Pecan Wine Recipe?

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I didn't measure the TA when I started. Just followed the almond recipe mostly. This morning I can still taste orange/lemon flavors, but the pecan is there also. It would be nice to know what grapenut did with hers. Maybe we can bribe her to tell us!
 
Tastes like Bourbon? Hmmmmmmm Yummy!! Looking forward to the aging if this little experiment! Thanks for your input!!

I just strained all the solids out of the fermenter, and I'm making cookies with them. Stay tuned!

Suzi

GREAT idea making cookies with the left-over pecans. I candied and toasted mine
 
I didn't measure the TA when I started. Just followed the almond recipe mostly. This morning I can still taste orange/lemon flavors, but the pecan is there also. It would be nice to know what grapenut did with hers. Maybe we can bribe her to tell us!

No bribing needed! I will post the recipe tomorrow. PROMISE.:b
 
Just "tossed my cookies!"

GREAT idea making cookies with the left-over pecans. I candied and toasted mine

I was so excited to make cookies with my fermented pecans and raisins after straining them out of the must. What I didn't realize is the dreaded fruit cake (which I HATE), is made with fermented fruits! So now my cookie dough tastes terrible! If the dough tastes terrible, the cookies won't be any better!! You should see the cookie dough! It's fermenting!!:d So, I am tossing my cookies. This gives a whole new meaning to "tossing your cookies!"

Looking forward to grapenut's pecan wine recipe tomorrow!
 
I love fruit cake. You could send them to me.
 
Is it tomorrow yet?

Yes...it's tomorrow, a day late..sorry..talking about tossing cookies--got whatever's going round...

Pecan Wine-1 gallon that tastes like bourbon:

1 gal. fresh-shelled pecans (remove as much pithe as possible)
2 gal. very hot water (not boiling)--with rackings, you should net 1 gal.
2 crushed campden tabs, another around 5th racking
Lt. Brown suger to 1.122 s/g (about 2.5 bags)
1 t. yeast energizer
2 t. yeast nutrient
2 t. acid blend (I used Fruit Fresh)
1 pkt. Premier Cuvee (because it can be used for cold fermentation to 45F)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Pour hot water over pecans in primary with crushed campden, stir well, sit overnight

Next morning, remove the pecans and add the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle yeast on top. DONT MAKE COOKIES WITH THESE unless you love fruitcake. They DO make very good toasted candied nuts, though.

When s/g ~ 1.020, rack (this was in only 5 DAYS for me!) and place in fridge (or outside in shaded area, as long as it's not less than 45F outside.) I did not use airlocks, but rather, used glass containers with the lids slightly loosened. These anaerobic conditions coupled with cold temps may have helped bacteria from not forming when the pecan oil started to become rancid.

You will notice even with cold fermentation, you still have a vigorous bubbling. I racked this liquor almost every 2-4 weeks using wads of paper towels to sop up the oil floating at the very top. With each racking, vigourously splash rack (de-gas) if fermentation still shows visible bubbling to release gas. Liquor started to clear around the 4th rack for me.

Added 1 campden at my 5th racking when my s/g stabilized at .9880 a couple rackings in a row. I started this wine 11-8-09 and just did my 6th rack 1-16-10, and no more oil is separating on the top.

It's dark amber, with crazy lace and boozey smell. I plan to let this sit a bit more before I do my last stabilizing rack with .5t sorbate, if needed at all since I am at ~17alc.

Thanks for being patient, all!
Non-grapenut (Lynn)
 
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Yes...it's tomorrow, a day late..sorry..talking about tossing cookies--got whatever's going round...
Pecan Wine-1 gallon that tastes like bourbon:

Thanks for your recipe non-grapenut! You used a completely different method and recipe than mine, so it shows how the end product can vary, and is helpful to all of us!

I never thought of a cold ferment. Mine is rocking and rolling in it's first racking. I racked at SG 0.020. That airlock is bubbling like every 3 seconds! But mine is just in the closet at room temperature. The main part is in a gallon jug, and the rest for topping up is in 2 wine bottles with airlocks also. There is a ton of sediment!

So you didn't use a hydrometer to test the SG when you started? I started with 0.090 SG. You seem to have high alcohol content which might be how you achieved that "bourbon" taste. Not sure if that's the reason though. I will be taking your advice on racking often and sopping pecan oil. I'll post how mine tastes as time goes along.

Very interesting reading your recipe! Thanks so much!! I've assembled the ingredients for a different twist, and I'll be fermenting my newest adventure this week. I plan to use white grape concentrate instead of raisins, triple toast the pecans again, and raw sugar instead of brown, to feed the yeasties; Acid blend instead of oranges and lemons, and NO spices. At least I'll have two versions here at home to compare. I'll post that recipe once I get it all together in the fermenter. Should be in a day or two.

Hope you are feeling better!
Suzi
 
cellared knome, you do realize that i'm about a 2 hr drive away and you could come by. the pecan won't be ready till ~july or so though. we ran out!
 
