Carrot Wine

5 lbs Carrots
3 Cups White Sugar
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Lb Honey
12 oz Golden Raisins (roughly chopped)
1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 tsp Acid Blend
1/2 packet Lalvin 71B Yeast

Scrub and clean the carrots but you can leave them peeled. Cut into thin slices either by hand or using the slicer attachment on a food processor. Place the sliced carrots and raisins in a straining bag, then add to a large pot with 1 gallon water. Slowly bring the pot to a simmer. Remove the straining bag and add sugar and honey. Replace the straining bag simmer the carrots in the sugar solution for 10 minutes. The carrots should be tender but hold their shape. Turn off the heat. Allow to cool to room temperature.

In a clean, sanitized fermenting bucket place the straining bag and pour the hot sugar solution into the bucket. The carrot and raisins can be secured in the straining bag and left in the bucket. Add the pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient, and acid blend, then mix thoroughly. Finally add the yeast by sprinkling on the surface of the must. Cover the fermenting vessel and allow the fermentation to begin.

After 24 hours or so the fermentation should show signs of activity. Allow the primary fermentation to continue for around 7 days, stirring every day for the first 3-4 days. After a week lift the straining bag with the carrots and raisins in and discard. Rack the carrot wine to a carboy. Fit a bung and airlock and allow the wine to finish fermentation and begin to condition. Rack in 1 month and again in 3 months, stabilizing and clarifying as needed. After 3-6 months in the carboy the wine can be bottled. Sample the wine and back-sweeten if desired.

Once bottled allow the carrot wine to age for 3-6 months. Feel free to sample some after a few months as the wine will continue to change and evolve as it ages in the bottle.