r/winemaking • u/King-BuBz • Oct 09 '25
Fruit wine recipe Marijuana Infused Wine (UPDATE!)
Hello, all. In my last post, I described my Marijuana infused hard punch. I was very surprised to see how many people were interested. There were many questions, and so, there are many answers below. Enjoy, and tell me what your thinking. I'd love to answer questions.
IMAGES: https://imgur.com/a/kHtGHpo
Recipe And Process:
THIS MAKES 1 GALLON
MASH: 2 combined Lbs of Pineapple Chunks, Strawberries, Sweet Cherrys, and Raspberries. (Into a Fermenter Bag, then into the fermenter)
Fill to headspace in your 1 Gallon Fermenter with just about any 100% Fruit Juice. You may use water if you have nothing else, but ew, water.
ADD 3 CUPS OF SUGAR!! STIR, STIR, STIR UNTIL DISSOLVED!!! IT HELPS TO USE YOUR STIRRING TOOL TO PUSH MORE JUICE OUT OF THE FRUIT TO RELEASE MORE INITIAL FLAVOR!!!! Pop the Airlock on and let it sit overnight, then remove the ferm bag.
Add (depending on desired speed of fermentation) 1/2-1 packet of 71B Wine Yeast. This one is good for enhancing the fruit flavors in wine, counteracting the flavor of the weed.
Swirl twice a day, every day, throughout the whole ferm process. Around day 3 or 4, check the ABV with a Hydrometer. Once the beverage has reached 5% or 6% ABV, the fun part happens.
[CHEMICALLY SPEAKING, THE ETHANOL IN THE BEVERAGE IS ABLE TO BREAK THE CHEMICAL BONDS BETWEEN THE THC AND THE DECARBOXYLATED CANNABIS FLOWER ITSELF. THIS ALLOWS THE THC TO THEN REATTACH ITSELF TO THE ETHANOL! THIS IS WHY THE WEED CANNOT BE ADDED TO THE MUST! THERE IS NO ALCOHOL TO BE BOUND TO! (And would steep for a gross amount of time)]
If your wondering if this means you can just steep decarbed weed into an alcoholic beverage and make crossfade in a bottle, you might be right, however I have heard that in practice it removes less of the THC and is only doable with high prof liquors. (90 plus). I believe there is something different in the chemical process based in when the ethanol is being produced in the moment vs pre-made, distilled, beverages. I would try it the other way but weed ain't cheap sooo no. Do tell if it works the same however.
Add 1/4th a cup into a Ferm bag (or 1 Full Cup, if you plan for it to taste like regret and sadness but also take you to Mars) of Finely Ground, Decarboxylated Marijuana (Flower, NO KEEF ALLOWED, THAT IS GREAT FOR BAKED GOODS AND (maybe) INFUSED BEER, NOT FOR THIS [flavor tested]) Add to must.
Swirl and then continue fermentation as usual to your desired ABV. (I do not recommend going higher than 10%, harsh bite does nothing but make the weed easier to taste, yuck. Plus the longer you steep the, erm, weed teabag, the worse it will taste.) I stopped my fermentation at 8.5% using potassium sorbate.
TIP: This seemed to be the sweet spot between flavor and "oh fuck I'm in space". Mind you, you may always drink more to get there.
Rack to Carboy, repeat until clear. Let harsh weed flavors age out over about 2 weeks. They never fully disappear though.
TASTE: Base flavor is that of a deceptively low ABV Hard Punch, with a twinge of weedy regret as the after taste.
TIP: This drink is best enjoyed back sweetened with a wine syrup (entirely removes the after taste), I prefer grenadine.
[End of recipe and process]
Hope this was as neat for you as I. Open to tips and critique.
4
u/EducationalDog9100 Oct 09 '25
I like the experimentation here.
I tried making THC sugar and mixing that in as a back sweetener, but the flavor was very over powering.
2
u/King-BuBz Oct 09 '25
Yeah, that sounds like the flavor would be too strong, but what if you used THC sugar as the fermentable? Like Fermented into a fruit wine or (maybe) mead.
