STRAWBERRY WINE     by Don Schiller 

For a batch of about 5 gallons -

Ingredients:

• 20 lbs. frozen strawberries (Use extra if the berries are light in flavor.) 
• 4 lbs. Sugar (approx.)
• 3 gallons water (approx.-see recipe) 
• Campden tablets OR potassium metabisulfite powder
• 5 tsp. yeast nutrient 
• 2 1/2 tsp. dry or 25 drops liquid pectic enzyme 
• 1 pkt. general purpose wine yeast 
• Sparkolloid 

Process:

• Place frozen fruit in fermentor
• Add 5 campden tablets OR 1/4 tsp. metabisulfite 
• Add pectic enzyme 
• Add 4 lbs. sugar
• Leave for 3 days at room temperature. 
  
  
• Place fruit in straining bag. 
• Place bag and water into primary fermentor to make 5-1/2 gallons. 
• Adjust acid to TA .65% (6.5 g/L)  with tartaric acid
• Check S.G. and add sugar to 1.075 if needed. 
•     (This is lower then many wines; strawberries seem to give a false S.G. reading.)
• Add 5 tsp. yeast nutrient 
• Add 1 pkt. yeast. 
  
  
• While must is fermenting, make sweetened juice using 4 lbs frozen berries, 1 cup sugar  and 1/2 tsp. or 5 drops pectic enzyme. Put into bowl for 1 day at room temperature. Put this mixture into a fruit bag and allow clear juice to drip into a container for 24-36 hours. 
  
• Do not squeeze the bag. (Clear juice can be frozen until it is added later.) 
  


• When S.G. is about 1.005, lightly hand squeeze fruit bag in fermentor  (don't over squeeze). 
       There should be about 5 1/2 gallons must or slightly less. 
• Rack wine into secondary. 
  
  
• Rack wine again in 3 weeks 
  
• Add 5 Campden tablets OR 1/4 tsp. metabisulfite 
• Add 2-1/2 tsp. potassium sorbate 
• Add clear sweetened juice to taste
• Rack again in 3-5 weeks and add Sparkolloid. 
• Rack 1 week later (when clear)
• Verify sulfite level is 40-75ppm. 
• Add campden tablets OR metabisulfite if needed. 
• Sweeten with sugar syrup to taste 
• Filter, if desired, and bottle.