Stu Lenoff

 STU LENOFF’S FORMULA FOR PRIZE WINNING PLUM WINE

This recipe can be increased or decreased proportionately starting with a recipe for 5 gallons of wine.

Column  I    

25 lbs. Ripe plums

3 ½ gallons of hot water about 140 degrees.

2 ½ tsp. Yeast nutrient

2 ½ tsp. Peptic enzyme powder

5 campden tablets (crushed)

2 Tbs.+ 1 ½  tsp. Acid blend

Column II  

One packet of Cote De Blanc yeast

10 to15 lbs sugar or fructose

1 Tbs.+ 2 tsp. Sparkolloid

2 tsp. Sorbistat if using sugar to sweeten

Potasium sulphite

Tools needed

1 air trap with rubber stopper

A wine hydrometer

A large bucket or fermenter washed out with Sulphite solution

2 Carboys (5 gallon glass water bottles)

1 large funnel

Rinse fruit, crush and remove pits. The fruit should be soft enough that you can squash it with your hand.  Let the juice, fruit and skins fall in the cleaned fermenter, one that holds about 7 gallons.

Put all of the ingredients from column I  in the fermenter.

Add 10 lbs. sugar a couple of lbs. at a time until the hydrometer reads 1.090 degrees or about 23 Brix.

When cooled to room temperature (over night) sprinkle yeast on top and stir lightly.  Cover with plastic and fasten with a large rubber band or tie with string.

Fermentation will start in one or two days.  Put fermenter in the coolest place you can find in the house.  The cooler and slower it ferments the fruitier it will taste.

Stir down the cap at least twice a day.  When the hydrometer reads 1.010 carefully remove cap and

strain juice into the fermenter.  Then using the large funnel pour slowly into a carboy, if you have extra save it in a gallon bottle or a jar and use it for topping. Put a a baggie over the top until frothing has stopped and then put a airtrap on top with water in the trap.  After a day or two remove water and put sulphite solution in the trap.

After 3weeks siphon off the wine into another carboy to 1 inch of the top leaving the sediment on the bottom of the first one.  You can top off with water if necessary.  Siphon off again into the first carboy after 3 months.

Use Sparkolloid to clear after another 2 months.  When clear you can sweeten to taste with sugar or Sweet and Low.  Use sobistat  to stabilize if using sugar.

Always clean your tools and carboys with a rinse of Sulphite solution.

Hydrometer correction table

Temperature of liquid————————-Correction

59————————————————–none

68————————————————–Add 0.9

77————————————————–Add 2.0

86————————————————–Add 3.4

95————————————————–Add 5.0

104————————————————-Add 6.8