Please also see the notes below the Composer Tool

Notes

Before the age of science, all wines were made following traditional methods, what we would now call recipes. In recent times, science and technology have been introduced into winemaking. Now, we often forget that each type of grape wine (think of the differences between Port, Champagne, Sherry, Ice Wine and Madeira) conforms to a highly traditional "recipe". Only relatively minor variations within each type of wine occur. In some countries, big "variations" can send you to jail. One area of winemaking that has never moved far from its recipe roots is what is sometimes called "country wine" but which we will call "fruit wines". Just as you can not make a true "Port style" wine without following the Port making methods, you can not make an Elderberry style wine without following certain guidelines. This tool makes it possible to "compose" fruit wines from one type of fruit but also to combine fruits in new or traditional ways. In addition, it tells you what to do with the type and amount of fruit you actually have on hand. Use only high quality fruit. If it's not good enough to eat, its not good enough to be made into wine. Rotten fruit makes good compost (and wine that may taste like compost).

Making Dry Fruit Wines

The composition tool should be used in a two (or more) step procedure.

Step 1: Enter the weight of the fruit(s) that you intend to use. The tool presents you with the "traditional" amount of water acid and so on to add. Following this traditional proportions will produce a dry (usually white or rose) wine if a cultured wine yeast with good alcohol tolerance is used. A bit of pectic enzyme will help prevent hazes. Some tannin will speed up clarification and if any remains in the wine it will probably enhance the taste and increase stability.

Step 2: Adjustments. This step is optional but highly recommended. Because the amounts of sugar and acid in fruit are extremely variable, the SG and total acidity of the must should be measured and adjusted if necessary to SG 1.080 to 1.100 and total acidity of 4.5 to 6.5 gram/Liter equivalent tartaric. Use the higher values if you will be topping off carboys after racking with water. The lower values are only valid if you are topping off with wine. Taste first. If the wine is robust, small amounts of (sterile) water can be used to top off. If not, rack to a smaller container.

Making Sweet Fruit Wines

To make a sweet wine, use one of the sugar adjustment tools along with the must volume to find the amount of sugar to add to get any sweetness desired. Sweet wines MUST have enough sulfite, alcohol, acidity and tannin to prevent malolactic fermentation, restart of sugar fermentation and organic instability. See the sulphite tool for some guidelines. See the alcohol measurement tool which may help you detect residual sugar. Paper indicator strips are also available to help detect residual sugar.

Your Preferred Style

Many fruit wines such as those from pears and citrus fruits are traditionally light (even thin) compared to wines made from grapes. They are therefore usually enjoyed cooled on a hot afternoon or evening or with light summer food. The fruit wine composer makes it very easy to modify the traditional fruit wine style. Simply add components that are consistent with your preferred style !

Examples:

(1) More Color. Switch to red grape concentrate where white concentrate or raisins are usually used. Or use one of the sugar/acid adjustment tools after you measure the fruit must's SG and acidity to add concentrate. Elderberries are a strong colouring agent and also add taste complexity. Certain grapes having red pulp can also be added.

(2) More body is obtained by adding some banana or raisins. Using raisins will also give a more vinous (even Port style) flavour. The composer also lets you substitute concentrate for raisins (and vice-versa).

(3) When significant increases are made in body or alcohol level, remember to keep the wine in balance by also boosting its acidity. Dark red wines should also have a bit more tannin as wine drinkers automatically connect a wine's appearance to a taste expectation. The added stability and ease of clarification is a bonus.

(4) Aging potential. This means more body, alcohol, acidity and tannin. If this is your aim, make a red grape wine instead of a fruit wine. In season, grapes may be the cheapest fruit available to you. Out of season, consider using frozen grape must of refrigerated grape juice etc. Making a robust red wine from grapes is actually easier than making a delicate white from easily oxidized fruit. For small amounts of wine, little of the traditional equipment used with grapes (crushers and presses) is required; just treat the grapes like any other fruit ! Since fruit and grape wines can easily be made for less than two dollars ($USA) per bottle, wine making equipment is one of the best investments you can make.

Some Procedures:

Breaking down fruits for better extraction (two methods). One way is to first prepare the fruit (by de-stoning and chopping etc.) and then to add the water after it has been heated. Adding boiling water would "cook" the fruit which is definately undesirable but boiling it first will help remove the chlorine found in tap water. Adding hot (but not boiling) water will also partly sterilize the fruit. This gives the cultured wine yeast that you will add (after cooling to room temperature) a desirable advantage. It also reduces the need for added (pre fermentation) sulfite provided that excess contact with air is avoided. Any sugar to be added should be dissolved while the water-fruit mixture is hot. Only after cooling to room temperature are the other components (yeast, tannin, acid etc.) added.

