Rice and Raisin Speedy Wine .

This is a useful wine to make in one gallon batches as its really fast to finish - about 6 to 8 weeks - and goes down very well at parties. The ingredients are available all year round - wherever you live! Its a good beginners wine.

Ingredients -

• 2lbs/900g Raisins (whole not chopped)
• 2lbs/900g Rice, washed
• 2lbs/900g Sugar
• Juice of 1 Lemon and 1 Orange
• General Purpose Yeast
• Water to 1 gallon
• Optional - 2 whole Star Anise and 1 long Cinnamon stick broken into 4 pieces.

Method -

• Dissolve the sugar in 1 pint ( half a litre) boiling water and let cool.
• Measure Raisins, washed Rice and juices into a fermenting bucket.
• Add cooled sugar solution and 6 pints (3 litres) of lukewarm water (and spices if using).
• Activate yeast and add (never add yeast if the water is still hot).
• Leave to ferment in a warm place in a bucket with a lid.
• Stir daily for 14 days.
• Strain through muslin into a demijohn and fit a bung and airlock.
• Continue to ferment until activity has stopped and rack into a clean demijohn using a filter pad in a funnel (or a filter kit if you have one).

The wine is now ready for immediate drinking and should be consumed within 2 months. If you want it to last longer add a crushed Camden tablet at the filter stage and it will last for 9 months to a year.

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