Beet Wine

3 lbs Fresh Beets
2 Lemons
1 1/2 lbs White Sugar
1 lb Light Brown Sugar
1 gal Water
1/4 tsp Wine Tannin
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1/2 packet Lalvin RC212

Wash the beets well, peel and grate. Place grated beets (using a straining bag will make this a little less messy!) in large pot with 1 gallon of water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and remove beets, letting them drain into the pot but don't squeeze, then discard or use them in another recipe, they'll taste fine! To the remaining liquid, add the white sugar, light brown sugar, juice from the lemons and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool to below 100 degrees and stir in the yeast nutrient, pectic enzyme, and wine tannin, then transfer to your primary. Sprinkle yeast on top of the must and cover.

Ferment 10 days then rack into a 1 gallon carboy. Beets are photosensitive, and light will fade the color, so if you want to preserve the red color wrap the carboy to protect from light. Rack in 30 days, adding a crushed Campden tablet, and again at 3 months, then stabilize and clarify as needed. After 6 months, back-sweeten if desired, and bottle in green glass bottles to help preserve color. Let age for at least 6 months, longer aging will reduce the "earthy" flavor that can accompany root vegetable wines.