2Kg nectarines (approx 15 fruits) SB5 Hock Type Yeast Yeast Nutrient 1/2 tsp Grape Tannin 1 tsp Citric Acid 1 tsp Pectin Enzyme 1.23Kg sugar 1 tsp Campden powder

DAY 1: 27-07-01
2Kg of ripe nectarines were washed and stoned, then added to the fermenting bucket. The fruit was first mashed to a pulp with the fingers, then had with 3 litres of boiling water poured over it. The bucket had it's lid fitted and was left overnight until cool.

DAY 2: 28-07-01
A.M. Once cool 1 tsp of pectin destroying enzyme was dissolved into the liquid.
P.M. The mixture was stirred later in the day.

DAY 3: 29-07-01
A.M. The bucket was stirred in the morning.
P.M. The bucket was stirred in the evening.

DAY 4: 30-07-01
A.M. The bucket was stirred in the morning.
P.M. The bucket was stirred in the evening.

DAY 5: 31-07-01
A.M. The bucket was stirred in the morning.
P.M. The bucket was stirred in the evening.

DAY 6: 01-08-01
The liquid was strained first through a fine sieve, and then twice through muslin. This yielded approx 4 litres of clear peach coloured liquid. This was topped up to 4.5 litres using cooled boiled water, and the gravity measured to be 15 using a hydrometer.

Using tables it was deduced that the 4.5 litres of liquid with a S.G. of 15 contained around 125g dissolved sugar (see note). The aim was for a initial S.G. of 1100 (giving a finished wine of upto 13.4% ABV). From tables 1355g of sugar must be added to 4.5l for a initial S.G. of 1100. Assuming the liquid contained 125g already, a further 1230g would be required.

The sugar was dissolved into the liquid then 1 tsp citric acid, 1/2 tsp grape tannin, the yeast and nutrient were added. This was then used to fill a demijohn to the shoulder which was corked with an airlock. The excess liquid  was poured into a pop bottle ferment.

WEEK 2: 14-08-01
After a vigorous start the fermentation had slowed to a steady bubble every few seconds. The pop bottle ferment was added to the bulk of the must in the demijohn.

WEEK 7: 16-09-01
Fermentation had more or less ceased with only the occasional bubble several minutes apart, a firm 15mm sediment had settled at the bottom of the demijohn and the liquor had begun to clear. The S.G. was measured at 998, which suggested that all the sugar added at the beginning had turned to alcohol. 

Given that the likely alcohol content is given by:

this brew could be (1100-998)/7.36 = 15.2% (or there abouts). A quick taste of the rather warming brew suggested this might be the case.

Note: It was realised at this stage that the tables used to calculate the initial amount of sugar were somewhat inaccurate, and rather overstated the quantity required. This means that the initial gravity was probably somewhat over 1100, and the final alcohol content  greater than suggested above.

The wine was given it's first racking into a clean demijohn. An additional 325ml cold boiled water was added the fill the demijohn right to the neck to exclude as much air as possible. This would have the effect of diluting the alcohol content by around 1%, but as it was already reasonably strong this was considered preferable to adding syrup which would restart the fermentation. Subject to further tests before bottling an alcohol content of around 14% will be assumed.

WEEK 12 20-10-01
The wine was now quite clear, with another thin sediment at the bottom. It was racked for the second time into a clean demijohn, and 1 tsp campden powder added to stabilise the wine. The wine lost some of it's peach colouration, looking rather more yellow.

WEEK 14: 04-11-01
Half a sachet of Harris VinClear finings were added to speed the clearing of the still slightly hazy wine.

WEEK 16: 14-11-01
The wine was filtered through the VinBrite and bottled.

A good straight forward recipe with no real complications.  Perhaps try to use less colour destroying campden tablets next time, and use sugar solution rather than water for topping up to prevent dilution.

Pleasant tasting fruity wine at bottling time, might improve with age.
Almost a year after bottling the wine is still good to drink, but almost all of the attractive rose colour has faded, despite being kept in the dark in green glass.