Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Montrachet
Batch Size (Gallons): 1
Original Gravity: 1120
Final Gravity: 1009
Boiling Time (Minutes): 5
Color: Pale Orange
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 6 Weeks
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): none
Tasting Notes: Sweet and sticky, tropical flavour.

A few months ago I was given a book by my dad who used to be an avid homebrewer entitled "Winemaking with Canned and Dried Fruit."



What really bugs me about this forum - no fault of anyone's, of course - is that over in the UK, we simply can't get some of the stuff you use for fruit wines - frozen concentrates, bulk juices at decent prices, etc. Therefore, I set about finding a cheap method for making what can only be called Party Fodder - quick, cheap filth that tastes good. Results were good!

Where this recipe really comes through is the cost. 1 Gallon of this wine costs me around £3, chemicals aside which I already owned. For 6 bottles of strong cocktail mixer, that's an absolute bargin, and it's easy as pie and very rewarding.

Recipe

2 Tins Fruit Cocktail in Syrup
1kg Glucose
Montrachet Wine Yeast
Nutrient
1sp Tannin
1sp Citric Acid
1/2tsp Pectic Enzyme

Method

Steralise equipment, open tins and drain the syrup into your demi-john. Set aside.
Gently boil 1-2L of water and gently dissolve Glucose.
Liquidize fruit from tins (I used a blender) and add Tannin, Citric Acid and Pectic Enzyme. Add to Demi-John, then pour in your glucose syrup.
Top up to 1 gallon leaving room for a head, and add Yeast and Nutrient.

For the first week of fermentation, shake the demi-john daily to disperse the pulp through the liquid. After a week, leave to fully ferment and settle out. Bottle, drink, and enjoy.

Good, bad, and variations.

It's good, reminiscent of Martini Bianco but with a sweeter, sticker taste, a little like Schnapps. It's especially good as a cocktail base - great with grenadine and orange juice, and tastes decent just mixed with lemonade. It's a little too powerful to drink neat, however, although the more experienced winemakers on here could probably put together something a little less prison-wine.

I'm unsure of OG and FG accurately, but it came out at around 12%-14% judging by the taste alone and approx OG/FG. For an extra sweet wine you can add another 1/2 pound of sugar, but it really is extremely sweet anyway. You can also make this recipe with 1 can of Fruit Cocktail instead of 2, although the flavour won't be as obvious.

As you get plenty of sugar from the fruit and syrup, this wine can vary, so here's a rough idea of what you can use for your preferred sweetness.

1 Tin + 1kg Glucose - Dry
2 Tins + 1kg Glucose - Medium
2 Tins + 1.5kg Glucose - Sweet

You can cut this one short if it's getting too dry and it'll still taste great. Worst case scenario, tip some vodka in to strengthen it up. This isn't South France!

Hilariously, despite being printed in the late sixties, you can still buy copies of the book I used from Amazon. Ace. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Canned-Amateur-Winemaker-publication/dp/0900841001

Pictures to come soon, hopefully. Any questions, send them this way!