fig wine

hello, newguy,

I have recently started wine making, I have made a few gallons of hard cider.

i gathered up a good bit of figs when they were ripe this year and am thinking about a wine.

I would appreciate any input into my recipe before I start

any comments welcome, negative or positive, my feelings are able to with stand it.

4 lb figs
7 pts water +or minus to fill gallon jug
2 lb sugar
3 1/2 teas acid blend
1 crushed camdon, 24 hours prior to ferment/yeast
1 teas yeast nutrient
1 pk montrachet yeast

puree figs, add water, camdon tab
let sit 24 hours

add yeast to 1 cup warm/cup sugar water,let sit

add to jug, acid blend,nutrient,sugar,
sugar yeast water

let ferment

where i get mixed up, is the adding of the acid blend

the correct time/ sequence to add my blend

Get some buckets, you dont need jugs for the primary. You got fresh real figs, we had a tree and it grew 12 feet tall but never gave us any fruit, took a tractor to pull that sucker out of the ground. Your going to get a lot of sediment with this so you might want to plan on starting off with like 1.5 gallons in a plastic container, we get ours resturant supply place. Using the big open container makes it easier to stir everything in at the beginning. I would suggest getting a better yeast for this, Montrachet can throw off a lot of sulfur fart smells, if you use this yeast that will be the topic of your next thread Some Ec1118 or K1V1116 is good and strong and clean fermenting. You might want to bag your pulp to make it easier to remove, you are going to have a lot of it. This should also take some oak very well if you like oak, this would be a nice one to add a little toasted oak chips. Also a few raisans would work in this very well, though if they are the fresh figs would it be better to go with white grapes vs dark ones? Did you get a hydrometer yet? Good luck, WVMJ

Thank you for your response.
Yes I have a hydrometer, and using a bucket is a point well taken
as well as not wanting sulfur fart smells in my wine,
raisins are intriguing, how many per pound of figs?

this tree is huge, was blown over in a storm, but still lives

and bears fruit

I'm a big fan of ec1118. Hardy yeast that is pretty neutral as far as any odor or taste that it gives off. Watch your temps because higher temps this yeast will kick it into overdrive and can produce some rocket fuel

I've got a fig wine aging right now, I used 71-B yeast in it. Are your figs truly fresh, or were they frozen at some point? The reason I ask is if they're fresh, you'll want to at least roughly chop them, NOT puree them. Puree will take up a LOT of space & when you rack, you'll lose quite a bit of wine. Your best bet is to use a mesh sack to contain the fruit, that way you can simply lift it out of the bucket & allow it to drain, don't squeeze the bag, you'll add sediment if you do.

If your fruit has been frozen (I recommend freezing at least once, preferably twice), simply thaw & put it in another bucket & roughly crush it with a potato masher, then line your fermentation bucket with the mesh sack & pour in the crushed fruit & tie up the sack. You could simply put the fruit in the sack & crush it, but it looks like you've got a lot of fruit & too much fruit in the sack might make it tougher to crush with the potato masher.

Freezing help to break down the cell walls in the fruit, allowing better juice/flavor extraction, I always freeze/thaw my fruit twice. Also, I'd give it a dose of pectic enzyme, this will also help to break down cell walls in the fruit and break down the pectin in the juice, making for a clear wine more quickly. As for the acid blend, I usually wait till fermentation is done to add acid blend, that way you have a better idea as to how much is needed. I add it a little at a time, over several days if I need to, the idea being that it's easy to add more, but once added, you can't remove it. How much is really a matter of personal taste, or following a recipe.

My fig wine is a mix of fresh & dried figs: 1 gallon batch, 3.5 lbs fresh black mission figs, 1.5 lbs dried calmyrna figs. The fresh were frozen & thawed twice, then crushed, the dried were roughly chopped, steeped in hot water & crushed. The only reason I mixed the fresh & dried was that some of the fresh had mold on it & I had to throw it out, I couldn't get any more fresh (no figs grow in MT.) so I had to make up the difference with the dried. It's my 1st fig wine & still has a few months of aging before I taste it, but it's a beautiful yellowish orange color & crystal clear. I have plans for a dried calmyrna fig melomel that I'll be starting next weekend.
Hope this info helps. Regards, GF.

gratus fermentatio said:

I've got a fig wine aging right now, I used 71-B yeast in it. Are your figs truly fresh, or were they frozen at some point? The reason I ask is if they're fresh, you'll want to at least roughly chop them, NOT puree them. Puree will take up a LOT of space & when you rack, you'll loose quite a bit of wine. Your best bet is to use a mesh sack to contain the fruit, that way you can simply lift it out of the bucket & allow it to drain, don't squeeze the bag, you'll add sediment if you do.

If your fruit has been frozen (I recommend freezing at least once, preferably twice), simply put it in another bucket & roughly crush it with a potato masher, then line your fermentation bucket with the mesh sack & pour in the crushed fruit & tie up the sack. You could simply put the fruit in the sack & crush it, but it looks like you've got a lot of fruit & too much fruit in the sack might make it tougher to crush with the potato masher.

Freezing help to break down the cell walls in the fruit, allowing better juice/flavor extraction, I always freeze/thaw my fruit twice. Also, I'd give it a dose of pectic enzyme, this will also help to break down cell walls in the fruit and break down the pectin in the juice, making for a clear wine more quickly. As for the acid blend, I usually wait till fermentation is done to add acid blend, that way you have a better idea as to how much is needed. I add it a little at a time, over several days if I need to, the idea being that it's easy to add more, but once added, you can't remove it. How much is really a matter of personal taste, or following a recipe.

