Peach Wine

[Socco]

Hello, my name is Socco and I'm from Southern California. I'm working on my first batch of Peach Wine from peaches that I grew last summer, and I had a question about yeast.

One quart that I had canned turned to alcohol after I opened it and forgot about it on the back shelf of the fridge. I have purchased good yeast for my first batch, but what I am wondering is if I should just go with a natural fermentation? It would be kosher, but I'm wondering if the natural yeast would take it to where i need to be?

I've isolated some of this natural yeast, and tested it by baking a loaf of bread with it. It took a little longer to rise, but it made a delicious loaf of sourdough bread. I wasn't shooting for sourdough mind you, but I was very pleased with the sourdough results.

thanks,
Socco

[ArkyJ]

Make a test batch with your wild yeast in the upcoming peach wine. See how it turns out.
Also save your yeast that you have now and store in fredg.
If all the above turns out good. You have a gold mine in good free yeast.
If it all sucks after testing, the sewer system will love it and you both.
OR, make more bread.
ArkyJ

[Socco]

Thats a good idea, Its not like I don't have enough frozen peaches saved (50 lbs)! I think I will make a small 1 gallon batch with the wild yeast. I was going to experiment with a couple of different batches anyways, using brown sugar in one them.

Thanks a lot
Socco

[Samohon]

Welcome to HD Socco...

I make wine all the time with yeast from my own yeast farm, held in cold storage...

+2 on what ArkyJ said, make a test batch, then you'll know for sure...

Ever thought of making some of that peach wine into brandy...
I just distilled a large batch of plumb wine into brandy and after 2 months on oak, its tasting great... mmmmmmmmmmm...

[Socco]

Thanks, this is a great site, with lot of good info.

I will definitely makes some peach brandy, and schnapps with some of it. This is going to make a great hobby to fill in the gaps between seasons! I have a small still made out of an antique cooker that I haven't used in 20 years. I built it to cook off some horribly dry blackberry wine way back in the day. A good friend of mine still has about a half a pint of it, which is a testament to its rot-guttiness!

Socco

[scotty]

Peaches are trickey . be sure to use pectic enzyme and sulfite treatment to the must at a minimum of 8 hours(i prefer 24 hours)) before you pitch the yeast.
I would like to know how your experiment with wild yeast works.
i prefer a wine yeast costing about 1 dollar.

I still am studying pierre rajottes book trying to get the nerve to propogat my yeast at home.