Another way is to break down the fruits' cellular structure by freezing and then thawing to room temperature. This greatly increases the speed of extraction during fermentation. Fruits with stones are probably easier to de-stone before freezing. Both methods increase the accuracy of the sugar (SG) and total acidity measurements and adjustments that should be made after the all the components are combined and thoroughly mixed.

Fermentation: Treat fruit wines the same way you would treat a light rose or white wine. Strain the fluid from the solids after about three days. Strong components like dried Elderberries can be placed in a small nylon bag and removed when your taste buds tells you to do so. Use the sulphite tool to find

the MINIMUM amounts of potassium metabisulphite to add. Serious injury can result from fermentations restarting in sweet wines as bottles can and do

explode. So study stabilization methods and get advice from someone (local wine making store) who has tried what you are contemplating. Some books discuss sweetening wines after they are stabilized by sterile filtering etc. This tool is just a doorway to creative winemaking. Enjoy.

Aging. Although fruit wines are fermented much like white wines made from grapes, they often need a bit more aging typically six to twelve months. As with any wine, only tasting can reveal when a wine is ready to drink and when it is starting to show its age.

Some Specific Fruits

Bananas. Bananas add body to fruit wines. Some recipes recommend that they be peeled but others do not. Peeled or unpeeled they should always be chopped. The most "delicate" way to use them is to peel and chop and then to simmer in a small amount of water for a half an hour. Then strain out the solids and add only the broth to the must.

Elderberries

These are typically added as relatively minor components to fruit wines in order to add colour (elderberries can be used as a dye) and to produce a more complex tasting wine. They are often removed from the wine early when small amounts are added by keeping them in a cloth bag submerged in the must until they have added enough colour or taste.

Rhubarb. Rhubarb is easy to grow in large amounts and is available very early in the year which is the only time that it should be used for wine. At times, rhubarb may be difficult to ferment. This means that if a high alcohol wine is attempted, it is more likely that a sweet wine will result. Always add yeast nutrient and keep the must warm (above room temperature) while fermenting. Use a tough, high alcohol tolerance, yeast like K1V-1116 (strain 1016-02) or EC-1118 (strain 1018-02). To promote extraction, chop and cover with the required added sugar for 24 hours. Osmotic pressure extracts a lot of juice during this time.

Raisins. Raisins add body, sugar and a "Port style" vinous character. They should be chopped before use. A good substitute for raisins is grape concentrate. Some recipes indicate that 10 fluid ounces (0.28 L) of concentrate will have the same effect as one half to one pound (0.23 to 0.45 kg) of raisins. Red grape concentrate will add colour and stability to the wine. Grape concentrates also add vinous quality (but not Port style character). The fruit composer tool permits the user to handle raisin and concentrate additions in three ways. The "Both" option does not modify

the "traditional" additions of either raisins or grape concentrate. Two other options specify either all raisin additions be converted to concentrate or vice versa. The tool adjusts then must and wine volumes to reflect any substitutions made. When making substitutions be sure to measure SG and total acidity and adjust when required using one of the must adjustment tools if you wish to more accurately control the final alcohol and acidity levels.

Stone Fruit. Some fruit stones are either toxic or contain unpleasant bitter substances. This means that all pits and stones from this class of fruit should be removed before chopping or crushing.

Apples and Pears. These are very similar fruits from a wine making point of view and make a good wine when mixed together. Cider and perry may be made by pulping and pressing the fruit in which case we are making a "juice wine". Use the must correction tool designed for juices rather than the "traditional recipe approach" used in the fruit composer tool to make this type of wine. This type of fruit (and some others) browns (oxidizes) rapidly when exposed to air. This can be mostly prevented by immediately putting the fruit in the water as it is chopped. Adding the required acid to the water before starting chopping works even better.

Fermentation Cap and Punchdown. Fruit wine musts contains solids such as skins and seeds. These float to the top forming a "cap" during fermentation. The cap needs to be kept wet by "punching down" several times a day just as in making grape wines. This will speed extraction of sugar and colour and reduce vinegar formation. If you want more cap or want to add more vinous character, crush some Thompson (seedless) grapes and add then to the must. The fruit composer lets you do this properly by using the "wine or table grape" category of fruit. Thompson Seedless table grapes have a very neutral character. Be careful with other types of grapes such as hybrids and Concord as some of these may add taste components that you do not like. Avoid the "foxy" flavour component that come with many native (or hybrid) grapes unless you are one of those rare individuals that likes this taste.

Rice and Sake. Real sake is made from rice which produces a unique form of wine which is highly developed in Japan. A more traditional "wine taste" and complexity is achieved by adding either raisins or grape concentrate. You may want to experiment with other components using the fruit wine composer.