3
u/EducationalDog9100 Oct 09 '25
I'm not sure how the THC sugar would ferment. The process for making is alcohol extraction and then evaporation, so it's technically a sugar-alcohol. It makes me think that the fermentation might stall or have other issues.
1
u/King-BuBz Oct 09 '25
Oh, I assumed you had found a way to bond THC with Glucose. Silly me lol. If that's the case then I'd recommend mixing the THC sugar with a large dose of drink syrup and back sweetening with that mixture instead. A flavor that would mask the weed well would be lemon, green apple, more acidic flavors generally.
2
u/EducationalDog9100 Oct 09 '25
Yeah this was really just a thought experiment that I put into practice. I'm more of a "drink my drink, and smoke my smoke," type of person.
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u/rotkiv42 Oct 09 '25
CHEMICALLY SPEAKING, THE ETHANOL IN THE BEVERAGE IS ABLE TO BREAK THE CHEMICAL BONDS BETWEEN THE THC AND THE DECARBOXYLATED CANNABIS FLOWER ITSELF. THIS ALLOWS THE THC TO THEN REATTACH ITSELF TO THE ETHANOL! THIS IS WHY THE WEED CANNOT BE ADDED TO THE MUST! THERE IS NO ALCOHOL TO BE BOUND TO
A bit doubtful of that chemistry. You can use ethanol to extract THC or THCA, but that's simply about dissolving them. (and as you note, you would want a high ethanol concentration for that to work optimally)
1
u/King-BuBz Oct 09 '25
That's actually a great question! Agreed, a higher ethanol concentration would be more effective, and thus the extraction rate of this batch only really caps out 25-45% when complete. But that's done on purpose because any more and it tastes horrible which is why the steep time is based on how badly you want it taste vs get you high. This recipe is tailored to taste.
2
u/HazardousLazarus Oct 10 '25
This will eventually yield a slightly psychoactive wine if using decarbed flower as described. I would also decarb and then freeze the flower after before adding directly to the container. But this won't remove a whole lot of cannabinoids. As stated you need high ethanol content or fats/lipids. You'll get some flavor (mostly vegetal), but not a ton, and some acidic forms of cannabinoids that are medically beneficial but arent going to do much with how you feel post consumption. If I was you, because you're already making a fermented wine, why not just make a potent cannabis tincture with decarbed flower and then add that after you get the ABV and flavor of the wine dialed before adding. You can also get full spectrum oil (FSO/RSO) and just dissolve that in some warm ethanol or wine itself and then add it back. Anything green will just make your wine taste bitter and vegetal pretty quickly without constant monitoring. If doing what I described its also easier to get a more accurate amount of total mg/g of cannabinoids in solution, thus helps with a more accurate "dose" Trichomes are hydrophobic and dont want to mix with a solution of mostly water.
2
u/King-BuBz Oct 10 '25
This is really interesting, I had the idea RSO would work but I didn't know what the process would be. I thank you for that! Also freezing?? I am amazed I didn't think of that sooner. Thank you so much for this, experimenting MUST be done. Like omg the flavors would have been so much easier to manage with the RSO, facepalming a little.
1
u/SunderedValley Jan 24 '26
https://emilykylenutrition.com/qwet-tincture/
Do this with aqua vita/aguadente/grappa/White Brandy. Basically some kind of high ABV grape spirit.
Add it to your active fermentation until an ABV of 20% is hit. This shock-stops the fermentation. Age as you would normally.
This is essentially a port or sherry. It'll keep getting better almost indefinitely.
This post was brought to you by drugnerds incorporated. Elevated minds for an elevated future.
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u/Slight_Fact Skilled fruit Oct 09 '25
I really don't think this belongs in r/winemaking.
Let me first start out by saying I'm for cannabis; but combining it with alcohol can a really bad mix. They both offer distinct benefits or cons, they are different. Alcohol is a poison, it's a sanitizer. Mixing the two can be really bad for someone...they can get really messed up.
Getting messed up isn't the reason winemakers make or drink wine.
