# My pumpkin wine Recipe and method plan



## MOwino

6 gallons

24lbs canned pumpkin
6 Gallons water
4.5 lbs Raisins
9 lbs white sugar
3 cinnamon sticks -- broken up
6 whole nutmeg
2tbs whole cloves
1 ginger root
1.5 tsp tannin powder
6 level tsp yeast nutrient
5 oz acid blend
3 tsp pectic enzyme
1 package Lavlin KC1118 yeast 

I am going to split this in half and do 2 3 gallon batches in 7.8 g fermentors. The reason for that is that I think this will foam up to much if I put it all in one fermentor. Then I will rack both to 1, 6 gallon carboy to settle out.




1. Wash and sanitize all utensils.

2. Boil 3 gallons of water and dissolve 5 lbs of sugar into water.

3. Add pumpkin, raisins, cinnamon, ginger to empty primary fermentor.

4. Pour boiling water into primary fermentor, stir well and let cool to room temp.

5. When primary is room temperature add tannin powder, and pectin enzyme.

6. Add 2.5 oz acid blend to primary and stir well.

7. Check specific gravity. Should be 1.085 - 1.095. Add sugar to raise if necessary.

8. Check acid. Acid level should be between 6 and 7 p.p.t. Add acid if necessary. (0.12 oz of acid blend will raise the acidity in 1 gallon of wine by 1 p.p.t.).

9. Let sit overnight.

10. Create yeast starter: 2 cups water, 2 tbsp sugar, .5 tsp yeast nutrient, .25 tsp acid blend, yeast pkg.

11. Stir well and check acid and sugar levels one more time.

12. Pitch yeast starter and yeast nutrient.

13. Stir and measure daily until SG is 1.04 SG or less.

14. When SG is 1.04 SG or less, rack to secondary by pouring through straining bag into another primary and then racking to a carboy with 3 crushed Campden tabs.

15. After 5 days, top off carboy if necessary.

16. Rack after 2 weeks and again after 30 days, topping off each time.

17. Set aside for 3 months and then rack, stabilize, sweeten if desired, wait 10 days for dead yeast to fall out, and rack into bottles.

Question for you all: Should I use a straining bag? Any suggestions?


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## snowgirl812001

I like your recipe! Never thought of pumpkin, but sounds great! I'm no expert, but maybe a straining bag would be easier? Hope you don't mind if I follow along


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## winemaker_3352

Looks great!!

1 suggestion though - I would be conservative on the spices. They tend to go a long way - and once they get too much in it - it will just over power the wine and IMO ruin it....

I like to use a teabag with my spices - so i can remove quick and easy...


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## MOwino

winemaker_3352 said:


> Looks great!!
> 
> 1 suggestion though - I would be conservative on the spices. They tend to go a long way - and once they get too much in it - it will just over power the wine and IMO ruin it....
> 
> I like to use a teabag with my spices - so i can remove quick and easy...



Yeah, I agree about the spices. The original recipe called for 6 cin sticks per 3 gallon, I decided that may be a bit much so I cut it down to 3. Do you think that may still be a bit much?

Good idea about the tea bag. Thanks for your input.


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## MOwino

snowgirl812001 said:


> I like your recipe! Never thought of pumpkin, but sounds great! I'm no expert, but maybe a straining bag would be easier? Hope you don't mind if I follow along



Follow away! I hope it works out, I really looking forward to trying this wine.


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## vacuumpumpman

Yes - I also enjoy pumpkin wine - with or without spices. I recommended using a strainger in the end process to pull most all of the liquid thru the straining bag.
I know this is not pumpkin - but I use the same process


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## jkrug

How did this wine turn out? Is there anything you would do differently? I am planning on making it this year


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## jamesngalveston

well, we can all call pumpkinman,...have him slice one of his big pumpkings, and we could all make 10 gallons...
Recipe sounds really good...I luv pumpkin. Keep us posted on the outcome and taste. please...I may make it if you say it is good.


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## vacuumpumpman

Yes - I like my pumpkin wine !! and so do alot of others !

I would personally get all the carving pumpkins as you can - typically the smaller has better flavor than the larger ones. I have never used anything other than the carving pumpkins after October as people are giving them away !!

I always freeze them after removing seeds and quartering them and thaw and into the crusher or directly into the fermenting stage


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## iVivid

vacuumpumpman said:


> Yes - I also enjoy pumpkin wine - with or without spices. I recommended using a strainger in the end process to pull most all of the liquid thru the straining bag.
> I know this is not pumpkin - but I use the same process



What is this strainer you are using?


