Content
- 1 How to make wine from birch sap
- 2 Wine made from birch sap with wine yeast
- 3 Recipe for wine from birch sap without yeast
- 4 How to make wine from fermented birch sap
- 5 Recipe for birch sap wine with lemon
- 6 Birch sap wine with raisins
- 7 Recipe for birch sap wine with jam
- 8 Birch sap wine without boiling
- 9 How to make wine from birch sap with honey
- 10 How to make wine from birch sap “in English”
- 11 How to store birch sap wine
- 12 Conclusion
Birch sap is a source of unique beneficial substances for the human body. In cooking, it is used to make various tinctures or in the preparation of desserts. Birch sap wine has been consistently popular for a long time and occupies a special place among homemade alcohol recipes.
How to make wine from birch sap
It has long been believed that such a drink, due to the tannins it contains, can improve immunity and also help cleanse the body of toxins and harmful substances. Making wine requires a rather responsible approach. The main requirement for an ideal drink is the use of fresh birch sap. This is justified by the fact that stale juice can curdle during heat treatment. In most cases, the excess protein released harms the taste of the drink, even to the point of complete spoilage of the entire prepared volume.
Another important detail in preparing a delicious drink is the correct sugar ratio. As with the preparation of other wines, sugar can greatly affect both the taste and strength of the future wine. In various recipes, the share of sugar ranges from 10% to 50% of the total volume of raw materials. Moreover, each winemaker is able to level out its amount in order to create a drink to suit his tastes.
Particular care should be taken when choosing yeast. Wine yeast is considered a classic option for making the drink. This choice allows you to convert all the sugar into alcohol in a fairly short time. Refusal to use yeast will slow down the process of making wine, but this approach will allow you to obtain a product by natural fermentation.
As with the preparation of any alcoholic beverages, it is worth paying great attention to the cleanliness of the containers in which the fermentation and heat treatment process will take place. Each container should be sterilized in advance with boiling water and wiped dry with a towel. For greater confidence, many winemakers use special cleaning products based on chloride compounds. This method allows for complete disinfection, but requires thorough washing of all surfaces of the dishes afterward. Correct and timely disinfection will avoid the spread of harmful microorganisms at all stages of drink preparation.
Wine made from birch sap with wine yeast
The classic way to make birch wine is using wine yeast.Special wine yeast can significantly speed up the process of making the drink. It is worth remembering that they should be added strictly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Their insufficient quantity will not allow complete fermentation of sugars. According to the recipe for preparing the drink you will need:
- 25 liters of fresh juice;
- 5 kg white sugar;
- wine yeast;
- 10 tsp. citric acid.
Pour the juice into a large saucepan, add sugar and citric acid. The mixture is stirred and simmered over low heat. During the cooking process, it is necessary to remove any scale that appears. Cook the mixture until approximately 20 liters of liquid remain in the pan. This means that excess water has come out and the product is ready for further processing.
Wine yeast is diluted according to the instructions on the package, then added to the cooled mixture of juice and sugar. The future wine is poured into a large fermentation container, onto which a water seal is placed or a rubber glove is put on.
Wine fermentation takes place over a month. After this, you need to filter it to remove the yeast sediment at the bottom. The filtered drink must be bottled and sent to ripen for a couple of weeks in a cool, dark place. After this time, the wine must be filtered again. Birch wine is ready to drink.
Recipe for wine from birch sap without yeast
The process of preparing a drink without yeast is identical to the previous one, the only exception is the use of sourdough. A special starter is prepared based on raisins and sugar. To make it, you need to add 100 g of raisins and 50 g of sugar to 400 ml of water. The resulting mixture must be wrapped tightly and placed in a warm room.
Subsequently, the process of preparing the drink is identical to the yeast one. The only exception is the fermentation period - it lasts up to two months. The finished drink will be less strong, but at the same time sweeter due to incomplete fermentation of sugar.
How to make wine from fermented birch sap
Sometimes, if storage conditions are not observed, the juice spoils and begins to ferment on its own. This happens when wild yeast penetrates into it from the surrounding air. Don’t rush and pour it out - there are several recipes when such juice can be used to make kvass or wine.
Although home winemaking experts advise using fresh material, fermented juice can still produce quite a nice wine. To make wine from birch sap you will need a 3 liter jar. It is filled 2/3 full, then about 200 g of sugar is poured into it. The resulting mixture is poured into a saucepan and boiled for an hour over medium heat. This will enhance the further fermentation process.
In this case, it is not necessary to use sourdough. For more flavor and extra carbonation, add a few raisins and a tablespoon of rice to the jar. Such wine should ferment under a water seal or glove for about two months, then it should be filtered and bottled.
Recipe for birch sap wine with lemon
Adding lemon to homemade wine can dramatically enhance its taste, adjust the sweetness and add new aromatic notes. At the same time, the amount of sugar used increases by an average of 10-20%. Required ingredients for this wine:
- 25 l of birch sap;
- 5-6 kg of sugar;
- 6 medium-sized lemons;
- 1 kg raisins.