My fig wine is a mix of fresh & dried figs: 1 gallon batch, 3.5 lbs fresh black mission figs, 1.5 lbs dried calmyrna figs. The fresh were frozen & thawed twice, then crushed, the dried were roughly chopped, steeped in hot water & crushed. The only reason I mixed the fresh & dried was that some of the fresh had mold on it & I had to throw it out, I couldn't get any more fresh (no figs grow in MT.) so I had to make up the difference with the dried. It's my 1st fig wine & still has a few months of aging before I taste it, but it's a beautiful yellowish orange color & crystal clear. I have plans for a dried calmyrna fig melomel that I'll be starting next weekend.
Hope this info helps. Regards, GF.

Click to expand...

Thank you for the information, the figs are in the freezer, i washed them
then cut the stem ends off.
guess i need to get a mesh sack.

thawed figs, recleaned, chopped. repackaged, weighed 15 lbs

is what i will be fermenting.

ec1118 ordered....already was ahead of you on that,
along with champaign yeast
filter bag, plus other stuff

will 2 packets of yeast handle 15 pounds,,or should i go with 1 pack per 5 pounds. total of 3 for 15 pounds

odorf said:

will 2 packets of yeast handle 15 pounds,,or should i go with 1 pack per 5 pounds. total of 3 for 15 pounds

Click to expand...

Depends on the volume of liquid. 1 packet of dry wine yeast is good for anything from 1 gallon to 5 gallons, I use it in 6 gallon batches regularly with no issues. If you're using all 15 lbs of fruit in a 5 or 6 gallon batch, I'd say just use 1 packet of dry yeast, just be sure to rehydrate as per instructions. You'll also want to "punch the cap," meaning push the fruit back down into the must & move it around, at least once, preferably twice a day during primary. This will both prevent mold from forming and help to expose all the fruit pieces to the yeast. I'd save those other packets of yeast for other batches of wine.
Regards, GF.

I would add some Pectic Enzyme (3 tsp for 5 gallons) to help break down the fruit more. Although freezing and thawing a couple of times should do the trick.

HB_in_Subic said:

I would add some Pectic Enzyme (3 tsp for 5 gallons) to help break down the fruit more. Although freezing and thawing a couple of times should do the trick.

Click to expand...

Your at Subic ?


I was at Clark Field, '72-'75

I need something from the PI, someone stole my 6 arrows
I got from the Negrito tribe. I need them replaced
I still have my long bow, I use it still.

Yes I have a house in the old housing area in Binictican. I also have a negrito for a yard boy. I might be able to figure out a way to get a few arrows your way. I just have to try to get it out of the Black hole otherwise known as the PI. Send me a PM with a mailing address & I can let you know around Christmas...

pm sent

OK, deed is done, I am a proud owner of a bucket of fermenting figs.

I have no idea if I will dump it out on the tomate plants are rack it.

6 pounds of figs
4 pounds sugar
3 gallons water
2 1118 yeast
3 teasp nutrient
did not take the sg,
i guess i get a Gibs slap for that

got up to take a leak, hell getting old,

it is bubbling, so we know the yeast is happy

HB_in_Subic said:

I would add some Pectic Enzyme (3 tsp for 5 gallons) to help break down the fruit more. Although freezing and thawing a couple of times should do the trick.

Click to expand...

It helps with the clearing also

I just noticed you added 3 gal of water to 6 lbs of figs I would take the sg reading although a lil late but it shouldn't have moved that much and taste it! What does it taste like?

can i sprinkle in now?

Yep but give it a taste first I'm thinking it might taste thin cuz of the water addition if so add some more figs and also raisins will add to the body somewhat

odorf said:

can i sprinkle in now?

Click to expand...

It won't hurt to add now

thanks, been wanting an excuse to open that lid,,,,

take a look, the taste was actually good.



i would have to thaw out more figs,it would be a few hours before i could add them

RUT ROW !!

after I gave it a couple of swirls and added pectic. it stopped bubbling.

guess my yeast is not happy. i will wait and see for a few hours. before I panic

No worries, you just released some CO2 from solution, it's still fermenting.
Regards, GF.

you are correct, went to wally world came home.

bubble bubble toil and trouble

odorf said:

OK, deed is done, I am a proud owner of a bucket of fermenting figs.

I have no idea if I will dump it out on the tomate plants are rack it.

6 pounds of figs
4 pounds sugar
3 gallons water
2 1118 yeast
3 teasp nutrient
did not take the sg,
i guess i get a Gibs slap for that

Click to expand...

11/22/15 1800hr
I just added 4 cups [2lb?] light brown sugar /dissolved in 2 cups of water

My bubbles slowed considerable, so I checked the sg it is 1.000

If I understand correctly, I need to transfer to second ferment.

at this time,,,or let it sit?

Yes degas and siphon off to carboy... now is the time to have the most patience and wait for it to clear...

Thans HB


I have siphoned off to 3 gallon jugs, back under air lock.

now then,, Guru of the Grape, the sack full of fig mash.
I pulled it out.
used surgical gloves, Put it in a 1 gallon plastic container with lid.
and put it in the freezer.
what kind of mischief can I get into with that?

odorf said:

Thans HB


I have siphoned off to 3 gallon jugs, back under air lock.

now then,, Guru of the Grape, the sack full of fig mash.
I pulled it out.
used surgical gloves, Put it in a 1 gallon plastic container with lid.
and put it in the freezer.
what kind of mischief can I get into with that?

Click to expand...

Compost heap. See if the squirrels will eat it, nothing funnier than a drunk squirrel.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAfKZUn9sZ0[/ame]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMWmE09BZ50[/ame]

gratus fermentatio said:

Compost heap. See if the squirrels will eat it, nothing funnier than a drunk squirrel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAfKZUn9sZ0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMWmE09BZ50

Click to expand...

NOW ! Thats Funny right there !!!!!!!