Today I started six gallons of persimmon wine, using fruit from the Quaker Center in Ben Lomond and a recipe in the Winemaker’s Recipe Handbook by Raymond Massaccessi (available from Fermentation Solutions).

One certainly doesn’t need a crusher or press for ripe Hachiya persimmons: they squash quite nicely. Just pull the top off, quarter with a knife, and squash before tossing into the nylon bag in the fermenter. As usual, I’ll list the ingredients up front, and then post each step of the recipe as I do it.

~17 pounds ripe Hachiya persimmons
15.5 pounds sugar
5.25 gallons boiled tap water
2 g potassium metabisulfite s
4 5 tbsp acid blend (see next post in series)
1 Tbsp pectic enzyme
2 Tbsp yeast nutrient (diammonium phosphate)
3 g Fermaid
3.5 g wine yeast

Wash persimmons, quarter and squash into large nylon straining bag in 10 gallon primary fermenter. (Put sugar in fermenter first.) Tie up bag, pour hot water into fermenter. Let cool a little, add remaining ingredients, except the yeast. Let sit for 24 hours at 75° F.

Time required: 2.5 hours.