A bold, tannic pyment built on wildflower honey with Merlot grape juice and blackcurrant. Blackcurrant adds intense color and a distinctive cassis character. Targets 13.5% ABV with a semi-sweet finish. 5-gallon batch.
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Batch size
5 gallons
Target ABV
13.5%
Fermentation
4–6 weeks primary + 1–2 weeks fruit contact
Conditioning
4–8 months
Responsible use: These recipes produce alcoholic beverages. Ferment and consume responsibly. Verify all quantities, equipment, and safety procedures before beginning. Consult local regulations regarding home fermentation.
Add in secondary.
Yeast
Lalvin Lalvin EC-1118 — 1 packets
Handles tannic grape must.
| Timing | Nutrient | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 (pitch) | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| 24 hours | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| 48 hours | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| 1/3 sugar break | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| Day 0 (pitch) | Fermaid-K | 5 g |
Prepare no-rinse sanitizer. Sanitize all vessels and tools.
Dissolve honey in 1 gallon of warm water. Cool. Add to fermenter with grape juice and remaining water to 5.5 gallons.
Record original gravity. Target approximately 1.102.
Pitch EC-1118. Add Day 0 nutrients. Ferment at 65–72°F.
Follow TOSNA schedule. Degas before each addition.
Check gravity every few days. Primary typically completes in 4–6 weeks.
Rack onto thawed frozen blackcurrants. Allow 1–2 weeks of fruit contact.
Rack off blackcurrants. Condition for 4–8 months.
Bottle in wine bottles.
Ensure fermentation is fully complete before packaging.
Honey, grape juice, water, and blackcurrants scale linearly. Nutrient additions do NOT scale linearly.
Enter your desired finished batch size to scale ingredient quantities. Press Enter or tap away to apply.
Target ABV
13.5%
Original gravity
1.102
Final gravity
1.005
Sweetness
semi sweet
Finished volume
5 gallons
Gross starting volume
5.5 gallons
Expected loss
0.5 gallons(9%)
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit | Scaling notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildflower honey | 10 | lbs | |
| Merlot grape juice (no preservatives) | 1.5 | gallons | |
| Filtered water | 2 | gallons | |
| Frozen blackcurrants | 3 | lbs | |
| Fermaid-O | 10 | g | ⚠ review |
| Fermaid-K | 5 | g | ⚠ review |
⚠ Ingredients requiring review
Initial record. Phase 4C Batch 8.
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