Thanks for your recipe non-grapenut! You used a completely different method and recipe than mine, so it shows how the end product can vary, and is helpful to all of us!

I never thought of a cold ferment. Mine is rocking and rolling in it's first racking. I racked at SG 0.020. That airlock is bubbling like every 3 seconds! But mine is just in the closet at room temperature. The main part is in a gallon jug, and the rest for topping up is in 2 wine bottles with airlocks also. There is a ton of sediment!

So you didn't use a hydrometer to test the SG when you started? I started with 0.090 SG. You seem to have high alcohol content which might be how you achieved that "bourbon" taste. Not sure if that's the reason though. I will be taking your advice on racking often and sopping pecan oil. I'll post how mine tastes as time goes along.

Very interesting reading your recipe! Thanks so much!! I've assembled the ingredients for a different twist, and I'll be fermenting my newest adventure this week. I plan to use white grape concentrate instead of raisins, triple toast the pecans again, and raw sugar instead of brown, to feed the yeasties; Acid blend instead of oranges and lemons, and NO spices. At least I'll have two versions here at home to compare. I'll post that recipe once I get it all together in the fermenter. Should be in a day or two.

Hope you are feeling better!
Suzi


Thanks Suzi. I can't wait to hear how your's turns out!
 
New Recipe, Mystery Result

Today I assembled the ingredients for the next generation pecan wine. It's in the fermenter waiting for the yeast. It tasted really blah, until I added the acid blend. There is no spice, and the only flavor is pecan and white grape.

I put some in a shot glass for JD, and his remark, "interesting." Me? Interesting? Interesting good? Interesting bad? Hello?

I find it quite lovely! It is lighter than the raisin version, and the raw sugar lends a nice touch. I did start with a higher SG this time because I do like a kick. So this one started at 1.100. I hope to get a finish at 14% alcohol. We will see.........

And, non-grapenut, I'm not making bourbon!

Suzi
Recipe to follow tomorrow
 
Today I assembled the ingredients for the next generation pecan wine. It's in the fermenter waiting for the yeast. It tasted really blah, until I added the acid blend. There is no spice, and the only flavor is pecan and white grape.

I put some in a shot glass for JD, and his remark, "interesting." Me? Interesting? Interesting good? Interesting bad? Hello?

I find it quite lovely! It is lighter than the raisin version, and the raw sugar lends a nice touch. I did start with a higher SG this time because I do like a kick. So this one started at 1.100. I hope to get a finish at 14% alcohol. We will see.........

And, non-grapenut, I'm not making bourbon!

Suzi
Recipe to follow tomorrow

Hearing you loud and clear, Suzi. Don't blame you...mine was a request from Bob, the other half. He hates wine (imagine the support I get for my hobby) but likes this stuff. Yick. Can't wait to blend this baby with something.
 
We need to breathe

grapenut, we both have clueless support. AKA men. But we are on a mission to succeed! Bless you!! I would love to taste your version of pecan!

You are welcome, in one year, to taste mine!

Suzi
 
grapenut, we both have clueless support. AKA men. But we are on a mission to succeed! Bless you!! I would love to taste your version of pecan!

You are welcome, in one year, to taste mine!

Suzi

I'm holding you to it! We shall swap. I will let you know what I do end up blending mine with. Of course, I will keep some pure for experimental sake. I only made 1 gal., so it won't be much..sorry, love!:hug
 
Version 2, Pecan Wine Recipe

I'm holding you to it! We shall swap. I will let you know what I do end up blending mine with. Of course, I will keep some pure for experimental sake. I only made 1 gal., so it won't be much..sorry, love!:hug

Hey non-Grapenut! I'm starting to save small screw top glass bottles (like soy sauce, salad dressing, etc), so we can swap "small" samples. They will be cheaper to ship, and we don't need an entire wine bottle! Just enough to sample, right? Looking forward to yours! Did I mention I LOVE Bourbon? Anyway, it will be fun to see what you blend with yours!

My Version 2 Pecan Wine Recipe is below. I thought the color would be lighter since I didn't use raisins, and used demerara sugar crystals which are much lighter than brown sugar, but I guess those toasted pecans add a lot of color to the batch. That champagne yeast is very active this morning! Here is the Recipe:

Speakeasy Cellars Pecan Wine from Concentrate

• 2 Cups Pecan Halves, Toasted 3 times per instructions
• 3 cans (11.5 oz) Welch's White Grape frozen concentrate
• 4-6 Cups raw Demerara sugar
• 1 Crushed Camden Tablet
• 2 tsp acid blend
• ¼ tsp. tannin
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• Water to make 1.5 gallon
• Champagne wine yeast slurry (see below)

