Wine – Strawberry

STRAWBERRY WINE (5 Gallons)

INGREDIENTS

  • 15 lbs. Strawberries with leaves and stems removed (approximately 3 gallons)
  • 1/8 Tsp. Sodium Bisulfite (don’t need this if we sous vide pasteurize first)
  • Pectic Enzyme (as directed on package) (2.5tsp = 5 gallons)
  • 5 teaspoons. Yeast Nutrient
  • 1 Tsp. Wine Tannin (substitute 2 cups raisins)
  • 8 teaspoons. Acid Blend (.60% tartaric) (substitute 6 pkg kool-aid unsweetened lemonade packets)
  • 8 lbs. Sugar
  • 1 Pkg. Champagne Yeast (for a sweeter finish, I chose Lalvin 71B-1122)
  • Potassium Sorbate and Metabisulfite wine preservative

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Remove the stems and the leaves from the strawberries.
  2. Divide the strawberries, raisins, and Pectic Enzyme between two large sous vide bags.
  3. Spray in just enough water to dissolve the enzyme.
  4. Sous vide each bag for 2 hours at 180 degrees. This will break down the fruit and pasteurize the mixture eliminating the need for Sodium Bisulfates in the must.
  5. Cool each bag in ice water and refrigerate until you are ready to start fermentation.
  6. Heat 1 gallon of water and dissolve the sugar and acid or kool aid in it.
  7. Mix the water and the fruit solution in a 5+ gallon sanitized plastic bucket.
  8. Stir in 1 gallon of cool water.  The total liquid should now be 5 gallons.
  9. Use a hydrometer to measure the pre-fermented alcohol potential and add sugar or water if necessary to get the specific gravity to (11% or S.G. of 1.086).
  10. Check the acidity of the must.  It should be between 3.4 and 3.8.
  11. Once the temperature of the mixture in the bucket drops below 80 degrees Fahrenheit, stir in the yeast nutrient and pitch the yeast.
  12. Plug the airlock hole in the lid of the bucket with a piece of cheesecloth so the mixture can breath during the next 7 days.
  13. On the 7th day, check the Specific Gravity reading. Rack into a carboy if the SG is between 1.025 and 1.035.
  14. Attach an airlock and allow 4 to 6 weeks for secondary fermentation.
  15. After secondary fermentation has completely stopped (around week 7), rack into a second carboy and attach an airlock. Let this wine stand until it becomes completely clear (1 or 2 more weeks).
    The wine will be fairly dry at this point.
  16. You need to preserve the wine by adding Potassium Sorbate (1/2 teaspoon per gallon ) and Potassium Metabisulfite (1/4 teaspoon per 5-6 gallons). Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of Sulphite Crystals and 2.5 tsp of Potassium Sorbate in warm water and add to the wine before bottling.
  17. 24 hours after adding the preservatives, you can sweeten the wine with honey or sugar. Stir in the sweetener and let the wine rest for a few days before racking or bottling.

Adapted from E.C. Kraus recipes at eckraus.com

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