Jun 24 2009
Cranberry Wine Recipe
Cranberries are so good they named a rock band after them!
Ingredients:
3 lb Cranberries
½ pt Red grape conc. Or 1 lb Dk raisins
7 pts Water
2 ½ lb Sugar
½ tsp Pectic Enzyme
½ tsp Energizer
1 Campden, crush
1 pkg Wine Yeast
Starting S.G. 1.095-1.100
FYI: All the above ingredients can be purchased in one convenient package at letsmakefoodandwine.com!
Method:
- Select only well-ripened but sound fruit. Wash and place fruit in nylon straining bag. Crush, press and strain out juice into primary fermentor.
- Keep all pulp in bag (add chopped raisins, if used), tie top and place in primary. If using juice all this work is already done.
- Stir in all other ingredients except yeast. Cover primary.
- After 24 hrs., add yeast. Cover primary.
- Stir daily and check Specific Gravity. Press pulp lightly to add in extraction.
- When ferment reaches S.G. of 1.030 (about 5 days) strain juice lightly from bag. Syphon wine off sediment into glass jug secondary. Attach airlock.
- When ferment is complete (S.G. has dropped to 1.000—about 3 weeks) syphon off sediment into clean secondary. Reattach lock. Syphon again in 2 months and again if necessary until clear before bottling.
Varieties:
Cranberry (Vaccinum L.) is related to the blueberry group. The commercial variety American or Large Cranberry (V. macrocarpum) yield 3/8”-3/4” round, red fruit. They require a stream with some marsh suitable for a bog—for flooding but quick emptying. Unless you can find these wild, seek them in the store. Lingonberry is a wild variety.