1. Toast pecans at 300F for 10 minutes in a single layer, then pour into a paper bag to sit out till cool, getting some of the oils out of them. Roll and squish, or stomp on the paper bag, and you should see greasy spots on the bag.
2. Roast smashed Pecans about 12 minutes at 400F till slightly smoking. Pour into another paper bag, roll and squish and stomp some more, trying to get more oil out and let rest till cool.
3. Roast smashed Pecans at 350F for about 10 minutes, again, just until slightly smoking. Repeat the rolling and squishing and stomping in a new paper bag to get MORE oil out!
4. Add toasted pecans to a large pot and cover with water. Simmer for 1 hour, adding water periodically to prevent scorching.
5. Let hot mixture sit for a few minutes. Any oil should rise to the top. Try to skim off as much as you can with a tablespoon or a turkey baster.
6. Add sugar into hot liquid and stir till it melts. Reserve half the liquid in case you need to melt more sugar prior to adding to the primary.
7. Pour 3 Cans thawed Welch’s White Grape Concentrate into primary fermenter.
8. Strain pecans into a nylon straining bag weighted with a few marbles, and place into liquid in primary fermenter.
9. Add sugar water to make up to 1.5 gallons and add crushed Camden tablet, Yeast Nutrient, and Pectic Enzyme.
10. Start Yeast Slurry (recipe below)
11. Let sit overnight. Check specific gravity -- it should be between 1.090 and 1.100. If it’s higher than 1.100, add water. If it’s below 1.090, add sugar.
12. Add yeast slurry. Stir daily for five or six days, until frothing stops.
13. Remove nylon bag, and strain. Siphon into secondary fermentor and attach airlock.
14. Observe the liquid on the top of the secondary. If there is oil, try to siphon or skim most of it off, continuing this process throughout. At bottling time, there should be no oil floating on top.

For a dry wine, rack in three weeks, and every three months for one year. Bottle.

For a sweet wine, rack at three weeks. Add 1/2 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup wine. Stir gently, and place back into secondary fermentor. Repeat process every six weeks until fermentation does not restart with the addition of sugar. Rack every three months until one year old. Bottle.

YEAST SLURRY
• ½ C. baby bottle warm water
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Champagne Yeast (or other wine yeast)
Mix together in a coffee cup or bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let sit overnight. In the morning it should be nicely bubbling. Periodically throughout the day, add ¼ C of the fermenter liquid to the slurry so it gets used to it’s new host. At the end of the day, add the slurry to the fermenter.
 
the amber color is due to the natural tannins of the pecans..the pithe...each nut is slightly coated with it, so there is a lot of natural tannin. You will find this with just about any nuts you make wine with. I think the bourbon taste in mine is because I used only brown sugar (molasses is just burnt sugar, so it gives it that complex char flavor, I am guessing..) Don't make me start on all the various 'bottles' and secondary fermentation vessels I have used...the list makes me dizzy (and I am completely sober right now.)
 
After reading about the problems with pecan oil floating and its potential to turn rancid I started thinking. Racking the oil off of the wine, or the wine from the oil as it may be sounds rather wasteful. Granted I haven't tasted the oil from crushed or toasted pecans, but I'm sure that there are flavors there to be used.

My thinking took me on an internet quest. First, I thought emulsifier/detergent -add something that suspends the oil in the wine. According to Wikipedia (I know...) honey can act as an emulsifier, and ethanol acts as a detergent... something to consider.

What about breaking down the oils? We use pectic enzymes to eat up the polysaccharide chains in fruits. I don't know if it would even have the desired effect, but lipases break apart the fatty acid chains from the glycerol molecule in fats and oils.

I happened to stumble upon a vegitarian lipase supplement. The vegitarian variety sounded nice, no gelatin capsule and sourced from plants rather than animal intestine.

Anyway, thought I'd throw it out there...

National Enzymen Compny -Biocore Lipo
nationalenzyme.com/pdf-downloads/biocore-ts/lipo-ts.pdf
nationalenzyme.com/pdf-downloads/biocore-bg/lipo-bg.pdf
...I wish I could find a source around here.
 
Floating Pecan Oil

Well, Henry, I'm all ears!! you figured out something to sop up that oil? Could you make it.. like... simple? A brand or something of this, and a link of where to get it? And how to use it? Like we need a map! 1, 2, 3, 4...

Seems wasteful to rack off all that oil, and yep, it is, BUT you could add some citrus, garlic, onion, and jalapeno, and use that oily wine as a marinade for steak or fish for your next best BBQ. And your guests will get that puzzled look in their eyes... hmmmmm this is so different and so amazing!! blah blah. I love that stuff!!

Due to the nature of the beast, we make much more than we think we will eventually end up with. We allow for the skimming of the oil. Somehow "skimming of the oil" doesn't have the ring of "stomping of the grapes."

Suzi
 
I love the science behind your thoughts, Henry. I am with Suzi, though...how to test this and what measurements as catalysts...hmmm. So far, ending my final rack (7th, BTW) in the fridge has netted no sediment on top. I am letting it fine in the fridge, at this point. Again, imagine my other half's excitement. Started with 2 gallons, now have a little over 1.
 
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