Watermelon Wine Advice

I'm thinking about making a batch of Watermelon Wine with some added strawberries. I've heard that watermelon doesn't cooperate very well, and it can be very tempramental and hard to make. Any advice on the particulars of making this wine? I plan on using farm fresh, and sweet as can be melons. What's a successful approach to getting some quality watermelon wine?

watermelon juice spoils very quickly, keep it cool until you pitch the yeast, make a yeast starter and I think I would use 1118 just to get this stuff fermented out as quick as you can and no water.

I am thinking of trying this when watermelons are plentiful. Any tip on how many pounds per gallons?

figuring out how many pounds per gallon is a little tough because of the water that is in the fruit. just start cutting them up and fill the bucket.

I do want to caution anyone in making a watermelon wine. Again like I said watermelon juice spoils very easy, the chance of getting this stuff to ferment before it spoils is not all that great.

What is a yeast starter? I'm new to this.

A yeast starter is where you mix the packet with a few oz of warm water to get it going faster.

If you're new to winemaking, you might want to try a different wine for starters. Do a search on watermelon on this site, and you will find out a lot more. Generally, it does not turn out to be the flavor people think it will be when they started out. It has bigtime body issues, too.

If I did it, I would add a goodly amount of bananas, raisins or dates to help the body. But I have never been tempted.

Not saying it can't be done well, but you'll do yourself a favor by searching those threads and reading all about the ins and outs before you try it. I'd also suggest a watermelon search over at Jack Keller's site.

When I make a starter I mix the yeast in a warm solution of Apple juice, alittle sugar, yeast nutrient and yeast energizer.In a quart of apple juice I add about a 1/4 teas of nutrient and energizer and maybe about a tablespoon of sugar. and I agree. Watermelon is not a good starter wine. I would stay away from blueberry too for first wine

It could work!!!!!!!!!!!

lol... I was actually thinking about doing something like that. Except you'd have to cut a bigger hole to get your starter in it, then seal it up again. But if the temp of the watermelon was right on the inside, would it keep it from spoiling??

I have no idea .... maybe it would breath like an oak barrel.
could insert a stirrer that is attached to an electric drill to chew up the insides then add sugar and yeast then put in a bung.
I would like to see some one actually try.
Be our guinea pig Eric

I don't see why not. All that would be lost is a watermelon if it didn't turn out right. The rind may give it an off flavor. When I get my Mulberry into the carboy I think I might try it. I'll post more when I do. WHat's the harm in trying?

ericonthehill said:

lol... I was actually thinking about doing something like that. Except you'd have to cut a bigger hole to get your starter in it, then seal it up again. But if the temp of the watermelon was right on the inside, would it keep it from spoiling??

Click to expand...

My problem is, I would cut the hole, then go, "Aww heck," and just fill it with vodka.

JUDGE: "Has yew ever done anything like that, young man?"

ME: "Yessir, yer honor! I is guilty as sin, multiple time!"

LOL thats pretty funny Jim

After dinner I'm bottling my watermelon. It's great but you need to work fast and keep it cool. I froze mine first then thawed overnight in bucket with lid on it. Added yeast starter next day. Just adding water is not a starter it's rehydrating yeast. Add a little inverted sugar to it to give yeast something to eat. Add extra within half hour. on e it's fully going add it to your must.

Strawberries gave it extra flavor. Search and you may find my recipe unless during the merge my blogs were trashed. If need be I'll pull my notes let me know. It's aged a year and looks wonderful too

Do you have a photo, Steve?

Here is my recipe. Keep in mind yours may vary due to sweetness and acidity of your fruit. I used fresh seeded melons. 6 gallon final.

I cut up, removed the rind and several seeds but not all. Immediately froze the large chunks in gallon freezer bags with as much air removed as possible.

Into 2 6 gallon primary buckets I filled up as far as possible the frozen melon. Snapped on a lid. 8 hours later I added more to keep the bucket full and cold. Repeated until I had added a total of 48 pounds of watermelon. I also added a total of 8 pounds of frozen strawberries. It took 3 full days to thaw far enough to add my pectic enzyme. The entire time with a lid snapped on and kept chilled.

21 drops of enzyme. Wait 12 hours.
Added 1 cup of raisins, not chopped up but rinsed well.
80 ounces of inverted sugar from watermelon juice. Use as little as possible and barely heat.
5 teaspoons nutrient.
9 teaspoons of acid blend to raise acid from .3 to .5
Gravity 1.070 ph 4.5
Once fully thawed I transferred to one 6 gal. primary.

Used Lalvin EC-1118 and made a good starter, not rehydrated. Added 12 hours after addition of pectic enzyme. Juice was very cool.

Fully fermented and stirred often. Fermented in cool cellar.
Racked off of sediment, added 1/4 teaspoon pot. sulfite and used sparkolloid to clear.
Cleared for 6 weeks.

Racked and added a pinch of sulfite. Aged nearly 1 year.

Racked and added 2 1/2 teaspoons of pot. sorbate and 42 ounces of inverted sugar and pinch sulfite. New gravity 1.010
ph 3.61 acid .825%

best way is to cut a small hole in one end of the mellon a por a pint of vodka in and set the mellon in the reefer over night and serve the next day

steve, how cool do you keep it? What's the temp of your must, and what's the room temp?

I may be starting a 3 gallon batch of watermelon-strawberry wine next week. I found a produce stand that has some super sweet melons, and I think I'll use frozen strawberries. I should have time for it before apple season comes around, then it's time for apple butter, sauce, cider, and apple wine.