Mojito Wine 6 bottle recipe fermented dry in 4 days!

[Berry454]

Just finished this mojito wine and it's now in the clearing stage. Just wanted to post the recipe because it tastes amazing!

Recipe

4 limes, cut in half and juiced. All added to fermenter
10 Tesco own peppermint tea bags
1kg of sugar
4 black tea bags for tannin
1 TSP citric acid
1 TSP Wilko nutrient
Half sachet EC 1118

Fermented dry to 0.995 in just 4 days at 25 degrees Celsius.

It smells amazing! Strong lime and mint aroma.

Just added finnings A and B and should be clear for a taste test in a day or two.

Fermentation complete 4 days later

Stabilized and degassed. I didn't bother to rack off as I always double dose my finnings anyway and I'm not in a rush for it to clear.

 

[Swedhearth]

Just finished this mojito wine and it's now in the clearing stage. Just wanted to post the recipe because it tastes amazing!

Recipe

4 limes, cut in half and juiced. All added to fermenter
10 Tesco own peppermint tea bags
1kg of sugar
4 black tea bags for tannin
1 TSP citric acid
1 TSP Wilko nutrient
Half sachet EC 1118

Fermented dry to 0.995 in just 4 days at 25 degrees Celsius.

It smells amazing! Strong lime and mint aroma.

Just added finnings A and B and should be clear for a taste test in a day or two.

View attachment 63096

View attachment 63097

View attachment 63098

Fermentation complete 4 days later

View attachment 63101

Stabilized and degassed. I didn't bother to rack off as I always double dose my finnings anyway and I'm not in a rush for it to clear.

View attachment 63102

Hi, do you have any update on your mojito wine? Is it worth giving it a go?

 

[Berry454]

Hi, do you have any update on your mojito wine? Is it worth giving it a go?

Most definitely if you like a mojito. We drank it all up super quick. Tastes just like a mojito.

We served it in a high ball glass with mint leaves, and ice. And it tasted just like a mojito!!

Makes a great cider if you lower the abv to about 7% and bottle carbonate.

 

[Swedhearth]

Most definitely if you like a mojito. We drank it all up super quick. Tastes just like a mojito.

We served it in a high ball glass with mint leaves, and ice. And it tasted just like a mojito!!

Makes a great cider if you lower the abv to about 7% and bottle carbonate.

Excellent. Thanks for your response. It is in the making! Added some fresh mint leaves to the fermenter and replaced white sugar with brown one... hope that won't break it.

 

[GazzaW57]

Just finished this mojito wine and it's now in the clearing stage. Just wanted to post the recipe because it tastes amazing!

Recipe

4 limes, cut in half and juiced. All added to fermenter
10 Tesco own peppermint tea bags
1kg of sugar
4 black tea bags for tannin
1 TSP citric acid
1 TSP Wilko nutrient
Half sachet EC 1118

Fermented dry to 0.995 in just 4 days at 25 degrees Celsius.

It smells amazing! Strong lime and mint aroma.

Just added finnings A and B and should be clear for a taste test in a day or two.

View attachment 63096

View attachment 63097

View attachment 63098

Fermentation complete 4 days later

View attachment 63101

Stabilized and degassed. I didn't bother to rack off as I always double dose my finnings anyway and I'm not in a rush for it to clear.

View attachment 63102

Hiya, I’ve only just come across this and fancy giving it a try, but I have a couple of questions:

1. How much hot water did you use to dissolve the sugar at the beginning;
2. I assume you topped it up to one gallon and then added the yeast etc;
3. At what time did you take out the limes;
4. Did you add the tea bags to the FV or did you just make a strong tea out of it and add the liquid.

Thanks, Gaz

 

[Berry454]

Hiya, I’ve only just come across this and fancy giving it a try, but I have a couple of questions:

1. How much hot water did you use to dissolve the sugar at the beginning;
2. I assume you topped it up to one gallon and then added the yeast etc;
3. At what time did you take out the limes;
4. Did you add the tea bags to the FV or did you just make a strong tea out of it and add the liquid.

Thanks, Gaz

Hi Gaz

3-4 litres of hot water to dissolve the sugar at the begining. It doesn't really matter how much you use. The sugar will dissolve either way. The hot water just means you don't have to mix as much.

Yes I topped it up to one gallon then added the yeast

I removed the limes right at the end of fermentation before adding the stabilizer and finnings.

