Pineapple Wine

[fifthhorsm]

lloyd,
with pineapple the core is fine to use it has good flavor, the only reason it's cut away for eating is that it's tough and woody. also the rind or peel what ever you want to call it doesn't have any of the bitter pith of citrus. when i cut up a fresh pineapple i save all the trimmings and cook them with sugar into a nice syrup.
i think the nasty tasteing element in so much of the pineapple wine comes from the fruit it's self... i got a nice fresh pineapple a couple days ago, it was good and ripe but when i cut it.... there was the nasty bitter undertone. it was so bad i tossed it.... this has happened to me with about half the fresh pineapples i've gotten for the last few years. none are nearly as good as the fresh pineapple served in hawaii.... now days who really knows where the produce in our markets comes from.... some of our local markets got caught giving false info on the source of their produce last year.
mike

 

[djrockinsteve]

With all the talk of their pineapple being a let down I was worried about mine. Well this weekend it was sampled and well received. I did both a dry and a sweet version with 3 more gallons still aging.

If I recall I used 35 pounds of pineapple for a 6 gallon batch. I'm very happy with it. We'll have to wait a few months and see if it can get any better.

 

[Wiz]

Congrats Steve, wish I had the fortune for mine to be good. It's just drinkable but I wouldn't want it to be the only wine I had to drink.

 

[djrockinsteve]

I'll post my recipe on my blog one of these days. We can compare.

 

[Duster]

I took on the challenge this weekend. I thought I would start experimenting with 1gal batches. My first batch does not seem to be showing any sings of fermentation.
I used
2 quarts of 100% pineapple juice
2 quarts of 100% Welsh white grape juice

both containing no preservatives​

2 1/3 c sugar (inverted in grape juice)

starting SG of 1.081​

1/2 t of acid blend

do not have a way to check TA (i'm ready for the ridicule )​

1/2 t energizer
1 t nutrient
1/4 t tannin
1/2 t pectic enzyme
yeast slurry from cherry concord that was racked from the primary the same day. Slurry was added when must was 68*F

stirred ever 12 hours or so for the last 36 hours

current must temp is 74*F

I see no bubbles or foam at this point. If I see no reaction by tomorrow night then I am gonna take another SG reading to see where it is.

Is it possible that Pineapple is stubborn to start like SP is?

I'm open to any advice.

 

[docanddeb]

Pineapple is very acidic... it could be your Ph is low. Did you use a recipe for the basis of this? I would think pineapple juice without dilution might be the problem. Google a recipe for pineapple wine and see what comes up. Possibly adjusting the water and adding sugar accordingly will bring it back into line.

Debbie

 

[Duster]

I used the recipe in that common little pink book that come with most starter kits as a base recipe.
however you may be right, I really need to check my TA however my LHBS is 2 hours north and if I order one online, it may be too late by the time it gets here.

 

[docanddeb]

If you have a recipe for canned pineapple juice... then follow that. It should get you in the right ball park. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't need acid blend up front. Seems odd they would add that. It is something you can add at the end of any wine, to taste.

Debbie

 

[Wiz]

I don't do S.P. but I'm wondering why you didn't go ahead and use yeast?

 

[Duster]

I don't do S.P. but I'm wondering why you didn't go ahead and use yeast?

Because my dumba$$ brother in law was over and talked me into useing the premier curve slurry from Cherry

 

[docanddeb]

LOL







Debbie

 

[Duster]

I took on the challenge this weekend. I thought I would start experimenting with 1gal batches. My first batch does not seem to be showing any sings of fermentation.
I used
2 quarts of 100% pineapple juice
2 quarts of 100% Welsh white grape juice

both containing no preservatives​

2 1/3 c sugar (inverted in grape juice)

starting SG of 1.081​

1/2 t of acid blend

do not have a way to check TA (i'm ready for the ridicule )​

1/2 t energizer
1 t nutrient
1/4 t tannin
1/2 t pectic enzyme
yeast slurry from cherry concord that was racked from the primary the same day. Slurry was added when must was 68*F

stirred ever 12 hours or so for the last 36 hours

current must temp is 74*F

I see no bubbles or foam at this point. If I see no reaction by tomorrow night then I am gonna take another SG reading to see where it is.

Is it possible that Pineapple is stubborn to start like SP is?

I'm open to any advice.

Problem diverted! I gave it one more good stir and whip this morning then of to the office, when I got home this evening the air lock was blowing more gas then I do after an all-nighter of dollar drafts and a few deep fried burritos from my local watering hole

 

[jonpeter001]

# 3 pounds fresh pineapple
# 1 campden tablet
# 4 cups white sugar
# 1 teaspoon nutrients
# 1/4 teaspoon tannin
# 1 package yeast
# water

Remove top from pineapple. Cut off peel. Quarter pineapple lengthwise and cut out core. Chop into small pieces and put into primary fermentor. Mash and squeeze some juice out of the fruit. Add 12 cups of water and all other ingredients EXCEPT yeast. Let sit overnight.

Specific Gravity should be between 1.090 and 1.095. Add yeast. Stir daily, pressing pulp lightly with spoon to aid extraction for 3 to 5 days, until frothing ceases.

Strain the wine without squeezing more juice out, and place it in the secondary fermentor. Attach air lock.

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

For a sweet wine, rack at six 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 the wine when it is 6 to 12 months old, when you are sure it is stable. I like to continue racking for a whole year to ensure the wine is as clear as possible. Wine is ready to drink one year after the date the batch was started.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Here are my thoughts.

Add pectic enzyme in between camden tablet and yeast. Allow at least 12 hours between each.
Add Ascorbic Acid to prevent the fruit from turning while the ascorbic acid is working.
I myself would start with a lower gravity such as 1.070 or 1.075. You will get additional sugar from the pulp of the fruit. After it is finished you would most likely end up around 10 or 11%ABV unless you like that higher alcohol. That can obscure some of the fruit flavor.

I would ferment dry in a primary and not rack. This is a fruit you want to ferment quickly then rack and clear. You would not have to squeeze the pulp with a spoon as the pectic enzyme will chew up the cell structure of the meat and release the sugar. Remove the pulp around 1.020

Just my thoughts. I just bottled 12 gallons of pineapple and have more to do. It came out awesome thanks to Wade regarding the ascorbic acid.

 

[SpoiledRotten]

I tried the pineapple and it turned out fairly good. Although I'd probably never try Red Grapefruit again, pineapple is a keeper.

 

[SpoiledRotten]

Back from vacation to Bonaire netherlands Antilles great trip but when I returned was very disappointed with my Pineapple.999sg and my orange wine.1016 sg. both were sour and very bitter. The pineapple was bitter too and had very little flavor , the orange had more natural flavor but tasted more like grape fruit. I call it goat wine because only the goats will drink it. Can any thing be done to subdue the bitter flavor or should i toss it to the goats? I thought I would try pineapple because Tedeschi Vineyards in Maui Hawaii makes a pineapple wine called Maui Blanc which I like. But I have made two batches and failed on both attempts.

I was told by an old pro that enough sugar will take away the bitterness... if you like a real sweet wine.

 

[OldCanalBrewing]

My pineapple is now dry. I am going to, more than likely, simmer another can of juice ( i used pineapple juice for this batch) to 1/3 of volume for flavor punch and add sugar to taste for sweetening. I to have had the Maui Blanc and it's good. I like mine a tad more sweeter though. EC-1118 is a rocking yeast! Done in 5 days!! Ill let it age for awhile and possibly blend the second of the 2 gallons with a passion fruit or mango in secondary.