Ingredients
- 1.5–1.8kg ripe damsons, weighed before removing the stones
- Up to 1.2kg brewing sugar, adjusted by hydrometer
- 1 teaspoon pectolase
- 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient
- 1 Campden tablet
- 1 sachet Gervin GV2 Robust Wine Yeast
- Water as required for a finished batch of about 4.5 litres
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Equipment
- 10-litre fermentation bucket with lid
- 1-gallon glass demijohn
- Bored demijohn bung and airlock
- Hydrometer and trial jar
- Large fine straining bag
- Long brewing spoon
- Syphon tubing
- No-rinse sanitiser
- Sharp kitchen knife and chopping board for destoning
- Five or six 750ml wine bottles
- Wine corks and hand corker
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6-Bottle Wine Starter Kit
10 Litre Fermentation Bucket
1 Gallon Glass Demijohn
Demijohn Bung
Bubbler Airlock
Wine & Beer Hydrometer
Plastic Trial Jar
Large Fine Straining Bag
40cm Brewing Spoon
Syphon Tubing
No-Rinse Sanitiser
750ml Clear Wine Bottle
Premium Corks
Hand Corker
Preparation
Choose ripe, deeply coloured damsons
Damsons make a rich, dark country wine with plum, berry and dried-fruit character. Use fully ripe fruit with good colour and aroma. Slightly soft damsons are fine if they are sound, but discard anything mouldy, rotten or fermented.
Fresh or frozen damsons both work. Freezing the fruit before use helps break down the flesh and makes juice extraction easier. If you freeze them, remove the stones first or after thawing and keep all clean juice released during thawing.
Before you begin
Keep the skins
The skins provide colour, flavour and natural tannin. Destoning does not mean peeling the fruit.
Measure the sugar
Damson sweetness changes with ripeness. Target OG 1.085–1.095 instead of automatically tipping in a fixed amount of sugar.
Expect it to need time
Young damson wine can taste sharp and firm. Ageing is part of the recipe, not an optional extra.
How to Make Damson Wine
Clean and sanitise everything
Clean first, then sanitise the fermentation bucket, lid, spoon, straining bag, knife, chopping board, hydrometer, trial jar, syphon, demijohn, bung and airlock. Use no-rinse sanitiser according to its label directions.
Sort, wash and destone the damsons
Use 1.5–1.8kg ripe damsons. Rinse the sound fruit, remove stalks, halve each damson and remove every stone. Keep the skins and flesh. Discard any mouldy or rotten fruit.
Put the fruit into the straining bag
Place the destoned damsons in a sanitised large fine straining bag inside the fermentation bucket. Gently crush the flesh with clean hands or a sanitised utensil, but do not pulverise it into a purée.
Dissolve the first sugar addition
Dissolve about 850g brewing sugar in roughly 1.5 litres of hot water. Let the syrup cool below 25°C before pouring it over the damsons, then add cool water until the liquid volume is roughly four litres.
Add the Campden tablet
When the must is below 25°C, crush one Campden tablet, stir it through thoroughly, cover the fermenter and leave it for about 12 hours.
Add the pectolase
After 12 hours, stir in 1 teaspoon pectolase. Damsons are a pectin-rich stone fruit, so this helps juice extraction and reduces the risk of a stubborn haze. Cover again and leave for another 12 hours.
Drain the fruit temporarily
Lift the fruit bag with sanitised hands or utensils and let it drain over the bucket for about 10 minutes without wringing it. Set it in a sanitised container while you adjust the liquid.
Set the initial liquid volume
Stir the liquid and add cool water to bring it to approximately 4.2 litres. This leaves room for any small sugar solution needed after the hydrometer reading.
Take the first hydrometer reading
Make sure the must is close to the hydrometer's calibration temperature, normally around 20°C. Use a well-mixed, pulp-free sample and read the hydrometer at eye level.
Adjust the sugar only if needed
Aim for a final starting gravity of 1.085–1.095. If the reading is low, dissolve 50g brewing sugar in a little boiling water, cool it below 25°C, add it and stir thoroughly. Retest and repeat only as needed, using 25g additions when close to the target.
Make the final volume 4.5 litres
Add cool water to make the liquid volume exactly 4.5 litres, stir thoroughly and take one final hydrometer reading. Record it as the original gravity, or OG.
