# First Blackberry Wine (One Gallon batch)



## timber (Dec 17, 2011)

*First Blackberry Wine (Three Gallon batch)*

Hi,

Very soon I will be starting a 1 gallon batch of blackberry wine using frozen blackberries that were hand picked last summer.
This is my first attempt at making wine but I've been reading up and asking questions here during the last month or so.
My wine yeast should be here in a few days.

If someone could please review the steps below before I actually start it would be greatly appreciated.

I believe I have all of the ingredients and equipment needed now so I am proposing on doing the following.
I'll be working from the recipe listed below.

Blackberry Wine Recipe

Wild blackberries taste best, but don’t fret if you don’t have access to them. A good quality frozen blackberry from your local market will more than suffice. I’ve used store-brand in a pinch, and they’re great! This recipe makes a dry, medium-bodied wine.
Ingredients:

4 lb blackberries
2-1/4 lb granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pectic enzyme
1/2 teaspoon acid blend
1 Campden tablet, crushed
7 pints water
1 package wine yeast and nutrient 

Preparation:

* Clean and Steralize all equipment.

Thoroughly wash the berries and place them in nylon jelly bag bag.
Crush them and strain the juice through the bag into the primary fermentor.
Be sure to press as much juice as possible, leaving the solids relatively dry.
Tie the jelly bag tightly, and insert it into the fermentor
Add pectic enzyme, acid blend, Campden, and 7 pints water.

* Take the specific gravity

Add sugar a bit at a time, Stir until all sugar is dissolved and

* the must has a specific gravity of 1.090)

Cover, and allow it to rest for 24 hours.
Sprinkle the wine yeast and nutrient over it and allow it to sit, stirring once daily, for 5 days.
Strain the solids and rack into three 1-gallon secondary fermentors.
Apply an airlock.
Rack the wine in 3 weeks, and again in 2 months.
Bottle. For the best flavor, allow a year for the wine to mature before enjoying it.

Makes 3 gallons.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Dec 17, 2011)

THaw berries, crush and dump into your bag, tie it shut with a string, add KMeta and pectinase, begin your starter, adjust the specific gravity. 12 hours or so later add your yeast starter. Stir and gently squeeze bag 2x a day, I recommend removing bag after 3 days and making up volume lost with water with sugar in it (with an sg of 1.090). You only have enough berries for a gallon.

You biggest problems are that you want to put an airlock on to soon, wait until the gravity goes to about 1.01-1.02 and then rack to a 1 gallon jug, NOT a 5 gallon carboy.

Why do you want to store it in a gallon jug after its done, get some bottles and some screwcaps or zorks if you dont have a corker.

Crackedcork


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## timber (Dec 17, 2011)

CrackedCork said:


> THaw berries, crush and dump into your bag, tie it shut with a string, add KMeta and pectinase, begin your starter, adjust the specific gravity. 12 hours or so later add your yeast starter. Stir and gently squeeze bag 2x a day, I recommend removing bag after 3 days and making up volume lost with water with sugar in it (with an sg of 1.090). You only have enough berries for a gallon.
> 
> You biggest problems are that you want to put an airlock on to soon, wait until the gravity goes to about 1.01-1.02 and then rack to a 1 gallon jug, NOT a 5 gallon carboy.
> 
> ...



Hi CrackedCork,

Sorry, I was editing while you wrote this.
I guess I'll need to adjust and make one gallon.
What is the best ratio of #'s of blackberries per gallon of wine?
I'll need to weigh and see how many actual pounds I have.


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## jtstar (Dec 17, 2011)

make sure you dissolve your sugar in warm water or juice before mixing it in the primary


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## timber (Dec 17, 2011)

I have 4.5 lbs of blackberries.
A friend said he may also give me a gallon of blackberry concentrate that he made from about 4 lbs of blackberries then froze.

I wonder if all of this together would make 5 gallons of wine.


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## timber (Dec 17, 2011)

Thanks Crackedcork and jtstar,
I'll do as you suggest.


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## jtstar (Dec 17, 2011)

you can use the wine calc you will find on the front page to determine how much sugar you will need to use


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## Julie (Dec 17, 2011)

I would use 5 #'s per gallon of berries. And don't dump the sugar in and stir, sugar is very difficult to dissolve this way. Heat up some of the water you are using and dissolve the sugar in that.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Dec 17, 2011)

Thats not a concentrate, thats a dilution, but you will have enough for 2 gallons of blackberry wine. I regularly dump sugar straight into my juice in the primary and simply stir it up, when we make all juice wines we dont want to heat up the must or dilute it with water, so adding sugar directly works just fine as long as you stir it good. CC



timber said:


> I have 4.5 lbs of blackberries.
> A friend said he may also give me a gallon of blackberry concentrate that he made from about 4 lbs of blackberries then froze.
> 
> I wonder if all of this together would make 5 gallons of wine.


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## timber (Dec 17, 2011)

I just downloaded the WineCalc the other day and forgot I had it.
Good plan jtstar.

