Peach Wine - 4 Source

[Scooter68]

Trying out a new Peach Batch today. The first batch this past summer was with about 4 lbs Fresh peaches for a gallon. The flavor as a wine was good but a little light on the peach flavor. I've seen the ALL fruit no water supporters on here but I really like a wine with a little less heavy flavor to it especially with something as delicate as a peach flavor. So this is what I'm trying as a middle of the road approach for a 3 gallon batch:

5 lbs Fresh peaches
6 lb Frozen Sliced peaches [Great Value Brand]
3 x 1.8 lb Canned Sliced Peaches in Heavy Surup [DelMonte]
64 oz Peach White Grape (100% Juice) [Great Value Brand]
32 oz Peach Mango (Apple) (100% Juice) [Old Orchard Brand]

Water: Added: 64 oz (dissolved sugar in this)
Sugar: 4 lbs
Acid Blend:
Pectic Enzyme: 6 tsp
Tannin: 3/4 tsp
Yeast Nutrient:1 (Yeast Starter, 1 in Must, 1 later during primary fermentation
Yeast: K1-V1116

This is a relatively expensive batch for me but my last 1 gal batch with 4lbs of peaches was a little light on flavor but a great wine so I upped the peaches a notch and used the Peach Juice drink with a touch of Mango and a touch of White Grape. The Apple flavor is very light in juice drink itself. My SG was high at first but the peaches will lower that as they break down during fermentation. Before I dropped the Campden solution the SG was at 1.130
Today I will check the pH and adjust as needed before pitching the yeast.

This works out to about 5 1/2 lbs of fruit per gallon plus the fruit juice to bring up the volume to 3 gallons shouldn't dilute the flavor as much. Total volume right now is almost 3.5 gallons but I expect to loose almost 1.2 gallon to the gross lees when I do the change over to secondary fermentation in 1 gallon carboys.

 

[bkisel]

Good luck with your new peach wine. Sounds tasty with all the different peach types being blended.

I've now made two 6 gallon batches of peach wine. I basically used the DB recipe/instructions with just a few changes. The first batch was made with just 14 pounds of peaches and needed a little extract added just to get a faint peach aroma added to the wine. It was well received by family and friends. I used 20 pounds of peaches for my second batch and used acid blend instead of the called for lemon juice in the DB recipe. This batch was just recently bottled and won't be ready for about 2 months.

 

[Scooter68]

Sounds good. My first 1 gallon batch had nice aroma but taste was a little weak. Still have 3 bottles - I'm going to reserve 1 bottle of each of my first batches for at least one year or longer. The peach was/is a beautiful crystal clear with the slightly pinkish yellow color and that was without any filtering or fining.

Peach is one wine that doesn't need to be overpoweringly tasty.

 

[Rampage4all]

I've not made peach myself yet my dad did the first 4 months of it being bottled I couldn't stand it but after 6 months it changed to possibly the best peach wine I've ever tasted. I know he used 8# of fresh peaches per gallon on a 6 gallon batch.

 

[Arne]

You are probably going to wind up with a fairly high alcohol batch. It should finish out with some residual sweetness, tho, as the alcohol should die off before all the sugar is used up. If it comes out with more alcohol than you want, when you try this next time cut back on the sugar to 1.085 to 1.095 or so. It will finish dry and you can sweeten it back to where you want it. The alcohol will not overpower the peach taste then. Hope it comes out great for you, as in just the way you wanted it. Arne.

 

[Winenoob66]

Yeast he is using will handle 18% he is about 14.75% area, so he should go dry.

http://winemakermag.com/yeast-strains-chart

 

[Scooter68]

The Higher ABV is fine with me and yes I will back sweeten. The one thing I have to decide is what sort of back sweetening to use. (Have plenty of time to decide since fermentation just started yesterday)
1) Cane sugar syrup
2) White Grape Juice concentrate
2 Combination of the two.

The White Grape does lend a nice floral aroma but I'm concerned about any influence on the final taste. My plan is to just wait until just before bottling time (4-5 months out) and then use a small sample. The current volume is about 3.75 gallons but that's with the bag of fruit still in the bucket. Last time the majority of the peaches broke down and left the bag and later settled out in the first racking or two after fermentation. IF I have as much as a 1/2 gallon with the lees out I'll experiment with that 1/2 gallon.

Also been giving some thought to leaving 1 gal pretty dry (Less than 1.000 SG , 1 gal at about between 1.000 and 1.002 and possibly the third as a sweet wine depending on what it takes to get there. I like the idea of having at least 2 different end wine tastes options with one batch but I have also found that the backsweetening has been what brings out the flavor on fruit wines.

Plenty of time to kick it around and make up my mind. So far with this batch of Peach I have a total of about 16 gallons in process:
(from newest to oldest - all aging in glass carboys)
Strawberry 3 gal
Black Currant 3 gal
Apricot 2 gal
Blackberry 1 gal
Black Raspberry 1 gal
Apple 2.5 gal

The Apple is just so slow to clear it was started in August and still has a haze despite the Bentonite, Amylase, and Pectic Enzyme treatments. Flavor is good but needs more time. Have filter to use when I get about ready to bottle.