I made a strong tea out of the tea bags and did NOT add them to the FV. Too much risk of them disintegrating and having to fish out pieces of paper and dried mint at the end.

Hope this helps.

 

[GazzaW57]

Hi Gaz

3-4 litres of hot water to dissolve the sugar at the begining. It doesn't really matter how much you use. The sugar will dissolve either way. The hot water just means you don't have to mix as much.

Yes I topped it up to one gallon then added the yeast

I removed the limes right at the end of fermentation before adding the stabilizer and finnings.

I made a strong tea out of the tea bags and did NOT add them to the FV. Too much risk of them disintegrating and having to fish out pieces of paper and dried mint at the end.

Hope this helps.

That’s great - thank you. I’ll be giving this a go.

 

[GazzaW57]

Hi Gaz

3-4 litres of hot water to dissolve the sugar at the begining. It doesn't really matter how much you use. The sugar will dissolve either way. The hot water just means you don't have to mix as much.

Yes I topped it up to one gallon then added the yeast

I removed the limes right at the end of fermentation before adding the stabilizer and finnings.

I made a strong tea out of the tea bags and did NOT add them to the FV. Too much risk of them disintegrating and having to fish out pieces of paper and dried mint at the end.

Hope this helps.

I’ve now got everything and will be starting this off on the weekend. Although I’ve done beers and wines I’m new to this type of brew, so I’m afraid I have another question. What bottles do you use once it’s fermented. I ask because I can see you’ve used EC-1118 which is a champagne yeast, so I’m assuming the final product will be akin to a sparkling wine. You also mention bottle carbonation, so I know I won’t be able to use normal wine bottles.

Thanks again,

Gaz.

 

[Swedhearth]

I believe Berry454 was refering to carbonation in bottle when making a cider. I understand that he has used the killer yeast to finish the fermantation pretty quickly and fully. I don't suppose there will be any refermentation in bottle once the wine is bone dry, so normal bottles will do. The question is whether you degass the mojito wine completely before bottling or leave some fizzing for the real mojito effect.

 

[GazzaW57]

I believe Berry454 was refering to carbonation in bottle when making a cider. I understand that he has used the killer yeast to finish the fermantation pretty quickly and fully. I don't suppose there will be any refermentation in bottle once the wine is bone dry, so normal bottles will do. The question is whether you degass the mojito wine completely before bottling or leave some fizzing for the real mojito effect.

Oh righT. So does that mean that I don’t have to use the champagne yeast, but could use a general purpose yeast, or should I use something a bit more specific?

 

[Berry454]

I’ve now got everything and will be starting this off on the weekend. Although I’ve done beers and wines I’m new to this type of brew, so I’m afraid I have another question. What bottles do you use once it’s fermented. I ask because I can see you’ve used EC-1118 which is a champagne yeast, so I’m assuming the final product will be akin to a sparkling wine. You also mention bottle carbonation, so I know I won’t be able to use normal wine bottles.

Thanks again,

Gaz.

Awesome give us some updates along the way. Always nice to see the results!

Using champagne yeast as said by @Swedhearth won't give you a sparkling wine. BUT you can make the wine sparkling if you choose to do so The reason champagne yeast is used in this brew is because it ferments out completely. Meaning unlike most wine yeasts, it won't stall as the gravity (sugars) get low during fermentation. It will keep going and going until it ferments out all the sugars.

You can use a wine yeast of other variety though I can't guarantee that this will yield the same results that the EC-1118 will. It's not the cheapest yeast but it's used for a reason. It's not for nothing that some of the best wine kit producers such as Winexpert use EC-1118.

This wine DEFINITELY benefits from carbonation so by all means, do a bottle carbonation and I think you will be happy. Bottle carbing does make for a more authentic mojito appearance.

If you want to bottle carbonate just skip the stabilizing, degassing and finning steps finning. Then add about 7g of sugar per litre and bottle. This small amount of sugar will ferment in the bottle and carbonate your wine.

If you do want to carbonate then you would have to use glass champagne bottles, beer bottles (with crown caps), plastic pet bottles or my personal favourite, 500ml sparkling water bottes. Can buy a pack of 6 or 8 500ml sparkling waters from aldi for like £1.50.

