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acorn squash wine
another crazy concoction i came up with. it's undergoing secondary ferentation as we speak.
1 large, well ripe acorn squash. a winter squash with most sugar would do better next time, and i have some sugar pie pumpkin seed in my collection.
1-1 1/2lb brown or cane sugar, i used 1lb.
1tbs yeast nutrient [just for good measure, i have no idea what trace nutrients are in winter squash].
12 cloves allspice.
4 cloves.
1 tsp nutmeg.
acid blend or the juice of two limes [i like to use limes]
1 cake or package yeast, i used commercial baker's yeast.
1 gallon water.
1 stock pot with lid
1 primary fermentation bottle at least 1.5 gal.
1 secondary fermentation bottle at least 1 gal.
1 airlock [mine is made by a scew cap that fits the bottle, a length of tight fitting vinyl hose fitting into a hole in the lid, and fitted into the lid of a canning jar full of water, so that the end of the hose rests below water level. the jar lid should have a second hole to allow air out, but the hose fits loosely in mine and air escapes through it. i used to use powerade bottles, anything which can be cleaned in bleach water or boiled will work.
3' siphon of hose.
the proceedure:
quarter squash and bake at 350f untill browning at edges. this will both soften the squash and help convert some of the sugars.
grate squash into stock pot, add sugar, nutrient, acid/lime juice and spices and bring to boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
cover and boil lightly for one hour.
remove from heat and let settle, covered untill the solids sink.
prepare primary bottle by washing with detergent and a bottle brush, then filling with hot water and 1/4 cup of regular household bleach. let sit for half an hour. sanitize your house/siphon by boiling or treating in a similar sulution.
empty bottle and and transfer the fluid from the stock pot into it, allowing it to fall into the center of the bottle, not run down the side. this will aerate the wort. fit with a lid and place into a cold water bath in the sink to cool, or let sit overnight.
once your wort is cooled, pitch yeast and stir by swirling. fit airlock and let stand 12 hours. after 12 hours, stir again by swirling and let stand untill the head dissipates and the airlock is hardly bubbling.
clean your siphon hose and your secondary bottle and transfer the 'wine' into it, letting the wine run down the side of the bottle. this time you will be trying to avoid aerating it. fit lid firmly but loosely, so that overpressure may escape as it gets too high and keep in a cool location untill it the cloudyness dissipates. your yeasts will die off and sink to the bottom, and there will still be some starches falling out. as soon as it is clear it can be drunk with good flavor, i have no idea if this improves with aging.
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i first did this on a whim, and with the addition of 1lb oats for their malty flavor and slight bitterness, but ended up with far too much starch that i couldn't easily separate by chilling [too much volume of them to be practical]. i like the way this is tasting but i don't think i'd do it again, unless i had some peptic enzyme to add for conversion.
after a little searching, i found, unsupprised, that many people make this winter squash 'wine' [usually with pumpkin] in a similar way.
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