How long does plum wine take to ferment?
Plum wine, also known as umeshu, is a popular Japanese alcoholic beverage made from steeping unripe plums in alcohol and sugar. The fermentation process can take anywhere from a few months to a few years, depending on the recipe and desired taste.
The traditional method of making plum wine is to pit and halve unripe plums, then stuff them into a vessel called an umeyama along with sugar and shochu (a distilled alcohol made from rice, barley, or sweet potatoes). The umeyama is then sealed and left to ferment for at least six months, though some people prefer to wait a year or even longer.
During fermentation, the plums release their color and flavor into the alcohol, giving the finished plum wine a characteristic reddish-amber hue and a sweet-tart taste. The longer the plum wine ferments, the more complex and mellow its flavor will become.
While six months is the minimum fermentation time, it is not uncommon for plum wine to be aged for two years or more. In fact, many Japanese plum wine producers will recommend that you age the wine for at least a year before opening, as this allows the flavors to further develop and mellow.
So, how long does plum wine take to ferment? It depends on the recipe, desired taste, and aging time, but generally speaking, it can take anywhere from a few months to a few years.
How is plum wine made?
Plum wine is made by fermentation of sugar which breaks down the plum’s cell walls and release the fruit’s juice. The sugar content in the plum wine must be high enough to prevent the growth of bacteria. The alcohol content in plum wine is usually around 13% but can be higher or lower depending on the sugar content. To make plum wine, the plums are first crushed and then left to ferment in a container for about a month. The fermentation process can take longer if the temperature is lower. After fermentation, the plum wine is transferred to another container where it is left to settle. The sediment is then removed and the plum wine is ready to be drunk.
Visit howtomakewinefromgrapes.com to learn more about make plum wine. Disclaimer: We used this website as a reference for this blog post.