Hi Julie,
Good, I have 4-1/2 pounds and can get another 1/2 lb so will go with that and adjust (dissolved sugar) to get the correct specific gravity prior to adding yeast.

Thanks for the helpful tips, y'all!


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## Arne (Dec 18, 2011)

With what you have and a gal. of juice from your friend, you should be able to get 2 gal. of wine out of it. Arne.


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## arcticsid (Dec 18, 2011)

All I have to add to this is dissolve your sugar first! 

Ferment bags are the way to go. Alot of us use paint straining bags available at your local hardware store. The last ones I bought were 1 gallon size and costed a dollar a piece. Pantyhose work too, but trying to find them to match your eye color can be difficult.

Either way you want 100% nylon.

Your recipe calls for it to be transfered into 3 (1) gallon secondaries. You have nowhere near 3 gallons to start with.

Don't overthink this too much, but we want you to have great successes and become hooked like the rest of us. LOL


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## timber (Dec 18, 2011)

Thanks Arne and arcticsid,

Think I'll mark my Primary bucket in gallon increments, mine didn't come graduated. Might give me a better feel for volume vs weight with the berries when I make my must.

To add water or not ... recipe calls for a gallon of water but I get the feeling from many here that less to very littler water will make a much higher quality wine.
I'll think I'll make up a batch of "invert sugar" ahead of time so I can desolve the invert syrup in a small amount hot water to add to the must to get my SG.

True arcticsid, rather than overthink things to much I do want to have a solid plan just so it goes nice and smooth and turns out great.

Yeast, Acid Blend & Pectic Enzyme should be here tomorrow or next day ... durn snail mail near X-mas can be slow.


I think in the long run I'll find that I'm very fortunate to live where I do (Columbia River Gorge) because there is an abundance of fruit during the season(s).
I see a 5 gallon batch of Pear wine next summer, gallon of dandelion wine in spring, various other batches as fruits become available, perhaps even a grape wine if I can get enough grapes from friends who are not harvesting the vines they have.

*Priorieties:*

Clean everything well using K-meta
Desolve sugar or "invert sugar"
Check SG prior to adding sugar and rack to secondary at approx 1.010
Freeze berries immediately after picking 
Have enough cleaned and ripe fruit or berries for a great batch.
Use a quality wine yeast (it's cheap insurance).
Have patience, keep an eye on temperature and rack on schedule.
Look for a SG of 0.990-0.996 for finished wine
Stabilize prior to bottling.
Age reds for a year or more, whites 6 months or so.
Keep making batches.
Taste and enjoy.
Thank those who have helped along the way!

Ha, I'm hooked even before my first batch. 

Thanks All,


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## SBWs (Dec 18, 2011)

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is Acid and pH. If you are going to make fruit wines it's a good idea to get a pH meter and some NOaH Solution to check pH and acid.


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## timber (Dec 18, 2011)

Good point SBWs, so far I'm in the dark about acid content (balance).
My hope is that I can first follow a a recipe or two before I purchase any more equipment. (I do plan on getting what I need soon but already have spent more than I had planned this month). It's all a great investment, so I'll take your advice and work toward getting a pH meter and some NOaH Solution.
(I'm not familiar with NOaH Solution but will look it up)
Any recommendations for a pH meter or are they all pretty much the same?

I did order some Acid Blend to add per recipe but I can see how getting the balance right could make all the difference in final taste/ sensation.

This looks like it may be helpful in learning about PH etc.
Thanks,


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## WVMountaineerJack (Dec 18, 2011)

you might not need to add acid blend, recipes dont know how much acid is already in your fruit, you can get a cheap TA test kit at any local homebrewing store to test you total acidity


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## timber (Dec 18, 2011)

Hi CC,
I can see how each must will have it's own pH (aside from a wine kit that has already determined and/ or adjusted the pH value).

I live quite rural so it's not quite as easy as a nearby home brewing store but may be worth a trip to the one 20 miles or so from here.

I'll do some research to see if I can get a little Acid Testing kit for a reasonable price along with whatever I need to test the meter and keep it calibrated.
I saw one for around $50, hoping to find one slightly less expensive if possible.

Not sure I want to waste time/ $ on a litmus kit when I should be able to find a digital with calibration kit for a tad more. (Just planning ahead).

BTW ... these bits of feedback are helping, and appreciated!

Thanks,


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## mmadmikes1 (Dec 18, 2011)

Blackberries always have enough acid in PNW. you wont need acid blend.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Dec 19, 2011)

Timber, I think at this stage of the game a simple acid test kit is what you need to start out with. You will get an appreciation for TA using that without the extra frustration of dealing with a pH meter since this is your first batch of wine. You also need a hydrometer to measure the SG and a notebook to keep notes of ALL the steps and measurements you do, after all if this turns out to be the best wine you ever made it would be shame not to be able to repeat it exactly, and, 10 years down the road you will have a record of the first batch you ever made to look back upon as you progress as a winemaker. CC


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## timber (Dec 19, 2011)

> hydrometer to measure the SG and a notebook to keep notes of ALL the steps and measurements you do



Got 'em, still need the Acid Test Kit and a decent thermometer (actually several types ... liquid, ambient)
I already keep a log for the car so I know it's just a matter of always using it.

