This is my second year and I'm excited. Last year I just threw some boiled plums, sugar and bread yeast in a bucket to see what would happen. I was surprised to get pretty good wine! This year I got a hydrometer and proper equipment and tried to improve my methods. Well, I just started 3 batches with some variations. It's all great fun, but I haven't found a really good way to handle the plums at the start.
Of course I wash them first, but then things get inconvenient. Many recipes call for taking the stones out. To do this, I've tried slicing them -- too time consuming; boiling-cooling and hand squishing them -- fun, but it takes a long time for them to cool, and I can only do about 30-35 plums at a time. Last year I tried boiling and straining/squeezing the whole fruit through a fabric (a boil-sterilized pantyhose). This was faster, but the amount of juice that could be squeezed out was limited.
Next year, I'd like to just put the whole fruit in the primary, pour some boiling water over them and mash them up somehow. Some recipes say something like this, but not how to mash up the fruit. What's the best way to do this? Does letting the stones remain in the must cause any problem?
Also what's the best way to thaw frozen fruit. I had to freeze the early plums, and thawing them out took a long time. I froze sliced and de-stoned fruit. Is it possible to just freeze the whole fruit? What kind of container works best for this?
Thx for helping me tweak my process!
Second year plum wine-maker,
feffer
Of course I wash them first, but then things get inconvenient. Many recipes call for taking the stones out. To do this, I've tried slicing them -- too time consuming; boiling-cooling and hand squishing them -- fun, but it takes a long time for them to cool, and I can only do about 30-35 plums at a time. Last year I tried boiling and straining/squeezing the whole fruit through a fabric (a boil-sterilized pantyhose). This was faster, but the amount of juice that could be squeezed out was limited.
Next year, I'd like to just put the whole fruit in the primary, pour some boiling water over them and mash them up somehow. Some recipes say something like this, but not how to mash up the fruit. What's the best way to do this? Does letting the stones remain in the must cause any problem?
Also what's the best way to thaw frozen fruit. I had to freeze the early plums, and thawing them out took a long time. I froze sliced and de-stoned fruit. Is it possible to just freeze the whole fruit? What kind of container works best for this?
Thx for helping me tweak my process!
Second year plum wine-maker,
feffer