Peach Wine...

[Aiserock]

Hello all,

So, is peach wine a good thing to try as a beginner, or will I frustrate myself unnecessarily trying?

Any tried and true methods, I used the search function for a recipe, I could only find the DB version and the peaches and cream experiment.

Thanks,

Anthony

 

[pillswoj]

I do a peach wine every year, it is not terrible but it is not as easy as some other fruits.

Point to note: Peaches are very high in pectin be very liberal in the use of pectic enzyme.

I do a full fruit batch ~ 10lbs per gallon, I get 50 lbs and the farm I get them from also gives me 2-3 pounds of Niagara (Coronation sovereign grapes) I crush and add those to improve the color of the wine.

After destoning the peaches, sprinkle with pectic enzyme and freeze them (I freeze them for a week)

Thaw and mash them, it will be a pudding consistency add grapes.

Add a full dose of pectic enzyme stir and let sit covered overnight.

use a strainer to get enough juice to measure SG. Add sugar (as simple syrup or heavy syrup) to get SG to 1.080.

Add acid to get the pH to 3.2

Add yeast nutrient per package direction.

pitch yeast of your choice - I just use EC-1118 for it.

punch down twice per day.

Second does of nutrient around SG 1.020

Rack and press at ~ 1.010

After 1 week ( fermentation should be done) Rack and add kmeta

Clarify with keilsol and chitosan should clear within 2 weeks if not hit it with more pectic enzyme

Add potassium sorbate and sweeten to taste. - even if you want a dry wine you need to back sweeten a bit to bring out the peach flavors.

The wine is drinkable in about a month but much better after 6 or 7 month. I typically make it in September (peach harvest in Ontario, Canada) for drinking the next summer.

Most of this I learned from reading threads by @Scooter68 hopefully he will chime in.

 

[john west]

Thanks for sharing your Peach recipe. I am just starting to get peaches from my tree and was looking for info on this.

 

[Aiserock]

Hey @pillswoj ,

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions and your detailed step by step on the recipe.

 

[Snafflebit]

Does this wine have much peachy flavor?

 

[pillswoj]

Does this wine have much peachy flavor?

As long as you Backsweeten it to some level it does. I like it fairly dry so I aim for an SG of 1.008 or so, that brings out the peach flavor while not being overly sweet.

Typically after stabilizing I will backsweeten to level I think is appropriate, then wait 2 weeks and sample it and adjust further if needed.

 

[Rice_Guy]

There is a lot of variation in peach variety. @Aiserock you didn’t mention if you grow your own peaches, and @john west I have harvested when the first few are attacked by vermin or start to drop and plan two days to ripen/ get juicy/ get sweeter on the counter in a flat box.

Peach is a hard wine to clear, as suggested double or more the added Pectic enzyme. Some will age a minimum of a year to let it drop, ,,, HOWEVER it still tastes good with a pectin haze so as a first timer I would take this as a given and empty the carboy for another wine, not wait. Sugar (backsweetening) is magic on the finished wine. It can change the taste/ aroma from “hard green” store peaches to “full ripe”, I do lots of fruit per gallon as a style and back sweeten to 1.010

 

[Aiserock]

I'd be buying the peaches, I wish I grew my own. I was hoping to get some from the "peach truck" but I may have missed the boat on that option this year.

 

[hounddawg]

peach makes a very good wine, um, i don't add grapes to mine and yes i like at least 10 lb per gal, but i like my wines sweet, i try to keep my wines depending on the fruit or berry with a SG of 1.030 to 1,040, and yes at that SG they taste like a really good peach right off the tree, john west where boughts are you from, my peaches still have a way to go before i can start to pick, seems both my elderberries and peaches are loaded but are slow to getting ready, and as stated by riceguy and others use lots of pectic enzyme , from the very first of starting your must, and freezing tree picked peaches helps break the cell walls down, if buying homewinery.com concentrate is good for a max of 4 & 1/2 gallons, but if you call them you can buy a 1/2 gal concentrate and a extra pint, on, any fruits i have to buy i buy 3 concentrates,, that lets me make 13 & 1/2 gallon, when i rack from primary to secondary carboy, plus put the extra gallon and a half i use to top off with and i end up with 12 gallons of peach wine, best of luck,
Dawg

 

[Rice_Guy]

You are in harvest season, you will find there are quite a few edibles that you can ferment, they range from aronia to zucchini (zucchini is one I will not do twice). Dawg is a country wine maker, his posts have additional favorites. ,,,,, what do you like the flavor of? peach, then go for it even if pricey.

I'd be buying the peaches, I wish I grew my own. I was hoping to get some from the "peach truck" but I may have missed the boat on that option this year.

 

[Scooter68]

Nothing wrong with cutting up the peaches, destoning and then dose with Pectic Enzyme and the freeze them for now. For a first wine - peach will likely test your patience on clearing. For that reason I would go with a berry wine of some sort. Blackberries are great or blueberries. Or go a little exotic with say a pineapple Mango. (For this last one I like to use crushed pineapple (canned) or you can use fresh - which ever is least expensive. Fresh Mangos are best but a mess to get the flesh off the seed and skin.)

