Plum Brandy

[gaza the instructor]

Found this http://homebrewacademy.com/how-to-make-plum-wine/
thought it might make a good project for later in the year.
Scale up the recipe and make 3 x 25ltr washes

[Mash]

This is a good use for plums. Quite frankly, they make a terrible wine - it's a lot of hard work, particularly to get them clear for what is only ever a mediocre outcome.

The French make spirit out of them. And it is rather good.

On that basis I would modify the recipe has follows.....
12 cups water (carbon filtered) < tap will do

2 lbs granulated sugar < Once I had the mash I would use the refractometer to get it to 13% With as much granulated sugar as necessary.
5 lbs of mixed plums

2 Campden tablets < omit Unless these are really grotty plums. Sulphite is a double edge sword - It is used to suppress yeast & Microbiological activity. If you don't need it, you don't need it.

1 packet dry yeast Red Star Cote des Blancs 5g < A big dose of Baker's yeast or a distilling yeast might be better.

2 teaspoons acid blend < yup you will probably need to correct the pH

1 teaspoon yeast nutrient < Won't hurt

1/2 teaspoon pectic enzyme (this will help to breakdown the fruit) < No point you do not want it as wine! This helps clear the haze/crap that comes with plum wine.

1/8 teaspoon tannin < Ditto. Flavour component for a finished wine so unnecessary.

Alternatively , it might be worth a surf to see if there is a good distillers recipe for plums.

A couple of years ago I planted some gauges (no not them) gages & this is what I'm planning to do. After jamming (The sugary variety found in small jars - Not the noisy variety found in pubs, backrooms and sheds)

[Myles]

5lb plums and 2 lb of sugar to the gallon.

The purist will go for no added sugar for distilling.

I work with "fermenter gallons" not gallons of added water. Personally I use 5lb plum to the fermenter gallon (increased to 6lb if it includes victoria's) and later add 1lb sugar for each full gallon of wash in the fermenter.

It works out to only be a small amount of added sugar, sort of a compromise. If you have enough fruit, do different recipes to see which you prefer.

Leave plenty of headspace, plums foam up A LOT in the fermenter.

I freeze the fruit first then defrost it in the fermenter and add pectic enzyme. I only add 1/2 the total water to the fruit and make up a yeast starter in a demijon with 50:50 diluted wash from the fermenter. Starter is left for 24 hours then dumped into the fermenter.

I ferment the thick fruit pulp for 3 to 5 days, then add the rest of the water and the sugar and leave it till it has finished.

[Mash]

Good one Myles. Why the starter?

[gaza the instructor]

Thanks guys need time to digest this
but could work with fettling then

[Mash]

oh yes - best thing for plums

[GrunthosTheFlatulent]

The French make spirit out of them. And it is rather good.

I thought that was the Poles, and they call it Slivovitz, and it really can be rather good.

But could a Mod please edit this forum title, lead has no place in home brewing or ancillary interests.

[gaza the instructor]

Sorry to upset just an idea for future project and
discussion, is that not what we do !!

[Mash]

I thought plumBing was quite appropriate given the amount of copper we bend and solder

[gaza the instructor]

Ha ha budd. Need to look ahead and try different
washes etc...

[GrunthosTheFlatulent]

This is a good use for plums. Quite frankly, they make a terrible wine - it's a lot of hard work, particularly to get them clear for what is only ever a mediocre outcome.

I beg to differ, the plum family (red and yellow plums, greengages, damsons and sloes) can make excellent wines, the secret is in de-stoning to get rid of the cyanides and in cold juice extraction methods (plus sulphites) to avoid the clearing issues due to their waxy skins.

[Mash]

You are right. Cold maceration does solve some/most of the issues. But quite frankly there's easier ways to make a mediocre wine.

Don't get me wrong if you have a bucket full, its worth doing something with them - I abhour waste. But I guess I am also a purist when it comes to wine... grapes win every time.

.. And lets be fair time spent drinking white is time stolen that could have been spent drinking red


Still it

[gaza the instructor]

Have a plum tree in the corner of my garden,
every year most the yield goes rotten .
NOT THIS YEAR, fed up with rotten plums and
stains etc...
Now on a mission with your help guys
Thanks Gazza.

[Myles]

Good one Myles. Why the starter?

I now use starters with all my fruit fermentations. Basically I prepare the wash/mash in the fermenter. Strain off some liquid and dilute it. I start the yeast in a gallon demijon.

It gives the pectic enzyme 24 hours to work on the fruit before the yeast is added, and in that same time period I get a really vigorously fermenting 6 pint batch.

My fermenters are usually cool so doing it with a starter (warmer) gives a faster start to the fermentation after the starter is added so there is less chance of infection.

If you just pitch yeast into the fruit it can take a bit longer to get going.

[Myles]

I planted 2 mirabelle-de-nancy. Specifically for distilling with.