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## vacuumpumpman

They are from Mc Master Carr
http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-filter-bags/=po31qc

Part # 98295K77


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## Bambi

MOwino said:


> 6 gallons
> 
> 24lbs canned pumpkin
> 6 Gallons water
> 4.5 lbs Raisins
> 9 lbs white sugar
> 3 cinnamon sticks -- broken up
> 6 whole nutmeg
> 2tbs whole cloves
> 1 ginger root
> 1.5 tsp tannin powder
> 6 level tsp yeast nutrient
> 5 oz acid blend
> 3 tsp pectic enzyme
> 1 package Lavlin KC1118 yeast
> 
> I am going to split this in half and do 2 3 gallon batches in 7.8 g fermentors. The reason for that is that I think this will foam up to much if I put it all in one fermentor. Then I will rack both to 1, 6 gallon carboy to settle out.
> 
> 1. Wash and sanitize all utensils.
> 
> 2. Boil 3 gallons of water and dissolve 5 lbs of sugar into water.
> 
> 3. Add pumpkin, raisins, cinnamon, ginger to empty primary fermentor.
> 
> 4. Pour boiling water into primary fermentor, stir well and let cool to room temp.
> 
> 5. When primary is room temperature add tannin powder, and pectin enzyme.
> 
> 6. Add 2.5 oz acid blend to primary and stir well.
> 
> 7. Check specific gravity. Should be 1.085 - 1.095. Add sugar to raise if necessary.
> 
> 8. Check acid. Acid level should be between 6 and 7 p.p.t. Add acid if necessary. (0.12 oz of acid blend will raise the acidity in 1 gallon of wine by 1 p.p.t.).
> 
> 9. Let sit overnight.
> 
> 10. Create yeast starter: 2 cups water, 2 tbsp sugar, .5 tsp yeast nutrient, .25 tsp acid blend, yeast pkg.
> 
> 11. Stir well and check acid and sugar levels one more time.
> 
> 12. Pitch yeast starter and yeast nutrient.
> 
> 13. Stir and measure daily until SG is 1.04 SG or less.
> 
> 14. When SG is 1.04 SG or less, rack to secondary by pouring through straining bag into another primary and then racking to a carboy with 3 crushed Campden tabs.
> 
> 15. After 5 days, top off carboy if necessary.
> 
> 16. Rack after 2 weeks and again after 30 days, topping off each time.
> 
> 17. Set aside for 3 months and then rack, stabilize, sweeten if desired, wait 10 days for dead yeast to fall out, and rack into bottles.
> 
> Question for you all: Should I use a straining bag? Any suggestions?




I'm wondering if I could use currents instead of raisins? I have a bunch of currents that are frozen in my freezer...


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## vacuumpumpman

I made pumpkin wine about 3 months ago - went really heavy on the pumpkin. Started fermentation with a potential abv of 10%

it suddenly stopped fermentation after awhile - kicked it off again and found out that the wine was too thick for the co2 to be released to the top. 

I remove 1 gallon per carboy and added sugar water and it started fermentation again. I just checked today and all bubbling action has stopped and the hydrometer reads 1.015 and it appears to be still thick liquid 


Any suggestions ?


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## cintipam

Maybe it's time to pour it into a pie shell and put it in the oven?

But seriously it sounds like its the same problem you had before. You need to thin that must somehow. Every time I've used 1118 it's gone to .094, or else I'd think it's done. Still, you could rack and let the must thin by sedimentation. Personally I'd split into a couple batches and try different techniques to see what produces the best results. That thick goo might turn into some tasty results.

Pam in cinti


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## Jerryto22

*Questions in the amount of ingredients*

I like the recipe. I encountered couple of challenges while following the recipe.

1 the amount of acid blen
2 ginger root
3 amount of sugar.

The amount of Punpkin is to thick and I m afraid it won't allow CO2 

Is a problem if I use real pumpkins?

If I stir the batch, can it stop fermenting?

What is the purpose to rack the wine, if all my mush is on top?


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## PandemoniumWines

I think I'd go lighter on the canned pumpkin (3# per gallon) and put it in a straining bag? That stuff gets awfully gloppy making pumpkin bread... you could throw some pumpkin chunks in the straining bag to get more flavor without increasing the goop. This one is in my to do list.


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