Return the damsons to the must
Put the drained fruit bag back into the fermentation bucket. Make sure the fruit is in good contact with the liquid without forcing fine pulp through the bag.
Add nutrient and Gervin GV2
Stir in 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient. Prepare the Gervin GV2 Robust Wine Yeast according to the sachet instructions and pitch the full sachet. Aim to ferment at around 18–22°C.
Manage the fruit each day
Fit the lid and airlock. Once or twice each day, sanitise the spoon, gently push the damson bag beneath the liquid, stir briefly and replace the lid immediately. Avoid aggressive stirring or squeezing.
Remove the damsons
Remove the fruit after about 5–7 days, once vigorous fermentation has clearly begun to ease. Let the bag drain over the fermenter and press only lightly. Do not wring it hard enough to force lots of fine pulp through the mesh.
Transfer to the demijohn
Syphon the wine into the sanitised 1-gallon glass demijohn, leaving the thickest pulp and sediment behind. Avoid pouring or splashing. While fermentation is still active, fill to around the shoulder and fit the sanitised bung and airlock.
Let secondary fermentation continue
Keep the demijohn at around 18–22°C and out of direct sunlight. Fermentation will become much quieter, but airlock activity alone does not tell you when it is finished.
Confirm fermentation with stable readings
Take a hydrometer reading once activity has clearly slowed, then repeat it at least 48 hours later. Fermentation is complete only when the readings are identical. A dry damson wine may finish around 0.995–1.000, but stability matters more than one exact number.
Rack and allow the wine to clear
Once gravity is stable, syphon the wine into a clean sanitised demijohn and leave the sediment behind. Minimise splashing, top up into the narrow neck with as little headspace as practical, replace the airlock and leave the wine somewhere cool and dark to clear and begin conditioning.
Check that the wine is ready
Confirm stable hydrometer readings, clear wine with no obvious haze and no meaningful new sediment for at least two weeks. Taste a small sample as well. Damson wine can still taste firm or tart at this stage; that is a reason to age it, not a reason to bottle early.
Bottle without splashing
Sanitise the wine bottles, syphon tubing, corks and corker. Syphon gently into each bottle and cork it. Keep the bottles upright for the first 24 hours, then store them somewhere cool and dark.
Give damson wine time to mature
Allow at least 6 months before judging the wine, with 9–12 months often giving a much rounder result. A well-made damson wine can continue improving beyond a year as the acidity and tannin soften.
Beginner's damson wine timeline
| Approximate time | What to do | What decides the next step |
|---|---|---|
| Brew day | Destone fruit, make the first sugar syrup and add Campden | Must is below 25°C before Campden is added |
| 12 hours later | Add pectolase | Wait a further 12 hours |
| About 24 hours | Adjust volume and gravity; add nutrient and GV2 yeast | Final OG is 1.085–1.095 |
| Days 1–5 | Push the fruit down and stir once or twice daily | Healthy fermentation and skins remain wet |
| Days 5–7 | Remove and gently drain the damsons | Vigorous fermentation has clearly eased |
| Weeks 2–6 | Allow secondary fermentation to finish | Two identical hydrometer readings at least 48 hours apart |
| Following 1–3 months | Rack and allow the wine to clear | Minimal headspace and no meaningful new sediment |
| From about month 3 | Bottle only when all readiness checks are passed | Stable gravity, clear wine and no new sediment |
| Months 6–12+ | Mature, then taste | Tannin, acidity and fruit become more integrated |
The calendar is a guide, not a bottling instruction. The hydrometer and the condition of the wine always take priority over the date.
Final bottling checklist
- The hydrometer reading is unchanged across at least 48 hours.
- The wine is clear with no obvious fruit or pectin haze in a sample.
- No meaningful new sediment has formed for at least two weeks.
- The wine tastes still, not fizzy or actively fermenting.
- Any back-sweetening has been carried out only after correct stabilisation.
- Bottles, syphon, corks and corker have been prepared correctly.
Common Problems
The wine tastes too sharp
Damsons are naturally tart and tannic. If fermentation is complete and the wine is otherwise sound, ageing is usually the first remedy. Give it several months before trying to correct a young wine that simply needs time.
The wine is cloudy
Stone fruits contain plenty of pectin. Use pectolase early, avoid cooking the fruit into jam and give the wine enough time to settle and clear before reaching for extra finings.