 

[pillswoj]

I'd be buying the peaches, I wish I grew my own. I was hoping to get some from the "peach truck" but I may have missed the boat on that option this year.

Are you close enough that you can go to the orchard? My my father in law goes to the orchard and is able to get 'overripe' fruit at a discount. When destoning you have to cut out the odd bad spot, but they seem to be much higher in sugar and flavor.

 

[Scooter68]

Agree with the orchard stand shopping - that's the best place to go unless you have your own peach trees or a generous friend. Over-ripe are perfect. Just cut off any mold. I leave the bruise/soft brownish as that is really sweet and flavorful. The stems and stones are about all you have to get rid of.

Oh and one thing more - initially an all peach must will be almost like a pudding in consistency and IMPOSSIBLE to get an SG reading from for a day or two - so once the must is basically ready hit it with a good dose of K-Meta and let is sit in a cool place for at least one day. Even then it may take some effort to get a good reading.

By the way folks - that Peaches and Cream that I tried was great - just used about 1/4 stick of Vanilla bean in 2 gallons. In 5 not more than 1/2 of a bean is needed to get the vanilla flavor. Could also be made into dessert wine as well with a higher ABV and extra sweetening on the end - IF one was so inclined.

 

[DizzyIzzy]

I'd be buying the peaches, I wish I grew my own. I was hoping to get some from the "peach truck" but I may have missed the boat on that option this year.

Aiserock, I'm from Knox county. Branstool peaches in Utica just put their sign up, and their freestones are to die for. You might want to consider them since you missed the "peach truck". Good luck......................Dizzy

 

[DizzyIzzy]

Nothing wrong with cutting up the peaches, destoning and then dose with Pectic Enzyme and the freeze them for now. For a first wine - peach will likely test your patience on clearing. For that reason I would go with a berry wine of some sort. Blackberries are great or blueberries. Or go a little exotic with say a pineapple Mango. (For this last one I like to use crushed pineapple (canned) or you can use fresh - which ever is least expensive. Fresh Mangos are best but a mess to get the flesh off the seed and skin.)

Hey Scooter, put look on the bright side, mangos are dirt cheap and worth the mess I think......................Dizzy

 

[DizzyIzzy]

Aiserock, I'm from Knox county. Branstool peaches in Utica just put their sign up, and their freestones are to die for. You might want to consider them since you missed the "peach truck". Good luck......................Dizzy

Aiserock, I'm from Knox county. Branstool peaches in Utica just put their sign up, and their freestones are to die for. You might want to consider them since you missed the "peach truck". Good luck......................Dizzy

Aiserock...............Meant to say Branstool Orchards in Utica..............Dizzy

 

[Scooter68]

Hey Scooter, put look on the bright side, mangos are dirt cheap and worth the mess I think......................Dizzy

Oh, I agree. As a kid my family was stationed in Hawaii and from a young age mangos have been on my list of favorites. I prefer to eat them standing over the sink. My wife lets me cut them up when she buys them - I get to scrape the skin and get the last bit off that big ol seed. For some folks though such things are "Work" and MESSY, but for me just part of the fun. I've used frozen mango pieces too but in reality those are not from "Ripe Mangos" but somewhat green ones - proof - just let them totally thaw out and they stay very firm. I have 3 gallons of Pineapple-Mango to be bottle anytime I get around to it. First I have 3 gallon batch Black Currant to bottle.

 

[sour_grapes]

Oh, I agree. As a kid my family was stationed in Hawaii and from a young age mangos have been on my list of favorites. I prefer to eat them standing over the sink. My wife lets me cut them up when she buys them - I get to scrape the skin and get the last bit off that big ol seed.

Roger that! My wife loves mangos, but, like many people, she has a mild allergic reaction to the oil (urushiol) in the skin of the mango. So I have to peel them for her, and then sloppily gnaw on the pit over the sink!

 

[hounddawg]

Roger that! My wife loves mangos, but, like many people, she has a mild allergic reaction to the oil (urushiol) in the skin of the mango. So I have to peel them for her, and then sloppily gnaw on the pit over the sink!

i feel for her, i'm mildly allergic to bananas, i'd kill for some banana pudding, not to mention i got 18 gallons banana wine bulk aging, i get mildly sick, and just feel ruff after bananas, but dang i like bananas, may god bless you both,
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

Hello all,

So, is peach wine a good thing to try as a beginner, or will I frustrate myself unnecessarily trying?

Any tried and true methods, I used the search function for a recipe, I could only find the DB version and the peaches and cream experiment.

Thanks,

Anthony

about any fruit wine recipe in the forums Recipe thread works, just do a starting SG for the ABV you want, after ferment dry and aging then sweeten to your taste, make sure to use sorbate first to stop it refermenting, it will not stop a ferment , but it will stop it from restarting,
Dawg