Black-Currant Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads
- 1-1/2 lbs fresh black currants
- 3/4 lb black raisins
- 2 lbs ripe bananas
- 1-1/4 lbs granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1 tsp citric acid
- 1/4 tsp tannin
- 1 crushed Campden tablet
- water to make 1 gallon
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- Lalvin RC-212 (Bourgovin) wine yeast
Bring 1 quart water to boil. Meanwhile, slice the bananas crosswise, peeling and all, into 1/2-inch slices. Put bananas, raisins and black currants in pressure cooker. Pour boiling water over fruit and secure lid. Bring to 15 pounds pressure for 3 minutes. Immediately, move pressure cooker under cold running water and reduce pressure to zero. Remove lid and pour onto sugar in primary. Stir to mix sugar and add remaining water (cold) to reduce temperature even more. Stir some more to dissolve sugar thoroughly, cover and set aside to cool to room temperature. Add remaining ingredients except pectic enzyme and yeast, stir well, recover, and wait 12 hours. Add pectic enzyme, stir well, recover, and set aside another 12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover primary. When fermentation is vigorous, stir twice daily for three days. Pour through nylon straining bag and allow to drip drain for about an hour; do not squeeze. Pour liquor into secondary and fit airlock. Rack every 30 days into sanitized secondary until wine clears and no further sediments are dropped during a 30-day period. Stabilize and place in refrigerator for three days. Rack into sanitized secondary, sweeten to taste, top up, refit airlock, and store in dark, cool place for 4-6 months. Rack into bottles. This wine will continue improving for up to three years, but may be enjoyed earlier. [Recipe adapted from J.R. Mitchell’s Scientific Winemaking — Made Easy ]
- 1-1/2 lbs fresh black currants
- 3/4 lb black raisins
- 2 lbs ripe bananas
- 1-3/4 lbs granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1 tsp citric acid
- 1/4 tsp tannin
- 1 crushed Campden tablet
- water to make 1 gallon
- 2 tsp yeast nutrient fortified with yeast hulls
- Lalvin K1V-1116 (Montpellier) wine yeast
Bring 1 quart water to boil. Meanwhile, slice the bananas crosswise, peeling and all, into 1/2-inch slices. Put bananas, raisins and black currants in pressure cooker. Pour boiling water over fruit and secure lid. Bring to 15 pounds pressure for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool naturally unitl pressure drops to zero. Remove lid and pour onto 1/2 the sugar in primary. Stir to mix sugar and add remaining water (cold) to reduce temperature even more. Stir some more to dissolve sugar thoroughly, cover and set aside to cool to room temperature. Add citric acid, tannin, crushed Campden tablet, and 1/2 the yeast nutrient. Stir well, recover and wait 12 hours. Add pectic enzyme, stir well, recover, and set aside another 12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover primary. When fermentation is vigorous, stir twice daily for three days. Pour through nylon straining bag and allow to drip drain for about an hour; do not squeeze. Stir 1/2 remaining sugar and yeast nutrient into liquor until dissolved. Pour liquor into secondary and fit airlock. When specific gravity drops to 1.010, stir in remaining sugar and yeast nutrient until dissolved. Rack every 30 days into sanitized secondary until wine clears and no further sediments are dropped during a 30-day period. This may take a while to achieve. Stabilize and place in refrigerator for five days. Rack into sanitized secondary, sweeten to 1.030, top up, refit airlock, and store in dark, cool place for 4-6 months. Rack into bottles. This port-style wine will continue improving for up to six years, but may be enjoyed earlier. [Author’s recipe adapted from J.R. Mitchell’s Scientific Winemaking — Made Easy ]
- 14 oz. dried black currants
- 1-3/4 lb. granulated sugar
- 7-1/4 pt. water
- 1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
- 3/4 tsp. acid blend
- 1 tsp. yeast nutrient
- wine yeast
Bring 1 quart water to boil and dissolve sugar. Remove from heat, add currants and cover. After 30 minutes, transfer to primary, add remaining water and all ingredients except yeast. Cover primary and set aside for 12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover primary. When fermentation is vigorous, stir daily for 7 days, strain, and transfer liquid to secondary. Fit airlock and set in cool place (60-65 degrees F.) one month. Rack, top up and refit airlock, then repeat in two months. Rack again when clear. Stabilize, sweeten if desired and bottle. May taste after six months, but improves with age. [Author’s own recipe]