Fruit juice fermented plum wine is a low level fruit wine made from plums, sugar and natural yeast fermentation.
I cooked it with the ratio of yellow plum and sugar. One layer of plums is covered with sugar. The top layer of sugar is thicker to ensure that each plum is completely covered with sugar and does not come into contact with air. The container is a 5-liter airtight jar. The plum is a ripe yellow plum purchased from the market in July. Its aroma is stronger than that of green plums.
After about two days, the plums were juiced. After 10 days, most of the sugar melts and the plums wrinkle, shrink and float. Some plums may float on the surface of the juice and be exposed to the air. Shake the bottle daily to ensure that the floating plums are also evenly coated with juice to prevent them from becoming moldy due to constant exposure to air. Fermentation begins after about 12 days. After fermentation, the wrinkled plums will swell and produce a lot of gas. Shaking the bottle will produce a large amount of white foam. This is the first stage of fermentation. The whole process will last for one month.
After fermentation, there will be no gas. The puffed plums will slowly shrink back to wrinkled skin after juicing and will slowly sink without floating on the surface of the juice. After 12 months, the original fermented plum wine will be made and ready to drink.
Cautions.
1. Place the plums in a basin and wash twice with baking soda to remove dust from the surface. Then rinse with running water repeatedly until the water in the basin becomes clear. Do not rub it with salt. The salt will kill the natural yeast on the skin of the plum. Dry in a brewing basket.
2. A lot of gas is produced during the fermentation of plum juice. To prevent the bottle from exploding, vent it twice a day. Do not open the cap, press the silicone seal on the cap by hand to vent, or press the cap by hand and then open the latch of the seal box to vent. Do not open the cap, otherwise the plum will be easily contaminated by airborne bacteria. It is recommended that novice brewers use a glass enzyme jar with automatic air venting function.
White sugar can be replaced by brown sugar. The weight of sugar can be heavier than the plums, but at least 80% of the weight of the plums. When brewing with icing sugar, it must be crushed into powder beforehand. Large pieces of icing sugar do not guarantee timely juicing of the plums. Sugar is used to supply yeast to produce alcohol. If the amount of sugar is too small, it will not ferment. Inexperienced novices can add a small amount of honey to the bottom of the bottle for the first time. Honey contains natural yeast, which promotes fermentation.
4. The foam produced by the fermentation of plums should be as dense as soap foam and should be pure white with no strange colors. If the foam is made with brown sugar, it will get a little brown sugar color, but you can still see the background color of the foam is white. If the foam has a strange color, it means it is contaminated by various bacteria.
5. The brewing process should be oil-free, water-free, and contamination-free. Bottles and jars for washing and drying plums must first be thoroughly washed with detergent. The bottles should be sterilized. If there is no high temperature disinfection, you can use highly edible alcohol to disinfect them. (You can buy it from Treasure)
6. Do not open the cap during the brewing process, especially during the 12-month maturation period after the first fermentation. During the maturation process, many complex aromatic substances and ethanol are produced, which is the source of the aroma of fermented plum wine. Opening the cap will cause the fermented aromas and the fruitiness of the plums to evaporate. Only open the bottle when drinking. After opening the bottle, keep it away from light and finish it as soon as possible.
7. At the end of the first stage of fermentation, after the plums have stopped producing gas, wrap the whole bottle with plastic wrap to prevent the alcohol produced by fermentation from evaporating. If you don’t have a suitable place at home to keep away from light, cover the bottle with a clean black plastic bag.
When bottling plums and sugar, do not overfill the bottle. Simply fill it at 89 points. When it is too full, the plum juice will spill out of the mouth of the bottle. Beginners are advised to fill the bottle at eight points.
Fermented plum wine made with brown sugar has a darker color, but the combination of the aroma of the brown sugar and the aroma of the plums creates a very special flavor. Because of the heavy brown sugar flavor, it is recommended to extend the anaerobic fermentation process and leave it for 15 months to allow sufficient time for the brown sugar and plum aromas to fully integrate.
10、Anaerobic fermentation lasts for at least 12 months. Home-brewed wine cannot control formaldehyde, so it must be brewed for more than 12 months to ensure methanol evaporation. If you open the bottle in advance, you run the risk of exceeding the formaldehyde standard and the wine will taste bad. As long as the cap of the bottle of aerobic fermented plum is not opened, even if the plum floats on the surface of the plum juice, it will not deteriorate.
11. Although the alcohol content of fermented plum wine is low and children can drink it, it can be stored for a long time as long as the plum wine is soaked in high white wine in a dark, clean, and clean environment without opening the bottle. Plum wine that has been stored for two years tastes better. Plum wine that has been fermented for more than three years will produce many complex aromatic substances and will have a strong aroma when the bottle is opened.
12. Temperature, plum variety and sugar type will affect the fermentation process and fermentation time. The fermentation time of plum wine is different for each individual. This is a normal phenomenon. My time is just a reference time.
13. Green plums, yellow plums, and blush plums can be used to make plum wine. The aroma of cochineal plums is the strongest and the quality of fermented plum wine is the best. The ripeness of plums directly affects the flavor and appearance of plum wine. Ripe plum wine has a strong fruity aroma and flavor, but ripe plums have a high pectin content. The pectin dissolves during the brewing process, causing the wine to become turbid. After a year of resting, the gum will slowly sink to the bottom of the bottle and the wine will become clearer on top. The pectin deposited will not affect drinking, and there is no need to filter it out. Normal drinking is possible.
14. Do not cut or pierce the plums when making wine. Wine made from plums with their skins intact retains the fullest aroma of the fruit.
Let’s take a look at my own plum wine.
This is the last bottle of plum wine made in early August. After aerobic fermentation, the plums are still floating on the surface of the water. Even though the fermented plums are floating on the surface, they do not deteriorate. This is a plum wine that has been fermented under anaerobic conditions for three months. The plums have slowly sunk and no longer float on the surface of the plum juice. My favorite plum wine with brown sugar takes five months to brew. Plum wine made with white sugar is amber in color, plum wine made with brown sugar is dark reddish brown, but plum wine made with brown sugar is amber when diluted with water. This bottle is a honey plum wine made entirely with honey. It has been cooking for 5 months. It is not recommended for novices to try pure mead. It is recommended to try it again using a successful experience.