I figure a good backup via a blog here may also be useful.


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## SBWs (Dec 19, 2011)

Dave as far as a pH meter I say buy what you can afford. Any pH meter is better than no pH meter. I have the Milwaukee pH55 however will upgrade to the pH56 someday because it reads hundredth, the pH55 only read tenths. They both use the same probe, that is why I'm sticking with the Milwaukee brand and I also found it was very easy to use.


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## timber (Dec 19, 2011)

*Good News ...*

My wine yeast, pectic enzyme and acid blend arrived today ... YaHooo!
Think I have all the essentials to get started on my blackberry wine.
Tomorrow should be a fun day. 

I'll do without them this round but ordered a few more pieces of equipment in preparation for a 5 gal batch of ??? wine:

Wine test kit (T.A)
H-B Instrument, 12" lab thermometer (enviro safe type)
Small Gram Scale (0.01)
Mechanical Scale (3Kg w/ lbs & oz)
24" Plastic stir spoon
(I know, I probably should have gotten a corker first but do want to be able to duplicate a recipe in the future).

Since I found the "The Home Winemaking Book" I think I'll go straight from that on this batch.
In reading through it, I find that it has no disagreements with any of the suggestions made by the helpful folks here and may help me keep on track and make a good batch right from the start.


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## North_Ga_Jug-Or-Not (Dec 20, 2011)

I think your gonna do just fine, youve done more for yourself than you know already. Most first timers go into that first batch with probably less than half of what you know already, and even less proper equipment, and still come out the other end drinking a pretty good bottle of wine. As long as you remember to have patience, take good notes, and never be afraid to ask a question I believe your gonna be a happy camper when you get finished. 


On another note, you are most definately addicted already. Haha You almost have a mini winery by the looks of it and havent even started your first batch yet. I can see that ill be seeing alot of you around here for awhile to come, as I have no plans on going anywhere I love this forum.


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## timber (Dec 20, 2011)

*Addicted pre factum ...*

Thanks North_Ga_Jug-Or-Not,

Yup, no doubt, I'm irreversibly addicted, pre factum.
This site is such a tremendous resource and with very little effort it's easy to get the answers needed to either dig right in, if so inclined, or to take one's time and really enjoy the journey.

It's good that you remind me to take good notes, especially at this stage, it's easy to get wrapped up in doing and forget this important step. I have a little log book and will be sure to document well.

I'd imagine that a sure sign of addiction will be when I actually have a dedicated, wine making space as close to the kitchen as possible without having the wife throw me, the carboys and my acid test kit out the front door. 

See ya around,


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## jdrum (Dec 20, 2011)

i was lucky, we had just quit breeding dogs so i took over the welping house that we raised the puppies in, 8x8 and insulated 250 watt flood light keeps it between 60 & 70 degrees even this time of year. problem is it's already to small.
i am planning to extend it out another 16 feet and add a summer canning kitchen. then i hope next summer a storm/wine celler. (that way if the top gets blowed away, we can stay in the hole and drown our sorrows.

jim


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## timber (Dec 20, 2011)

> (that way if the top gets blowed away, we can stay in the hole and drown our sorrows.



LOL 

Sounds like a great emergency plan ... we should all be so prepared.


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## North_Ga_Jug-Or-Not (Dec 21, 2011)

timber said:


> Thanks North_Ga_Jug-Or-Not,
> 
> I'd imagine that a sure sign of addiction will be when I actually have a dedicated, wine making space as close to the kitchen as possible without having the wife throw me, the carboys and my acid test kit out the front door.
> 
> See ya around,




You are right about that, I went from "borrowing" a corner of a closet to a whole room. Lol I only hurt myself with the room thing though, bc in my old house my third room was where my workout equipment was and the other spare was storage and what not cause I had two living rooms. Well, new house has three rooms, a much bigger kitchen instead of an extra living room. So second room is now nursery with my new baby boy, and extra room/man den that took over for my other living room is now man den/winery. Haha So I lost a few seats by the plasma, football, and xbox in there so only a few friends can hang comfortably there now.

Granted the site of 20-30 gallons of wine sitting out in the open at any given time makes them not care about cramped much but still. I still use the man den closet to keep a few carboys out of the way here, but it isnt big enough. And the kicking you out, trust me I went through that plenty. That first batch you bring out and she drinks, itll stop. My gf bugged me for 30 minutes just last night to stop hording my wine, meaning we had none left bottled and chilled to drink(she drank 90% of it, just to note that) and I needed to come off of some I have ageing so she can drink some. Lol So as you can see, it also gets addictive to your friends and family just being able to drink good wine for free. You will soon be a hero my friend.


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