3½ + ½ litres water 700g + 300g sugar 3kg quinces 2 thinly sliced lemons 300g seedless red grapes

DAY 1: 01-11-04
The quinces were roughly chopped, and brought to the boil with the grapes in 3½ litres of water. The fruit was briefly simmered, before being poured over the lemons in a fermenting bin.

DAY 2: 02-11-04
A heaped teaspoon of pectolase was stirred into the cooled mixture, and a starter bottle prepared, using a teaspoon of tronozymol nutrient.

DAY 3: 03-11-04
The reactivated yeast was stirred into the fruit.

DAY 4: 04-11-04
Fermentation under way nicely. Stirred again.

DAY 5: 05-11-04
Stirred some more.

DAY 6: 06-11-04
The fruit was strained from the must using a fine nylon bag, yielding just under 4 litres of liquid. The remaining 300g of sugar was dissolved in sufficient water (500ml) to make up the total volume to 4.5 litres (i.e. a demijohn full). The brew was returned to the bucket in case a newly added sugar resulted in a vigorous burst of activity.

DAY 7: 07-11-04
Fermentation was rapid, but steady so the brew was transferred to a clean demi john and airlocked.

WEEK 28: 21-05-05
After a long period of neglect, returned to the brew to find the airlock had dried out. Had some spoiling organisms crept in? The gravity was measured to be 1003, a little on the high side for a completed brew. The taste was quite sweet and very acidic indeed. Perhaps the wine had turned to vinegar. Perhaps the sour fruit used in it's preparation were at fault. Not sure where to go with this one, it's not very palatable as it stands.

Treated with kwik clear to try and remove the haze. Will take it from there. Perhaps a re-start to use up some more sugar after (somehow?) reducing the acidity. Will have to pour over the books about this one....

WEEK 73: 01-04-06
An unfortunate conclusion, and my first real failure. Although a small sediment has fallen after the Kwik Clear treatment the brew still resembles diluted carrot juice, and in spite of a long period to mellow is unpleasantly acidic to taste. Not prepared to invest any more time in this one. Down the sink it went...

Just one of those things. Suspect the quinces weren't very ripe, and were possibly of a less than edible ornamental variety to boot! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Quinces