Peach Wine

I have a bunch of chopped and frozen Colorado peaches from last peach season. The only issue is that I have been having trouble finding peach wine recipes without grapes or wine added. I was planning on doing small batches until I found a recipe I liked and then I was going to go all out and make a couple gallons of the stuff. However, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions; my wine making experience is limited to my first home brew, which was mead.

I was thinking of (for a small half gallon batch):
1.5 lbs of peaches
1.5 qts of water
1 lb of sugar

and maybe some pectin enzyme
not sure on what yeast to use

Any advice would be great!

I would go with 2 pounds of peaches for half a gallon just to give a little more flavor depth, or 1.5 pounds and half a can of either white grape juice concentrate or apple juice concentrate (again for flavor depth). If the peaches are sweet and not tart you may want to add some acid blend. Start with 1/4 tsp and then taste the must, look past the sweetness in it and judge if it is tart enough. If not add some more. The pectic enzyme is always a good idea, I would also add some yeast nutrient.

i got my hands on a case of palisade peaches last fall, found this recipe

www.peach-depot.com

its 5 months in and pretty clear, had a musty smell to it for a while but now has clean light peach smell (of course the alcohol smell and taste is there). i don't plan on doing anything with it for another 5-8 months. this is my first wine of any kind and i think i used a chard or zin wine yeast or something like cy-17 for it (forgot to write it down but what was recommended by brian up at stomp them grapes). this is my first wine of any kind so i am just winging it. but so far so good.

b

edit: yeah, really can't remember which yeast i used, someone might be able to weigh in on that

I forgot to answer your yeast question. I would use Montrachet. Iy is a good wine yeast, a nit slower than others but IMHO slower is better.... to a point, I have a batch of apricot that is still fermenting for over 3 months that is starting to irritate me

quick question. how does one use pectin? Do I add it before/after the boil, or before/after pitching? Also, do I need to press the peaches?

not to be critical but I want to make sure you have the correct terminology. "Pectin" naturally occurs in a lot of fruits and is what allows you to turn fruit in to jelly. "pectic enzyme" is an enzyme that breaks down pectin and keeps it from trying to "jell". The way you use it is make your must, if it is hot let it cool down to about 120º F, than add the enzyme. (the enzyme works better at warmer temps but is destroyed by heat at or above 130º) conventional wisdom says after weighting 12 hours from adding the enzyme, pitch the yeast. Alcohol inhibits the enzyme so it is not as effective if you use it after the wine or cider is done, but still can work. I add my enzyme when the must cools down enough and then pitch the yeast when it drops down below 80º usually only a couple hours apart, or if my must is cool to begin with I add them at the same time. At the beginning of the fermentation process there is so little alcohol that there is really no good reason to weight the 12 hours other than "that is what everybody does and has always done it"

So the best method to breakdown frozen peaches is to just boil them in water and then add the pectin enzyme when it cools to 120ish? Or should i be throwing the peaches into a blender or mashing them with a spoon?

The best news is your fruit is frozen. Freezing fruit is a fantastic way to rupture the cells in the fruit and release juice, flavor, and sugars. I wouldn't boil them at all. Boiling creates a cooked flavor. I use heat at the beginning but not that much. I use one of 2 techniques when working with whole fruit:

1. I put my fruit in a straining bag place the bag in the sterilized primary and then boil my water and sugars. I then pore the hot liquid over the fruit and let it cool.

2. If I want to heat the fruit to extract more flavor and to pasteurize I put my fruit in a straining bag place the bag in a stock pot, add the sugars and water, then heat the must up to 140ºF From there I transfer it to a sterilized primary and let it cool.

So I don't really have to press or mash them up? Just add the pectin enzyme after it cools to 120?

Sorry, I should have added before. A potato masher is a great way to break them up in the bag. With the fruit being frozen you don't have to mash them up that much, just enough to break them down a little.

