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Fig Wine
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Fig Wine

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time7 days
Secondary Fermentation28 days
Total Time35 days 20 minutes
Author: Ashley Adamant

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs fresh figs
  • 1-¾ pounds cane sugar about 2 cups per pound
  • 1 tsp yeast nutrient
  • 3-½ tsp acid blend
  • Wine Yeast see note
  • Optional ~ Campden Tablet and Potassium Sorbate for Stabilizing I do not use these
  • Water to fill

Instructions

  • Remove stems from figs and chop before placing them in a brew bag.
  • Place the fig-filled brew bag in your wide-mouth carboy.
  • Heat a few quarts of water on the stovetop. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. 
  • Pour over figs. Let cool.
  • Add the acid blend and yeast nutrient. 
  • Add your wine yeast last. (Be sure to rehydrate first in room temperature water for 10 minutes before adding to your carboy.)
  • Add enough water to leave two inches of headspace and seal with a water lock.
  • Ferment in primary for 5 to 6 days.
  • Remove the brew bag and siphon to a clean fermentation vessel for secondary, leaving the sediment behind.
  • Top with water as needed and seal with a water lock.
  • Ferment for 3 to 4 weeks before racking to a clean container. Add water and refit the water lock.
  • Ferment for another 2 months and rack again if needed.
  • Sample your wine before bottling and adjust as needed. See notes for info on backsweetening.
  • Siphon into wine bottles and seal with corks. Let age 3 months before opening (or wait a year for an even more improved flavor).

Notes

Fig Mead

To make a one-gallon batch of fig mead you will need about 1 quart (3 lbs) of honey. Do note, the time needed in secondary may be longer than for fig wine (as honey is less digestible for the yeast than plain sugar is). Recommended time spent in secondary for fig mead is 2 to 6 months.

Yeast

For fig wine, choose a wine yeast with moderate alcohol tolerance, that either ferments clean or adds light fruit flavors. Some good yeast choices include Montrachet (or Red Star Premier Classique) or champagne yeasts like Lalvin EC-1118. See notes within the article for information on the specific qualities of each yeast.

Stabilizing and Back Sweetening

If you sample your wine at the end of the ferment and it seems too dry for your tastes, backsweetening is always an option. To backsweeten, first rack to a clean container and stabilize the wine by adding 1 Campden tablet and ½ teaspoon potassium sorbate. (This will prevent the sugar from causing the fermentation to reactivate and build up pressure in your bottled wine.)
Wait 24 to 48 hours after stabilizing to add your sugar. Sugar should be added in the form of a simple syrup made from equal parts sugar and water. Add to your carboy and put back into ferment for a week before bottling to ensure the ferment does not restart. As to amounts, about ½ cup of sugar should be enough for one gallon of fig wine.
See notes within the article regarding stabilizing and back sweetening.