Plum Wine Recipe - Stage 1 - Merrybower Homestead

Anyone would think we drink a lot. The irony is we don’t! Having said that, when nature throws a surplus at you in the form of plums, there is only so much you can humanly eat before you turn to preserving the plumly bounty. Suz has made a few litres of gorgeous plum jam – I know because not all of it made it to the jars 😉 But it’s been such an amazing year that the little Victoria plum tree we planted 7 years ago is so full that some of the branches are reaching the ground! We planted it alongside a Bountiful apple tree, both on dwarfing rootstock so they wouldn’t grow past 9 feet each, as we thought at the time that was all we would have space for and they’d be enough for us. Having seen what they can do, it makes me realise that we need a plan of action for the fruit from the orchard in the near future! At this rate maybe we need to start thinking of applying for a license!

So with the jam jars full, it occured to us to follow the same route as our neighbours and make some plum wine. My only foray into wine-making territory was as a student, when I attempted rhubarb wine. With a taste and smell akin to dry-on-the-nose vomit, it turned me away from wine-making and towards cheap wine from the local off-license. I’m older now – I’ve overcome my fear and, regardless, we have an awful lot of plums to find a use for. The plum wine recipe I’m going to use is as below, with alterations made to fit our kit. I have ‘borrowed’ it from this site – the chap seems very helpful with his comments and I like the ‘no fuss’ approach. I’m not looking for something quick to drink – I don’t mind waiting, and I’m keen on the less-is-more approach when it comes to additives.

Equipment needed

One 5 gallon plastic fermentation barrel with lid

Something for stirring the contents (we use a long plastic spoon made for the purpose)

Something to sterlise the equipment with (I use Young’s Steriliser & Cleaner powder)

Long clear plastic tubing (available from DIY stores)

Funnel

3 x 1 gallon demijohns

3 x Demijohn bungs and airlocks (I use rubber and cork, no preference yet)

18 wine bottles (ideally clear glass)

18 corks (we’re using reuseable wax corks)

Ingredients needed

15lbs (6.75 kilos) of healthy plums

9lbs (4 kilos) of sugar

3 gallons of water

3 teaspoons of lemon juice

Wine yeast (1 x 5g pack of dried wine yeast)

Method

1. Sterilise the fermentation barrel and lid using the Sterliser & Cleaner powder (instructions on the tub)

2. Wash the plums, cut in half to check for maggots. I’m using the stones, some remove them.

3. Place in fermentation barrel.

4. Bring water to boil and pour in fermentation barrel.

5. Put the lid on and leave for four days, stirring twice daily.

6. Add the sugar and stir vigorously to dissolve.

7. Add lemon juice and the packet of wine yeast and put the lid on.

8. Store somewhere warm. After a few hours you’ll notice something starting to happen… there’ll be a froth on the surface as the yeast starts to ferment, turning the sugar into alcohol. Stir the contents twice a day.

9. After five days transfer the liquid to the demijohns using the plastic tubing and funnel. Make sure all the equipment has been sterilised.

10. Avoiding disturbing any sediment, place the fermentation barrel at a higher level than a demijohn (e.g. put the barrel on a table and a demijohn on the floor), put one end of the plastic tubing in the barrel, and having placed the funnel in the neck of a demijohn give the other end of the tubing a strong suck to pull some of the wine in the tube up and over the edge of the barrel. Quickly remove your mouth and put the tube end into the funnel. The wine should start to drain.

11. Stop removing liquid when you get close to the bottom so you transfer as little of the sediment as possible. Once all the liquid is in a demijohn top up with water to bring to a gallon if you need to – but don’t try and make a gallon from 3/4 of a gallon of plum juice! Seal with a bung and airlock. Some people add something like Milton to the airlock, but I tend not to incase there’s a reverse pull on the liquid and it taints the wine. I prefer to replace the airlock regularly with a sterlised one.

12. You can now store the wine for months somewhere cool and frost free. At first the fermentation may start up again and you’ll see bubbles going through the airlock. Gradually the wine will clear.

13. Once fully clear repeat the draining process, this time from the demijohn to sterilised wine bottles. Put a stopper in each bottle and store.

14. The wine will be ready to drink after twelve months.

I’m at stage 5, stirring twice daily, and already thinking about the next batch! I’ve read that if you can leave it for three years then that’s ideal, but I just know that won’t happen, so if you make plenty then some will be bound to remain on a shelf somewhere until then. I think the secret is to make more than you think you need to ensure a glut 🙂

In case it’s helpful, we use two brewing suppliers. Our local shop is very helpful and also has an online presence, at https://www.creativewinemaking.co.uk/

For our cider kit we use https://www.lovebrewing.co.uk

Plum Wine Recipe – Stage 1

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