How to Make Wine at Home

Yes! You had it right!! Contrary to popular misconception, one can make a decent wine at home for less than ₹200/- ($3) and in 3-7 days. No wonder, utilitarian first-timers like students, amateur cooks, or anybody on either a shoestring budget love this recipe. Alcohol is still a taboo for those fearing religious persecution or in some orthodox joint families. If a mere sight of an empty wine bottle in the trash is going to be a scandal, then this discreet recipe comes handy.
This recipe would be a great way to begin the fermentation journey. The equipment and ingredients used are so readily available that it can be made even inside a prison cell (hence the name). Also, it is an inexpensive way to test one’s fermentation aptitude. Tetra Pack wine helps one to get started without being scared by something over-complicated. However, be cautious of being trolled by wine snobs for using this style.

Prison Hooch: Tetra Pack Wine Recipe

A simple recipe with ingredients availabe in one's kitch.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

fermentation 4 d

Total Time 4 d 1 hr 15 mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine alcohol, American

Servings 4 glasses

Calories 250 kcal

Equipment

• tetra pack juice container (as a fermenter)
• airlock/baloon/blow off tube

Ingredients

  

• 1 liter juice pack
• 1 tbsp dry wine yeast
• 150 gm sugar yes it is high sugar to mask the yeasty off flavors.

Instructions

 

• Open a tetra pack juice packet and add some sugar and yeast.

  (Optional) Put it in a blender to ensure sugar is mixed well and the mixture aerated.

  (Optional) Add some over-ripe fruits, fresh fruit juice or sugarcane juice to make it more flavorful.

  (Advanced) Wild yeast can be cultured and used instead of dry yeast.
• Seal it with an airlock or balloon and observe the escaping air bubbles. If airlock is not available, use a sanitized PET soda bottle with a screw lid. Twice a day, unscrew the cap slightly to vent off the buildup of excess air.
• Keep it in a cool place (15o-25oC) away from sunlight and of course children.
• Decant/ strain with a handkerchief to remove sediments, pulp and other haze causing elements. The coffee strainer can also be used.
• (Optional) Keep it in the refrigerator at 4oC for 24 hours to accelerate the clearing of haze and reduce the bready notes from fresh yeast.

Notes

This is a high alcoholic beverage that can get people drunk fast. So keep the serving size small.

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Video

Pomegranate Wine from Packed Fruit Juice in Hindi

Keyword instant wine, juice wine

This drink is often consumed fresh, hence it will taste a bit yeasty. Cold crash for 24 hours for best results.

Instant wine needs a lot of residual sugar to mask those off-flavors. Flavor can be altered by adding some more fresh juices/ sugar/ lime/ spices, freeze it into a slush to make a good multi-colored cocktail. Alternatively, add a few fresh apple pieces to give the Sangria like feeling.

Sweet Fruit Wine Choices

Wines can be made effortlessly from any bottled juice, as long as it does not have too many artificial colors or synthetic flavors. Black currant, pomegranate, strawberries, beetroot or cranberry will make red wine/ hooch. While orange, apple and mixed fruit juices will make white/ golden wines. A bit of tea (in boiled water) can be added to enhance the body and colors.

Choose fruit for your cider wine, which are flavorful. Litchi, watermelon, and tomato juices often taste like spirits because they lack the accompanying body. Fresh mangoes are great to make wine. Packaged mango juice is often added sugar and colors only, the wine will be watery.
If fresh sugarcane is used, then no need to add yeast. We can use wild yeast which is naturally present in sugarcane (and in the earthen pots) to ferment the juice. After 2-3 days, it will taste like Toddy, a bit sour. This wine will become a mildly intoxicating bubbly drink that is hazy brownish in color. However, it will still be safe to drink. In Indian villages, toddy is still considered the beverage of choice to overcome the summer heat. It is a refreshing cooler with elixir properties to relieve pain from a day of hard work.

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