Fruit sterilisation by boiling?
Hello
I am a first time fruit wine maker and have recently begun a batch of plum wine. The recipe did not specify to sterilise the fruit before it was blended into a pulp. It did require that some boiling water was added (to make the pulp), but Im pretty sure the mixture didn't reach a high enough temperature to kill the bacteria.
I have now added the sugar, but am worried that bacteria is going to grow. Can I boil the mixture now - i.e. AFTER adding sugar, but before adding the pectic enzyme, acids and nutrient? Will this turn my wine into jam?!
Or should I just continue with the process by adding the acids, enzyme and nutrient now, and the yeast in 12 hours, and hope the alcohol produced by fermentation will do the job of destroying the bacteria?
Thanks!
Hello
I am a first time fruit wine maker and have recently begun a batch of plum wine. The recipe did not specify to sterilise the fruit before it was blended into a pulp. It did require that some boiling water was added (to make the pulp), but Im pretty sure the mixture didn't reach a high enough temperature to kill the bacteria.
I have now added the sugar, but am worried that bacteria is going to grow. Can I boil the mixture now - i.e. AFTER adding sugar, but before adding the pectic enzyme, acids and nutrient? Will this turn my wine into jam?!
Or should I just continue with the process by adding the acids, enzyme and nutrient now, and the yeast in 12 hours, and hope the alcohol produced by fermentation will do the job of destroying the bacteria?
Thanks!