I never heat my fruit. What I do is put the frozen fruit right in a sanitized mesh bag into my sanitized fermenter. I smash up one campden tablet per gallon and dissolve it in some boiling water (1/4 cup is fine) and add that to the primary along with the other ingredients (except for pectic enzyme and yeast) called for in the recipe. After 12 hours, add 1 teaspoon pectic enzyme per gallon. After 12 more hours, add the yeast. That's it! The campden (sulfites) kills bacteria and wild yeast without heating/cooking the fruit. Stirring daily breaks up the "cap" formed, as well as mushes up the fruit just fine.

Heating the fruit changes it, in addition to setting the pectin. Think of it like the differences between apples and the apples in apple pie. Or grapes vs. grape jelly. A cooked fruit flavor isn't good in wine, except for banana wine.

I haven't used peaches yet - but I have made strawberry wine twice and a strawberry wine / wheat beer hybrid (I thought I was making a 'strawberry wheat beer' until I tried it and realized that adding 3#s worth of strawberries gave it a noticeable winey characteristic). I really like to use Lalvin EC-1118, the description is available from AHS:
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=612

Also - I actually use a stick blender to purify my frozen fruit (after thawing) and mix in potassium metabisulfite (Campden), let that mess rest with a clean tea towel clamped over the bucket to let the sulfur dioxide gas escape. After 12 hours add the pectic enzyme and add the yeast after another 12 hours. I know some people would warn against purifying the fruit - but I would bet they haven't tried it. The juice yield can't be beat and I do get an absolutely clear product in the same time as when I use wine kits.

I've been using the following recipe for years and it's great:

1 to 1.5 lbs of peaches, very ripe
1 tsp citric acid
1.5 lbs sugar
1/2 tsp white tannin
1 gallon water
1 tsp of yeast nutrient
1.5 tsp pectic enzyme
1 sachet of sauterne yeast

Typically, most commercial peach wine is not completely dry. From experience, people seem to like it best when the end density target is around 1.010. If you intend to try for that target, it is very important not to use a strong yeast such as Champagne which will eat up all the sugar until the wine is totally dry. I personnaly prefer an end target acidity of around 0.60%, entailing a starting point of about 0.70%.

Hope this helps.

You might find these useful:
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques26.asp
Regards, GF.

So what about fermentation temperatures? Wine takes a lot longer than beer and from what I have been reading I should be leaving the wine at temps below room temp for months on end. I'd rather not occupy my fermentation fridge for more than 2 weeks (I can only fit one thing in at a time).

Here is my plan of attack, it would be great if you guys could helpfully poke it full of holes.

1. Thaw frozen peaches
2. Purify peaches with blender (unless people think I should skip this step)
3. Mix/Boil other ingredients together and add after cooled (sugar/water/yeast nutrient/campden) [should i add campden in separately?]
5. Wait 8-12 hours, add pectic enzyme
6. Wait 8-12 hours, add yeast
7. Ferment for 10-14 days at 70 degrees in bucket (using fermentation fridge)
8. Transfer to carboy and leave out at room temperature (65-80 degrees)
9. Transfer after 30 days
10. Repeat #9 until clear or no sediment
11. Sweeten
12. Bottle

The fact that the peaches are frozen means they will be oozing juice, I would not put them in the blender. Even with a straining bag that will add a lot of pulp to your wine and make it harder to get clear.

Ok, so i'll put them into a straining bag and press them a bit with a potato masher before I add the other ingredients. But the campden is fine to add to the boiling sugar water, even if the water sits around for 30-60 minutes cooling off?

I don't use it, but I believe you want to add it after the must cools down a bit. I would pore the hot liquid over the peaches this will set the color and help leach out some juice as well as help kill off any bad stuff. Then add the campden after it cools.

I should be leaving the wine at temps below room temp for months on end. I'd rather not occupy my fermentation fridge for more than 2 weeks

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The idea of reducing the temperature is to help the clarification process. This is not always necessary. With peach wine, I've never had to do so. You should be able to leave your carboy at room temperature and, while it may take more time to clarify, it should do so without any problem. Given the choice, I always leave a carboy at room temperature for months after it seems like the primary fermentation has stopped to the naked eye. At that point, I don't feel the requirement to stabilize for safety. If I can avoid adding potassium sorbate, I do, but it does require a lot of patience.

