concord grapes. Of, course I said that I would take some and he brought over a large colander filled with grapes. It’s times like this that call for a recipe that you can use rather quickly. I used this recipe last year when the nieghbor asked if I wanted her grapes. Works extremely well and the wine usually tastes great.

Here are the steps needed to make wine using the universal wine recipe method. The recipe is designed to make a 1 gallon batch.

1. Grab your primary fermenter, clean and sterilize it.

2. Prepare the fruit as indicated.

3. Mix all the ingredients, crushing the Campden tablets before adding them. Make sure that the sugar is dissolved. Cover and let it be for 1 day.

4. Add the yeast.

5. Cover and let ferment for about 4 – 7 days. Make sure that you stir twice a day to punch down the cap.

6. After the primary fermentation, strain, and place into a secondary fermenter. Rack as needed until the wine is clear.

7. Bottle and enjoy your wine.

Ingredients

Concord Grape 6 pounds

Water 1 gallon

Campden Tablets 2

Yeast Nutrient 1 teaspoon

Sugar 2 1/2 pounds

Pectin Enzyme 1/2 teaspoon

Yeast 1 packet

Notes: I used 6 cups of sugar since 5 pounds of sugar will contain 11 to 12 cups. Also used Lavlin Burgundy yeast and looks like my yield to from the first racking is about 1 1/2 gallons.

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Wine Recipes

Gooseberry Wine

Posted by ben On September - 18 - 2006ADD COMMENTS

Green Gooseberry Wine(one gallon)

5 lb ripe green gooseberries
2 lb sugar
6-7 pints water
yeast nutrient
yeast
pectic enzyme

or a lighter version

2 1/2 lb gooseberries
2 lb sugar
1 campden tablet
1/2 tsp acid blend
1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
1/4 tsp grape tannin
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1 gallon water
wine yeast

starting specific gravity should be 1.080-1.085,acid .65%

top,tail and wash the berries,put into a large bucket and squeeze by hand until they are pulpy. add the enzyme and water.(for lighter version add campden tablet,let sit 12 hrs,then add the rest of the ingredients except the yeast) allow to stand for 3 days,well covered,stir occasionally. strain then add the sugar(in lighter version this is already done),stirring until it is dissolved. then add the yeast and yeast nutrient. put into fermenting bottle until fermentation has finished.rack then rack again in 6 months. age for 1 year.

This little tidbit was taken from a New York State 4H website that tells you what a goosebeery is.

What about it?

The gooseberry is a close relative of the currant, and its culture is very similar. There are white, green, yellow and red-fruited varieties; most are slightly smaller or about the same size as a table grape. Although gooseberries are not popular in this country, they have some very nice characteristics! In addition to being a tasty, easy-to-grow fruit, gooseberries can be an effective barrier plant (nobody would walk through those thorns!) and are one of the few fruits that tolerate shade. They grow to 3-5 feet and have small, attractive, palmate leaves.