Beginner sandhill plum wine.

[MonteroRed]

Wanting any advice on making wine from sandhill plums. My first rodeo. So any and all help, tips, etc. appreciated. My brother bought me a five gal. carboy so I will be using it as the fermenting vessel. Seriously I have never made wine before so any tips will be awesome.

 

[Deezil]

Consider a bucket for primary fermentation, just because its easier to access and clean, has a larger opening for mixing in oxygen & dissipating CO2, and will have more room for flocculation (foam made during fermentation) and the cap (any fruit solids) to rise to the top

I havent made a plum wine so i dont know any tips or tricks for working with the fruit, but you can pick up paint straining bags at HD/Lowes that are made of nylon.. Putting the fruit inside and knotting them closed helps keep some of the solids contained come time to transfer from bucket to carboy

Do you have a hydrometer? Understand how it works? Tests sugar levels
How about a Titritable Acidity kit? Tests acid levels

Pectic enzyme? K-meta (potassium sulfite)?

 

[Arne]

Deezil is right on. You mite want to use two buckets, depending on how many plums you are using. I have enough wild plums in the freezer to do a batch, but havn't gotten around to it yet. Will happen before winter is over. Probably should have at least 5 or 6 lbs to the gallon. Freeze them first, put them in the primary. Let them thaw, best to have them in some kindof bag as Deez says. Makes getting the fruits out of the ferment bucket much easier when it is time. Mash the fruits with your hands or whatever works for you. Try not to break the stones as they will give a bitter flavor. Anyway, thaw, add water, bring your specific gravity up where you want it. This gives the alcohol level you want. Probably about 1.085 or so. Don't want too much alcohol or you won't get the fruit flavor to come thru. Add the k-meta or campden tabs. Wait 12 hrs, add the pectic enzime. At this time, I add some yeast nutrient and yeast energizer. Wait another 12 hours or so, pitch the yeast. They must should be about 70 degrees or a bit higher in temp. The yeast should take off within 48 hours or so. Most times faster, but winter temps sometimes slow it down a bit. Stir the must at least once a day, if you get around to it, a couple of times a day won't hurt a thing. When the specific gravity gets down to 1.010 or so, remove all the fruit and rack to your 5 gal. carboy. When fermenting in the primary, you can just keep a towel over the primary, lock the lid down if you like, but then you have to have an airlock in it. Now you have it in the secondary. For the first bit, keep the level down in the carboy a ways. After it settles down, top it up to the neck. After you rack it to the secondary, if you have some left over, put it into a smaller bottle and you can use this to top the carboy off. Now you let it finish out. When it gets to less than 1.000 and stays the same for at least 3 days in a row it is finished. Now you can stabalize it, clear, and sweeten. Come back and ask questions as you go. You said sandhill plums, are you from around here? I'm in central Nebr. Good luck with it, and welcome to the forum. I probably left something out, but this is most of what it takes. Arne.

 

[MonteroRed]

Deezil is right on. You mite want to use two buckets, depending on how many plums you are using. I have enough wild plums in the freezer to do a batch, but havn't gotten around to it yet. Will happen before winter is over. Probably should have at least 5 or 6 lbs to the gallon. Freeze them first, put them in the primary. Let them thaw, best to have them in some kindof bag as Deez says. Makes getting the fruits out of the ferment bucket much easier when it is time. Mash the fruits with your hands or whatever works for you. Try not to break the stones as they will give a bitter flavor. Anyway, thaw, add water, bring your specific gravity up where you want it. This gives the alcohol level you want. Probably about 1.085 or so. Don't want too much alcohol or you won't get the fruit flavor to come thru. Add the k-meta or campden tabs. Wait 12 hrs, add the pectic enzime. At this time, I add some yeast nutrient and yeast energizer. Wait another 12 hours or so, pitch the yeast. They must should be about 70 degrees or a bit higher in temp. The yeast should take off within 48 hours or so. Most times faster, but winter temps sometimes slow it down a bit. Stir the must at least once a day, if you get around to it, a couple of times a day won't hurt a thing. When the specific gravity gets down to 1.010 or so, remove all the fruit and rack to your 5 gal. carboy. When fermenting in the primary, you can just keep a towel over the primary, lock the lid down if you like, but then you have to have an airlock in it. Now you have it in the secondary. For the first bit, keep the level down in the carboy a ways. After it settles down, top it up to the neck. After you rack it to the secondary, if you have some left over, put it into a smaller bottle and you can use this to top the carboy off. Now you let it finish out. When it gets to less than 1.000 and stays the same for at least 3 days in a row it is finished. Now you can stabalize it, clear, and sweeten. Come back and ask questions as you go. You said sandhill plums, are you from around here? I'm in central Nebr. Good luck with it, and welcome to the forum. I probably left something out, but this is most of what it takes. Arne.

