Recipies are very helpful to amatures who are not capable of creating their
own.
Recipies are also very helpful to experienced winemakers who have never made
a particular wine.
There are two aproaches you may use. First you could use the recipe as a
starting point. Mix it up more or less as given but adjust acidity and
sugar level as you want to give you the end result that you want.
Second: If you want to totally go it on your own, try creating your own
recipe. Start with the fruit. Crush and strain some and check the acidity
of the pure juice. Add water and determine how much water you need to add
to get the acidity to the level you want it. Maybe 3.3 to 3.5. Decide what
alcohol level you want and determine how much sugar you need. Mix it up and
then check acidity again to see if you got the acidity you want. If not,
adjust acidity by adding acid or water or by adding more fruit. If you add
more fruit or water, then you will probably need a little more sugar. I
would not add any tannin or other stuff untill the wine was made and
cleared. Then add it to taste if you want. Keep good records so you will
know what you did next year and you can develope your own recipe, specific
to the fruit from your tree. Remember however that the fruit is not always
the same each year. That is why recipes never come out they way you hope
they will -- unless you adjust them yourself, which is what you are trying
to do.
Good luck and have fun.
Ray
"AxisOfBeagles" > wrote in message
...
> My plum tree is once again producing prodigious amounts of fruit.
> Having nothing better to amuse myself, i want to take a crack at a
> sweet plum wine. Went to Keller's site and got a recipe
> (http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques12.asp). But I have a problem
> with recipes - I don;t feel in control of the winemaking. What should
> the initial SG be? What should the aicidty be (TA, pH, etc)? Final SG?
> Is there risk of continuing fermentation? What yeast will cease
> fermenting early enough such that I can have significatn RS and still
> be confident fermentation is complete? Etc...
> Anyone have any other plum wine (sweet) info that might give me more
> data? All help appreciated.
>
> --
> I'm using an evaluation license of nemo since 44 days.
> You should really try it!
> http://www.malcom-mac.com/nemo
>