Strawberry Wine — Home Brew Recipe

Strawberry Wine

There's something wonderfully British about strawberry wine. Made with fresh or frozen berries, this recipe produces a light, aromatic wine with a gorgeous pink hue and delicate fruit character. It's an excellent choice for beginner winemakers and a brilliant way to use a glut of summer fruit.

Ingredients

• 1.8kg fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1.2kg granulated sugar
• 4 litres water
• 1 tsp citric acid
• 1 tsp pectolase
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 sachet wine yeast (such as Gervin GV1 or Lalvin EC-1118)
• 1 Campden tablet (optional, for stabilising)

Equipment Needed

• Fermentation bucket with lid
• Demijohn with airlock
• Straining bag or muslin
• Siphon tube
• Hydrometer
• Wine bottles and corks

Method

Day One

Hull and roughly chop the strawberries, then place them in a sterilised fermentation bucket. Boil 2 litres of water and pour over the fruit, mashing gently with a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Cover and leave to cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, add the pectolase and stir well. Cover and leave for 24 hours. The pectolase breaks down the fruit pectin, ensuring a clear finished wine.

Day Two

Dissolve the sugar in 2 litres of warm water and add to the bucket. Stir in the citric acid and yeast nutrient. Take a hydrometer reading—you should be aiming for an original gravity of around 1.085 to 1.090.

Sprinkle the wine yeast over the surface and stir gently. Cover loosely and leave in a warm spot (18–22°C) to ferment for 5–7 days, stirring once daily.

Primary Fermentation

After a week, strain the liquid through a muslin cloth or straining bag into a sterilised demijohn, squeezing gently to extract all the juice. Fit an airlock and leave to ferment in a cooler location (15–18°C) until fermentation slows—typically 4–6 weeks.

Racking and Clearing

Once the bubbling stops and sediment settles, rack the wine into a clean demijohn, leaving the lees behind. Repeat this process every 4–6 weeks until the wine runs clear. This usually takes 2–3 rackings over 3 months.

Bottling

When the wine is crystal clear and stable, add a crushed Campden tablet if desired to prevent oxidation. Bottle into sterilised wine bottles and cork. Allow at least 3 months of bottle ageing before drinking—though 6 months will reward you with a smoother, more integrated flavour.

Expected ABV

Approximately 11–13% ABV, depending on your starting gravity and fermentation conditions.

Brewing Tips

• Frozen strawberries work brilliantly as the freezing process breaks down cell walls, releasing more juice and flavour.
• Avoid over-squeezing the fruit pulp when straining—this can introduce harsh tannins and cloudiness.
• For a drier wine, ferment to completion. For medium-sweet, consider back-sweetening with a stabilised sugar syrup before bottling.
• Strawberry wine benefits enormously from patience. While drinkable young, it truly shines after 6–12 months of ageing.

Recommended Products

Find everything you need for this recipe at BrewCo:

• Wine Yeast Collection — Choose from a range of reliable wine yeasts including Gervin and Lalvin strains.
• Pectolase 100g — Essential for breaking down fruit pectin and achieving a clear wine.
• Demijohns & Carboys — Perfect vessels for secondary fermentation and clearing.