Northwest Kansas. Born in McCook Nebraska. I will probably have more questions. The fruit is already made into a somewhat pulpy juice. I have two and a half gal. not sure what poundage in fruit that would be.

 

[Arne]

If you have a bathroom scale, weigh yourself, then pick up the bucket and weigh yourself again. Subtract first wieght from the second. Will give you a pretty good idea of how much you have. With half a bucket full, bet you will have to use two primaries. Figure out how much you have split it in half or so and ferment them til you take the fruit out. Then you can add them together. I would get something for fermenting bags. Paint straining bags work well and you can get them at the paint stores for $5 for to bags or so. Makes it much easier to get the pulp out of your wine. I'm in Kenesaw, bout in the middle between Kearny, Hastings and Grand Island. If you have anymore probs. with the wine or questions, get on here and ask. Somebody will help out. Nice meetin ya, Arne.

 

[MonteroRed]

Ok now what if after racking in primary buckets and water sugar yeast gets moved to carboy. Carboy is six gal. Bucket is five. Is the gallon of empty space acceptable or should it be replaced with another liquid

 

[Arne]

The best thing is to make some extra when you start. Since that is out of the question this time, you can buy some wine that will mix well with what you are making and use that to top off. Or you can buy a bunch of marbles, sanatize them and use them to displace the headspace. Or you can find a 5 gal. carboy and use it. If you can find a 3 gal. one and a couple of gal. jugs that will work, or 5 gal. jugs. Last thing you can top off with water, but it will dilute your flavor and amount of alcohol by volume. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[MonteroRed]

The best thing is to make some extra when you start. Since that is out of the question this time, you can buy some wine that will mix well with what you are making and use that to top off. Or you can buy a bunch of marbles, sanatize them and use them to displace the headspace. Or you can find a 5 gal. carboy and use it. If you can find a 3 gal. one and a couple of gal. jugs that will work, or 5 gal. jugs. Last thing you can top off with water, but it will dilute your flavor and amount of alcohol by volume. Good luck with it, Arne.

What wine would you suggest for the top off. Sounds like a good idea.

 

[Arne]

I really don't know what you would mix with plum. Wish you were a bit closer, I would let you use a carboy. If I had made my plum already mite be able to tell you what would mix with it, should be able to next summer. lol. I have had some plum made out of purple store bought plums. It was kinda like a grape wine, so grape would probably mix with it. I think the wild ones would be lighter, so the grape mite overpower it. If you could find a light apple wine, it might work well. Plain apple juice mite work too if you dump some in and put it back in the primary to ferment out. Next thing, you can wait and see if somebody else has better ideas. Somebody should jump in to help. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[MonteroRed]

I really don't know what you would mix with plum. Wish you were a bit closer, I would let you use a carboy. If I had made my plum already mite be able to tell you what would mix with it, should be able to next summer. lol. I have had some plum made out of purple store bought plums. It was kinda like a grape wine, so grape would probably mix with it. I think the wild ones would be lighter, so the grape mite overpower it. If you could find a light apple wine, it might work well. Plain apple juice mite work too if you dump some in and put it back in the primary to ferment out. Next thing, you can wait and see if somebody else has better ideas. Somebody should jump in to help. Good luck with it, Arne.

