Does anyone know or tried to substitute raw honey in place of sugar? I've got a couple of beehives and would like to put the honey to good use! Thanks. Helen

Try making meade. Formented honey. Vikings were pretty fond of it. Haven't made it myself, but I have a few pounds of honey waiting for the chance to make me happy. I've tried store bought meade and it's pretty darn good. But if you make it yourself, you can add different fruit to help flavor it. I've seen everything from the usual fruits to rose hips. Good luck!

Making my first batch today! I read all comments and they were helpful. Started with going to a wine making store and was told to take the pits out because they have a chemical that releases cyanide into the body when ingested. Purchased a plastic 6 gallon/with lid food grade plastic bucket (can also use for wine) next project. Wine yeast and never use bread yeast and a nylon straining bag to put all fruit in. Spent about $30.00. when the time is up I only need to lift the bag! And it can be used over and over everything is in the bucket.

Thanks, this helps....

This is a great tasting wine.This is not brandy because it is fermented, not distilled. I used the raisins in fruit cake and cookies. It needed to be re-bottled because of the sediment.

Phyllis,

Thank you for the recipe! In the recipe, you mention boiling 2gal 3qts of water. Do you put the boiling water in the glass jar or crock and then the peaches when it is still hot, or do you let the water cool down? I am thinking let it cool. What is the reason for boiling the water? Do you dissolve the sugar in the hot water before putting the peaches and lemons in? I am new to this and want to make sure I do everything correctly.
Also, what do you recommend for sealing and storing the bottles?

JMHO If you are using fresh fruit the boiling water will kill any bad bacteria on the fruit. If you don't want to do that add 1 campden tablet per gallon from a wine supply store.
Sugar mixes easier in warm/hot water but not required.

Also boiling the water will hopefully remove any chlorine if you using city water.

This is not brandy, brandy is distilled wine this is a variation on prison hooch called pruno brewed in the toilet tanks in the state prison. When it is good its good but when its bad its god awful. Just for the sake of clarity this is not brandy and needs to be drunk as soon as it is done brewing 14-21 days. Treat this like beer.

I used this recipe.. made a beautiful WineShine as my family calls it.. Knock you on your butt for sure.

I just bottle my first batch of this peach brandy... wow. It knocked me on my bum. Word to the wise... before you bottle and cork it... place a 1/2 tsp of potassium sorbate per gallon of wine after straining. This stops further reaction from the yeast and popping bottles. You can find this at your local home brew store. It does not ruin the flavor nor does it stop the brandy of its alcohol.

Is there a recommended type of yeast? After pouring crew Into mason jars the lids are popping. How do we prevent this?

You want the jars to pop, this is how air is removed which keeps anything you can from spoiling.

if you use bakers yeast it will taste like bread

you need to use yeast made for wine making

Where do you find wine yeast?

I am excited to try this! I am in the process of making blueberry wine and am anxious to see how it turns out. I will let everyone know!

I've made this recipe before and it was absolutely wonderful. Question as I prepare to make it again - are you sure it can be covered with just cheese cloth? We made sure it was airtight the last time.

Made this... I strained mine three times thru cheesecloth and 2 times thru coffee filters and bottled it into mason jars... I ran it thru a vinometer and it popped out at 22% (44 proof) not bad for 18% tolerant wine yeast. Doing another batch right now but using nectarines instead of peaches.

I have never made anything like this before. I'm at day 21, any advise on the bottle process? Just pour and cap?

Holly I would think that you have to strain it no peaches in the bottle just the juice strain with cheese cloth or towel then pour into bottles.

The recipe sounds great! I had some homemade peach brandy last month for the first time and now I'm trying to make it. What kind of yeast do you use (you said 2 small pkgs)? Also, I live up in Alaska so I can't get fresh peaches. Can I use canned peaches instead? I can get peaches from our produce department but they taste like cardboard. Finally, you mentioned to put all this in a crock. Do you use heat? how much heat? Thanks from the far North in Alaska, Colin

Sorry - I missed returning to site to check... Actually I got this recipe from a Virginia bootlegger, but it originated in Pennsylvania... And he tweaked it... Am thinking frozen peaches if you can get them... As they are more like fresh, if not - you might opt for canned, as this is REALLY good... The yeast - is just regular packs, from what I understand.

This is just put in a regular earthen ware crock of some type and left at room temperature - totally untouched for the 21 days...

Again - sorry for not responding earlier... I do hope you will do this... You will not regret it and will return to this recipe.

PS: no heat.....This ferments on its own... In Alaska you will probably have to keep in a room - with regular heat - so the fermentation can work... Not in a cold room.