Corn Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

• 2 lbs cracked corn
• 1 lb chopped golden raisins
• 2 lbs granulated sugar
• 4 tsp acid blend
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1/2 tsp tannin
• water to one gallon
• 1 crushed Campden tablet
• Champagne or Sherry wine yeast

Rinse the corn well, checking for any pebbles or other foreign matter. Put chopped raisins and corn in a bowl and cover with enough water to cover the corn. Soak overnight. The next day, pour corn and raisins in a fine nylon straining bag, tie the bag closed, and put in primary. Pour the soaking water into primary. Put remaining water on to boil with sugar in it. Stir well as water heats up until sugar is dissolved and water comes to a boil. Pour water into primary. Add the acid blend, yeast nutrient and tannin. Cover primary with a sheet of plastic held in place with a large rubber band or loop of elastic. When cooled to room temperature, add crushed Campden tablet, recover, and set aside for 24 hours. Meanwhile, boil a cup of orange juice, transfer to a sterilized pint jar and set in refrigerator 30 minutes to cool. When cool, add yeast to orange juice and cover with plastic wrap. After 24 hours, add orange juice to primary. Stir daily for two weeks. Remove bag of corn/raisins and allow to drip drain (do not squeeze). Discard corn/raisins, recover primary and allow liquor to settle overnight. Rack into secondary and fit with airlock. Rack every two months for six months. After sixth-month racking, check for dryness. If not completely dry (specific gravity of 0.990), allow another two months and rack again. When dry, bottle the wine. May drink immediately. [Adapted from Terry Garey’s The Joy of Home Winemaking ]

• 4 to 6 ears of freshly picked corn
• 2 lbs granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1-1/2 tblsp acid blend
• 1/8 tsp tannin
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• water to 1 gallon
• Sherry wine yeast

Put a large pot containing half the water on to boil. Meanwhile, clean the corn and cut it from the cobs. Cut cobs into 2-inch sections and put the cobs and corn in the boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes. Strain into the primary and add 1-1/2 pounds sugar to it, stirring until dissolved. Add remaining water to make up a gallon less one cup. Cover primary and set aside to cool. When at room temperature, add pectic enzyme, acid blend, tannin, and yeast nutrient. Recover primary and set aside 12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover. Stir daily for 7 days. Boil one cup of water and dissolve one pound of sugar into it. Set sugar water aside to cool, covered. Rack wine into secondary and add sugar water. Fit airlock and set aside for 30 days. Rack, top up and refit airlock. After additional 60 days, rack, top up and again refit airlock. Set aside for 4 months, checking fluid in airlock from time to time. Wine should be clear. If not, treat as for starchy haze . Rack into bottles and set aside for 3 months. Will improve with further aging. [Adapted from Dorothy Alatorre’s Home Wines of North America ]