First-Brew: Peach & Banana Wine

The Homebrew Forum

Help Support The Homebrew Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Danyolb

New Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Hey all,
This is my first! I have a Recipe which states the following Ingredients:

3 lbs ripe peaches
1 lb ripe bananas
1-3/4 lbs granulated sugar
1/2 tsp citric acid
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
5 pt boiling water
1 crushed Campden tablet
1 tsp yeast nutrient
Champagne wine yeast

I have chopped the peaches and bananas, and placed into sealed freezer bags which are now frozen.
(I believe this brings out the flavour better when thawed out?)

Now my Questions:
1) I didn't have a straining bag so purchased some nylon tights, will these work once sanitized - or should I buy something with larger mesh?
2) Should I also buy some tannin to add?
3) What method should I use? Boil the fruit, or place into strain bag into the fermenting bucket etc? It's my first time so a rough written method would be appreciated .



Thanks
Daniel.
 
I am about to filter and bottle a peach and banana wine. I don't have to recipe to hand, but it was C JJ Berry. The recipe book is at my gf's house.

However, i remember that i had to boil the bananas for ten mins or so, then strain them, and remove. peaches were de-stoned and chopped and put into a (boiled to steralise) straining bag, then all the other ingredients were added except yeast.

I can;t remember about tannin, but if you are planning on making wines, then you might as well buy some. It's quite cheap and lasts ages.

Crush a campden tablet in there and leave for 12 hours. Add pectolase (see below) then leave for 12 hours. Add (rehydrated) yeast.

You can probably add this at a later date though if required (i think)?

After about a week of fermenting in the bucket with the fruit in there (known as fermentign "on the pulp") this would be racked int oa demi john or 5 litre water bottle to ferment out.

After this, racked again, campden tablet added, potassium sorbate added (optional), degassed (basically shaking until it stops fizzing), then finings added.

There si a how-to guide on making Wurzels Orange Wine. This is slightly different to fruit wine, as there is no 'fermenting on the pulp', but otherwise the procedure is similar. You might want to look at that.

One thing i would recommend is the use of 'clearzyme', or pectolase and amylase. Pectolase clears pectin, and amylase clears starch (bananas). Add it 12 hours BEFORE you add your yeast. This will help wine clear, and is easier added before rather than after.








Clear as mud? i have only been making wine for a year, and what at first seemed something really complicated, now seems pretty simple.

I don't know about nylon tights, but a mesh straining bag is recommended.
 
shearclass said:
...
amylase clears starch
...
I don't know about nylon tights, but a mesh straining bag is recommended.

Amylase ought to get you a bit more sugar from the starch it hits, too.

Lakeland do a straining bag with a support which I find invaluable, though if you have a lot of fruit pulp you have to secure the bag to the support somehow as the elastic is only designed for jam-making amounts of stuff. Until I started using clothes pegs on it I had a couple of very splashy accidents.
 
Thanks for the replies, very much appreciated, and all comments taken on board.

I was just wondering whether it is ok to add the peaches to a straining bag (sealed) and place into fermenting bucket. Before racking I'll lift it out and let the juices run for a minute then rack off. Is this acceptable or does the fruit have to be 'free' in the bucket?


Cheers.
 
I'd think it ought to work, just chop 'em up fairly fine so the yeast can get at as much fruit as poss.
 
Yes do get some tanin and add at a rate of 1tsp per gallon. Makes a big difference. You could just mash 2 tea bags in a cup of water for about 10 mins, which will give you about the same amount of tanin.
 
Thanks, I'm going to place 2 tea bags into a cup of water and then tip into the fermenting bucket for tannin I think.

A few questions again... sorry :)

1) How would you guys put the peaches into the fermenting bucket? inside a muslin/nylon bag and tie a knot or just let them float free??

2) If free flowing: When it comes to racking how do you separate the peaches from the wine?

3) Also when siphoning from fermenting bucket to DJ do you stir up the yeast cake at the bottom so it goes into the DJ or leave it behind?


:thumb: Thanks Again Everyone.
 
Leave them loose or pop in a straining bag, if in a bag then chop well to allow maximum extraction and stir the must twice daily regardless of baggin up or not, and if in a bag then poke the bag with the spoon as well. When it comes to transferring from bucket to demijohn then you jug the must into a sieve and funnel combination to strain the juice from the pulp.
 
Thanks for the reply.
I think I'll keep the fruit in a straining bag so they can be removed prior to the transfer to DJ

So when transferring could I simply siphon to the DJ?
Do I siphon everything or leave sediment behind?

;)
 
You don't siphon from the bucket. Jug the mixture through a sieve and muslin/straining bag combination into the DJ.
 
Disagree, you can siphon from the bucket, and that way you done end up with 10cm of fruit pulp and dead yeast at the bottom of your demi.

Siphoning means you won't have torack again after a week or so because there will be less **** in there. I am happy to be shot down though, I am a newbie at this.
 
I always ferment on the pulp then siphon off and leave a nice layer of pulp/sediment in the bottom of the FV. Occasionally I have had to strain the sediment to maximise the liquid return, especially if the flavour is really good!

Diesel1.
 
Back
Top