If you do choose to bottle carbonate it will save you a huge amount of effort on the brewing process. Because you won't have to degass, stabilze or clear the wine with finnings. You'd just finish fermentation, remove the limes, add some sugar to the brew and bottle straight away.

 

[Berry454]

I believe Berry454 was refering to carbonation in bottle when making a cider. I understand that he has used the killer yeast to finish the fermantation pretty quickly and fully. I don't suppose there will be any refermentation in bottle once the wine is bone dry, so normal bottles will do. The question is whether you degass the mojito wine completely before bottling or leave some fizzing for the real mojito effect.

Exactly put here. The champagne yeast ensures a quick and complete fermentation to complete dryness.

Honestly I would either go with degassing and bottling still or not degassing/stabilizing, adding 6-8g of sugar per litre and bottle carbonating.

Not degassing without bottle carbonating could cause the wine to never really clear completely so it may stay cloudy.

And honestly, the carb level from not degassing is barely noticeable if serving over ice.

I can definitely say for sure that you could easily bottle carbonate the mojito wine though and it should give you something more similar to a mojito. The mojito cider served over ice was gorgeous!!

 

[Swedhearth]

I was just thinking that I'm going to go with a slightly stronger mojito wine, hence why I added a little bit more sugar 1.100SG. Then bottle without degassing (I don't believe cloudy mojito will bother me much) then serve it over ice with a dash of soda water...or not :)
If the effect is satisfactory (it's only 2nd day in the making) I'll post the my variation of your recipe.

 

[Berry454]

I was just thinking that I'm going to go with a slightly stronger mojito wine, hence why I added a little bit more sugar 1.100SG. Then bottle without degassing (I don't believe cloudy mojito will bother me much) then serve it over ice with a dash of soda water...or not :)
If the effect is satisfactory (it's only 2nd day in the making) I'll post the my variation of your recipe.

Awesome! I love to see experimentation and Its brilliant that someone else is trying to make variations to my recipe. Keep me updated and if it goes well I'll be sure to give it a try myself!

Just an idea, but you could add finnings without degassing, stabilizer then bottle a day or two later. That would at least keep most the sediment out of your bottles even if it stays a little cloudy.

The EC 1118 should rip through that SG of 1.100 without a problem.

I look forward to seeing your results!

 

[Swedhearth]

Thanks :)
I will definitely let you know how it went.
Adding finings seems like a good idea, although I don't put great hope that it will clear the wine much while still degassing. Actually, I have put some bentonite at the beginning, and now I'm thinking that it was't the best idea as it may muddle the wine with the CO2 still bubbling. I may need to rack the wine off the fruit and then leave it for a bit to settle..
And, to confess, I went for the Gervin GV5, hoping it may preserve a little bit more of the fruitiness of the wine. But to tell the truth, I don't believe it would be that much different than the Lalvin.

 

[Berry454]

Thanks :)
I will definitely let you know how it went.
Adding finings seems like a good idea, although I don't put great hope that it will clear the wine much while still degassing. Actually, I have put some bentonite at the beginning, and now I'm thinking that it was't the best idea as it may muddle the wine with the CO2 still bubbling. I may need to rack the wine off the fruit and then leave it for a bit to settle..
And, to confess, I went for the Gervin GV5, hoping it may preserve a little bit more of the fruitiness of the wine. But to tell the truth, I don't believe it would be that much different than the Lalvin.

A and B finnings work pretty well without degassing.

Should drop out at least 90% of the sediment without degassing. Degassing is only really necessary to remove the last 10% of sediment.

I've done extensive tests on this when making hard Seltzer's. (Sugar wash with flavourings).

When making my hard Seltzer's, I'll hit them with a dose of A and B finnings. Leave for 24 hours which will remove about 90% of the sediment. Then I'll add priming sugar and bottle. The last 10% of sediment is enough yeast to carbonate the bottles and I get barely any sediment in the bottom of my bottles.

So yes, finnings definitely work a treat without degassing. They just won't leave it crystal clear!

 

[Swedhearth]

Perfect. Thanks for the info. I have never tried finnings before degassing. I will give it a go! My mojito is still bubbling happily. I keep it around 20C, so it may take a little longer for the yeast to digest all the sugar. Will post the update.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

A and B finnings work pretty well without degassing.

Should drop out at least 90% of the sediment without degassing. Degassing is only really necessary to remove the last 10% of sediment.