There is an unpleasant bitter kernel note
Check your fruit preparation. Damson stones should be removed and never deliberately crushed. Use the flesh and skins for the wine, not broken kernels.
There is too much pulp
Keep the fruit in a fine straining bag and crush gently rather than blending it. Drain or press lightly; aggressive squeezing forces fine pulp through the mesh and increases sediment.
Fermentation stopped early
Check temperature and gravity before doing anything else. If the reading remains high and unchanged, troubleshoot a stalled fermentation rather than assuming the wine is finished.
The wine lost some colour
Some colour change during fermentation and ageing is normal. Minimise splashing after the vigorous stage, keep headspace low after racking and store the wine away from direct light.
FAQs
How many damsons do I need for one gallon of wine?
Use about 1.5–1.8kg of ripe damsons for a 4.5-litre batch. Weigh the fruit before destoning, then remove the stones before fermentation.
Can I use frozen damsons?
Yes. Frozen damsons work very well because freezing helps break down the fruit structure and release juice. Thaw in a clean covered container and keep the clean juice that runs from the fruit.
Do I have to remove the damson stones?
For this recipe, yes. Halve the fruit and remove every stone before fermentation. It also makes it much easier to avoid accidentally crushing kernels while the fruit is being worked.
Can I crush the damson stones?
No. Do not deliberately break or grind the stones. The useful colour, flavour and tannin come from the damson flesh and skins.
Do I need wine tannin in damson wine?
Not normally. Damson skins already provide substantial natural tannin, so adding Wine Tannin as a routine ingredient can make the young wine unnecessarily astringent. Save added tannin for genuinely low-tannin fruit wines.
Do I need to add citric acid?
Not as a standard addition in this recipe. Damsons are naturally sharp, so we prefer to taste and measure the fruit rather than automatically adding more acid.
Why use pectolase in damson wine?
Damsons are a pectin-rich stone fruit. Pectolase helps release juice and reduces the risk of a persistent pectin haze.
Why use Gervin GV2?
Gervin GV2 is a robust wine yeast suited to darker berry and hedgerow-style fruit wines. It is a good match for the stronger fruit, acidity and tannin found in damsons.
Can I use Lalvin 71B instead?
Yes. Lalvin 71B is a good fruit-wine alternative when available. Follow the sachet's own preparation and temperature instructions.
How much sugar should I add?
Do not treat 1.2kg as an automatic dose. Start with roughly 850g brewing sugar, then use the hydrometer to adjust toward 1.085–1.095. Ripe damsons contribute their own sugar, so every batch is slightly different.
What starting gravity should damson wine have?
This recipe targets an OG of about 1.085–1.095. That gives a proper wine-strength fermentation while keeping the damson character at the centre of the finished drink.
How strong will the finished wine be?
If it starts around 1.085–1.095 and finishes dry near 0.995–1.000, expect roughly 11.5–13% ABV. Your actual hydrometer readings give the best estimate.
How long should the damsons stay in the fermenter?
Usually around 5–7 days. Keep the skins wet during vigorous fermentation, then remove the fruit once extraction is good and the most active stage begins to ease.
Should I squeeze the straining bag?
A light press is fine. Avoid wringing it hard enough to force fine pulp through the mesh, because that increases haze, sediment and racking losses.
How long does damson wine take to ferment?
Often around 3–6 weeks, but there is no reliable calendar date for completion. The wine is finished only when hydrometer readings are unchanged across at least 48 hours.
How do I know damson wine has finished fermenting?
Use the hydrometer. Take one reading when fermentation appears quiet and another at least 48 hours later. If the readings are identical, fermentation has finished. Airlock bubbles alone are not a reliable test.
Can I make damson wine sweeter?
Yes, after fermentation has fully finished. If you are adding fermentable sugar, stabilise the wine correctly before bottling. Read our back-sweetening guide first. You can also use Wine Sweetener 50ml according to its label directions.
How long should damson wine mature?
Give it at least 6 months, and expect 9–12 months to show a much rounder wine. Damson's natural acidity and tannin make it particularly well suited to ageing.
Can damson wine improve after a year?
Yes. A well-made batch can continue to soften and integrate beyond 12 months, especially if it was quite firm or tart when young.
What country wine should I make next?
Try our Blackberry Wine Recipe, Gooseberry Wine Recipe or Pear Wine Recipe.