 

[Rodnboro]

The Higher ABV is fine with me and yes I will back sweeten. The one thing I have to decide is what sort of back sweetening to use. (Have plenty of time to decide since fermentation just started yesterday)
1) Cane sugar syrup
2) White Grape Juice concentrate
2 Combination of the two.

The White Grape does lend a nice floral aroma but I'm concerned about any influence on the final taste. My plan is to just wait until just before bottling time (4-5 months out) and then use a small sample. The current volume is about 3.75 gallons but that's with the bag of fruit still in the bucket. Last time the majority of the peaches broke down and left the bag and later settled out in the first racking or two after fermentation. IF I have as much as a 1/2 gallon with the lees out I'll experiment with that 1/2 gallon.

Also been giving some thought to leaving 1 gal pretty dry (Less than 1.000 SG , 1 gal at about between 1.000 and 1.002 and possibly the third as a sweet wine depending on what it takes to get there. I like the idea of having at least 2 different end wine tastes options with one batch but I have also found that the backsweetening has been what brings out the flavor on fruit wines.

Plenty of time to kick it around and make up my mind. So far with this batch of Peach I have a total of about 16 gallons in process:
(from newest to oldest - all aging in glass carboys)
Strawberry 3 gal
Black Currant 3 gal
Apricot 2 gal
Blackberry 1 gal
Black Raspberry 1 gal
Apple 2.5 gal

The Apple is just so slow to clear it was started in August and still has a haze despite the Bentonite, Amylase, and Pectic Enzyme treatments. Flavor is good but needs more time. Have filter to use when I get about ready to bottle.

You might think about back sweetening with White Grape/Peach concentrate. It would dilute your alcohol level a little while keeping the flavor.

 

[Scooter68]

You might think about back sweetening with White Grape/Peach concentrate. It would dilute your alcohol level a little while keeping the flavor.

THANKs ! I've missed that one. I seem to remember seeing it somewhere here in NW Ark. Will have to start looking for it. Might have to have a trial can first before I commit to using it.

 

[Winenoob66]

White grape peach makes a fairly decent tasting wine by itself.

 

[Scooter68]

White grape peach makes a fairly decent tasting wine by itself.

Well, I may have to try that out soon. First I find it locally. Wallyworld doesn't carry it so I will try a couple of other places. As suggested first to use as a backsweetener and second for another batch of "Peach Wine" Wife is out of town so I have my primary fermenter bucket in the kitchen for now. The smell is awesome. With everything I've got brewing I am going to have to visit the local recycling center a few more times to collect bottles Right now 16 gals x 5 means I'm going to need 75 bottles sometime in the next 4-8 months.

Appreciate the comments and suggestions. I've been doing this less than a year now and every time I do another batch I learn more. Still debating between Lavin's EC-118, K1V1116 and Red Star Pasteur Blanc. I prefer the yeasts that aren't going to be alcohol limited but perhaps there is some better varieties for the different fruit wines I am making.

 

[Winenoob66]

K1V1116 would be my choice of the 3. Read up on the yeast strain chart link I posted earlier and you will see why. Also another good choice for fruit wines is 71b. the 14% tolerance is ok for fruit wines because your not making them that strong anyway.

 

[MattWI]

My peach wine was my first wine that actually turned out well, and if my notes are right the 2 gallons I sweetened to 1.01 went over very well. I just used a Vinters Harvest can but substituted 1 or 2 lbs of the sugar for honey.

I cracked the first bottle about 6 weeks after bottling and it was OK. It was great after about 10.

 

[MattWI]

I used Pasteur Champaigne or 1116 - notes just say Champaigne yeast.

 

[wpt-me]

I used White-Grape Peach (Great Value 100% juice from Walmart) and it made a decent
quaff. Used Montrachet yeast. Aged aprox. 4 months.

Bill

 

[Boyd]

Peach wine

Been making peach wine for 3 years now using large cans of peaches from Sams Club.

Because a friends wife loves the stuff it gives me a reason to make it.

I started out using 4 cans for five gallons but increased it to 7 cans for the last batch. Bottle it in Grolish beer bottles so she can use a bottle for one setting.

Makes a relatively cheap wine to make at around five dollars a can.

I used the settlings to make 5 gallons of skeeter pee and a gallon batch with a quart of honey to see what happens.

 

[Boyd]

Peach wine

Been making peach wine for 3 years now using large cans of peaches from Sams Club.

Because a friends wife loves the stuff it gives me a reason to make it.

I started out using 4 cans for five gallons but increased it to 7 cans for the last batch. Bottle it in Grolish beer bottles so she can use a bottle for one setting.

Makes a relatively cheap wine to make at around five dollars a can.

I used the settlings to make 5 gallons of skeeter pee and a gallon batch with a quart of honey to see what happens. Lots of settlings.

The wife had me keep a few bottles cause she likes the stuff. She drinks as much as I do so I'll probably end up giving that the stuff away too.