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Plum WineCountry Wine · Dry

Plum Wine

E
by @essesser
13.1%
ABV
1.095
OG
0.995
FG
4.5 litres batch · target 13% ABV
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About this recipe

Easy homemade plum wine recipe for one demijohn (1 gallon). Victoria plums, sugar and a bit of patience. A good home for a glut you cannot eat fast enough.

Ingredients

ripe plums2 kg
sugar1 kg
water4.5 l
acid blend1 tsp
pectic enzyme1 tsp
campden tablet1
yeast nutrient1 tsp
sachet Lalvin 71B1

Method

1
Halve and stone the plums, keeping the skins on
2
Mash the fruit in a sterilised bucket
3
Dissolve the sugar in hot water, cool, and pour over the fruit
4
Add the acid blend, pectic enzyme and a crushed campden tablet, cover and leave 24 hours
5
Add the yeast and nutrient
6
Ferment 5 to 7 days, stirring daily
7
Strain into a demijohn, top up to 4.5 litres and fit an airlock
8
Ferment out for 2 to 5 weeks
9
Rack off the sediment, again after a month if it throws more
10
Age at least 6 months before drinking
Tools for this brew: scale it to your batch size, work out ABV from your readings, or correct a warm hydrometer reading. All free.

Brewer's notes

Any ripe plums will do but Victorias are the classic. Stone them, the stones bring a bitter almond note you do not want, and leave the skins on for colour and body. Plums are heavy on pectin so do not skip the pectic enzyme unless you enjoy staring at a hazy demijohn. Even then it takes its time to clear, that is just plums. 71B suits the sharpness of stone fruit. It ferments dry; sweeten at bottling if you prefer. Resist adding more sugar, ripe plums carry plenty and it climbs to headache strength quickly.

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