Birch sap is poured into a large saucepan and boiled over low heat. It is necessary to evaporate about 10% of the liquid. After this, pour sugar into the pan and mix well. Remove the juice from the heat and cool to room temperature. After this, lemon juice is poured into it and a pre-prepared raisin starter is added.
The primary fermentation of wine in a saucepan lasts about a week with constant shaking, then the liquid is filtered and poured into a fermentation container, covered with a water seal. Fermentation must occur completely, so it can take up to 2-3 months.
Birch sap wine with raisins
Using raisins to make homemade wine will avoid the need to add yeast to the drink. Properly dried raisins contain wild yeast on the surface, which can ferment the sugars present in the drink. For example, the same yeast on apple peels takes part in the preparation of cider. It is very important to remember that excessive washing of raisins will remove almost all wild yeast and the wine simply will not ferment. To prepare the right drink you will need:
- 10 liters of birch sap;
- 1 kg sugar;
- 250 g red raisins.
Wine is made according to a recipe similar to cider. It is necessary to fill liter containers with juice and add 100 g of sugar to each of them. The liquid is mixed and 25 g of raisins are added to it. The bottles must be tightly sealed and left for 4 weeks at room temperature.During this time, wild yeast will digest sugar into alcohol and also saturate the drink with a small amount of carbon dioxide.
After fermentation, raisins must be removed from the drink. To do this, the finished wine is filtered through gauze folded in several layers. The resulting drink is poured into sterile bottles and stored in a cool place. The resulting drink has a light, refreshing taste and is not particularly strong.
Recipe for birch sap wine with jam
Using jam to make wine is one of the secrets of Soviet winemakers. When fermented, the jam imbues the wine with additional fruity flavor; almost anything will do. To prepare this wine you will need:
- 5 liters of birch sap;
- 300 g jam;
- 1 kg sugar;
- wine yeast.
It is necessary to heat the birch sap on the stove and boil it for about an hour, avoiding strong boiling. Then cool, add jam, sugar and yeast. The resulting mixture is poured into a fermentation tank and covered with a water seal. After the fermentation process is completed, it is necessary to filter the resulting drink from a rather strong sediment. The finished wine is bottled, tightly corked and sent for storage.
Birch sap wine without boiling
The boiling process is necessary to actively start fermentation. However, the use of modern wine yeast allows one to avoid this procedure. Wine production in this case occurs at room temperature. Birch sap, sugar in the amount of 15-20% of the volume of sap and wine yeast are poured into the fermentation tank.
The wine must ferment for about a month, after which it is filtered and bottled. It is believed that refusing to boil has a negative effect on the taste of the drink - it becomes more watery. At the same time, it is fermented to a strength of 14-15 degrees. This drink would be an excellent option for making hot drinks with added spices. Mulled wine on it will turn out unique.
How to make wine from birch sap with honey
This recipe is often called birch mead. It combines the exquisite taste of birch sap and the sweetness of honey. To prepare this type of wine you will need:
- 6 liters of fresh birch sap;
- 1 liter of liquid honey;
- 2 kg white sugar;
- 2 liters of fortified white wine;
- 2 cinnamon sticks.
Birch sap is heated over low heat, without bringing to a boil. Next, it is cooled to 60 degrees, honey and sugar are added to it. When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, add white wine and add cinnamon.
The resulting drink should be infused for about 10 days in a cool, dark place. After the tincture, strain it and then bottle it. The resulting mead should rest for about a month so that its taste becomes softer and more even.
How to make wine from birch sap “in English”
In England, the recipe for wine made from birch sap has been known for more than several centuries. Traditionally, this wine was made with the addition of lime and orange, as well as a small amount of flower honey. White wine yeast is used for fermentation.List of ingredients for traditional English birch wine:
- 9 liters of birch sap;
- 4 limes;
- 2 oranges;
- 200 g honey;
- 2 kg sugar;
- wine yeast.
The juice is heated to 75 degrees and maintained at this temperature for about 20 minutes. Then the mixture is cooled and poured into a fermentation container, where citrus juice and zest, honey, sugar and yeast are also added. The container should not be closed; it is enough to cover it with gauze. In this form, the mixture is infused for about a week, after which it is filtered and sent for two months of additional fermentation under a water seal. The finished drink is filtered again and bottled.
How to store birch sap wine
The finished wine is a natural product that can withstand a fairly long shelf life. It is believed that a drink prepared using wine yeast can easily be stored for up to two years in a cool, dark room. Longer examples of storage are also known, but such a product should be consumed in the first months after preparation.
If the wine was prepared using wild yeast from raisins directly or using a starter, then its shelf life is significantly reduced. In such cases, post-fermentation rarely takes place dry, so the remaining free sugar can spoil the resulting product even if storage conditions are properly observed. The recommended storage time in such cases is from 2 to 6 months.
Conclusion
Birch sap wine is an excellent option for a light, refreshing alcoholic drink. A huge number of recipes will allow everyone to choose the appropriate method of preparing it. Refinement and fullness of taste is achieved through the correct selection of ingredients and proportions. This drink will not leave anyone indifferent.
