Joy of Home Wine Making (47 page)

If you want to try to tease the alcohol up, use an extra half pound of sugar in a syrup solution as described in Pearson Square. Sherries are usually lower than port in alcohol content, though. When it ferments out, fortify using plain brandy or grain alcohol. Bottle. Keep it for two years at least.

NOTE: As a variation, substitute carrots or potatoes for the parsnips in the amounts suggested in chapter 7.

PRUNED APPLE SHERRY

4 lbs. dark prunes, pitted

zest and juice of 3 oranges

2 tsps. acid blend or zest and juice of 2 large lemons

1 12 oz. can frozen apple juice

2 lbs. sugar or 2½ lbs. dark honey

¼ tsp. tannin

1 tsp. yeast nutrient

1 Campden tablet, crushed (optional)

½ tsp. pectic enzyme

1 packet sherry yeast

Soak the pitted prunes overnight in some of the water. Drain, chop, and place them in a nylon straining bag with the zest of the oranges and lemons, if you are using them. Put the bag in the bottom of a sanitized primary fermenter. Thaw the apple juice.

Boil the rest of the water and sugar or honey, and skim, if
necessary. Pour over the prunes, prune soaking water, and frozen juice.

You can reserve a bit of the orange juice to start the yeast later, if you like. Add the yeast nutrient, tannin, and acid blend if you didn’t use lemons. Cover, and attach an air lock. Let the must cool, then add the Campden tablet, if you choose to use one. Twelve hours after the Campden tablet, add the pectic enzyme. If you don’t use the tablet, merely wait until the must cools down to add the pectic enzyme.

Twenty-four hours later, check the PA and add the yeast.

Stir daily. In two weeks or so, lift out the bag of prunes and let it drain back into the container before removing it. Do not squeeze. Let the wine settle, and rack into a secondary fermenter. Bung and fit with an air lock. Rack as necessary in the next six months or so. Check the PA. When it ferments out, fortify it with plain brandy or grain alcohol. Bottle. Keep for two years at least.

CITRUS SHERRY

10 heavy juice oranges

1 lb. pitted dates

10 bruised peppercorns (optional)

3¾ gallons water

2 lbs. sugar or 2¼ lbs. dark honey

no acid

1 tsp. yeast nutrient

½ tsp. tannin

1 Campden tablet, crushed (optional)

½ tsp. pectic enzyme

1 packet sherry yeast

Pare the zest from four or five of the oranges. Then peel the fruits and section them, getting rid of as much white pith as you can. Put the segments and the zest in a nylon straining bag, and put it in the bottom of a primary fermenter with the pitted dates. Add the peppercorns, if you use them. Mash with very clean hands or a sanitized potato masher.

Boil the water and sugar or honey, and skim if necessary.

Pour the hot sugar water over the crushed fruit. If you prefer, you can chill and reserve half the water beforehand, adding it now to bring the temperature down quickly. Add the tannin and yeast
nutrient, but wait until the temperature comes down to add the Campden tablet, if you choose to use one. Cover and fit with an air lock. Twelve hours after the Campden tablet, add the pectic enzyme. If you don’t use the tablet, merely wait until the must cools down to add the pectic enzyme. Be sure to use the pectic enzyme!

Check the PA and write it down.

Twenty-four hours later, add the yeast. Stir down daily. After about one week, remove the bag (don’t squeeze). Discard the fruit, and after the sediment has settled down again, check the PA. If it is above 3 to 4 percent, let the must ferment for another week or so and rack into your glass fermenter. Fit it with an air lock.

Rack once or twice during fermentation.

In four to six months, check the PA and clarity. If fermented out, fortify with plain brandy or grain alcohol if desired and bottle. This might be more to your liking if sweetened with 4-6 oz sugar, as well. Keep it for at least two years.

SPICED BANANA SHERRY

1 lb. dark raisins

3 lbs. very ripe, black (but not rotten) organic bananas

3-4 sticks cinnamon or 20 bruised cassia buds

several bruised allspice

4 ozs. grated ginger

1 gallon water

2 lbs. sugar or 2½ lbs. dark honey

2 tsps. acid blend or juice of 2 large lemons

1 tsp. yeast nutrient

¼ tsp. tannin

1 Campden tablet, crushed (optional)

½ tsp. pectic enzyme

1 packet sherry wine yeast

Soak the raisins overnight in some of the water. Drain, chop, put them in a nylon straining bag, and place in the bottom of a sanitized primary fermenter.

Wash and slice the bananas, peels and all (which is why I suggest using organic bananas). Put them in another nylon straining bag and simmer for half an hour in half the water. Lift the bag out of the water and let it drain, then pour the banana water
into a primary fermenter. Boil the sugar or honey in the rest of the water, and skim if necessary.

Now pour the hot sugar water over the must and the raisins and spices bag. Add the acid, tannin, and yeast nutrient, but wait until the temperature comes down to add the Campden tablet, if you choose to use one. Cover and fit with an air lock. Twelve hours after the Campden table, add the pectic enzyme. If you don’t use the tablet, merely wait until the must cools down to add the pectic enzyme.

Check the PA and write it down. It might seem a bit high because of the pulp escaping the nylon bag. It will probably look a little alarming.

Twenty-four hours later, add the yeast.

Stir daily. Check the PA. After a week, lift out the bag and drain; do not squeeze before removing. You might have to make up the gallon with a little extra boiled water to make up for the sediment. Rack the wine into a secondary fermenter. Bung and fit with an air lock.

Rack it at least twice during fermentation.

In six months, check for clarity and check the PA to see if it has fermented out. Sweeten and fortify with plain brandy or grain alcohol if desired. Keep for two years before sampling.

Feel free to experiment with combinations. Aim for a rich, complex taste. Don’t forget that it’s easy to add color to sherry-like wines by adding toast or grains as discussed back in chapter 8.