Things You'll Need:
- 3 lbs red currants
- A nylon straining bag
- Primary and secondary fermentors
- 6 1/2 pints water
- 2 3/4 lbs sugar
- 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient
- 1/2 teaspoon pectic enzyme
- 1 teaspoon of activated wine yeast
- 1 campden tablet
- Siphon
- Airlock
- Bottles
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Step 1
Strip 3 pounds of red currants of their stems and leaves. Wash them thoroughly and crush well in a wine press or juicer. Place the juice and crushed red currants into the primary fermenter.
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Step 2
Boil 6 ½ pints of water and pour into the primary fermentor. Let the mixture sit overnight.
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Step 3
Strain the mixture through a nylon straining bag and put the strained juice back into the primary fermentor. Squeeze the bag well to get every bit of juice out of it that you can. Throw the bag and pulp out after the juice is removed.
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Step 4
Add 2 ¾ pounds of granulated sugar into the fermentor and stir well. Place ½ teaspoon of pectic enzyme, 1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient and 1 crushed campden tablet into the mixture and stir. Let it sit in the fermentor for 12 hours.
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Step 5
Place activated wine yeast into the fermentor, recover and let sit until you can see the active fermentation working. Pour the mixture in the primary fermentor into a secondary fermentor and fit on the airlock.
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Step 6
Siphon the mixture (or rack the wine) when the fermentation is finished and cleared. Replace the airlock on the secondary fermentor.
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Step 7
Let the wine sit for 6 months, checking on the mixture about once a month to make sure the liquid level is adequate. Rack the wine again when the 6 months is over and again after 3 more months.
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Step 8
Siphon the wine into good-quality, clean bottles. Cork the bottles and store in the dark for 2 years before drinking.
