Rambutan Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

• 3-3/4 lbs rambutan, canned in light syrup
• 1 lb sugar (to s.g. 1.085)
• 7-1/2 pts water
• 1-1/2 tsp acid blend
• 1 Campden tablet, finely crushed and dissolved in 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1/8 tsp tannin
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 pkt Hock wine yeast

Drain and discard syrup from rambutans and chop fruit. Place fruit in nylon straining bag, tie closed, and set in primary. Add all ingredients except pectic enzyme and yeast to primary and stir well to dissolve. Cover primary and set aside 6-8 hours. Add pectic enzyme and recover primary. After 6-8 hours, add activated yeast starter, cover primary and set aside for 5-7 days or until s.g. drops to 1.015. Remove bag of fruit and transfer liquid to secondary, top up if required and fit airlock. Ferment to dryness, then rack, top up and refit airlock. Repeat every 30 days until wine clears and no new sediments form during a 30-day period. Stabilize and sweeten to taste if desired (if sweetened, wait three weeks for any renewed fermentation to begin) and rack into bottles. Age 6 months before tasting. Serve chilled. [Author’s own recipe]