Thanks a bunch.... Still waiting for pectic enzyme, hydrometer, and a extra airlock. Should be here next week. Ill try to find a lighter flavor wine so it doesn't overpower the plum

 

[MonteroRed]

Well I'm 4 days into fermenting, managed to kill my yeast. It was late, I was tired and I pitch th yeast before it cooled enough. So luckily I had another packet. It's not writhing as hard as a couple of days ago, but I stirred it a few times to kinda work every thing together. Every time I pull the lid off it smells strong of alcohol. Hope it tastes good..... Smells funny. My first time so not really sure about anything. When should I rack it to the carboy?

 

[Arne]

You can rack it when it gets down to 1.010 to 1.020. Or you can snap a lid and airlock on and let it finish in the primary, then rack it. I usually let it get below 1.000 and then rack it. I also have enough going that I am in no hurry to rack til I am in the mood. The first wines I made, were done as fast as possible. Now they tend to sit as I have others to sample so don't have to get them done as fast. Arne.

 

[MonteroRed]

Okay racked to carboy.... Tasted a little defiantly dry and tart. At what point should you back sweeten. Before bottling? What chemicals are necessary for this process?

 

[Arne]

Let it finish out. When is has stabalized below 1.000 for at least 3 days it is done. I usually let it sit til it starts to clear a bit.Will have a pretty good batch of lees on the bottom and I like to let them sit and compact a little. When you rack off the lees, give it a shot of k-meta. Some will sorbate now too, but I usually wait til it clears, Then when clear, I rack it off what has settled out. Before racking I put a shot of k-meta and sorbate in the recieving carboy. I now let it sit for at least a couple of weeks, add in the sugar and let it sit for at least a couple of weeks more to make sure it doesn't referment, now it it bottling time. Make sure you have some tasting in the middle of all this. Most times you draw a little and mite have to add a touch of sugar to make it taste right. Depends on how you like your wines, mine are usually sweetened. Keep us informed on how it is going. Arne.

 

[MonteroRed]

Let it finish out. When is has stabalized below 1.000 for at least 3 days it is done. I usually let it sit til it starts to clear a bit.Will have a pretty good batch of lees on the bottom and I like to let them sit and compact a little. When you rack off the lees, give it a shot of k-meta. Some will sorbate now too, but I usually wait til it clears, Then when clear, I rack it off what has settled out. Before racking I put a shot of k-meta and sorbate in the recieving carboy. I now let it sit for at least a couple of weeks, add in the sugar and let it sit for at least a couple of weeks more to make sure it doesn't referment, now it it bottling time. Make sure you have some tasting in the middle of all this. Most times you draw a little and mite have to add a touch of sugar to make it taste right. Depends on how you like your wines, mine are usually sweetened. Keep us informed on how it is going. Arne.

This wine turned out simply amazing... Used honey for sweetening. Can't wait to make more... Going to try gooseberry next. Picked five gallon bucket full yesterday. Thanks Arne for you help, and knowledge. Any tips on gooseberry let me know.

 

[Arne]

Got me thinking about my plum wine. Started it a while back, got it in carboys and havn't messed with it. It is being pretty slow to clear, tho. Probably time to draw some and give it a taste. Glad yours came out good. Homemade wines are the best. Never tried gooseberries. Don't know if I have ever tasted one. Tips for gooseberry. Probably just use what you have learned making the plum. Most of our wines are pretty much the same with some having a few tweaks. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[MonteroRed]

Got me thinking about my plum wine. Started it a while back, got it in carboys and havn't messed with it. It is being pretty slow to clear, tho. Probably time to draw some and give it a taste. Glad yours came out good. Homemade wines are the best. Never tried gooseberries. Don't know if I have ever tasted one. Tips for gooseberry. Probably just use what you have learned making the plum. Most of our wines are pretty much the same with some having a few tweaks. Good luck with it, Arne.

Thanks, starting it today. Should have enough for about 4 gal. Excited

 

[MonteroRed]

Won second place with this wine at a local competition

 

[Arne]

Looks like you are doing something right. Congrats. Arne.

 

[MonteroRed]

Looks like you are doing something right. Congrats. Arne.

Thank you for everything.... I'm hooked, know have several carboys and a closet full aging. Busy summer, gooseberry, chokecherry, plum, and peach. Thanks for helping me push through all my beginner hurdles. I'm a lot more confident now.