# Pumpkin wine recipe please



## St Allie (Apr 14, 2009)

I have a few pumpkins due.. and feel an experiment is in order.

What does pumpkin wine taste like anyway?

Allie


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## Luc (Apr 14, 2009)

Allie it does not taste like anything you have tasted before.
It is what we call an aquired taste.......

My girlfriend likes it. I don't.
Some of my friends love it, most of them don't.

I made it two years ago and made another one from a different variety pumpkins last year. This one is still in the carboy.

You can find my recipe here:
http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2008/09/pompoenwijn-pumpkinwine.html

Luc


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## St Allie (Apr 14, 2009)

Thanks Luc,

An acquired taste huh?

I might leave that for another year and make pumpkin soup for the freezer instead 



Allie


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## smurfe (Apr 14, 2009)

Can't say I have ever had a pumpkin wine. I have had many a Pumpkin Ale though and love it. Many spice their brew to taste like a traditional pumpkin pie. At least a here in the US pumpkin pie. Funny thing is, I do not like Pumkin Pie.


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## St Allie (Apr 14, 2009)

heheh smurfe.. and you don't make it yourself? why not?


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## smurfe (Apr 14, 2009)

St_Allie said:


> heheh smurfe.. and you don't make it yourself? why not?



Make Pumpkin Ale? I have, well a brew buddy did and I assisted and took home part of it.


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## St Allie (Apr 14, 2009)

want me to post you some pumpkins?


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## Wade E (Apr 14, 2009)

well I have never made it but a local winery made some last year with honey and spices and dang it was very good, I will give it a try this year.


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## Boozehag (Apr 14, 2009)

My Dad used to make pumpkin wine, I was too young to drink it (Didnt start until 9 years old! ) but he says it was good. And get this, he even made some in the pumpkin itself. Hollowed it out and added the sugar etc...can imagine all sorts of potential problems with that though! 
I think the idea of spices and honey added souds good

Now my potato wine, its bounced back and Id say is similar to a sau blanc in smell and taste...and you all laughed at me!!! I think its gonig to a great wine!


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## Wade E (Apr 14, 2009)

Ive heard of potatoe wine too but must say it just doesnt sound good! Hope yours comes out good though.


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## Sacalait (Apr 14, 2009)

Years ago I made a cushaw (green and white striped crooked neck) pumpkin wine that turned out very well as I recall. Since I'm likely the oldest guy here memories do fade.


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## St Allie (Apr 14, 2009)

Coll? 

I have a recipe like that for marrow wine...

Hey Luc? 

Large pumpkin to be used instead?

"The idea is to slice the top off the marrow and scoop out the seeds. Stuff the centre with demerara sugar, (a few raisins helps to improve the brew).
Put the top back on the marrow and seal it with tape to exclude the air.
Then either prop it up, or suspend it in an old (clean) pair of tights in a cool place.
When the marrow starts to go a little squishy poke a hole in the bottom with a skewer.
Put a muslin cloth over a sterilised bucket and let the juices drip through it.
Then drink and enjoy 
Can be potent, especially with the raisins. "

Thoughts people?

I'm very tempted to do this... lol

Allie


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## slow learner (Nov 20, 2010)

did you ever give it a shot, allie? I'd like to try this year. 

To be clear, the recipe calls for no water? no yeast?


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## slow learner (Nov 26, 2010)

not double-posting, answering my own question out loud: 

I visited blacksheep enterprises website (via les "blacksheeples") and found the recipe listed here: 
http://blacksheepenterprises.webs.com/recipes.html

it does call for yeast to be sprinkled in with the brown sugar, but no water is added. 

I wonder if the pumpkin would explode given a small (.75 cup volume, max) yeast starter instead of dry yeast.


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## blacksheeples (Nov 27, 2010)

*Yeast starter*

Never tried this approach. Should work, but make sure you use good quality bags to put it into. (Just in case!)

ENJOY!! Les


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## St Allie (Nov 28, 2010)

hey slow,

are you going to give it a go?

I never actually got around to making that recipe.. apparently it's got a very strong sherry like finish.

A


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## slow learner (Nov 28, 2010)

ya i'm getting started tonight. 

which reminds me i better wake up that yeast...

I think I'll tape the top down but not to make it air tight. I'm scared of pumpkin wine. this is what happened with that "low foaming" ec-1118
the barrel was only 2/3 full!


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## St Allie (Nov 28, 2010)

OMG lol..

I feel for you darl.. we all have had a mess or two to clean up over the years..

EC1118 isn't low foaming when it hits a peach must either btw.

just letting you know that if you tape the lid down and it foams.. you are likely to force out the airlock and you'll have a geiser in a confined space.. think ceiling, walls and floor covered in foam...

just sayin!

Allie


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## slow learner (Dec 2, 2010)

the pumpkin wines in the pumpkins are started, i hope. i guess i don't really have a way to check until the pumpkins start to soften. i only had regular sugar available. 

on another note: i pressed what remained of my pumpkin explosion last night and was left with 20 gal of very syrupy orange stuff. the mixture is not sweet. 

has anyone had this problem before? Should i do something or just wait?


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## St Allie (Dec 7, 2010)

just keep an eye on it, I reckon....

have never made pumpkin wine myself...

Allie


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## djrockinsteve (Dec 7, 2010)

If I were to tell you what the last 30 days were like with my pumpkin you wouldn't believe it.

Just racked 7 gallons out of 10 gallons of primary. It looked like spaghetti sauce. A lot of sediment. There were no gross lees to see so I left behind the bottom 2 inches and I will rack again in a few days. It has settled quickly and has lost the deep orange/red but still looks very nice as a lighter orange.

The smell was awkward. A combination of the pumpkin and fermenting for so long. It's well sulfited and clearing with sparkelloid.

FYI this was from a Libby's Pumpkin Mix in a can.


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## djrockinsteve (Dec 11, 2010)

Just an update and an FYI, I racked my 7 gallons of pumpkin after about 1 week as the gross lees were mixed in with the pulp and wine. It had cleared nicely but still had more clearing to go.

I ended up with a little under 6 gallons. So as an experiment I took the sediment and put it in a 3 gallon carboy approx. half filled and placed it outside in the cold. After a few hours the sediment began to sink and the wine rose. I was able to get almost enough to fill my 6 gallon carboy. I put the carboy (3 gal) back outside to see if I can get another cup which will fill my 6 gal. carboy to the top.

I''ll rack again in 4 weeks, hopefully it will have cleared much better by then.


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## slow learner (Dec 11, 2010)

thanks for the tip, steve. I wonder if 32 is cold enough or if i should wait until tomorrow night (forecast of 17). 

Allie,
I started the pumpkins on the 28th (nov). I drained one of them last night cuz it was leaking, I'll do the second one tomorrow or the next day, cuz the base of it (not the walls) is getting soft. The recipe i used suggested this wouldn't happen for 40 days

The juice is very sweet and doesn't seem to be fermenting. It might be that by rehydrating the yeast before adding to dry sugar i've killed them all, instead of letting them wake up once the sugars pulled enough moisture from the pumpkin. If there's no activity before this evening I'll ferment the liquid in a bucket.


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## djrockinsteve (Dec 11, 2010)

slow learner said:


> I wonder if 32 is cold enough or if i should wait until tomorrow night (forecast of 17).



Also worth mentioning I removed the airlock and loosened the bung. Then I placed a napkin over the top and added a gum band. I see now there is some more wine at the top.

I'm not going to let mine freeze. I don't want to scratch the inside of the carboy as the solids freeze or even crack it. I'll have enough tonight then it's to the garden with the pulp.


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