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TIM'S RECIPE FOR WINE
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Ferment this recipe in a 5 gallon (22.5 l) plastic bin. Sterilise all equipment before use.
Dissolve 3 kg sugar in 3.5 litres (approximately two kettles full) of boiling water.
Add 6 litres of cold water.
Add
-
7 litres pure unsweetened pure fruit juices
(not fruit drink).*
4 level tspn. yeast nutrient.
15 mg vitamin B1 tablets.
4 level tspn. Pectolase (Pectin destroying enzyme)
6 level tspn. acid
(Citric acid will do but I use 2 tspn. each of citric, malic and tartaric acids).
Top up to 22.5 litres with cold water.
Add a wine yeast (Gervin No. 1 recommended); sprinkle on top of the mix.
Fermentation should start within 24 hours and take 3 weeks or so to finish, depending on the ambient temperature.
Wait for fermentation to stop - S.G. (specific gravity) less than 1.000 (ferment down to 0.992 for a totally dry wine).
Leave to stand for a few days then rack off the sediment.
Add 5 crushed Campden tablets and potassium sorbate (fermentation stopper). N.B. measure the potassium sorbate accurately following the instructions on the pack.
Leave for a few days.
Rack off the sediment then add finings (Kwik Clear or other 2 part finings recommended) according to the instructions on the pack.
Leave for a few days to clear. Rack off the new sediment. If still not clear, repeat fining.
Filter using a commercial filtering kit (see below). Never filter unless the wine is already clear - filtering will 'polish' the wine to crystal clarity but is unlikely to clear a cloudy wine.
Bottle the wine. I use plastic (PET) fizzy drink bottles (1, 2 or 3 litre). Store the empty bottles without washing - rinse just before needed and fill.
Drink. Ready immediately, but should improve with a month or so of standing.
If you prefer a sweeter wine, sugar (or sugar syrup) can be added before bottling or before serving. The alcohol content and body of this wine make it unsuitable as a sweet wine; medium-dry to medium is as far as I would sweeten it.
The fruit juices and sugar should be available from most grocery stores and supermarkets. The remainder of the ingredients are best obtained from a specialist source. My local home-brew shop is the Hop and Grape on North Road in Darlington, County Durham.
John and Patsy Braithwaite provide excellent service and advice and now operate a full Internet ordering service at:
I have used a Vinbrite filter kit for more than 25 years and it have always proved effective unless the wine had not been properly fined. I have devised a routine to release gas trapped inside the top of the filter, which can make filtering very slow. I note that the latest design of Vinbrite Wine Filter has a gas venting system.
A glass of crystal-clear 'blush' rosé wine