Have you ever heard of prison wine? Prison wine or ‘pruno’, is improvised prison-made alcohol and is known by many names, including juice, hooch, and pruno. Since some prisoners can’t stop drinking, they have to just make it themselves while in jail. Prison wine simply needs a bit of knowledge, and of course, a bit of time, and, a source of food to ferment. Let’s find out the ingredients used to make wine in prison.
What are the ingredients of prison wine?
Most recipes use fresh fruit, and some prison officers have gone as far as to ban fruit from prisoners’ meals to reduce the production of prison-made moonshine. However, when there isn’t enough fruit, they can manage to make ‘pruno’ out of things like bread, cake frosting, jelly, and milk. We’ll all agree that the latter are extremely innovative! This shows that when there’s a will, there’s a way to get wrecked! Now then, are you ready to learn how to make some top-notch, thirst-quenching prison wine?
Of course, you are, which will be especially useful if you actually and unexpectedly end up in prison! Obviously, you probably have no plans to go to jail anytime soon, but it definitely cannot hurt to be fully prepared for such an unlikely event! ‘Pruno’ as it is more commonly known, is a strong-tasting boozy drink that’s easy to make and takes just a few days to successfully produce. All you need is some fruit, a Ziploc bag, sugar, bread, a towel, and your clenched fists! Let’s take a closer look at how to cook up some delightful Pruno wine.
How to make pruno?
The first step is to take 5-6 medium-sized oranges, peel them and toss them in a zip lock bag. After that, get a big tin of fruit cocktail and pour all the fruit and juice into the zip lock bag.
The second step is the beginning of the fermentation process; you’ll need 4 tbsp of ketchup and 60 cubes of sugar. These will help you to create and perfect the required level of acidity. Next, stuff two slices of bread in your pockets during mealtime, you’re going to need the yeast from the bread to turn all the fruit into great tasting alcohol!
The third step is to mash all the mixtures with your big strong fists. But make sure you seal your zip lock bag nice and tightly, so you don’t have to clean the mess when your drink spills all over your cell. Otherwise, you’ll have a lot of explaining to do to the prison guards, and your delicious drink will be a definite no-goer.
The fourth step is the all-important fermentation part. Firstly, you should make the zip lock bag warm by putting it in a warm place or you could warm it with some hot running water for 10-15 mins. Then, you need to wrap the product in a towel and hide it somewhere safe and away from the guards for 5-7 days. Whilst it is turning into delicious mouth-watering booze, there will be a build-up of gas in the bag and it will make the bag burst. To stop this catastrophic tropical time-bomb, just leave the zip lock bag slightly open.
The fifth step is to regularly check on your bag of carefully brewed moonshine. If it already has a foul smell and the bag seems ready to burst then it is definitely working and you are rapidly becoming a master brewer.
The last step, after a week or so, is to carefully separate the fruits and their juice, using a strainer. Enjoy, and if possible make sure you drink it on the rocks!
What does pruno taste and smell like?
If you think pruno has a bad smell and a bad taste, you are certainly not wrong. Some people even said that its smell is nasty! Your first reaction could be to vomit uncontrollably and thus think you’re drinking poison! Classic ‘pruno’ tastes like a bottle of rotten fruit juice. However, it also depends on the various recipes, which all have different and distinct tastes. In case your hooch smells and tastes strange, pour the pruno into a pitcher and chill it overnight to make it more drinkable. Pour off the liquid and toss away the yeast after the remainings sink to the bottom, then pour the wine into a glass with some ice and enjoy.
Does prison wine get you drunk?
Many factors can impact the quality and strength of prison moonshine. For example, are you using fresh fruit, canned fruit, potatoes, or raisins? The quality is also dependent on how much sugar you put into your ‘pruno’ and the temperature at which the mixture is stored at. If you’re using canned fruit, it’s extremely helpful if it’s canned in « heavy syrup » that contains an insane level of sweetness! The quality of the ingredients is also important to effectively produce your super-strength booze.
The alcohol content of pruno can range from two percent to fourteen percent. Two percent is comparable to a very weak beer, and fourteen percent is comparable to a glass of very strong wine. Best of luck and try not to go to jail in the first place, like that you won’t need any pruno!