Alright, so I'm about ready to do my first wine from fruit. I've done some kits and some bottled juice wines, but never straight from fruit.
looking through the recipe database and reading through the forum, there seem to be a plethora of 'fruit handling' methods. Before beginning the fermentation process, some freeze and thaw, some soak in vodka, some soak in crushed campden tablets, some crush, some press, others do neither.
when it comes to crushing, some crush in mesh bags, some crush in the primary fermentation vessel, some crush before fermentation, some squeeze only before transferring to secondary. And, of course, some combine some or many of these methods.
I have quite a few pounds of nice cherries in the freezer right now, which I plan to thaw, destem, stuff into sterilized cheesecloth, lightly crush, then soak in crushed campden and water about 12 hours before adding pectic enzyme and 24 before adding yeast, sugar, etc.
sound right? advantages of alternative methods?
looking through the recipe database and reading through the forum, there seem to be a plethora of 'fruit handling' methods. Before beginning the fermentation process, some freeze and thaw, some soak in vodka, some soak in crushed campden tablets, some crush, some press, others do neither.
when it comes to crushing, some crush in mesh bags, some crush in the primary fermentation vessel, some crush before fermentation, some squeeze only before transferring to secondary. And, of course, some combine some or many of these methods.
I have quite a few pounds of nice cherries in the freezer right now, which I plan to thaw, destem, stuff into sterilized cheesecloth, lightly crush, then soak in crushed campden and water about 12 hours before adding pectic enzyme and 24 before adding yeast, sugar, etc.
sound right? advantages of alternative methods?