(I use imperial measurements throughout because I'm backward)
(I've uploaded all images directly to your mind's eye)
You can make wine.
This article isn't about special stuff you need to buy, special jargon you need to learn, or special science you need to do. You're not Ernest or Julio Gallow and you're not making wine a thousand gallons at a time. You'll be making a single gallon of tasty apple wine.
Gather these things:
One Bucket w Lid - At least 2gal preferably "food safe" (mine's not)
A One Gallon Jug - I use an old plastic spring water jug
A Black Tee Shirt - It needn't be Black, but I know you've got one
Four Cans Frozen Apple Juice Concentrate - Thawed
One Pound of Common Sugar
Half a Packet of Yeast - Bread yeast will work
The Process:
Sterilize bucket and lid with bleach.
In a stock pot, empty the juice cans.
Add sufficient water to total just over 1 Gallon.
Add the sugar.
Bring to a boil, stirring. Keep at boil for a minute or so.
Pour into bucket and cover with lid.
Let it sit till it's roughly your body temperature. (several hours)
Sprinkle yeast on surface and stir gently with clean spoon to mix.
Cover with tee shirt and place lid over that.
Set in dark room temperature spot for two weeks.
Stir gently every 2-3 days to prevent mold growing on surface.
After two weeks...
Sterilize jug and lid.
Gently pour contents of bucket into jug. - MIND THE SLUDGE!
(I call what doesn't fit "the devil's share" and it's okay to drink even at this stage.)
Cap LOOSELY. We want gasses to gradually escape!
Set in dark room temperature spot for 1 week.
After one week you SHOULD be able to seal tightly but keep an eye on this.
Drink & Enjoy!
That's it. Wine.
Wine is more than a way to get snockered. It's actually a very efficient way of preserving much of the goodness of fruits for many months. This technique is admittedly crude. It's as simple as you can get and there are many opportunities to expand on and improve it. One obvious area is ingredients. Using fresh fruits and brewers' yeast are both logical next steps. Brewers' yeast will add both character and ADDITIONAL ALCOHOL (up to ~14%). You can buy hydrometers, carboys, air locks, special bottles, etc. You can go nuts. But this basic method is all that's required. Have fun.
Of Note:
When making wine from fresh fruits use 2 pounds of sugar per gallon of liquid. We used 1 pound here because of the sugars in the apple juice concentrate.
I've used this procedure for close to a decade and despite the lack of "scientific controls" I loose less than 1 batch in 20.
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