Sugar Beet Wine

[Bombo80]

I have decided to try and make this wine. I searched and found several recipes, with slight varying differences. So I decided to take parts from all of them and make this. Here is my recipe:

Estimated 9 gallon batch

22.85 pounds Sugar Beets, peeled and sliced (1/4")
15 pounds sugar
6 cans White Grape Juice Concentrate
6 1/2 oz Ginger (sliced and bruised)
1 oz. Cinnamon chunks
1 oz. Cloves
10 tsp. Acid Blend
3 3/4 tsp. Yeast Nutrient
3 3/4 tsp. Pectic Enzyme
1 3/4 tsp. Grape Tannins
9 Campden Tablets
EC-1118 yeast

OG 1.094 (measured just the liquid, not sure how much more sugar the sugar beet pulp will add)

Split the sugar beets into two pots, and covered with 2 1/2 gallons water each. Boiled for 1 1/4 hours (checked every 10 minutes for tenderness).
Drained water (steeped ginger, cinnamon and cloves for 10 minutes) and added it to the sugar, grape concentrate and mixed to dislove sugar. Added water to ~9 gallon mark. Mixed in yeast nutrient, pectic enzyme and tannin and mixed thoroughly. Put large piece of grain bag material in container, and dumped in sugar beets, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, and mixed well. I almost forgot to add the campden tablets, but added them a couple hours later and mixed them in thoroughly.

I will revive the yeast with some warm water, and once it shows some activity, I will add a cup, or so, of the must liquid, just to give them some food for a real good head start, and pitch after 48 hours from start.

I will punch down the cap, twice a day, for 5 - 7 days, and remove pulp and drain well. I will then rack into two primary fermenters with air locks and let it do its thing for 2 - 3 weeks, then rack into secondaries.

So far it smells, and tastes pretty darn good. I will update as things progress.

 

[Bombo80]

So far so good. I actually looked at my recipe and had some changes. So here is the final recipe for my Sugar Beet wine...

22.85 pounds Sugar Beets, peeled and sliced (1/4")
15 pounds sugar
6 cans White Grape Juice Concentrate
6 1/2 oz Ginger (sliced and bruised)
1 oz. Cinnamon chunks
1 oz. Cloves
3 3/4 tsp. Acid Blend
4 1/2 tsp. Yeast Nutrient
3 3/4 tsp. Pectic Enzyme
1 3/4 tsp. Grape Tannins
9 Campden Tablets
EC-1118 yeast

I removed the sugar beet pulp after 5 days, and racked into a 6 gallon secondary, and 3 - 1 gallon jugs. I hit the 9 gallon mark almost perfectly.

My OG was 1.094 (liquid only - before pulp addition)
When I racked it was down to 1.002, and looked like really watered down milk. It still smelled great, and tasted pretty good too.

I will let it sit for 60 days and rack again, then do my campden and sorbate addition.

 

[CampFireWine]

Different sugar has a different ratios of cane and beet sugar unless it is the pure cane sugar. This could alter the taste somewhat.

 

[Justibone]

This just doesn't sound very good. I guess I don't like beets. Definitely let us know how it turns out, though!

 

[Bombo80]

People just don't understand sugar beets. They are NOTHING like the red beets that people grow int their gardens to eat and can in jars. Sugar beets are much larger and are very sweet in taste.



If you cut the tops off, and put two of them top to top, are larger than a football. The pile of granular sugar is an exageration. They look like a potato inside. Sugar beets are used to make table sugar and molasses.

 

[Justibone]

That certainly isn't like a red beet I've had before. Okay, this is starting to sound more appetizing.

 

[Bombo80]

I looked at it this morning, and things are starting to settle out a bit. It also has a slight pinkish hue to it. (not as pink as my rhubarb wine though) That sounds odd, but I remember when boiling the beets that the water was taking a brownish tint as the water was evaporating during the boil.

This will sit for 2 months before the next racking.

I will update at that time.

 

[Clifton]

It's been two months.

 

[Bombo80]

Yes it has been two months, and it's time to rack. The problem I have is that I have started moving in with SWMBO. So far I have all the important stuff moved there, all the brewing equipment. I did transport all my "in process" wines a month ago , or so. I still have the beet wine at my place. I will see if I can get it all packed into the truck tonight. Hopefully I can get it racked in the next few days, and hit it with campden and sorbate. I will also take a picture and post it so everybody can see what it looks like.

 

[Justibone]

The SWMBO tricked ya! Run, run, there's still time...

J/K

 

[Rossnaree]

Act II, Scene 3:

>dimly lit latticework of caverns<

>cue-in Jabba The Hut's laugh echoing in the background<

>enter Bombo stage left, unwittingly walking into the trap<

Bombo80: "DOH!!!"

:cross::cross::cross:

Just kidding - this year will be 28 years married to the same wonderful woman.

I know, I know....

 

[Bombo80]

So I finally go taround to racking this wine. I took a SG sample, and it was at 0.990. Holy Crap !!! I have never had one go that low before. The taste was a little to be desired though. I can only hope that after some aging, campden and sorbate treatments, and back sweeten part of it, that it will still be an enjoyable wine. If it stays like it is right now, one glass, or just the gravity sample, is going to be enough for one sitting. I guess this will fall under the "experimental" heading, for wine making. Right now only time will tell.

 

[Justibone]

Lol!

Remember: don't dump a wine -- blend it!

 

[Clifton]

Not to jack your thread, but....
my interest in this recipe is for making a liqueur type sugar wine base for making cordials. I was thinking 15% abv sugar wine with red hot candies would make a tasty cinnamon schnapps.

 

[Justibone]

Not to jack your thread, but....
my interest in this recipe is for making a liqueur type sugar wine base for making cordials. I was thinking 15% abv sugar wine with red hot candies would make a tasty cinnamon schnapps.

That does sound pretty good. I'd almost say, though, why not just go for a flavor that goes well with cinnamon, like apple?

 

[Clifton]

If it is tasteless then I can add the Peach schnapps essence to part of it.