Peach Wine (22L)

Peach Wine- Day 1-2 (Dec 4, 2012)

6 1/2 cans peaches, pureed, syrop reserved

4kg sugar, dissolved

11.3L water (including reserved peach syrop)

1/4 tsp Potassium Metabisulfate

Heat sugar slowly in some of the water to dissolve.  Let cool to room temperature.  Strain and puree peaches.  Combine ingredients in carboy.  Shake well.  Let rest 12 hours.

Add 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme.  Let rest 12 hours.

Stir in 1 tsp yeast energizer.  Sprinkle wine yeast on top of must.  (Lalvin EC-1118 - Champagne)

Install air lock.

Day 17-

Still bubbling away.  It started separating after the first couple of days, and now has a clear section through the center.

The thick peach section at the bottom actually has a concave hole in the center.

Half of me wants to give it a stir.  I will refrain.

Stopped bubbling January 5th.

Day 35- January 8th

My first attempt at racking.  Too much peach pulp residue.  Decided to strain it through a towel instead.  Squeezed the juice out of the pulp.  Back into the carboy with airlock.

First taste test- smells like beer.  Tastes like cheap wine.  A little dry.  Strong alcohol level.  Burns a little.  Plenty sweet.  Filled one bottle for the fridge.

Day 46- January 19th

Second attempt at racking (much better), second taste test.

Still smells like beer to me.  Not as dry as last time.  Still a bit cloudy.

Washed and sterilized carboy.  Added 1/2tsp potassium sorbate.  Reset air lock.

Day 59- February 1st

Racked and bottled.  It cleared up really well.  Still tastes heavy on the alcohol and light on the peach.  We need more practice with corking, but I think they'll stay sealed.  Four bottles  wrapped with plastic caps to be opened in the distant future- 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years.  A few stored as is to see if capping makes much difference.  The majority I sealed with cheese wax- because that and candle wax is what I had on hand.  I had to do some rearranging in the cold room to store them on my canning shelves.  No wine rack has appeared as yet...