Plum-strawberry (aka another costco wine)

[esarkipato]

I just picked up the following from Costco (best place for fruit wine making supplies )

-6 lbs frozen strawberries ($8)
-3 lbs dried plums ($6)
-10 lbs cane sugar ($5)

Now I'm looking for a recipe. I like the following from Jack Keller's website:

# 6 frozen chopped strawberries
# 3 dried plums
# 10 lbs. granulated sugar
# 5 tsp. acid blend
# 10 tsp. pectic enzyme
# 1 tsp. grape tannin
# 5 crushed Campden tablet
# Lalvin RC212 (on hand) with starter.

I really think this many prunes (3 lbs dried plums seems like a LOT) would lend to a nice full body, and hopefully the strawberries will give a nice aroma and crisp taste. Thinking about waiting to add the strawberries until after the first racking even.

I'll probably do this one semi-dry (just a little backsweetening), although a semi-sweet might be nice in the summer.

Anyone have any experience brewing with prunes/dried plums?

 

[esarkipato]

After-thought: The above is a 5 gallon batch. I could do a 3 gallon batch with

-6# strawberries
-3# dried plumbs
-6# cane sugar

This might give the strawberries more prominence.

 

[esarkipato]

Well I used the above recipe and so far it smells delightful. Using Rc212 (on hand).

 

[wreckinball9]

hey any updates on this creation?

 

[esarkipato]

Going in bottles soon, and it's going to be a real hit come summertime! It's smoothed out just fine, very little "bite". OG was about 1.098 and fermented dry. I back-sweetened to about 1.004-1.006 with honey after stabilizing. The strawberry aroma is great! Color is a pinkish red.

 

[esarkipato]

This wine turned out great. Only complaint is not racking and bulk aging more .... damn floaties!!!! I'm going to make the 5g batch again soon!

 

[HellBentBrewCo]

How does this work? Do you just crush the strawberries and get 5 gallons of juice or do you top up with water to 5 gallons? Basically, how do you get the liquid?

 

[esarkipato]

Of course, the most important ingredient was left out! Yes you have to add water to make 5/3 gal.

 

[MikeRoBrew1]

How long did you let is age total?

 

[esarkipato]

Well I should have taken better notes (for shame)! I brewed it on 1/4/2009, and probably bottled it around 4/1/2009, at which point the hotness of the alcohol already started to subside. However, I will bulk age for at least 6 months from the start date next time just to get a more clear wine in the bottle .... I had lots of floaties in the bottles!