Watermelon Wine Recipe

Makes 1 gallon.

Ingredients

• 2 quarts watermelon juice
• 2 quarts water
• 1.5 pounds sugar
• 2.5 teaspoons acid blend
• 1/8 teaspoon tannin
• 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient
• 1 Campden tablet, crushed and powdered
• 1 package wine yeast (good for up to 5 gallons of juice)

Instructions

1. The starting specific gravity (SG) is 1.085.
2.  Cut melons into quarters, remove all rind parts entirely and discard seeds. Cut meat of melons into cubes.
3. Using nylon straining bag, mash and squeeze out juice into primary fermentor. Keeping all pulp in primary, tie bag and place in fermentor.
4. Stir in all other ingredients except the yeast. Cover the primary fermentor.
5. After 24 hours, add yeast. Cover fermentor.
6. Stir daily and check specific gravity.
7. When ferment reaches specific gravity of 1.040 (after 3-5 days), lightly press juice from bag. Siphon wine off sediment into glass secondary fermentor and attach airlock.
8. When fermentation is complete (specific gravity has dropped to 1.000, in about 3 weeks), siphon off sediment into clean secondary fermentor and reattach airlock.
9. To aid clearing, siphon again in two months and again if necessary before bottling.