If you use a use starting specific gravity of about 1.095 and a white wine yeast such as sauterne or Lalvin D-47, you may not need to sweeten your wine at the end because the primary fermentation process should stop around 1.010 from what I've seen in the past (unless you want an entire batch of very sweet dessert wine, this will be sweet enough for casual drinking).

Bottom line, the longer you leave your carboy at room temperature, the more stable the product. My 2 cents...

Would my process above be a good guideline for other wines, mead, and cider as well?

Also, should I worry about topping off? I was reading that it can help to ferment a bit extra and put the stuff that doesn't fit into the secondary into a spare bottle to use for topping off, but is it really necessary? Also, if you're topping off your wine with oxidized wine to keep the wine from oxidizing, doesn't that defeat the purpose? Wouldn't you need to top off the jug of top off wine as well?

SkiNuke said:

I have a bunch of chopped and frozen Colorado peaches from last peach season. The only issue is that I have been having trouble finding peach wine recipes without grapes or wine added. I was planning on doing small batches until I found a recipe I liked and then I was going to go all out and make a couple gallons of the stuff. However, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions; my wine making experience is limited to my first home brew, which was mead.

I was thinking of (for a small half gallon batch):
1.5 lbs of peaches
1.5 qts of water
1 lb of sugar

and maybe some pectin enzyme
not sure on what yeast to use

Click to expand...

You didn't mention how many pounds of peaches you have but I think you'll get better results by picking a good recipe and making a full carboy rather than messing with half gallon trials that will be fraught with variables and potential problems. For pure peach wines I like 4-6 lbs./gal. which makes for a rich peach flavor. Twenty lbs. can make a great 5 gal. batch.

Consider also a mix of peaches and a white wine concentrate like the one on Jack Keller's site. It can extend your fruit to make a larger batch (2.5-3 lbs./gal works). I made some great Peach Riesling this way.

SkiNuke said:

Here is my plan of attack, it would be great if you guys could helpfully poke it full of holes.

You've gotten some good suggestions from others but I'll add mine:

1. Thaw frozen peaches
A good start.

2. Purify peaches with blender (unless people think I should skip this step)
Do not do this! It will make an unnecessary mess and cause your wine to take longer to clear (if ever), and increase racking losses. The yeast will completely break down fresh halved peaches, and yours are already substantially broken down from having been frozen.

3. Mix/Boil other ingredients together and add after cooled (sugar/water/yeast nutrient/campden) [should i add campden in separately?]
No, don't heat any fruit above room temp because it can set the pectins in the fruit to make the wine more difficult to clear.

Add campden or potassium metabisulfite right away and stir occasionally as it thaws. You can thaw fruit in a warm water bath, but not too hot. Tyr to keep the fruit covered with liquid to minimize oxidation/browning. Once the peach/must is thawed, measure specific gravity using a hydrometer and add sugar to achieve the desired SG/end alcohol level. Just stir the in sugar to dissolve it, no heat necessary.

5. Wait 8-12 hours, add pectic enzyme
No need to wait, add pectic enzyme.

6. Wait 8-12 hours, add yeast
Fine, now you can wait to let campden and pectic enzyme work, then add the yeast starter.

7. Ferment for 10-14 days at 70 degrees in bucket (using fermentation fridge)
I'm not sure what your fermentation fridge is doing but room temperature is fine. Depending on the temp and type of yeast the must will be mostly fermented in about 5-7 days. Test with a hydrometer. At about SG 1.010, use a strainer bag or pressing bag to separate the juice from the pulp as best you can, then transfer to carboy. Without a press you'll have to do this by hand in a bucket. Twist and squeeze.

From the beginning of fermentation, be careful to stir your must several times a day to avoid hydrogen sulfide. For this reason, I recommend Lalvin 1118, not Montrachet.

8. Transfer to carboy and leave out at room temperature (65-80 degrees)
9. Transfer after 30 days
Be sure to keep your sulfite level up at each racking. Approx. 1/2 tsp. Kmeta initially, then 1/8 tsp. thereafter. Don't let wine sit on heavy lees for an extended period.