5
u/King-BuBz Oct 09 '25
Oh yes of course, I agree with this statement entirely. However I approach winemaking from the perspective of chemistry. The process to me is all about experimenting with different things to achieve different experiences. Wether that be flavor, quality, or "I shouldn't drive", I am in it for the science. (Unless it's meant to be consumed by others)
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u/Slight_Fact Skilled fruit Oct 09 '25 edited Oct 09 '25
Mixology is a winemaking thing, it's a commonly used tool. However mixing cannabis, peyote or shrooms into alcohol/wine? This type of experimental combo isn't about winemaking anymore, non are legal and all are controlled contraband.
5
u/King-BuBz Oct 09 '25
Peyote and Shrooms are something else entirely, putting hallucinogens in wine is not only dangerous but an entirely undesirable experience. Those are strong enough on their own. Marijuana is an incredibly tame medicinal herb with comparably mild psychoactive effects. Not to mention, I'm in California where it's Legal as breathing. I think that it's still about wine, just with different practices in mind.
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u/Slight_Fact Skilled fruit Oct 09 '25 edited Oct 09 '25
Didn't I say I'm pro cannabis?
You're wrong about it's legality. It isn't legal federally, it's still considered contraband. It's a schedule 1 drug and considered a type of opiate. How do I know, I'll give you one guess.
So let's leave wine making separate from your experimental contraband. This is the group you're looking for:
r/Marijuana5
u/King-BuBz Oct 09 '25
The labels we apply to substances, we do almost solely to classify what groups get to legally profit off of them and how much. But that's besides the point I was making. Which was that comparing the use of Marijuana to Hallucinogens was overzealous and naive. Like I'm not saying your anti cannabis, uneducated, or don't understand, I'm just recognizing that we have different interpretations. For example the Federal Legality meaning basically nothing to me if I can just walk into a dispensary like it's a damn grocery store. You probably disagree and that's entirely okay.
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u/Slight_Fact Skilled fruit Oct 09 '25
You missed the point, your interpretation of the law doesn't really matter. The law matters and federal laws always trump state laws.
https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IF/HTML/IF12715.web.html
You seriously don't need to educate me on the effects of cannabis, psychedelics or any drugs. I'm more aware than you'll ever know. They shouldn't be combined in alcohol.
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u/King-BuBz Oct 09 '25 edited Oct 09 '25
Ykw, your right, considering you mix up weed and opiates lmao. "Allow me to link my sources like a true, intellectual, redditorean" head ahh.
"Federal law says it's illegal, you can't do that!!" Bro, I see at least two people a day smoking a joint in broad daylight. At the park, at the hospital, a couple of times, at work. Hell, I've watched the cops smoke one together (which I'll admit is a bit far but still). It really is that lax.
The maybe 3 articles you've looked for to rebuttal me do not compare to the actual reality of living in it. Get ratiod.
6
u/Capt_Gingerbeard Professional Oct 09 '25
You get invited to a lot of parties, I'm sure. Lighten up.
Also, no, cannabis is not considered an opiate. You're talking out your ass.
1
u/warneverchanges7414 Oct 15 '25
Do tell me what chemical in Marijuana is an opiate and what laws classify it as an opiate. It's not important that it's illegal federally because it's legal on the state level and not enforced federally as far as possession of small amounts in your home is concerned. In the states, it is legal, this would be considered a tincture, which making at home is legal everywhere weed is legal. Oh, and let's not forget this has already been experimented with on the commercial level as well. It's been restricted since then, but it happened.
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u/warneverchanges7414 Oct 15 '25
Getting messed up isn't always the reason people smoke weed either. The fact remains that it is a wine, albeit a country wine, and this is a winemaking sub. Besides that, saying you don't drink wine for the effects is nonsense. Does that mean you can't love it and enjoy it without getting intoxicated? Absolutely not, but to judge another another group of people simply for experimenting with crossing these two hobbies is frankly ignorant and rude.
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u/King-BuBz Oct 09 '25
Realized I didn't include pics, will update.