Sorry but I couldn't disagree more, every kit i have made instructs you to degas and the article below explains why you should.

Why Should You Degas Wine​

To answer all your doubts, let’s start with the first question. And the answer is very simple. You should degas wine because carbon dioxide has a negative impact on the characteristics of your wine.

Carbon dioxide forms in wine, and in all fermented beverages, as a matter of fact, as a natural consequence of the action of the yeasts. If you’ve done homemade beer or cider before getting your hands into winemaking, you probably never worried about carbon dioxide too much, as some bubbles are more than welcome in these drinks. However, things are different in the case of wine, especially if you’re making a still variety.

As far as winemaking is concerned, carbon dioxide actually dissipates by itself with the time, therefore there is no need to degas wine if you are following a traditional winemaking method and are planning to leave your beverage to age in a barrel for a few long months before bottling.

Nevertheless, since most enthusiasts are eager to see their beverage in the bottle as soon as possible, wine degassing can allow you to bottle the wine even after six weeks from the production.

By now, you might be wondering why wine degassing is important. There are various reasons why you should degas wine if you’re not planning to leave it to mature in a barrel. The most important is because carbon dioxide changes both the flavor and the aroma of the wine, most of the times in a negative way. The only reason why you should want carbon dioxide in your beverage is if you are specifically making a sparkling white or rosé.

However, if your purpose is that of making a still wine, carbon dioxide will not only cause it to be somehow fizzy, but it will also give the wine a metallic and slightly acid taste. Regarding the aroma, it will also suffer and you won’t be able to smell the true bouquet of your wine.

Apart from that, the carbonated effect is highly undesirable in almost all wines, and especially in red wines.

Moreover, the carbon dioxide also prevents the proper clearing of your beverage. This might be less visible and annoying in the case of red wines, but your white will most likely stay blur instead of clear, which is a major mistake.

https://wineturtle.com/degas-wine/

 

[Swedhearth]

Sorry but I couldn't disagree more, every kit i have made instructs you to degas and the article below explains why you should.

Why Should You Degas Wine​

To answer all your doubts, let’s start with the first question. And the answer is very simple. You should degas wine because carbon dioxide has a negative impact on the characteristics of your wine.

Carbon dioxide forms in wine, and in all fermented beverages, as a matter of fact, as a natural consequence of the action of the yeasts. If you’ve done homemade beer or cider before getting your hands into winemaking, you probably never worried about carbon dioxide too much, as some bubbles are more than welcome in these drinks. However, things are different in the case of wine, especially if you’re making a still variety.

As far as winemaking is concerned, carbon dioxide actually dissipates by itself with the time, therefore there is no need to degas wine if you are following a traditional winemaking method and are planning to leave your beverage to age in a barrel for a few long months before bottling.

Nevertheless, since most enthusiasts are eager to see their beverage in the bottle as soon as possible, wine degassing can allow you to bottle the wine even after six weeks from the production.

By now, you might be wondering why wine degassing is important. There are various reasons why you should degas wine if you’re not planning to leave it to mature in a barrel. The most important is because carbon dioxide changes both the flavor and the aroma of the wine, most of the times in a negative way. The only reason why you should want carbon dioxide in your beverage is if you are specifically making a sparkling white or rosé.

However, if your purpose is that of making a still wine, carbon dioxide will not only cause it to be somehow fizzy, but it will also give the wine a metallic and slightly acid taste. Regarding the aroma, it will also suffer and you won’t be able to smell the true bouquet of your wine.

Apart from that, the carbonated effect is highly undesirable in almost all wines, and especially in red wines.

Moreover, the carbon dioxide also prevents the proper clearing of your beverage. This might be less visible and annoying in the case of red wines, but your white will most likely stay blur instead of clear, which is a major mistake.

https://wineturtle.com/degas-wine/

I would definitely agree with the degassing for the traditional, still wines. Here, however, it's a little different story. This mojito wine experiment, in my opinion, is aimed to achieve something slighty different. It's, by all means, not meant to be aged and it doesnt have to be perfectly clear. Moreover, the slight carbonation is actually desired, if it supposed to imitate the original mojito cocktail. If the addition of finnings, as claimed by @Berry454, will result in a less cloudy product in a still carbonated drink, I'm ready to take a risk and go for it.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Sorry i hit the new post link so didn't notice it was not a traditional still wine you were discussing.