10. Repeat #9 until clear or no sediment
11. Sweeten
Using potassium sorbate first, of course... Good luck!.
12. Bottle

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Btw, a friend gave me a 900 lb. bin of Palisade peaches, so I made a little peach wine. About 80 gal., of 12 recipes.

I am so confused
Jack Keller says to pour boiled sugar/water over the peaches. He is a leading authority on wine making.
Yooper, another trusted authority, says she never heats her fruit.
I don't want to ruin $35-$40 worth of ingredients.
What to do?

there is a big difference between heating the fruit and cooking the fruit. Poring boiling hot water over the fruit (temp drops very quickly when the water and fruit meet) or pasteurizing the liquid and fruit together (heating it up to 140º f and letting it cool) will, in my experience, have little to no effect on flavor. Heating it above 140º especially if you put the fruit in the liquid and then bring it all to a rolling boil will change the flavor.

Daze said:

there is a big difference between heating the fruit and cooking the fruit. Poring boiling hot water over the fruit (temp drops very quickly when the water and fruit meet) or pasteurizing the liquid and fruit together (heating it up to 140º f and letting it cool) will, in my experience, have little to no effect on flavor. Heating it above 140º especially if you put the fruit in the liquid and then bring it all to a rolling boil will change the flavor.

Click to expand...

I never considered cooking the fruit and thanks to your advice, I never will.
I feel better about using boiling water.
Thanx

scurry64 said:

I am so confused
Jack Keller says to pour boiled sugar/water over the peaches. He is a leading authority on wine making.
Yooper, another trusted authority, says she never heats her fruit.
I don't want to ruin $35-$40 worth of ingredients.
What to do?

Click to expand...

Oh, I do sometimes use boiling water! But I never boil or cook the fruit.

Think of the difference of an apple raw, vs. an apple in apple pie. That's the cooked fruit difference.

I normally don't even use boiling water (except to dissolve the sugar) and often use campden tablets in the must.

Yooper said:

I never heat my fruit. What I do is put the frozen fruit right in a sanitized mesh bag into my sanitized fermenter. I smash up one campden tablet per gallon and dissolve it in some boiling water (1/4 cup is fine) and add that to the primary along with the other ingredients (except for pectic enzyme and yeast) called for in the recipe. After 12 hours, add 1 teaspoon pectic enzyme per gallon. After 12 more hours, add the yeast. That's it! The campden (sulfites) kills bacteria and wild yeast without heating/cooking the fruit. Stirring daily breaks up the "cap" formed, as well as mushes up the fruit just fine.

Heating the fruit changes it, in addition to setting the pectin. Think of it like the differences between apples and the apples in apple pie. Or grapes vs. grape jelly. A cooked fruit flavor isn't good in wine, except for banana wine.

Click to expand...

I don't mean to misrepresent you. I am a relatively inexperienced wine maker and I guess I don't completely understand terminology and processes.

This leads to me another misunderstanding I have regarding transferring and racking, but I'll research first and start another thread if I don't find the answer. I've already hijaciked this thread enough.

Please keep hijacking. I want as much help with regards to wine making as possible.

Also, what type of sugar should I use? And do you typically weigh the fruit before or after pitting?

SkiNuke said:

And do you typically weigh the fruit before or after pitting?

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I would weigh it after. But then again I like stronger fruit favors. If a recipe calls for two pounds I will add three or more.

Are camden tabs necessary in must? I just added peaches (mashed a bit after being thawed), water, sugar, yeast nutrient, tannin, and acid and mixed it all up in a sterilized bucket with s valve. Did I mess up? I just got it all together so if I need to fix anything there is still time. I did taste it and it is sweet, but amazing. I have made many gallons from fruit juice but this is my first batch from fruit. Any help is very appreciated!

I never use them (except in the airlock), but then again I try to avoid chemicals at all stages of the process. I sterilize equipment with boiling water. When I use whole fruit I mix the water and sugar and bring them to a boil and pore them over the fruit. This has always worked well for me in killing anything on the fruit that you don't want to grow. Then after it cools I pitch the yeast and let the process do its thing.